driving in Europe

You will need to contact the specific car lease agency as this may vary by company.

Judith,

One point to mention. In order to drive in Italy, you'll require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your normal Driver's License. This is required in other countries as well (not sure about France, I'd have to check). Especially in Italy, failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot!

You can obtain an I.D.P. very easily at any AAA office.

Regarding the Leasing question, you might have a look at Rick's Thoughts on the subject.

Happy travels!

Yes, you will need an IDP so pick one up at a AAA before your trip.

I also recommend a GPS system, especially for Italy. Buy one at home that includes both European and N. American maps. Garmin and TomTom get the best recommendations. Learn how to use it here before you take it on your trip.

If you pick up and drop off in France, you will save money. We picked up in Amsterdam and dropped off in Rome and paid extra pick up/drop off charges. It was still a better deal than renting. Lease prices also include full collision waiver insurance, it's an additional cost for rentals.

I leased a manual transmission diesel. Diesel gets better mileage and the fuel was cheaper at the time (can't say if it currently is). You get better mileage and performance out of a manual transmission but you can order an automatic if you prefer.

Remember cars run smaller in Europe. Pay attention to how many people a car can hold and how many bags. The website where I ordered my car showed how many people and how many bags a car would hold. That's a maximum amount rather than how much the car carries comfortably. We traveled with two adults and three kids, each with one carry-on bag. We ordered a seven-passenger Renault Grand Scenic II. It was perfect for us. If we had been bigger people or carrying more baggage, it would have been cramped.

To prepare for driving in Italy, spend some time driving through S. Mission Beach in the summer. That's exactly what driving in Italy reminided me of - small, crowded roads with no place to park. The biggest difference, Mission Beach has street signs. In Italy, roads have names but no signs. A GPS will know the name of the road even when there is no sign. A GPS will also guide you to the nearest public parking.

Hi Judith,

I leased a car from autofrance.net this past year and was extremely happy that I did so. I leased a brand new Peugeot, it was a 5 speed stick shift but you can order an automatic at additional cost. The only age question that I can recall is that one must be over 18 years. The minimum term is 17 days. Whatever you do, make sure that you have GPS. And a tip, when entering your destination, be sure you enter the street name first. I kept making the mistake of entering Calle de xxxxx instead of the name xxxx. It made for some interesting navigating?

I leased through Autoeurope and was extremely happy with the results. The minimum was 17 days and I don't know about age restrictions. I am sure you can confirm if there are any on their website.

You asked about age restrictions. In general, leasing comes with less stringent age restrictions than conventional car rental--but I guess the only way to know for sure is to ask in advance.

Try the renaultusa.com website. I have leased from through the renaultusa office in New York City many times with absolutly no problems. Renault offers a wide variety of vehicles, and they are very nice cars. The diesel Cleo is a nice car for two persons. You must start the process at least one month before you leave for Europe.

Pls realize in advance that driving in some parts of Italy and France can be very fatiguing! If you are ok with that, enjoy. Never drive more than 3 hours is my guideline in Europe and avoid cities as Florence, Milan, Rome, Nice, Paris, to mention a few.

I agree with JS. I like short legs when traveling because I don't like to burn an entire day in the car (or train).

As for big cities. A car works nicely if you find lodging outside of the center (somewhere with parking) then take public transport into the center for sightseeing. If your lodging is in the city center (as most of Rick's recommendations are) a car becomes a headache as you have to find somewhere to park it at an often expensive rate.

Hi Judith

I agree with Brad. Consider finding lodging outside the center of the larger cities and then use public transportation. If you do lodge in the cities, consider when you're going to be driving into or out of the area. Try to arrive and leave at slow traffic times. It's difficult enough to know where you're going (which you won't), and to remember all the European driving uniquenesses. Make sure the hotels you're staying at offer parking, some will be at the hotel, sometimes they have arraignments with local parking garages.

We drove to Munich, Vienna and Salzburg recently. We tended to leave the car parked while we were there except for the occasional days when we went outside the city (example the lake Salzkammergut region outside Salzburg). Public transportation is a breeze. Easy to understand, mostly on time and very efficient to get you to all the areas you're heading. Making transfers between various lines is also quite easy.

Also, watch out for the hidden eyes of the law enforcement, especially in Italy. There were a number of posts on this site regarding getting tickets many months after returning for many offenses, most notably driving in restricted zones and speeding. The cameras are there and you probably won't notice them. (I'm still waiting to see if I get any foreign mail some day)

Best of luck! Gary