EUROPE BY VEHICLE
 

Hello there. My wife and I are from Inuvik, NWT, Canada and are planning a trip through Europe at the end of September and early October. We will be travelling through Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, and Freiburg, Germany. Along the way we will detour to Strasbourg, France. After Germany, we will drive through Basel, Bern, Lausanne, and Geneve, Switzerland. Then on through Grenoble, Nice, Grasse(we have friends here), Marseille, Lyon, and Paris, France. After that it is through Belgium, then Netherlands, and possibly Denmark. We are interested in seeing the countryside and unique local sights. We both enjoy full malt beers and would like to check out some local microbreweries. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along. We hope to hear from you soon. Thanks. <BR>

Have travelled exttensively in Europe by auto. No problem at all, roads are generally good, but narrow (not as many freeways which will almost always be tolls). don't leave stuff in your car! Parking is always a hassle as Europe is crowded. Shops are only open at times (carry a picnic) and ladies, my secret is to carry an opaque plastic bottle (sometimes saves your life) as toilet facilities (rests stops) are infrequent. Karen Brown's guides are fantastic, have never let us down, and she has some good iteneries, complete with maps for suggested off the road sights and places to stop. Always allow more time than you think you will need to get from here to there as it is more tiring. Roads in Germany are great. Stay off the Autobohn if you scare easily...They have NO speed limit and go as fast as the car CAN go. They are good dirvers, but, of course, when they do have a crash, there are few survivors, and they pick up what is left with a stick and a spoon. Can get there, fortunately, without going this route. Try some B&B's (english widely spoken), change a little money every other day to get best rate, try a beergarten in Germany (fun people often there) and take lots of money, as can be expensive. Our habit is to get a place inclues breakfast (most do), and then picnic with bread, wine and local sausage. Have a good meal at night (usually very late in Europe). And take ggood walking shoes. Have change in local currency to pay for parking, etc. E-mail me if I can be of help. <BR>

Re driving in Europe. If this is your fitst time, get a n atlas with the road signs. U will need them. Also learn what the little blue cardboard clock in the car is for. You place this on the dash with the time you parked in areas so designated. The rental company can explain. Gas u want in Germany is bleifrei. That is lead free. U use the credit card machine inside usually. Gas is expensive, but driving is the best way to see the small towns. Any other info or questions, email me but do it fast. We are heading to Nice for a cruise next week.... <BR>

You may have noticed my earlier posting about how difficult we found it to decipher the road signs and rules when we were in Europe several weeks ago. I was advised on this forum that Michelin has a driving guide and rules of the road that one should buy. I know we will next time. I was also given a website to visit about the highway rules. let me know if you are interested... <BR>

One suggestion we had was to purchase a Shell Road Atlas as it has all the small areas well mapped and also shows the hotels, pensions and b&b.