Itinerary for a 4-week trip to Europe

Now, more questions I have, in case someone has a hint on them... Distances between the regions look too long for driving, except maybe Netherlands - Switzerland. In that case, are out-of-country drop-off fees just high in Europe since there is EU and so, or is it like taking an American car and returning it in Canada at sky-high prices? Is there some special trick or so to reduce the costs of car rental, which look high at the moment (we are quoting on Hertz, Avis and Autoeurope)? What is, roughly, the price of fuel in those countries? Is Euro accepted for minor purchases in Switzerland and Norway, or should I already count on managing 3 currencies on our trip? Ir air-conditioning a must to have in June on these countries I'll visit?

I would change the order of your trip. Start south and work your way north. That way you visit Sicily when it's likely to be the coolest. And Norway when it's likely to be warmer. That will also shorten your travel time a bit. I think the pacing of the trip is good. I have only been to Belgium and Norway on your list. I think Brussels is a good base for Belgium - you could easily visit Bruges and Ghent from there. Quick train trip and inexpensive with a 10 trip pass. Ghent would also work as a base, as would Bruges. For Norway it might make sense to fly into Bergen and work your way to Oslo - maybe spend two nights in each then fly home from Oslo. You could travel by ferry and train and skip the car. Oslo is not the best base for the fjords.

Drop off fees between countries are generally very high. The best way I know to reduce rental car costs is to get a manual transmission. Automatic is nearly double. I can't quote gas prices, but they are much higher than the US. The cars are very fuel efficient so that helps mitigate the expense. I think diesel fuel is less and it's widely available so consider renting a car that uses diesel. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
As for a/c, I hate hot weather so I don't like to risk not having it. That said its not likely you'll need it in Norway in June. Check the weather averages and highs and lows for the places you are going and you can decide if you need it. I'm sure someone can provide the link; I don't have it with me.

The order does seem like you are criss-crossing from north to south to north to sort of central. I agree that starting with Sicily and going north as it gets warmer is a good idea. Being in Norway around Summer Solstice would be fastastic if you could do it. Driving around Sicily will be easy and a lot of fun, although it may be bigger than you think. We rode with our daughter who was at the NATO base near Catania. Checking online for the distances and driving times to where you want to go will surely affect where you end up staying. About the car, contact Gemut.com. You can request a quote online or call them. Their website has lots of great info on renting cars in Europe and Andy Bestor, who handles the car rentals, can help with your questions. I don't know how it works, but in our experience he has always come up with better prices than I could find online myself. Gemut does not charge a fee for this service.

Car fuel prices vary in Europe by country and fuel because of various excise and sales taxes; and government policy; and transportation issues. However it can be simplified to a general average of around US$9.50 a US gallon. When you need specific countries for a recent month, ask.

International drop fees can eat your lunch - and dinner and all the food for a week. EU doesn't matter. Country boundaries do. If you try to save money driving, car AC sometimes costs more to rent and reduces fuel mileage. If you decide to drive in Europe, especially Italy, there are a number of "caveats" which you should be conversant with in order to save you $$$ in unwanted costs and "presents" in the mail after you get home. If you are aware please ask and Ken or I or others will fill you in.

Don't remember about some countries, but you do need international driver's license in Italy, can get it for about fifteen dollars from AAA with I think a passport sized photo. Also be aware of the traffic zones in Italy.

Thanks for all suggestions so far! The reason I was intending on leaving Switzerland as our last destination is to reduce chances of getting a late melting season with many mountain sites closed. I know this is sometimes a problem just close to us in the Rockies. Sometimes we get a harsher winter or a cold spring and many sites in the mountains will keep closed later than usual. I'm not entirely sure if things are the same in the Alps though... but our visit to Switzerland will be mainly focused in mountain-related activities plus one day trip to Zurich and (maybe) another to Vaduz (Liechtenstein). I have already my International Driver's Permit and so does my wife, since we both drive. What specific caveats are your referring to, Nigel? I'm aware of strict enforcement of speed limits with section control, and we will be studying in more detail traffic signaling. I also read about those Restricted Traffic Zones (ZTL, right?) and that I shouldn't enter even if other cars are doing so. I have also read different and conflicting feedback, some people discouraging car rentals, others writing "go for it" in websites etc. I'm quite surprised that, so far, car rental quotes we've got are cheaper in Italy than in the Netherlands or Switzerland. Since Sicily is hilly and Switzerland is mountainous, I was expecting to rent a least a crossover, but they cost too much, so we'll likely set for a smaller vehicle. I just don't want to be gasping for more engine power (and by no means am I a "road warrior" fast driver) while driving to St. Moritz, Davos, Gstaad os Zermatt. It will be an interesting experience anyway, high speed limits are high over there but cars way smaller. At least the Dutch/Belgian driving is mostly on flat terrain so that should be easier while we are there.

You might want to double-check those car prices. The Netherlands should probably be the cheapest. Switzerland might appear to be higher but next. Italy is a gotcha - - the apparent price will just about double when you add in the mandatory cdw which the credit card will cover in the other countries.

If your IDP's are from your last trip you will need new ones. They expire after 12 months. Also, be advised that there is usually an extra charge for an additional driver. The charge can increase the rental cost quite a bit. Traveling south to north will work best as others have stated.

