The density of countries and cities in Europe makes it perfect for road trips. Here are some of the best tips to have the smoothest ride in 2025!
Europe is arguably the best continent on Earth to roadtrip. Short distances, high density, multiple cultures, languages and languages, what’s not to love. Driving 6 hours in North America normally barely gets you between 2 major cities, in Europe, you already went through almost half the continent!
So what makes it so great for small families? Proximity, infrastructure, and all of the benefits of the Eurozone. Let’s deep dive:
If you are an EU resident or citizen, you have an ID that allows you to easily do borderless travel in the Schengen area. There are no borders to cross anymore by car, nor to stop at for inspection. An additional and incredible benefits is the European healthcare card. If you do have a medical emergency or need in the Eurozone, you can just use your card with a chip and done. Rarely will you need to fill paperwork, bureaucracy (the irony) to deal with stress and complications when you need them the least. And lastly, most of the EU is on the Euro currency which makes it super practical not to need to convert currencies, calculate and more.
Extra: Taxes are included! In many parts of the world , the tax is added later to the purchases of goods, restaurants and services. While the VAT (Value added tax) is incredibly high in europe, normally close to 20%, it is always included in prices which is much more predictable and at least feels, more transparent.
Toll roads
Ok, so lets dive into the not so great things, Tolls and different rules.
This is honestly a pain in the ass. Some countries in Europe such as Germany and Denmark, have free highways and roads for all to use. But most of Europe does not. Most countries charge for the use of their highways and in most cases it feels like a scam. They will likely charge you for something called a vignette, which is a sticker you place on your windshield to be able to ride for certain time. Most vignettes go for a minimum of a week, even if you are just passing
Particular cases and general warning:
When searching for online vignettes (or eVignettes), beware of top results. Sponsored links are sometimes NOT the official links for the central service provider and often take a commission for the service. This is especially true for the Czech Republic (Czechia) because you are not only dealing with a different language, you are also dealing with a different currency.
Austria: E-vignette must be purchased at least 2 weeks in advance (because of returns policies). The official site is this one. In case you forgot, or are spontaneously deciding to go within the 2 week window, on-site vignettes sold at gas stations close to the border crossing. Fines can be high if you don’t as they have cameras in many places! And no, if you have rental car, they don’t disappear. Those companies will kindly forward you the fine and sometimes with interest!
Czech republic, Slovenia, Italy, France: can be purchased online, even the day of travel with your plate number.
In the case of the Czech republic (now Czechia), watch out, there are several online “services” with better SEO that charge more than the official site. We got caught more than once with this scheme. They were legitimate but the service fees are there.
Another pro-tip for traveling in Czechia. Beware of their ATMs. We have rarely seen a country with such astronomical fees for taking out cash. One of the biggest things is converting to your preferred currency (euros, for example), the feeds are astronimical
Honest Guide, a great youtube channel for travel tips in Czechia (and beyond) is a great resource to get some context and things to look out for as a tourist. He also showcases the ATM scheme for others to know!
Croatia: Fantastic, recent and upkept highway system. As of now, it is Pay per use… but not cheap. Going to the coast will normally run you between 20-30 euros from Zagreb to Split, further south, even more. See the updated network and prices here.
Electric vehicles:
The charging infrastructure has greatly improved but the supercharger network is not yet to par. Expect a decent stopover for charging. Thankfully, most gas stations offering this have decent restaurants, cafes, jungle gyms and rest areas to help with the pain.
But one thing that makes Europe so great are the distances. So as opposed to other continents, your range can take you further. In addition, many capitals have prime location, reserved parking for electric vehicles with charging. Services like Chargemap not only offer a full network of charging stations in Europe but also have a route planning app to plan your route accordingly. Definitely different than a normal road trip but a way to make it much more enjoyable.
Camper vans and RVs
One of the best ways to explore Europe. There is an abundance of places, going from basic to luxury, where one can explore freely. It’s not always cheap.
Pro tip: there are some countries like Sweden that allow you to basically camp anywhere, at no cost. Wonderful story.
Renting a car
It seems that car rental is evolving. Europe has most of the operators people are used to. But in some southern countries you will encounter smaller, lesser known operators that will often appear cheaper in price. But in some countries like Spain and Greece, there are some thing to consider such as asking for important deposit sums (1000 + euro blocked on a credit card) or even fuel being charged as a guarantee.
Over time, we have discovered a German provider/ aggregator that not only sources prices, it also offers parameters that traditional car rental operators don’t such as a zero deductible (and price ranges without) but most valuable is what is included and what not, insurance-wise from each offering. For anyone having credit cards that included some insurance but always felt overwhelmed by getting upsold or hustled by the traditional companies, this is really much smoother as a process and follow up documents to show that. Highly recommended.
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