I’ve been back in the US for about 6 months and realized I still haven’t shared some of the big trips and experiences we had during our 8 months living in Europe. There is a major trip that I haven’t even touched on yet–a two week road trip spanning five countries!
Fun fact about life in Europe, the work/life balance is very well balanced and in Barcelona (and it seemed like much of Europe), take plenty of time away from the office. In fact, many people that we met in Europe told us to travel during August because basically no one goes to work. We were told it’s an ideal time to go on a long trip since Barcelona (and MM’s office) would be very quiet.
We spent half of August traveling and the half we did spend in Barcelona was quiet. It was not unusual to see shops/restaurants closed for weeks at a time during this season. That is something you certainly would never encounter in the US but was quite common in Barcelona.
One of our most memorable travel adventures to date was our 17 day cross-country road trip in the US (NYC to SF). We figured we would enjoy a similar adventure while in Europe. We planned out a two-week, multi-country road trip. Our goal was to make the most of our time and see as much as possible. The upside to our quick movement through each city was the ability to see a lot in a relatively short amount of time. The down-side is you can’t immerse yourself in the culture with such short stopovers and you probably won’t see everything on your to-do list. It’s a personal preference but I love trips that are go-go-go. Since these were all new-t0-us destinations, now we know where we want to go back to and further explore.
Here’s a quick look at our route:
- Annecy, France (1 night)
- Geneva, Switzerland (2 nights)
- Wengen, Switzerland (1 night)
- Liechtenstein (day trip)
- Austria (day trip)
- Weggis, Switzerland (2 nights)
- Lake Como, Italy (1 night)
- Serole, Italy (2 nights)
- Nice, France (2 nights)
- Saint Tropez, France (1 night)
- Cassis, France (2 nights)
- + little stops along the way in Antibes, Aix-en-Provence, Lucerne, Interlaken, Gruyere, Lauterbrunnen
I’m working on separate travel guides for the above cities, check back for those in the coming weeks. For now, let’s chat about how to plan the perfect European road trip. When I decided to write this post, I wasn’t sure how many tips I could come up with. Thinking back to our trip, the ideas just kept coming in and I have 15 tips to share! If you’re considering a multi-country, multi-week adventure, here’s what you need to know for smooth sailing.
15 Tips to Plan the Perfect European Road Trip
1. Book in Advance
We chose August because it’s the month where apparently no one works in Europe. So as you can imagine, it’s when many Europeans are also traveling. Hotels book up so while it’s fun to play it by ear and drive until you find a hotel you want to stop at, I suggest planning in advance and have all your hotels booked. This is especially important if you have a dog as not all spots will be pet-friendly, really cutting down your options.
2. Plan your Hours in the Car
As you map out your route, take note of both how many hours you’ll spend in the car each day and also when those hours will be. I highly recommend doing all your driving in the daylight, especially since you’ll be tackling unknown routes and roads. Some of the roads we encountered were extremely narrow with sharp turns (Lake Como in particular) and I would not have appreciated those in the dark. As ambitious as you may feel planning out your trip, keep your driving hours manageable (we aimed to be in the car for no more than 6 hours at a time, always in daylight).
3. Be Detail-Oriented with your Hotel/Airbnb Choices
Since you’re traveling abroad, you’re likely booking places you don’t know much about. Map out each potential hotel to ensure it’s in the right area and easily accessible to your top pick of sights. For example, I booked a hotel in Lucerne but it actually was about 30 minutes from the city of Lucerne (it was however, based on Lake Lucerne). Also, I thought I was booking a hotel in Interlaken and upon further research I realized I booked a hotel in a remote village 30 minutes away, only accessible by train (lol). Honestly it was a pleasant mistake as it ended up being one of our favorite stops, but it was good to know in advance that we would need to leave our car at a train station to eventually make our way to the hotel!
Along with this, as nice as it can be to feel like a local with Airbnb, I recommend hotels. This is a personal travel decision but here is why I vote hotel. You’re going to encounter a lot of language barriers along your journey and if you’re spending just 1-2 nights per location, it’s a lot easier to deal with a hotel front desk. The challenge of getting keys/access to Airbnbs as you’re on the road (potentially with spotty cell service) is an obstacle easier avoided. During our two weeks we stayed at 6 hotels, with friends in 2 cities, and at 1 Airbnb. Also many European hotels include very extensive breakfast buffets (another thing to consider when you book!), something you’ll miss out on with an Airbnb. And perhaps frowned upon, but I recommend taking some of snacks from the breakfast buffet to-go to save money on future meals 😉
4. Know the Highway Vignette/Toll Rules
The toll system in Europe is different than what you’ve come to know in the US. Some countries have tolls while others require vignettes, which are stickers you purchase and put on your windshield. If you drive on highways without the sticker you can risk a hefty fine. We needed one in Switzerland and it was available for purchase as we crossed over the boarder from France. It cost around 40 euros. Do your research in advance to ensure you have the right documents for highway driving. According to a quick search, vignettes are needed in the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia & Switzerland.
