I've enjoyed 9 trips so far, and am fond of using the train system. We're going to try a car rental next fall, out of Paris/nearby to Loire Valley (I think).

But frankly, the whole driving thing really doesn't appeal much to me. I do understand the flexibility it can give you, for stopping on a whim to visit small towns, and to reach more in-depth where trains don't go.

But the details relating to renting a car: foreign-language rental forms, insurance concerns, navigation in a foreign language, where to park, which kind of gas to get, maybe not really seeing the countryside b/c you're looking at a map or watching road signs... It sounds to me like a lot more stress just got added to the trip.

And then to suggest to a person who's never traveled overseas that they should drive! It's madness as far as I'm concerned. So if you drove on your first trip, how did it work for you? What kind of problems did you have? Would you now recommend to someone else that they should rent a car?

First of all let me say I'm not trying to talk you into driving. It isn't for everyone. Yes, we did some rental cars on our first trip to Europe -- the first one being in Finland no less. No real problems. We did it through AutoEurope so all the major paperwork was done easily from home. They have English speaking people at all the places we've rented from so the language really isn't a problem. The fuel? They will tell you what to look for and it really isn't a problem. Sure if you have a diesel you need to look for diesel, but big deal.
Signage -- not much of a problem at all. Most signs are pictures or are very similar to our own. Let's face it, if you see an octagonal red sign that says XZORJ on it at a big intersection, couldn't you guess it meant STOP? Parking can be a bit of a problem, we we always find someone to help us with the machine to put in the money or whatever. It's all part of the adventure. I will admit, even with as many times as we've rented cars -- there is definitely a little more stress level involved than traveling by rail. But we feel the pleasure and the freedom make up for it.

On the other hand, it really depends where you're going and what you're doing. These days we rent sometimes and take trains instead even more. If you're mainly doing cities, you really may want to stick to the trains. They'll take you to the center and you'll have easy access to transportation from there with no direction and parking worries.

But for the Loire Valley, I'd say YES, get a car at least for a couple days and see how you do. Just take your time and you'll be fine. Most Michelin maps have full guides of signs and French rules in them -- double check for that -- or get a guidebook that has them in it.

I did, if you don't count my three European trips as a teenager. Sure there will be some surprises. On more than one occasion we have had to resort to reading the owner's manual to figure out some essential assepect of the car's working...like how to back up (pull the ring up). That said getting a car is really not that big a deal. The important thing is to understand the rules of the road and learn how to read the basic road signs.

On the other hand if the thought of driving in France really stresses you then don't bother, stick with what works for you.

The first trip I took to Europe (as and adult) was into Gatwick. Straightaway, we jumped into the car and drove off towards Stratford. My fearless friend and navigator fell soundly asleep after about 4 miles on the M25 -- didn't even rouse when I pulled over lost as hell several times to study the Ordnance Survey map.

It really is quite simple, even if driving on the other side of the road. It does help having an conscious aid in the shotgun position though.

Getting petrol at a station is no different than in the US - you can use your debit card at the pump. Be sure not to use diesel fuel unless that is what the car uses (duh).

Unless you have an extraordinary auto insurance policy on your US car or hold a credit card explicitly covering foreign rentals (I don't on either count) then it is wise to take out full insurance (liability and value of the car) at the time of rental.

The worst part of having a car is not being able to enjoy a pint or two during the day. Otherwise, I've always found it adventuresome and fun - but then again I enjoy pleasure driving.

We almost always have a car and find it the best for US. It is a personal matter, and it's great if you have a good sense of direction, good at reading maps, and feel comfortable driving. One trip to Europe we were entirely in large cities, Paris, London, Vienna, Budpest, Zurich etc,and did it by train....but other than that trip, we have rented a car. There is so much more freedom, parking in small towns and walking around...getting the feel of the villages and people. We lived overseas for 5 years in the 70's and feel at ease driving, and I know lots of people who always rent a car. However again...IF one isn't comfortable they shouldn't do it....but I don't think you will have ANY problem in France and the countryside. We have driven OUT of Charles de Gaulle airport, and once turned the car in at Orly(coming in from the Loire Valley,and Normandy) with no problem. Just have a good navigator with you and/or study the maps first. We usually use Hertz, but Auto Europe is good also.

