Traveling in Europe is a great opportunity to learn more about other countries, gaining new sensations and unforgettable experiences. Of course, if you want to see as many countries as possible with maximum comfort, then the best solution, in this case, is to rent a car. After all, taking a rental car, you can get great pleasure from the trip while saving your money.
If you want to rent a cheap car for traveling in Europe, you can do this by contacting our company "BLS". We offer favorable and transparent rental conditions for customers from different parts of Ukraine, including in cities such as Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.
Car rental for a trip to the EU: what are the benefits?
The receipt by Ukraine of a visa-free regime with member countries of the European Union has opened up greater opportunities for active people who love to travel and would like to see the world. After all, now for crossing the borders between Ukraine and different EU states, it is not necessary to obtain additional permits and visas.
Car rides are especially popular. Firstly, this way of traveling is more economically advantageous. With your car, you do not need to buy tickets for bus flights and flights, as well as pay local taxi drivers, the cost of services of which can sometimes be very high.
Secondly, the experience of many travelers shows that a car trip is more convenient since you do not need to go through long and tedious controls at the airport, wait for transfers or adjust to the schedule of various types of public transport.
Key advantages of renting a car for a trip to Europe are:
- More features and experiences. Traveling by car, you can see more different cities, attractions and places of interest. Also, you will have the opportunity to make the route on which you will move.
- Comfort and independence. When renting a car, you don’t need to get attached to train schedules or flight schedules.
- Affordable price. You can choose a vehicle based on your financial capabilities, as well as the requirements in terms of comfort that you put forward to the car.
What documents will be required to rent a car?
If you decide to use the services of our company "BLS" and rent a car, then, in this case, you will need to take care of the availability of the necessary documentation for this. First of all, you will need to provide a passport and identification code. Also, you must have a valid driver’s license and at least two years of driving experience.
Please note that the services of our company are available for persons who have already reached the age of 21 years. To travel across the EU, you will also need a biometric passport. When concluding a lease agreement, the employees of the company will issue you an appropriate permit, which confirms that you can travel abroad on a rented car.
You can read more about the terms of service of the company "BLS" here.
Driver's license
To travel around Europe by car, you need a driver's license, preferably an international one. However, in practice, there are enough national ones to travel on the roads.
An international driver's license is a document in the form of a gray booklet in A6 format. It contains information about Ukrainian rights to cars. This information has been translated into 5 required languages:
- Russian;
- French;
- English;
- Spanish;
- German.
Plan to travel by car in Europe to other countries. You can get a translation of the driver's license into other languages if you wish. Otherwise, international law does not differ from national. The latter also operate on the roads of Europe, do not contradict what is signed in the Convention, therefore, they are permissible for use.
Insurance
To travel by car in Europe, you need to take out vehicle insurance. In Europe, the most popular option is the Green Card (original name - Green Card). In fact, this is OSAGO, but abroad. Driving by car in Europe is prohibited without this policy, resulting in a fine. Usually, insurance is done quickly - literally 5 minutes, and it will be ready.
The price of an international policy for unhindered travel in Europe by car, the direct amount of the insurance premium for a vehicle depends on some factors:
- insurance period;
- type of vehicle;
- coverage region.
A long-term policy for traveling on European roads by car is considered beneficial.
Vehicle documents
When traveling in Europe, you will also need documents for the car. On the road to European countries in 2021 and 2022, you need to prepare:
- technical passport;
- power of attorney (if the vehicle is not a driver);
- consent from the bank to travel abroad (if the car is on credit).
The same list will depend on your specific situation.
How to choose a car?
When choosing a car, some nuances should be taken into account, namely:
- Vehicle class. Our company offers a wide selection of options for renting cars and motorbikes. Here you can find how cars of almost any class - from the "economy level" to the "VIP". The more solid the brand and model of the machine, the higher the cost of the service.
- Specifications. In addition to the car class, factors such as the type of engine and gearbox, the level of fuel consumption, the presence of air conditioning in the cabin and so on should be taken into account.
