Cars and Driving in Europe - do manual gears, diesel cars and speed limits pose a problem for US drivers?
 

Just wondering, since our cars are normally smaller, with manual transmission, most run on diesel and our speed limits are higher than in the US. Any funny stories?

I haven't heard of problems with transmissions or speed limits, but I've heard of people stopping on the wrong side of an intersection because the traffic lights are on the near side in Europe whereas they are on the far side in the U.S. Thus, a European driver might cross the intersection and stop nearly in the middle of it in order to be even with the U.S. traffic light.

I accidentally put gasoline into my Diesel car once, although that had nothing to do with being in Europe or the U.S., it was just a simple oversight.

My first drive in Paris was in a rental car with a stick transmission, at 5 PM on a weekday, right next to the Arc de Triomphe roundabout. I got home okay, but I had to remove my hand from the steering wheel with a pair of pliers.

Not all Americans know how to drive a stick-shift car--that is indeed a problem, requiring them to pay for a pricy automatic if one is even available.

The only problem for me of the three you mentioned was speed: not that the drivers are "too fast" on the #1 in Italy, but that the fastest among them come out of nowhere from behind. (I guess that is too fast) I'm going along at a terrific clip, but these guys with power to burn fly by at tremendous speed = truly, you barely see them in the rearview until their climbing up your exhaust pipe.

Secondary highways were a breeze, though the large number of two-wheel drivers takes some getting used to.

Generally, a manual transmission is no problem for me (though for many, yes) but when in some locations (a town with steep hills) it can be quite a challenge: as anywhere. The first manual transmission I owned I had while working in a building with a parking garage with some STEEP ramps in the morning when you could get stuck behind someone, it was a lesson in managing shift/clutch/brake/gas pedal coordination.

Define" Europe"--it really does vary.

Obviously, you can´t compare the highways in Germany with those in, say, Romania. But it´s true that most of the cars use diesel, gears are not automatic and speed limits are over 55 mph, so I reckon we can generalize on this question.

Is it really much of a difference now?

I think a speed limit of 75mph can be found on many US interstates these days, at least in the West where I usually go.

And all EU speed limits for motorways are between 70-81 mph, except for Italy with up to 94 mph, and Germany obviously.

So it should not be a real adventure to drive here...

Yes, it WILL be a "problem" for some US drivers, mainly the following:

the ones who think they OWN the passing lane

the ones who roll through stop signs

the ones whose turn signals never work

Are Ireland and Scotland Europe?

I've driven in Europe only once, a few years ago in Normandy. My rental was 5-speed diesel, but I learned to drive on a manual transmission, and I've driven diesels before so I knew the difference. Actually my rental car was sporty and fun - I had a great time driving it, and driving in Normandy was extremely easy (compared to, say, Paris).

I've never had any problem to speak of in Europe, the lone exception being when I've been stopped in a line of cars on a hill, waiting through a couple of lights--with a standard transmission. Dang!

I'll be fine at first, but invariably, if I have to wait too long, I'll kill the engine.

Ireland and England aren't much more difficult, though, once on a long grade, I forgot to shift down and the car kept losing power and finally died, with a long line of cars behind me. I felt very stupid when I realized what the problem was.

I'd had cars with manual transmissions at various times in my life, so it should not have been a problem.

What was a shock was the price of gasoline, though it's less shocking now that our gas prices have risen so much.

Dukey.. the examples you gave sound like the usual driver I encounter on the German Autobahns every day ;-)

i think several problems could arise for a foreigner in spain. especially the traffic light placement.

your light is where the nose of your car is.. not the one in front of you 10 ft.. it is always whereever the nose of your car is. forget the others until you reach them. then they are for you to pay attention to!

1- one could park his car along a street amid a number of cars only to find out later that the entire street of cars was illegally parked.

The foreginer comes back, only to find another car in his place.. and a yellow sticker stuck to the pavement directing him to the pound to retrieve his vehicle after paying 250 euros!

Be sure to check every painted line and sign on any street you THINK there is street parking. Do not trust the presence of a strip of parked cars.

2- when a speed limit drops before coming to a town or there is a change in the speed limit.. you have NO TIME practically to reduce the speed of your vehicle unless you put on the brakes HARD.

Normally, the speed traps are right there.. just waiting for you to pass through at 60 instead of 50km after cruising at 90/100 a km. earlier.

solution: Do not be afraid to brake.. and make sure you are especially careful with the 50km limits. Warnings are unheard here with the highway patrol (guardia civil)

p.s. spain´s city speed limits are lower than in most u.s. cities and residential areas. it is only the highways that used to be slower.

happy cruising.. and try to ignore the tailgaters. It is beyond me that this is not a violation here. I dare to say it is the most annoying habit imbedded in a LOT of spanish drivers.

Manual isn't an issue - we just rent automatic.

And since we both enjoy driving fast cars fast (impossible in our area due to both laws and traffic) we much prefer the european style and speed of driving.

Our only major disappointment was renting a Mercedes (there were 4 of us) and finding it had an engine that seemed to run on chipmunk power (didn't realize that they would rent cars with engines so much smaller than in the US - it had zero pick up).

Only funny story - meeting other americans at a highway rest stop on the way to Vienna. (The coffee from the machine was surprisingly good, by the way.)
They were convinced they were lost - since all the signs said Wien - and they were positive they wanted "Vienna".

We didn't know(long ago) that gazole was diesel and had to have it sucked out :)

Stick -- no problem.

Diesal -- noisy and it stinks but it's cheaper and delivers good low end torque.

Speed limits -- reasonable, wish ours were as liberal.

I don't have a problem driving either diesel or manual car. It is the traffic signs I've learned I really need to pay attention to, as many are different than we have in the US.

If you know what to look for they are easy, but if you're not, then....

A few examples;
Right of way signs. These do not exist (or are at least very rare) in the US, while they are common where I drive most frequently in Europe (Germany).

Parking signs & rules (already mentioned above)

Limited vehicle traffic zones (i.e. Florence).

And of course detours - handy to know the local term if you are following a map!

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road, on the "wrong" side of the car, no problem. Manual, diesel, no problem.

Signage, road markings. Problem.

Never a summer without a "funny" newspaper story about some american (or tourist from other countries used to drive an automatic) making incredible damage on man or property:)

Often I understand the problem can be that people thought they had the manuel stick for "forward" but in fact had it for backing. Is this the case?

Modern diesels are not not noisy, do not stink and often have cleaner emissions than petrol cars. They are just as lively as petrol cars too. Diesel in Holland is cheaper than petrol. Pity they don't hire LPG cars - or do they?

The main problem I would think for someone from the US are the traffic lights being in a different position - they get me every time I go to the US (!), and the concept of overtaking lanes on motorways and dual carriageways, rather than "keep your lane". Speed limits are not that much higher here than the US nowadays, Germany excepted of course, and indeed a lower in much of Holland (100km) than they are certainly in the west of the US.

Also in towns the speed limits can vary, and you have to know that the town name board often acts as a speed limit sign - ie 50km from there until you leave the town. Some areas are 30km, and some are walking pace also. But if you gen up on signs before your trip they won't be a problem.