5. Prepare to Pull Over
If you see something intriguing, like a glowing blue lake (see below), stop and check it out! Even if you’re just taking 3 minutes to pullover and take in the view, make time for these mini stops. Not every scenic overview will be life-changing but you’re likely to stumble upon some real gems along the way.
6. Infuse Fitness Into Your Adventure
Road trips inevitably mean a lot of time in the car. It’s many hours of sitting and your legs are going to feel it. In addition to making stretch stops, try to add some physical activity into your daily routine. We love finding local hikes to get the blood flowing and for the best views. And even if there isn’t a local hike, do as much by foot during your exploration and sight seeing (like a walking tour). The below image is from our Calanques hike in Cassis, France–highly recommend!
7. Pack Snacks
Road tripping 101 right here, pack lots of snacks and water! This is both a safety and sanity recommendation. Long hours in the car require fuel and sometimes the roadside snack options are limited, plus you’ll save money if you prep in advance. Search for local markets to infuse local flavors into your snacking. We found tons of open air markets throughout Europe and visiting these was one of my favorite things to do during our travels. Aix-en-Provence and Nice had standout markets.
8. Remember Your Human & Dog Passports
If you’re making the journey to Europe, you likely know that you need a passport. This is just a friendly reminder to have it on you at all times as during your road trip you’ll be crossing country boarders.
And if you happen to be traveling with a furry companion (as we did), they will also require a passport! You might think I’m joking, but European pet passports are real things (and real cute btw). The document includes your pet’s vaccine information and allows for travel throughout the EU. I will note that we were never stopped at the boarders and therefore never had to show Ollie’s passport. But best to be prepared. It’s also important to note that different countries in the EU have different vaccination rules (for example, I believe a rabies vaccine is required every 2 years in France but every 3 years in Spain). Before you travel, make sure your pet has the appropriate vaccinations for each country you intend to visit. HERE is a helpful post on obtaining an EU pet passport.
9. (Maybe) Invest in an International Driver’s License
I’m honestly not sure what to advise here. Many travel blogs mention the need for an international drivers license, but we never got one and it was never an issue. We were able to book multiple car rentals with our US driver’s license + passport and were never asked for an international drivers license. We also (luckily) never got pulled over. I suppose there is a risk of being fined if you don’t have one in certain countries so do what makes you feel most comfortable. They are pretty inexpensive, I believe no more than $20.
10. Decide on 1 or 2 (or more) Drivers
Typically there is a daily surcharge for every additional driver added to a car rental. Decide in advance how many people will realistically be driving so you have the proper reservation/insurance. I don’t love driving and it added a big chunk of money to our rental, so MM drove the entire trip.
11. Consider Phone Service/GPS
Before heading abroad, check your phone coverage. Different rules apply to different countries so don’t be surprised if you cross a boarder and suddenly don’t have coverage. Since this may be the case, I highly recommend renting a car with GPS as you may find yourself lost without your phone’s Google Maps. Also spend a little time getting your GPS set up in English before you hit the road!
12. Mix High & Low
This is a tip for road trips in the US and abroad. If you have endless amounts of money, by all means go high end all the way! But if you’re sticking to a budget, mix in high end and low end accommodations. Some cities/countries are more affordable than others so figure out where it’s worth splurging (both on hotels and activities). The below was one of our splurge activities in Annecy. We rented an overpriced boat that went at very slow speeds, but it was worth it for the photo opp. No regrets!
13. Bring Some Cash
Tolls can add up in Europe so make sure you have ample cash (bills and small change) to cover your route. Credit cards are also accepted but for the small tolls cash is easier. Keep in mind the currency may differ depending on where you’re headed. It’s also great to have that cash on hand if you’re visiting local markets.
14. Search for Festivals
If there is one thing I learned about Europe while living there for 8 months, it’s that they love to throw a festival. If you’re trip is long enough, I’d bet that you’re going to overlap with some sort of celebration. Do a quick google search to see if there is anything unique and fun happening during your trip.
We realized that Liechtenstein Day (to put it simply, the national holiday of Liechtenstein where the prince invites everyone to the castle for free beer and food) would be happening during our drive and made sure to include this random holiday in our plan and drove pretty far out of our way to experience it (totally worth it!). I didn’t even know Liechtenstein was a country before our trip, but now I’ve been to the castle with the Prince! I’m only slightly exaggerating as we didn’t have tickets to actually visit the castle grounds but we did have the free beer and could see the prince from a distance 😉
15. Plan but be Flexible
As with any big trip, you want to have structure and a general plan in place. When you’re road tripping you’re bound to stumble upon some hidden gems along the way. If possible, keep a fairly flexible plan to allow for stopovers and added adventures along your journey. While it’s great to have your hotels booked in advance, you can still have flexibility in your days. For example, when driving to Liechtenstein for a day trip, we realized we were only 30 minutes outside of Austria, a country we had never been to. Since we had flexibly on our side, we popped over the boarder. We enjoyed a slice of apple streusel before heading back to our hotel. We spent that day in three different countries!
If you’re planning a road trip abroad, I hope these tips come in handy. It’s quite the adventure and one worth taking. Happy travels!
