I was stationed for four years in Naples, Italy and unfortunately I never got a chance to visit the battle sites in northern Europe; therefore, I can't provide any info. Since you are only there for two weeks, it’s unlikely you will time to visit the sites in Italy (anyone visiting Italy, send me an email and I might be able to provide some info; southern Italy and Venice in particular). However, I can provide some general info on driving in Europe.
- First off, go down to the local CAA
http://www.caa.ca/english/travel/documentation/idp.html and get an International Drivers license (IDL). Cost you $15.00 (free if you’re a CAA member). CAA can also provide a handout with all the different European traffic signs and I strongly advise studying them as the European signs are way different from our North American ones. The reason I recommend getting an IDL is that some police forces in Europe
don’t recognize Canadian provincial driver’s license! Some of the previous posters maybe can provide more info. If nothing else, the IDL provides an international recognized form of identification and also provides a translation in 20 different languages (including French and Dutch) which can be helpful if pulled over by the police. For 15 bucks it doesn’t hurt. CAA can also provide information on traveling overseas, travel guides, etc..
- The Dept.of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) website
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp can also provide information (e.g. laws and customs, security, travel, medical information, documentation, crime rates, etc.) for the countries you will be visiting.
- Definitely agree with previous posters who suggested waiting until you get to France before renting a car. As already mentioned, the French drive on the same side of the road as we do. Also, if you rent a car in England, the steering wheel will be on the right side of the car and it’s a little disconcerting to be driving on the right side of the road, with your steering also on the right side! Another reason is that some of the traffic laws are different between the UK and the mainland. As an example, (if I remember correctly) in the UK vehicles in the traffic circles (roundabouts) have the right-of-way, while on the mainland it’s the other way around. I was going to a conference in the UK with a German college and we picked up a rental at the London airport, he got behind the wheel, took off and we almost got creamed at the first roundabout because he didn’t yield to an oncoming car. This way you have one less set of traffic laws to worry about. Its bad enough driving in Europe (especially for the first time) without complicating things.
- For car rental agencies, I always used Eurocar and found them to be very good.
- Previous posters have mentioned various travel guides. I found that the Michelin Green guides to be the best. You can get country guides orones for specific cities/regions. They're small, and packed with lots of info.
- I would also pick up some language guides (French, Dutch). Not all people speak English and they can be helpful translating road signs, public facilities, etc. Lonely Planet puts out a small pocket guide
(Western Europe phrasebook) that is nice and small and includes French, Dutch and German all under one cover.
- Enjoy the beer (especially the Belgium beers) and vino but
Don’t drink and drive!! The Europeans have some very harsh laws and if caught, your stay in Europe may be longer than you planned for!!
- One final thing, there are some travel agencies over in Europe (the UK especially) that specialize in giving battlefield tours. They might be worthwhile checking out; could save you a lot of hassle. Check the travel sections of either the Sunday Times or Sunday Telegraph papers for listings.
I think I’ve covered all the bases. If I think of anything else, I’ll post later. Any questions please post or send me an email. Hope this has been of some help. Hope you all have a safe and enjoyable trip. Cheers!.