- Body type. We have presented cars with a wide variety of body types, including crossovers, sedans, hatchbacks, and convertibles.
- The number of passengers. If you are traveling in a large company, then you should pay attention to models with a large number of passenger seats, for example, Kia Sportage cars or Chevrolet Spark models, which are very popular. But if you are traveling alone or together, then you can choose the appropriate solution (for example, a cheap and popular option in the "economy" class is a Seat Ibiza car).
How to prepare for your trip to Europe by car
To travel well in Europe by car, it is worth taking care of the little things. You need to develop a tour plan, decide what you want this year to visit the country (France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Poland). It is imperative to find out where in Europe are paid and free autobahns for cars on the way, where there are parking lots, hotels. It is also essential to figure out what to take with you to travel to Europe by car.
Recommendations for drawing up a plan for a car tour and developing an estimate
It is essential for a road trip on European roads to develop a specific plan. If possible, we recommend that you draw up an estimate of your journey, including amounts for fuel, accommodation, parking on the roads, etc. This will make your journey to Europe by car more relaxed and safer.
To travel on the roads in Europe, consider the following:
- Consider camping as an accommodation option. For travelers by car in Europe, this is a suitable and more affordable replacement for a hotel.
- When planning a route, be aware that when traveling in European countries, the road is tiresome. Ideally, if two drivers went abroad, they can replace each other. Or think about resting places along the way.
- Most do not know that a significant part of the roads in Europe is toll roads. It is better to get acquainted with such autobahns in European countries in advance. Be aware that this can change from year to year, so you need to review the changes.
- Parking in European countries in 2021 will also be an item of expenditure. It is necessary to study in advance the peculiarities of parking in specific countries.
Advice! Remember that fuel is quite expensive abroad. Therefore, if possible, you need to stock up on gasoline.
Toll roads, fines, how to deal with the police
Be aware that most of the EU autobahns and roads are toll, except perhaps for roads in Germany. The cost to be paid is determined by the country. For example, to travel on a high-speed highway in Spain and Italy, you need to receive checks at the checkpoints for entering the road. Payment is made at the end for the distance traveled on the toll road.
Austria and Hungary have a different systems. You need to get a parking ticket. Payment is made for the duration of the road trip. There are signs on the roads that indicate where to go to get a ticket.
The most accessible autobahns are in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republican average of 100 km of track will cost 5-6 euros. In France, Italy, Spain for the same distance in km you will have to pay a hefty amount - 10-15 euros. If a trip to Europe will take 3-4 thousand km in general, then you will have to prepare an amount of at least 300-400 euros.
There is always an alternative to toll roads. These are bypass roads. They stretch through small towns and villages. The advantage is the opportunity to admire the local sights.
Important! Be aware that in Europe, it is impossible to resolve the issue of violation of traffic rules on the roads with a bribe. Therefore, do not try to offer any amount, otherwise, the fine may increase several times. There is also a risk that the passport will be included in the "black list", and to obtain a visa in the future, there will be problems.
There are often ferry crossings in northern Europe. There are incredibly many of them in the following countries:
- Norway;
- Sweden;
- Finland;
- Denmark.
The cost of payment is determined by the length of the route. Usually, the amount to be paid is 10-15 euros.
Parking
Almost in all European cities, judging by the reviews, paid parking. The payment amount is 1-2 euros per hour or 24-48 euros per day. You should not ignore the payment for parking. There is a high risk that the car will be evacuated. For her return, you will have to pay 100-300 euros.
Important! There is an opportunity to save money. Free parking is sometimes found on the outskirts of the city.
Hotels and motels
To enter some countries, you need to provide confirmation that there is a hotel reservation. It is not recommended to deviate too much while traveling from the created tour itinerary. The money paid for the reservation is not refundable.
In general, pre-booking a room is a great solution. This is a chance to save both money and time. Pay for accommodation in cash or bank cards, but only MasterCard or VISA.