My first eight trips to Europe were either as a chaperone of students or as a member of a group singing for "our boys" at Army and Air Force bases throughout Europe, but the first time I ventured around Europe myself, I rented a car and had absolutely no problems with it. I drove it for six weeks all around France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Italy. Sure, there were moments when I thought I'd been insane to think I could drive in Europe, but mostly those were when I tried to go into big cities like Munich and Frankfurt and find parking near a hotel I'd booked.
Now, 20+ years later, having driven all over Europe and taken trains, I'm still an advocate of renting cars. I use trains to get from one big metropolis to another; then I rent a car. But I do not think there is a whole lot of stress associated with driving in Europe in general, if that's your point.
Driving in Europe is delicious. You can take these incredible backroads and see the most beautiful villages and sights. You can meander around and see so many things you'd never come across as a train traveler.
Gas? Well, most rental cars have this BIG sticker that tells you what kind of fuel to put into the car. Road signs? How difficult is it, really, if you have a map and have planned a route to begin with? Don't you get up in the morning and plan your route very carefully with a good Michelin map? If not, I suggest you DO. Insurance? It's all outlined in detail when you rent the car - Stateside, one presumes. If you rent on the spot in Europe, all bets are off and you'll pay dearly for the privilege. Stress? Well, personally, I find it very stressful to lug my bag onto and off a train in Europe and then have to get from the train station to my hotel, etc.
I'll take a car over public transportation anyday. I can go anywhere I want to go see things one could never see by public transportation, and I also just LOVE tooling around Europe in a car!
So, bottom line is I did not drive a rental car on my first trip to Europe, but that was because I was a chaperone on a school trip. The first solo trip I took to Europe I DID rent a car. I loved the experience, and now that I'm on about my 60th trip to Europe, I'm still renting cars and loving it.

Best advantages of having a car: 1) Not having to carry your luggage (or worry about it) on trains/buses; 2) Being able to travel at your own pace, stop and explore wherever you like, enjoy scenery not seen from train/bus windows.

Sure you need a good map, there's extra effort involved, and driving does have it's challenges.

Our first trip to Europe was to Switzerland. We used the trains for a few days, then picked up a car. In those days, we brought far more camera equipment along, so having the car was useful just for that.

When spending an extended time in a big city, we don't rent a car. But, we do set out for the day with a lot of "stuff" - sweater, raincoat, umbrellas, water, maps, tour guide, even extra shoes sometimes. When exploring the country side, you can leave all of that in the car.

Travelnut,

Well like every good American when we decided to go to Europe for the first time there was no question that we would be renting a car. We made big plans to travel all around Austria, Germany and Italy. Upon leaving Vienna we got to Salzburg just fine, from there it was all down hill. Driving in Europe is not like driving in America. We also figured out that we really don't like driving, even in America. That's the most important question you have to answer for yourself, "Do I enjoy driving?" If you can answer yes to that question, by all means rent a car. As others have suggested, try not to do to much. There are places where a car will be the best way to go, like the Loire Valley or the hill towns of Italy. Use it wisely and you will have fun, but first make sure you like to drive.

As for me, I will be in the train at the crossing watching the stopped cars and sipping a glass of wine.

Have a good trip

Greg

We lease a car and have on all our trips except one-week in Paris and who needs a car in Paris! We usually go to France for a month or more and it's cheaper to lease. My husband drives and I'm the co-pilot. I have a very strange sense of direction and my husband is very good about picking up little cues and turning left when I have just said to turn right. He's usually correct!

Have we gotten lost? You bet. Every time we did we found some neat little out of the way place that was lovely and met some very kind and helpful people.

We've only had car trouble once. On our first trip driving south to Arles my husband noticed the car heating up. We had taken the toll road (which we usually studiously avoid) and pulled off into Arles. I said turn left and for some crazy reason, he did. Fortunately we pulled directly into a gas station. We popped the hood and discovered the oil cap was missing with oil spraying all over the engine. How do you say, "The oil cap is missing?" in French?? We got out our dictionary and figured it out.

Ed went into the station and (on Bastille Day weekend), no one spoke English, but a lady offered to call Peugeot's 24-hour help line for us. She called, Ed talked and 30 minutes later Peugeot's man had met us with a new cap and oil, fixed the car and directed us to our hotel (right, not left). Everyone at the gas station was lovely and Peugeot couldn't have been more helpful. No charge for anything, including the phone.

We lease directly from Peugeot and get a small car so it's easy to park. Streets in Europe are narrow; cars are small and so are parking places. We've scraped the side in underground parking and a stone broke our windshield the last day of one trip. We did not have to pay extra. They were lovely about it. We also managed to lose the car in the CDG parking the first time we returned it to CDG. They handled that nicely too. We love Peugeot!! The people and the cars are terrific. (No, I don't work for them!)

If you lease or rent, do it from the US before you go. It's much more expensive if you do it in Europe. All the papers will be in English and will be sent to your house. When we call, we say bon jour and they immediately switch to English . . . must be the accent!

