Can't Drive

Travel with someone who can and does drive.

Try the Lonely Planet travel forums. They are geared more to travelers your age, and to backpackers in general.

Most people who visit Europe don't rent cars. There is good to excellent public transportation in most places, and lots of companies offering group tours, from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. It depends on your interests and your budget.

Happy trails!

I never drive abroad as I hate driving in my own country so would have a nervous breakdown if I tried driving in another country! When I look at my travelling friends I would say the majority do not drive abroad. Even if you don't go on a tour you can usually get around using public transport, taxis and coach tours.

As the others have mentioned, Jordan, there's no need to worry. High speed rail lines criss-cross Europe now, and, with some advance booking tricks, fares can be quite inexpensive. Several countries also have good bus systems to complement trains into smaller towns and villages (eg Spain, Italy, UK), while a proliferation of discount airlines can provide a cheap way to cover longer distances. Eurolines, an association of private long-distance coach carriers, provides an inexpensive way of bussing across Europe, while companies like Busabout sell passes for travel on the circuits that they run through various parts of Europe. Don't forget that, relatively speaking, distances are a shorter experience compared to what we might be used to in North America. Paris to Madrid, for example, is an 800 mile drive...about the same as Washington to Chicago....and less than two hours by air.

Jordan, where do you want to go? What do you want to see and do?

We really prefer not to drive and manage quite well with trains and buses. We pre-arrange tours for regions that we can't get to without a car such as a full-day tour of the Loire Valley, a tours of the Caves of Périgord or the Dordogne Valley, a wine tasting tour in Chianti or Tuscany etc.

Most young people travel through Europe for months without ever driving. Even if they do have a driving license they usually can't afford to rent a car with the additional insurance cost for young drivers. The only thing they miss out on is the stress of getting stuck in a traffic jam, looking for (expensive!) parking ...

As a family, we do take a car most of the time but that is a very different situation because it's usually cheaper for us as a group. But during our Christmas vacation we actually opted for the trains despite the higher cost compard to a car. And we looked out of the window pittying the poor drivers struggling with snow and ice.

Thanks for the responses! I'm not sure where I would go specifically.

Unlike the U.S., the rail/bus system throughout Europe is extensive.

Europeans don't rely on cars the way we do. They rely mostly on trains between cities (and air with the introduction of cheap fares) and great public transit within cities.

I've never rented a car in Europe. Never saw a need. I could always find a train/bus/tram/ferry/plane wherever I wanted to go.

If you're traveling by yourself, renting a car is more hassle, and cost, than its worth.

Jordan: Good news: Doing Europe without driving is easy and some think it's the best way to enjoy your trip, not having to deal with narrow roads and limited parking.

Europe is different than here: most of Europe is well served by train. And there's also day tours and buses, to supplement the trains.

I'm not going anywhere right now I just hadn't thought about it before. I thought Europe was well served by trains but I wanted to see if trains got you to the places you wanted to go and what you think about traveling without a car. Whatever you say won't stop me from traveling so feel free to point out the negatives if you think there are some. I really appreciate the responses.

Not to mention that walking, once you get to your destination, is the best way to really see any place. Even if you had a car, it would likely only be to get from point A to point B, so as long as you have other options there (and you do, as others have explained well), you'll be sightseeing on foot, bicycle, or on a tour bus where someone else is driving.

The only real advantages to having a car in some places that are poorly or infrequently served by public transportation are that you do not have to be aware of limited schedules for buses and you may be able to travel a bit faster. You can overcome these by planning well most of the time. As far as I am aware, this is mostly a problem in rural Ireland or in more remote places in the Scottish highlands. But between cities and in cities you won't have a problem anywhere. I think nearly all of the countries in continental Europe are well and thoroughly covered by trains and buses. Maybe reserve visiting some of these slightly less accessible places for when you have a traveling companion who can drive.

By the way, I hope that poor vision wouldn't pose other problems for you in the way of travel. I'm guessing that you have worked out ways to manage or seek help with traveling on public transport at home.

Also, if you have a documented visual impairment, you may qualify for special services, even as a visitor to a country. You might see if you can get documentation of this from a doctor or state agency in the US; for example, handicapped parking placards from the US are recognized internationally, so other types of documentation might be also. For example, I am traveling on Orkney, and they have special transportation services available, which you can access if you have documentation of a qualifying impairment. You may also qualify for discounted bus or metro passes. It would be worth checking out. There is a travel tip article for accessible travel on this website, and although the focus is on mobility, some of the agencies referred to might have info useful to you, depending on how severe your visual impairment is.

I have traveled in Europe about 20 times and have never rented or driven a car there. I have used tours, both long and one-day. I have taken trains, buses, and the occasional taxi. There are places that I would need to get creative if I wanted to visit there. Maybe hire a private car/driver.

There is almost always someone available to answer questions, even when I don't know the local language. Using public transportation, it is usually necessary to handle your own luggage both getting to and on the train/metro. On buses, in England at least, the driver will stow your luggage in the space under the bus.

Some of the large train stations are a challenge when you are looking for the right track. Except in Italy (my experience) there are usually rail employees available to help. You need to allow plenty of time getting to your train or bus. I tend to get lost, so the extra time gives me a cushion.

As a teenager, even if you had a license, you can't rent a car anyway, so don't worry about it.

We have travel to Europe more than 40 times and NEVER driven. Never even felt the need to. As others have said, the Cotswolds of England, some very remote areas of the Highlands of Scotland and a very few other places are less well served by public transport. My husband and I enjoy letting others do the driving while we watch the scenery and relax. Day tour companies are wonderful and allow you to see smaller areas where public transport might not work (we did a day tour of the Cotswolds from Stradford-upon-Avon and one of Orkney from Inverness). Don't let this MINOR problem discourage you from exploring the world.

"the Cotswolds of England, some very remote areas of the Highlands of Scotland and a very few other places are less well served by public transport."

In Rick Steves' Europe, that might be true (maybe add the Normandy and Loire regions to that list). But in the continent as it really is, despite perceptions, there are actually many areas where public transportation is spotty to non-existent. For example, my in-laws' house is about a 20 minute walk from the nearest bus stop, which only comes 4 times a day.

But I do agree, for most of the sites that interest the typical tourist (and please, don't give me some crap about how you're a "traveler not a tourist"), cars are often not needed.

Even areas with poor public transportation are usually manageable with patience and planning. I just put together a 16-day trip to Sicily that does not include renting a car. We will spend 3 hours on a bus going from one side of the island to the other, and we will pay a little extra to hire a guide & driver to take us to one of the more inaccessible tourist sites (not all on the same day of course!) but it is worth it to us to eliminate the cost and stress and hassle of dealing with a rental car.

It also helps if you are a good walker. I would find the 20 minute walk to Tom's in-laws no problem at all, and I'm no athlete. :-)

There are places where a car is helpful, if not necessary, but they would be pretty rural. But the good news is, it would take you years to exhaust the places you can get to by train or other public transport. Don't let driving hold you back!

We have lived in Germany for 23 years without needing to own a car nor rent one when traveling. So far, have gotten along pretty well.

Enjoy the trains and other public transportation like trams and subways. It allows one to travel without stress, you can read, walk around, go to the dining car, gaze at the scenery all you want, and train stations are all in the middle of cities, not on the outskirts. Many cities are very walkable, so use it as a chance to get in shape and to really get a feeling for whatever country you are in.