DRIVING
EUROPEAN BACKROADS
Stuffed Animals to National Heroes
European
auto routes are fast and convenient to get where you're going with
speeds upwards of 85 mph. Usually
not crowded except around cities, but tolls in France and Italy can be
expensive. So get off the highway and take a side road. You may not need one, but a GPS can make it a whole lot easier. Driving European
back roads down winding narrow lanes, taking a detour or short cut through
small villages and skirting cites you come across the odd and surprising,
and maybe not so surprising. Expecting to see the usual assortment of
animals, roadside stops and car dealerships, the occassional local
market
or beverage store with stacks of bottles in plastic crates, restraining
your urge to smash through them like a Hollywood stunt show.
Then
you pass by the the odd 200 year old German windmill in the middle
of
a field along the Wesar River of Hesse (see Footsteps
of the Brothers Grimm) - or while driving driving from
the Cannes French Riviera to Aix-En-Provence you stop for a walk up
the steps of a town that's been around for 900 years and spot
the curiously bizarre taxidermy stuffed foxes in an odd display in the
upstairs window of someone's house, like a personal pet museum (see Napoleon
Road) - finding
your way from Dijon to Chatillon-Sur-Seine in Bourgogne, a small road
takes you past a water mill wheel
still working along a tributary of the Seine River (see From
Little Drips Mighty Rivers Flow) - or discover
an impromptu
history lesson when you encounter a forgotten monument at a
small town suburban intersection in the midst 
of German Saxony
to a Colonel you've
never heard of who changed the course of his country's history when he
and his men stood his ground against superior numbers and stopped the
advance of the French Army in 1689 (See Rhine
Castle Sooneck),
or
driving from Amien to Paris you get off the motorway with
its toll booths
only
to find an 18th Century French ducal mansion north of Paris, once home
to friends of a king who lost his head, now just a run-down farmhouse
with ducks quacking in the yard and a heating bill too expensive to pay
for more than just the kitchen and a bedroom, or discover forlorn and
awe-inspiring graveyards from WWI (see Somme
).
Renting a car in Europe is relatively
easy, just your own driver's license and a passport. And oh, yeah
- a
credit card (see Renting
a Car in Europe).
Some credit cards offer insurance, check the fine print and make sure
what they cover and whether its primary or secondary coverage. If you
don't want to worry about whether someone dings your rental while your having
lunch at a roadside cafe, get the CDW. When you're just driving down
the road and a pebble suddenly clunks into your windshield, that's about an
800 dollar clunk. It's a little extra but the peace of mind might be
worth it.
As for finding places to stay on the road, should you book ahead or just wing it? Truth is, you can almost always find a vacancy. Through the European countryside many local little bed & breakfasts can be found, Auberges in France, Agriturismos in Italy, "Zimmer Frei" in Germany put out their welcome signs along the roads, especially in wine touring or historic areas. Find that secret little place you'll be telling your friends about for years, because it's always what you discover on your own that seems to be remembered best. © Bargain Travel Europe
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
DRIVING THE AUTOBAHN
- NO LIMITS
INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT FOR EUROPE
DIJON
- BURGUNDY & MUSTARD
BAD
DURKHEIM - GERMAN WINE ROAD
VALENCIENNES
CANNON BOULES
MERCEDES BENZ MUSEUM
STUTTGART