Peugeot has insurance and you have to have an insurance card in France. I don't know about renting, but if you lease, you avoid the VAT (value added tax) which is high. It's a good thing to avoid.

We try to stay on side roads (N or D routes) where there are no tolls and you drive through charming village after charming village. We've ended up on a few cow paths following my directions.

French roads are as good or better than American roads and the N and D roads are not crowded (except the Riviera in summer). All roads are crowded in summer headed south and in the south! Speeding will not be a problem.

Someone above suggested a Michelin map. Do get one. We get Michelin's big yellow "France Tourist and Motoring Atlas" at 1:200,000. It's available at Borders, Barnes and Noble, and online. It's a spiral bound map that has even tiny hamlets on it. If you have that map, you absolutely cannot stay lost in France.

If you have a good co-pilot, you may not even get lost in the first place! It really is a great way to get off the beaten track and see a lot of places away from the tourist routes. If you're going to the Loire Valley, you won't have to deal with mountains and the roads in the area are excellent. I can't tell you what a thrill it is to come around a bend driving through the countryside and see Chambord open up ahead of you. You can't believe the size!

It's something you have to decide, but the auto people will communicate in English, take care of insurance, give you French road signs and tell you what gas to buy. You'll get lost sometimes, but it's usually fun and always educational.

Your decision. Whatever you do, enjoy your trip.

My 2 friends and I bravely drove a manual in Italy for 2 weeks.....we are Aussies and thus usually drive on the "right" side of the road in an automatic.....
we drew straws on who would drive first.
We started the car and then realised we did not know how to put the gear in reverse, to get out of the parking spot....too embarrassed to ask after the 100 questions we'd already asked...worked it out after 15 minutes.
My friend managed to only side swipe one car driving out of Sorrento.
We paid the first toll with no problems...the second toll booth we were handed a card. We tried to pay but he wouldn't take any money....the light dawned 100 kms later when they asked us for the card....where did we put the card...oh here it is..with the mess on the floor.
I usually drove the wrong way in a one way street in the village of Castel del Piano...luckily the locals just thought I was mad and laughed!
The high light was when the very old pump attendant put gas in our diesel car!! Needless to say the car was returned in a critical condition.
Thus the moral of this story is that I'm probably not allowed to drive in Italy and thus will bus and train it from now on!

Travelnut: Drove the first trip many years ago (England) and have been driving ever since. Wouldn't dream of trying to convince someone to drive if he is uncomfortable or just doesn't like driving. But, we don't country or city hop. We pick a country each trip, research what we want to see, layout a route and of we go. So, trains are no advantage to us. I can't tell you how many adventures and wonderful experiences we have had because we were driving. You don't pass anything that is interesting because you don't have to. Gregg might be sipping wine while I am at a crossing (don't recall having done that much), but I am half way to my next destination while he is lugging his baggage to the train station, then out to the track, then on to the train (not to mention waiting for the scheduled departure) only to repeat the whole process in reverse at his destination. In addition, he didn't have lunch at that great old pub or bistro, or cafe that I stumbled upon as we drove through the countryside.
Have only had trouble once, with a Peugeot within sight of Le Mont St. Michel, France. The car kept dying and we would have to wait for a half hour before it would start again. We finally put in a call to the rental agency and they promised to have a menchanic come to our car to fix the problem. Within an hour, a small van pulled up and out jumped two Frenchman, one very young and the other middle-aged. Neither could speak English. So, with our pigion French and much motioning, grunting and gestering they appeared to understand our problem. With that, the older gentleman reached for a pair of wire cutters, pulled some wiring from under the dash board and uncerimoniously cut one of the wires in two and taped the ends. He looked at me and in purfect English said " drives us crazy". Seems that the problem was with the wiring for the security system and had been a known problem among Peugeot Mechanics for some time. Seems the solution was well known as well. We never had another problem with the car.
We take a train here and there, when it makes sense; from La Spezia (leaving the car at the train station) to go to Cinque Terra or to go to Pompeii from Sorrento or to Ostia Antica from Rome. But most of the time we drive. Don't want to miss anything. Have a great trip.