As a rule, the price of a room is determined by the city and country. In Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, and many other capitals, the most modest rates per night range from 60-70 euros. Poland and the Czech Republic, judging by the reviews, are loyal in payment - a day will cost 40-50 euros.
Important! Traveler reviews indicate a 15-20% chance of price increases on holidays and weekends.
As an alternative to hotels, consider motels. It is essential to know where they are to not look for them on the way, not to waste time and gasoline. You will have to spend 10-15 euros per day, and you will be able to spend the night in good condition.
What you need to know about crossing the border in your car
When planning a road trip across Europe, there are many nuances to consider. First, it is essential to pay attention to the congestion of the border checkpoints. It should be understood that the queue does not always depend on the time of day or day of the week, but it is often smaller in the morning. The best time to cross the border is on religious holidays or on Sundays.
When developing a route along the roads of Europe, be sure to keep in mind the congestion of points on the border of Ukraine. In real-time, it is possible to track the situation at border checkpoints. This is done using specialized online services. This year, you can follow the case at the border points of Ukraine in real-time, that is, online. Use the service from the State Border Service.
The status of the queue is displayed through the webcams "Cordon online". It is necessary to select the point of interest on the border of Ukraine to obtain the required information. At the required checkpoint, you can examine the state of the queue using webcams. You do not need to do anything complicated to do this - open the data in a browser.
You can also use an interactive map of checkpoints on the border of Ukraine. Thanks to her, you can see the workload. The data is updated once every few hours. This map shows the workload:
- high - red;
- medium - blue;
- there is no queue at the border - green.
There is an opportunity to independently find out how many points on the Ukrainian border pass average an hour or what the current queue is. Just click on the icon on the selected service. It is also possible to enable online broadcasting.
Important! Be aware that the update happens once every two to three hours. Accordingly, it is necessary to plan when to travel and cross the Ukrainian border.
Checking the condition of the vehicle
Before you start your trip in Europe by car, we recommend that you check the serviceability of the vehicle. In addition, it is recommended to make sure that the technical condition is entirely consistent with the countries where the trip is planned. This is especially true for toning, headlights.
For the trip to be comfortable and safe, the car must be prepared in advance.
For a professional assessment of a car, it is worth visiting a service station, where professional staff will thoroughly check everything. Particular attention should be paid to wheel alignment, steering, engine, suspension. It is also essential to take into account the health of the headlights, the level of liquids so that in case of a shortage, everything is topped up in time.
What should be in the car
The following items must be in the car:
- first aid kit with contents that meet European standards;
- proven fire extinguisher;
- spare wheel;
- tow rope;
- the identification mark of the country;
- vest containing reflective inserts.
It is also advisable that you have a small set of the most necessary spare parts with you, for example, fuses, bulbs, tools may come in handy on the road.
It is recommended to purchase a GPS navigator, where the road maps of the country where you plan to go will be loaded.
There are countries where the absence of at least some of these components can lead to a fine.
To avoid possible troubles, you should carefully study the country's requirements where the trip will be made. So you can prepare as best you can.
How to get a visa to travel to Europe with your car
To be able to travel around Europe, you have to apply for a visa. In the case when the route includes several countries, there are two options:
- apply for a visa to a country through which you have to enter Europe;
- apply for a visa to the country where you plan to stay the longest.
In most cases, you need to provide a route, as well as confirm reservations in hotels where you have to stay overnight. In some cases, you may need to pay for accommodation. Each country's consulate has its own rules. It is better to clarify everything specifically in advance so as not to get into a mess.
Conclusions
If you do not want to travel in your own car, you can contact the rental company. A wide variety of vehicles is offered, from which you can choose a suitable SUV or any other car convenient for you. In this case, traveling around Europe will be even more pleasant, because you do not need to worry about your own car.
Choose a route and go on an exciting journey across European countries behind the wheel of a car. New countries are already waiting for you!