As a first time visitor to Europe, the biggest difference between traveling the U.S. and traveling through Europe was, for me, not being able to predict anything. There was no way to expect the unexpected travel kinks that occurred while traveling Europe with kids. The kids themselves are an X-Factor, and then add in having no real understanding of the way things work as you navigate each new country; it's a guaranteed recipe for chaos. Okay, I know. The unexpected is by definition "the unforeseen", so maybe that would be expecting too much of myself, but I'd like to share some road rules so chaos doesn't reign supreme. This is not actually limited to driving rules, but any of those tricky laws or rules that may catch a traveler unawares. Maybe then you will do better than I did at knowing the rules of the European road and expecting the unexpected.
Rule#1 - Get advice from everyone and have a passport.
Most people travel and love to talk about it. Some will even share your same travel goals and life situation: maybe parents of two young kids headed for Paris or a mom and teen going to Berlin. Sharing goals and situations can make the experience more similar, but you can garner tips and helps from anywhere! Since our major travels I've run into grocery store checkout clerks, retirees and moms at the park who have all had some great tip to add to my travel idea jar. What's that saying? "Know before you go"? Uh, yeah. We didn't really do that. Passports, check.
Rule #2 - Get an international drivers license.
Rule #2 - Get an international drivers license.
This way when random officials from whatever country you happen to be in make you hand it over and don't give it back, you won't be left without a license. Not only are these international drivers licenses recognized as ID, they make you a legal driver across Europe. Nope, didn't do this either.
Rule #3 - Be ready to appreciate those quirky differences
The U.S. is a great place to live. Each region has its distinct characteristics, beauty, and cultural variations of what it is to be "American". That said, wherever you go in the U.S. there will be (mostly) a continuity of rules. For example, in every state there is a speed limit which varies by road type and every business will speak the same language and accept dollars. Although the creation of the EU begins to address this issue, don't think for a minute that it streamlines anything; instead, just appreciate those quirky differences as best you can. I learned this lesson the hard way one wintery afternoon driving on an Estonian highway. I was pulled over for going the posted speed limit...but apparent to the very polite officers, at an unsafe speed for road conditions. While we may have a similar law in the U.S., the rule is "don't get caught speeding more than 5 mph over" and "slow down a bit when its wet". I'm actually an excellent snow driver and felt I was driving at cautious speeds, but an hour in the back seat of the police car and a written apology later I had learned a very valuable lesson: "Don't speed". Of course, this is the moment when that International Drivers License would have been handy. Also, these differences are more apparent and will more drastically affect those who cover a large territory in a single trip.
Rule #4 - Don't trust your bank cards to work when you need them.
It was a bit of a shock when we arrived by ferry to France and discovered that all banks close (entirely shut down) for their lunch hour. This wouldn't have been as bad if we hadn't needed to pay the taxi drivers who had just picked us up and taken us to the train station (and of course required payment...they were a bit insistent on it really). This was a crucial moment for our bank card to work at the ATM; it did not. Our bank had shut it down for suspected fraud for the fourth time, in spite of several quite heated conversations only a day earlier. No opportunity for another showdown however...the fraud department wouldn't even open for another four hours. Too late for both the taxi drivers and the train we needed to catch. Eventually AMEX came through. Lesson learned: have local currency and an AMEX at all times (and don't waste your trip time with those useless bank card conversations).
Rule #5 - Don't try to do it all
This is especially true if you're traveling with kids. There is nothing that will ruin the Vatican, the Eiffle Tower or the Pyramid of Giza faster than kids who are uncomfortable, hungry and have been run off their feet. What am I saying? This goes for the grown ups too! Honestly, if you're planning to see every city (or museum, or river) in one trip, let me save you the bother...they all look exactly the same when you hit too many too fast. It's much better to pick a home base and only two or maybe three nearby places to see. The best times we had were when we gave ourselves time to explore off the beaten tourist trap and discovered something for ourselves. We were driving from Bled, Slovenia down to Dubrovnik, Croatia and happened to see a sign for a Croatian National Park, called Plivice, we'd never heard of. We needed a break and we had a couple of hours to spare and it turned out to be one of the most memorable and beautiful parts of our trip.
So, whether you follow these five rules or choose to fly by the seat of your family's pants, I hope you'll find the literal joy in the journey.