Travelnut, Last summer, my husband and I went to Paris for a little less than a week, then hopped on a train to Chartres and picked up our Peugeot from Europecar, arranged by AutoEurope, and took off for the Loire (after seeing Chartres Cathedral) It was incredibly easy...just sign on the dotted line. I did much of the driving initially, because my husband was monitoring his GPS. I am more of a paper map person myself, but whatever!!! I have to say driving was a breeze ...France is not difficult to get around in at all. No one ever honked at us (unlike where we live) when we hesitated not knowing where to go. We did go around some of the round-abouts several times when we were confused!! We bought our gas at the Intermarche'...supposedly less expensive,and no problem. We basically went to small towns in the Loire, Burgundy, and Provence. We never really had any problem parking, but we usually parked on the streets as we were entering the town, and got out and walked everywhere. We dropped our car off in Montpelier at the airport...Here's a synopsis of the dialogue after we handed the man our keys, "Bonsoir, Madame. Monsieur. How did you like your car?" I said, "It was great, no problems...would like to have a car just like that at home!" The man said, "Well, Monsieur, maybe a gift for your wife?" We all laughed, said merci, au revoir, and that was it. Just left the car in the lot, keys at the desk inside. Nothing else..could not have been any easier. I really encourage you to try driving if all that is holding you back is lack of confidence that things will go well.

On our 15+ trips to Europe, we have always rented a car and, for the type of travel we preferred, I wouldn't do it any other way. If you are into staying most of your time in a big city and exploring from there, a car is not a necessity. We like to explore at our own pace, small towns, countryside, stop at roadside scenery for as long as our heart desires. Good planning, however, is critical with a car and don't dismiss the idea of combination train + day rent a car for some exploration, i.e. I would recommend train to Versailles from Paris vs car to Versailles.

Driving, however, is not for everybody. If you are not in line with it, don't do it, it will stressed you out more than what is needed. Just one thought:
As far as the complications you listed, honestly, I don't know who you talked to. There is not one thing on your list that can't be easily resolved with good planning.

This last trip to Paris in November, we spend four days in Paris and then rented a car from the Hertz outfit located in the Louvre downstairs shops. Great service, no problems. We stopped at leisure in Belgium and spend a wonderful afternoon watching windmills galore in a small village about 1.5 hours from Amsterdam.

Have a great trip whatever you decide to do!

I rented a car on my first trip to Europe (drove out of Heathrow) and have every other trip unless I am just going to one city for one week (or a solo trip). I've never had a problem. I've driven in England, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and Austria and all of their roads and signs are very good.

There are tons of threads here about driving in Europe and about renting cars so if you do a search you could spend days and days reading them. Just remember though, people tend to post about unusual things that happen to them - i.e. problems or mishaps. It's kind of boring to post/read about normal everyday occurances which is what most people have. But since you asked maybe you'll get a bunch of respponses like mine saying "never had a problem either renting or driving."

As for the details you mentioned - you make the rental arrangements here before you go, obviously in English. You'd also check into to insurance before you go (probably even more threads on that issue than on driving!.I personally use the credit card insurance.) If you pick up the rental at an airport the agents will most likely speak English (I've found even at non airport location they usually do, but always in my experience at airports). Spend a few minutes before you leave the rental lot to make sure you know how to put the car in reverse, where the lights and wipers are, etc. As St Cirq said, most rental cars have big stickers telling you what kind of gas to use and they also have stickers with phone numbers to call in case you break down. Gas stations, parking, road signs, etc. all are easy to understand even if you don't speak the local language.

Unless you are just doing cities, having a car gives you so much more flexibility and driving in Europe is at least as pleasurable as driving in this country. Having a navigator is the key though, someone to read maps, signs, etc. Unless you hate driving at home I wouldn't hesitate to rent in Europe - first trip or any trip.

Just back from our first trip to England and Wales. We did decide to get a rental car for 6 of our 11 days outside the city. Family of 4 - us and 2 teenagers 14 and 15.

We'd rent a car again, but would do a couple of things a little differently. And there's some things to watch out for!

We don't mind driving here in the US and my husband decided he'd try driving on the wrong side. We did some research on prices and found a good deal thru British Airways with Hertz from Heathrow. We had an intermediate car becuase there was 4 of us so the small car aspect was out the window.

Contrary to some of the above posts, Hertz did not tell us our car was a diesel, nor was there any type of sticker on the car. But that's OK, putting unleaded gasoline in the diesel engine has given us something to laugh about for years! Sure being inconvenienced at the time (towing the car) and spending money that we didn't want to spend for a simple mistake was hard, but it taught some valuable lessons to our daughters and us. It showed the girls that they could either give up and become upset when you make mistakes or take it in stride and figure out how to go on. It also showed them that we're (parents) not infallible and can do things wrong. Lastly, we made a rule that at LEAST 2 people have to double check the pump before ANY gas was placed into the car.

The one thing we'd do different.... convince my husband to look at the maps and types of signs before going on the trip. He's used to pulling over and consulting a map (because of his job) and not asking for directions. So he'd wait until we were lost to try to look at the map. Not real good strategy! Lesson learned - both the driver and navigator must be well studied BEFORE you take to the roads.