We drove the Alps in late June 2011 in an Opel. My husband (who races a Formula Ford) had no power issues with the car. We did have issues with the weather. Snowed in at the top of the Hochalpenstrasse in Austria. Decided against going very high elsewhere. Rainy and windy in Switzerland. Lovely in Zermatt, but remember, you can't drive to Zermatt. You must park in Tasch and take the train up.

Sorry Frank & Lisa, but your itinerary is a little overwhelming. Trying to see so much would be virtually impossible unless you wanted to sleep in a car and never stop; and take 7 weeks. And a whirlwind tour of Italy without stopping to see Rome, Florence and Venice would just be wrong. The country has so much culture, history, architecture and art that your trip would possible be a big blur. Just these 3 cities are a 2 week tour. And gasoline is $9.50 per gallon approx. in Italy. I found rental cars priced okay @ AutoEurope, and they didn't charge any drop off fees if returned within Italy. And you don't want to take any cars into any large European cites. They're best rented there and returned at train stations outside big cities. I would suggest you drop Sicily from your itinerary, which would save 1 week. Fly into Rome and do the tourist thing. Then, take a train to Florence. (We stayed in Chianti and used a rental car there to visit hill top fortress towns (Siena, San Gim. & Volterra.) Then, take a train up to Venice. If you want to get the Alpine experience, the Dolomites and Austrian Alps are less than 2 hrs. north of Venice. Theycan be visited by rental car from Venice. Then fly from Venice to Helsinki. Do the tourist thing there and take a overnight ferry over to Stockholm, one of the great cities. Then take a train over to Oslo and over to Bergen to get your fiords out of your system. You can fly home from Bergen. That's the best itinerary I can suggest. I too have slowed down driving from place to place, and am trying to savor my trips more than driving a road race.

Hello Frank and Lisa. I recommend : delete Norway from this trip. I love Norway, but I think flying north to Norway (Oslo or Bergen) for the purpose of quickly doing the "Norway in a Nutshell" fjord trip, and then flying away from Norway would not be a great use of your time and money. If you will travel in Switzerland, you can ride on a big boat on a big lake surrounded by mountains (snow on tops of the mountains). That is similar to the experience of riding on a boat on a fjord in Norway. I think your basic travel plan is good if you delete the excursion to Norway. I think you would like being at Switzerland ten days or more. I think renting a car in Switzerland is not necessary or important.

"The reason I was intending on leaving Switzerland as our last destination is to reduce chances of getting a late melting season with many mountain sites closed." By late May, pretty much everything that's going to open for the summer will have opened. There may still be some snow on the higher hiking trails, particularly in Zermatt, but this won't be an issue unless you plan some hut-to-hut mountain hiking. Still, if your trip is in June, I don't think it matters what time of the month you visit. Place Switzerland on your itinerary where it makes most sense geographically and don't worry about the weather. "but our visit to Switzerland will be mainly focused in mountain-related activities plus one day trip to Zurich and (maybe) another to Vaduz (Liechtenstein)." If you're staying in Zermatt, Zürich's a little far for a daytrip (possibly a little more feasible from Davos, though). And Vaduz is absolutely not worth the effort, or losing a day in the Swiss Alps. "I just don't want to be gasping for more engine power (and by no means am I a "road warrior" fast driver) while driving to St. Moritz, Davos, Gstaad os Zermatt." None of these towns have a particularly difficult approach by road (and as noted, you can't drive into Zermatt anyway), so don't worry about power. "At least the Dutch/Belgian driving is mostly on flat terrain so that should be easier while we are there." In the west of Belgium, yes, it is mostly flat, but the eastern half of the country is actually quite hilly. And there are some stretches of highway in the Ardennes that are very steep, even steeper than any autobahn I have driven in Switzerland or Austria.

speed limits are high over there Just a couple of things, Frank and Lisa. Pretty much all of Europe, western and central Europe from my personal experience, use hidden radar or infra red speed cameras. Tickets come in the mail after an extra charge from the rental company for providing the police your details. The speed limit in the Netherlands on the fastest roads is only 120 kph. It is the most densely driven network of roads in Europe and the limits are strictly enforced so you will be lucky to be getting up to that speed. Belgian roads are not always in the best of shape. Their speed limit is also 120 kph and their roads are also pretty busy. The southeast of the country is very hilly - there are run off areas near some bridges. Loads of trucks, some with extra trailers, on Belgian roads. At the risk of offending Belgians - Belgians are not renowned for lane control or turn signals or maintaining a constant speed, or exceptional maintenance of their cars. Italy - yes ZTLs, hidden speed cameras, interesting lane control and imaginative use of sidewalks or one way streets, in the south he with the most testosterone goes first. Traffic lights can be seen by some as optional so if approaching an intersection, especially at night, check oncoming traffic and crossing traffic even if you have a green light or priority. Swiss speed limits are low, and reduced to 100 kph or 80 kph in tunnels of which there are not a few. Very strictly enforced.

I agree with Tom about Liechtenstein. Unless you really just want to check a country name off a list there is really no need to go there. I've been there and there realy isn't much going out of your way for. Yes, I went there to check off a list - and arranged for it to be on my route from Innsbruck to Chur a few years ago.