Ice available for coolers?

I have seen bags of ice in motorway service stations. But I haven't been long distance driving for a while, so maybe they are not to be found anymore

Try grocery stores, the larger supermarket types. Or perhaps you could ask your hotels to freeze a couple of plastic bottles of water for you overnight (best to take some of the water out first).

In all my years of traveling to Europe (20+) I've never seen an ice machine. Of course I'm sure they exist, but I haven't seen one anywhere.

For whatever cultural reason, the use of ice in industrial quantities is not a common habit in European countries, and ice machines are probably only commonly found in the sort of large hotels which cater for North American tourists. However, ice can be found on sale in bags at supermarkets and some service stations. I don't say that it can be found everywhere, but I saw some only this morning in our local Waitrose.

30 years was a long time ago - things have changed considerably, since then!
I haven't seen ice machines like there are in the US, but you can now buy bags of ice from different locations.
Highway gas stations will have ice, many wine shops sell ice, the chain of Picard frozen food stores sells ice.
Some hypermarches in the suburbs sell it too. You might not see it out in the open, but just ask for "glaçons" and someone will get it for you.

Chances are very good that your small hotels and lodges will come equipped with small refrigerators and possibly small freezers. If you've already booked them, you should check the amenities list or email them to confirm. Any hotel or lodge with a bar or restaurant will be happy to freeze those "blue ice blocks" for you - you'll find them in groceries and highway gas stations. A plastic bottle of water (2/3 full) can also be frozen and works very well to keep things cold. Drinks are sold in refrigerated sections in supermarkets and gas stations, so if you buy those to start with, you might not need quite so much ice. A collapsible, insulated cooler is the most practical.

Vandykes4,

When my husband and I take road trips in the US, we always take a collapsible cooler for lunch supplies. We love stopping for picnics and keeping costs down by having snacks, lunch supplies and cold drinks with us in the car.

This just reminded me to add a collapsible lunch box to my packing list! Thanks!

yes,bags of ice are quite easily available in supermarkets and even smaller stores all over the place.
In all my European travels I have only ever found 1 place that had an ice machine and that was the Pav hotel in Prague.

I have never seen bags of ice here. When I have needed large quantities, I have gone to our neighborhood Burger King and asked them to fill up my bowl, cooler, whatever. They don't charge, but I'll hand the worker a couple Euro. I have seen many others do this.

I was in Ramstein, Germany, last week and stopped at a Shell station for a replacement map.

Just outside the main door of the shop were 2 HUGE freezers, each one about 1.5 metres across and 2.5 metres high, with the word "ICE" in huge letters on both.

There must have been enough in those two cabinets to supply the needs of all hotels for a 200 km radius.

Ice isn't unheard of in Europe. They don't use it like we do. I always guessed it was primarily because of the cost of energy. Freezing water and keeping it frozen uses a lot of electricity. I'm sure it's available but I'm not sure it's available as conveniently as here and likely costs a lot more.

"I was in Ramstein, Germany, last week and stopped at a Shell station for a replacement map.
Just outside the main door of the shop were 2 HUGE freezers, each one about 1.5 metres across and 2.5 metres high, with the word "ICE" in huge letters on both.
There must have been enough in those two cabinets to supply the needs of all hotels for a 200 km radius."

I am sure the proximity to the US Air Base has a lot to do with large supply of ice. Those freezers are at pretty much every grocery/convenience store and gas station across the US

Definitely for the Americans as they said ICE instead of Eiswürfel

It is also not the custom in Europe to drink ice-cold beverages in all weather. Bad for your health.

It might have had just a little bit to do with the fact that it was about 2 km from the front gate of the Ramstein facility...... d'ya think?

My hypothesis is that once upon a time, before the invention of ice machines, ice was transported in sailing ships from North America, where it was harvested from frozen lakes during the winter in Canada and New England, then stored in sawdust in ice houses. So when it arrived in Europe, it was a rare and expensive luxury. The habit of being expensive stuck. Beer was pumped up from cool cellars where it was stored. Wine was also stored in cool cellars, and distilled spirits drunk straight up.
Now days, the definition of a restaurant or bar disaster here is when the ice machine breaks down.