Driving was stressful for him, but he agreed had he taken more time to be prepared with a sense of direction before he got behind the wheel, it would have made the stress easier to handle.

Parking can be a huge task, but our first rental car had what we called our "sonar radar" and would beep whenever anything got close to the car. The beeps would change to solid tone the close you got to cars, curbs, walls, etc. It was great and made the car parks much easier and saved us lots of damage.

Be aware you may encounter road rage while driving. We did in Windsor. We were coming into a roundabout and should have yielded, but were still learning how it worked. The other driver laid on his horn. We realized we were in the wrong, stopped and motioned for him to go ahead of us. He didn't, but instead jumped from his car and came over to ours and began beating on the car and windows yelling profanity. He broke the side mirror and tried to break the window since we weren't getting out to confront him.
We were finally able to drive away. Again a lesson in problem solving for us all especially as our daughters are close to the driving age!

The car allowed us to exchange a timeshare at a resort in the Cotswolds that had great amenities and lots of spaces. The countryside was beautiful! We saw how people in England really live and experienced their routines as opposed to the routines of the tourist in a big city.

Bottom line - we'd do it again, but may more attention along the way (gas issues) and be more prepared before getting behind the wheel.

We've never had any problem renting a car in Europe. Driving in the big cities can be confusing and you may want to rent a car in a smaller city to save some stress. I have yet to drive on the left side of the road and I'm looking forward to it this year.
Some countries require that you have an International Driver's Lisence and they are easy to obtain.
I love to drive so it's never a problem for me. We plug in a book on tape and go.
Someone has already said this but its worth repeating, if driving stresses you out then it's not worth the hassel.
Do what is going to be relaxing. If your not comfortable with driving then having other drivers honk and swear at you in languages your not certain of couldn't be that much fun.
Have a wonderful trip.

We have driven on each of our 22 trips to Europe, but have also used the trains when applicable. As has been said, it is not for everyone. It depends on your confidence in driving and navigating--not unlike driving in Vermont or Colorado. And, doing your homework with maps before you leave home can be a big help. Confidence and preparation are the variables.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I know many stories have been relayed in other posts, but now I can garner all your valuable knowledge at once.

We will definitely plan to drive while visiting the Loire Valley. We'll start out with just a few days to sort of "practice" and see how we like (or dislike) driving. The Loire V. seems like a good place for that - base at one place (le Manoir les Minimes, perhaps) and take daytrips where a schedule is not very important.

I'll study up on the particulars and learn from everyone else's mishaps. That will help a lot! Thanks again.

As almost everyone has said - it really depends on what you enjoy. You can definitely see things driving you would never find on public transport. To help anyone decide here are some queries:

Do you enjoy driving/are you a confident driver? If not, don't.

Are you comfortable driving at high speeds? Europeans generally drive much faster than we do (at least in NY Metro where the usual limit is 55/65). Highway limits are 80+ and drivers routinely drive 90-100 on highways.

Is someone prepared to navigate - must be able to read a map and sort out direction signs (which I have found much easier to follow in euope than in the US).

Do you drive a standard shift everyday? If not, don't try it in a strange car in a strange country. Rent an automatic.

Lastly, when you pick up the car from the rental office pretend you're a pilot doing a pre-flight check. European car rentals are not up to the US standard and there are frequently things wrong with the cars they provide. You need to find out and have them fixed or change to a different car. (We have been given cars with dead headlights, non-working windshield wipers, broken door locks, etc. - by Hertz or Avis, not bargain fly by nights.) Also be sure they run through with you everything you need to know - how to open gas tank, trunk, hood, etc.

I know this sounds like a lot but it really only takes a few minutes. Happy exploring!

I second nytraveler's comments about taking your time when you sign out the vehicle. Learn your way around the car while there's still someone in range to help you out. Ditto when you drop the car off; take your time, be sure you left nothing behind, get the 'all-clear' from the agent re damage, take photos if necessary.

Avoid driving at night or at rush hour, at least while you're getting accustomed.

Navigation - drop by a trip planner like viamichelin.com or mapquest.com and get detailed directions in English and local maps. Invest in good area maps - Michelin's are great.

Parking - often labeled on the above maps.

Countryside - I agree on major roads you likely won't see much, so that is your excuse to get off on the small roads from time to time.

My own preference is to rent from airports if I'm picking up in a large city - easy public transport to the depot, and good signage to point the way out.

Take your time, and ask your broker about curtailing the rental early if you decide it's not for you. Bon voyage.