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So much to do and so much to see during your overseas tour! No matter where you’re stationed, you can plan an epic road trip whether it’s within one country or across multiple. As you plan to embark on this journey, follow these helpful tips to ensure your road trip is a success!
PRE-TRIP TIPS
In advance:
Ensure the whole family has tourists passports.
Bringing pets? Get their passport and shots up to date. Check if they’re allowed in countries and if any shots are needed for them to enter or come back to your host nation.
Make sure you have your international driver’s license.
Research and understand the different rules of the road of all countries you’re driving to and through.
What to pack:
Tourists passports.
Pet passports, seatbelts and necessities too.
Have kiddos? Make sure they’ll have plenty of entertainment.
Emergency vehicle equipment, spare tire, extra oil and other necessary fluids.
Meals, snacks and drinks.
Bottled water since tap water in some countries isn’t drinkable.
Trash bags for any messes or wet clothing/linens in the car.
Necessary adaptors for the countries you’re visiting.
Pack light for clothing. Try to do laundry at your accommodation if possible.
Toilet paper for the rest stops that will most likely be out of it.
Planning and budgeting:
Contact your bank about all travel plans, even the countries you’re driving through in case you make an unexpected stop.
Download maps from Google Maps to use offline in case you hit dead spots.
Budget accordingly for gas, tolls and vignettes along your route. Carry cash for tolls. Plan your fill up route and gas up in cheaper countries. See vignette tips below.
Carry cash for tolls.
Plan your fill up route and gas up in cheaper countries.
See vignette tips below.
Carry cash for tolls.
Plan your fill up route and gas up in cheaper countries.
See vignette tips below.
Vignettes
Purchase a vignette for each country you plan to travel to. Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland require a vignette sticker. They can be purchased at border crossings and nearby gas stations.
Approximate vignette costs: Austria: 10 days, €8; 2 months, €23.40 Bulgaria: 7 days, €5; 1 month, €13 Czech Republic: 10 days, CZK 310; 1 month CZK 440 Hungary: 7 days, HUF 2975; 1 month, HUF 4,780 Romania: 7 days, €3; 1 month, €7 Slovakia: 10 days, €10; 1 month, €14 Slovenia: 1 week, €15; 1 month, €30 Switzerland: 1 calendar year, CHF 40
ROUTES TO TRY
There are countless road trip options for you to choose from! Below are some of our readers’ favorite road trips!
Favorite multi-country road trips
Starting from England - France - Spain - Portugal - Spain - France - Switzerland - Italy - Austria - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium - Luxembourg - France - England.
Starting from Germany - Austria - Italy - Slovenia - Croatia - Hungary - Slovakia - Czech Republic - Poland - Germany.
Starting from Italy - Slovenia - Croatia - Hungary - Slovakia - Poland - Czech Republic - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium - Luxembourg - France - Switzerland - Italy.
Favorite road trips within countries
U.K.
Ireland - Ring of Kerry, Burren Loop, Wild Atlantic Way, Causeway Coastal Route and Dingle Peninsula.
Scotland - North Coast 500, Argyll Coastal Route, Highland Route and Isle of Skye.
England - The Great Stones Way, St Hilda’s Way, The Peak Pilgrimage, The Cornish Celtic Way and The Old Way.
Germany
Romantic Road
Wine Road
Fairytale Road
Alpine Road
Castle Road
Italy
Amalfi Coast
Tuscany region (filled with various wine road trips)
The Dolomites
Veneto region
