Favorite or worst rental car for narrow roads?
Jun 16th, 2006, 01:58 AM
#1
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Favorite or worst rental car for narrow roads?
Anybody have a favorite car for the narrow roads of Europe, or one to avoid?
We will be 2 weeks in England and Wales, just the 2 of us and I keep reading about all those narrow one track roads with stone walls on either side!
We will probably be renting from Europcar, they served us well the last 2 times in Germany and Austria.
And I guess good mileage is important, did I hear $8 gallon?
Thanks!
Wrenwood
We will be 2 weeks in England and Wales, just the 2 of us and I keep reading about all those narrow one track roads with stone walls on either side!
We will probably be renting from Europcar, they served us well the last 2 times in Germany and Austria.
And I guess good mileage is important, did I hear $8 gallon?
Thanks!
Wrenwood
Jun 16th, 2006, 02:16 AM
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In the UK the gallon will have five liters or thereabouts. So, if you're comparing American gallons, take the 8 divided by 5 and multiply by 4. That brings the price back to $6.40 per gallon.
I don't think the fuel prices for a couple of weeks but maybe you could post people about the cheapest places to buy fuel in the UK. I'm sure people have some places not to buy fuel.
Blackduff
I don't think the fuel prices for a couple of weeks but maybe you could post people about the cheapest places to buy fuel in the UK. I'm sure people have some places not to buy fuel.
Blackduff
Jun 16th, 2006, 02:31 AM
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As there's just 2 of you get a Micra / Corsa / Fiesta sized car, just don't go overboard on the luggage unless you feel safe leaving some of it in the back seat (I wouldn't)
As for "I keep reading about all those narrow one track roads with stone walls on either side" you'll find that such roads are few & far apart, just learn that passing places aren't for parking while you take photos of the view
As for "I keep reading about all those narrow one track roads with stone walls on either side" you'll find that such roads are few & far apart, just learn that passing places aren't for parking while you take photos of the view
Jun 16th, 2006, 03:24 AM
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The worst rental we had was an Opel Zafira. We hated the car to begin with, it wasn't comfortable and this particular one had a very balky shift. And in the narrow streets of Bamberg's old town, we got wedged in and couldn't turn, had to back up a block and a half to get out.
Favorite small car for darting around was the Citroen C3. Very nimble, shifted smoothly, surprisingly peppy, sipped gas, comfortable for two, and we did like that little refrigerated glovebox for keeping a bottle of wine chilled en route.
Favorite small car for darting around was the Citroen C3. Very nimble, shifted smoothly, surprisingly peppy, sipped gas, comfortable for two, and we did like that little refrigerated glovebox for keeping a bottle of wine chilled en route.
Jun 16th, 2006, 09:25 AM
#5
Re: 'the narrow places are few and far between'
True. The only places we found narrow roads were: 1/ Lake District...lots (the worst being 13 shoe widths wide for both lanes), in the Cotswolds almost all the roads throughout, 3/ some of the back roads we drove in Eastern Wales, and 4/ the lane from the highway to our B&B in Stanton Prior, near Bath (where the hedge on the side of the road brushed the entire car tire to top, both sides at once, for perhaps 3/4 mile). My first day in the Cotswolds I was very tense, as I had NEVER seen roads that narrow in 50+ years of driving.
The expressways, however, were normal width.
True. The only places we found narrow roads were: 1/ Lake District...lots (the worst being 13 shoe widths wide for both lanes), in the Cotswolds almost all the roads throughout, 3/ some of the back roads we drove in Eastern Wales, and 4/ the lane from the highway to our B&B in Stanton Prior, near Bath (where the hedge on the side of the road brushed the entire car tire to top, both sides at once, for perhaps 3/4 mile). My first day in the Cotswolds I was very tense, as I had NEVER seen roads that narrow in 50+ years of driving.
The expressways, however, were normal width.
Jun 16th, 2006, 02:48 PM
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Awhile back we got off the QE2 and went to pick up our car. They had upgraded us.... wonderful..... to.... a Mercedes station wagon! Oh my... talk about your worst car for narrow roads. (Probably some wise traveler had rejected it and we got stuck with it.) Not only that the damn thing talked!! If one didn't fasten the seat belt, etc., ettc. AND we could never figure out how to turn off the rear windshield wipers until we dropped "Percy" at the Cambridge railroad station. A car we will never forget -
