Pegontheroad

I was just printing out the replies i received on a Croatia/Slovenia thread.and read once again a mini-discussion between two Fodorites about the possibility of driving there. One comment mentioned "a woman over 70 driving alone."

I said that I was comfortable driving in most places in Europe. But there are places where I won't drive. The Amalfi coast is one. I have the idea that the roads are narrow, and there are huge drops on one side. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my mental picture.

Going-to-the-Sun Highway in Glacier Park, Montana, is another. Same deal. Narrow roads with horrendous drops on one side. I'm more comfortable on the inside, but not crazy about the idea of driving there in general.

All of these places bring back forcibly the skiing trips I took in Europe in the 60's. On one trip home from Val Gardena (?), my car went out of control on a mountain road, which fortunately had a rock guardrail on the valley side. My car did a 360 degree turn, plus a 180 degree turn, and we ended up sliding backward down this hill.

Fortunately, my friend Rosie, who'd learned to drive on mountain roads in Idaho, was at the wheel. I'd probably be dead if I'd been driving.

suze

I don't like to drive anywhere where I don't read/speak the language. I've never rented a car in Europe. It would be too stressful for me. I'd rather plan my trip around where I can get to by train.

AnaBelen

Interesting question. I also learned to drive on rural Idaho roads and have no problem with snow and extreme drop offs. When we went to Iceland, a couple of routes that were described as scary seemed quite nice to me. My only problem has been with driving on the left on narrow roads with a lot of traffic. Some of our driving in Scotland made me extremely nervous. I found being on the other side of the car disorienting. I see many other posters comment that driving on the opposite side from what they are used is no big deal, so I guess it depends on the individual. I had a much easier time driving in Australia, but it was rural driving. My biggest challenge there was dodging the kangaroos at dusk.

adrienne

I try to avoid driving up steps (as in Gubbio) or down steps (as in Obidos).

I would drive the Amalfi coast (even with the steep drops since the French Corniche did't bother me) except I stink at backing up and you have to back up if you and a bus are rounding the curves at the same time. The bus has the right of way.

I don't like steep hills and curves simultaneously. But I particularly hate driving most places in New Jersey (although it's hard to avoid driving here).

I've found all places in Europe to be easy driving, even in Scotland with the one-lane roads and sheep sleeping on the macadam.

hetismij2

I am a worse passenger than driver on the sort of roads you describe Peg. If I'm driving I concentrate on the road and don't worry about the drop. As a passenger I get into a bit of a state I must admit. My husband just laughs and carries on.

I hate driving in snow and try to avoid doing so as much as possible.

dfourh

A friend just got back from Azerbaijan. He said that everybody (to paraphrase Packer running back Jim Taylor's autobiography) "drives for daylight." Lanes, traffic lights, sidewalks - - all irrelevant. Even taking taxis meant taking your life in your hands. It matches this blogger's experience:
http://sherwoodfamilynonsense.blogsp...assengers.html
There are plenty YouTubes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmN-6...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19j8A...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL0eq...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cAQ_...eature=related

StCirq

I'm far more comfortable driving the Amalfi Coast or any major city in Europe than I am on the beltway around DC.

Judy

I'll drive anywhere I can drive on the right side of the road, DC beltway included. I've always been somewhat directionally impaired and, with age, driving on the left is just more of a challenge than I'm willing to endure.

We're moving from driving vacations to train travel more and more.

Pegontheroad

Oh, the other thing I avoid is driving a standard shift car in a city that I know is hilly--such as Cuenca, Spain. When going uphill and I stop for a light or a stop sign, it's touch and go whether I'm going to apply clutch and gas in the right proportions--or whether I'm going to stall out or worse yet, roll back into someone's bumper.

Mimar

Smaller cities are even worse than big ones. Big cities usually have lots of signs, smaller ones not so many.

We still have bad memories of circling endlessly in Lille, where they were working on the roads in the center, twice being forced into an underground garage. The GPS didn't help here.

november_moon

"We still have bad memories of circling endlessly in Lille"

DH and I were just reliving our Bamberg, Germany driving experience. Good lord, it took us an hour to get the car to the hotel - it was seriously a case of "you can't get there from here" because some streets were blocked. UGH.

I would not drive in Bali.

lavandula

They didn't even have drivers' licenses in Belgium till the 1960s and I think there were no driving tests until the 1980s (someone please correct me if I'm wrong on that one). But the driving culture is a little wild there - Belgium has the second most accidents of all European countries, I'm not sure who is in first place. There are also some tricky road rules which survive in Belgium such as 'priorité à droite', where all traffic entering from the right has priority, even if it's from a tiny side street. It used to be the case that if you hesitated, you lost your right of way, but they did away with that a few years ago in aid of reducing accidents. That would have to help somewhat!

Lavandula

emily71

I hate driving in my own area so when I travel I avoid it if possible. Trains and buses are the way to go for me.

I think the worst place to drive is India. All sorts of vehicle on the road from carts to trucks and no one pays attention to lanes.

Pegontheroad

November Moon: You weren't the only one who had trouble finding the hotel in Bamberg. I'd forgotten was a trial that was. Beautiful town, though.

StCirq

I actually vastly prefer a manual transmission - feel I have lots more control with that. But I'm really good on hills and with clutches. I hate driving on the "wrong" side of the road, though - agree with that. Gives me the willies.

immimi

We'll never drive through the historical centre of Florence
by that dealy combo - accident/stupidity. No. Never. Ever.

immimi

...deadly..

dreamon

One place which I'd love to visit and where having a car seems to be the easiest mode of transport is Corsica. However, I've heard that it is hair raising driving. Does anyone have experience of this?

Personally, I would choose to travel by public transport any time over driving, but there are some places where this isn't so practical.

sheila

Not in Europe. In countries, mainly in North Africa and the Middle East, where people deliberately try to get you to hurt them with your car, so they can get the compensation- no chance.