photo: travelblog.org
I’m in the midst of planning my honeymoon to Venice and Croatia. Early on in the planning process, I struggled to find a cost and time effective way of getting between the two countries. So I decided on an option we have not yet tackled in Europe…driving! Oh who am I kidding? My guy will be behind the wheel since I hate to drive but my role of lead navigator will be an important one of course.
We have driven before on vacation while in St. Martin. But since it takes a little over an hour to get around the entire island, I consider that to have been a dry run. In Croatia, we will rent a car in Dubrovnik and drive up the coast to Rovinj (with stops in between) to make our way to the ferry for Venice. We figure it will be a great way to see the country but we’ve also heard it can be rugged, and since neither of us speak Croatian, we’ll need to do some planning in advance.
Recently, I read an article on tips for driving in Europe via cnn.com and found out there is whole new realm of things to think about. For example, did you know that if you wear glasses, you’re required by law to carry a spare pair in your car if you’re driving in Spain? I don’t even own a spare pair!
A great resource for driving in Europe is ViaMichelin, something I was previously not aware of. On this site, you can find driving directions for numerous countries, and your search even provides you with an estimate of gas costs.
If planning on driving in a foreign country, it’s important to decide if you’re up for the responsibility before you rent the car and drive off. On vacation once in Poland, I was almost involved in a car accident, which could have likely been fatal. Although an experienced driver was at the wheel, cars in Europe are much smaller and there are many one lane roads. Therefore, people very frequently pass you if they think you’re driving too slow for their taste or if they like to speed. The one passing a car in front of it but heading straight at us made its way back into the lane with only inches to spare.
Speeding is a serious issue everywhere, but to end the post on a lighter note, I laughed quite heartily several years ago while visiting Poland and watching the news. With not enough resources, law enforcement was addressing speeding by placing wooden cutouts of police in cruisers on the side of the road. A creative way of trying to tackle the problem, but I think it amused rather than scared the drivers.
