Car rental in Europe - do you really need it?
If you are a resident of North America you will almost certainly be accustomed to going most places by car, and it might well be that you would only take a bus or train on rare occasions. So you may well be forgiven for thinking that this would also be the case when visiting Europe, and you could well be thinking about renting a car while you are there. However, it could be worth thinking again, as you will find that in Europe most places are remarkably well served by public transport, and that this is frequently the mode of transport of choice for a lot of people. A lot of car owners ride the bus or train for certain journeys simply because they find it more convenient.
In the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and much of Scandinavia, all major cities and towns have a railway station, and train services are frequent. Many of the trains connecting European cities are high speed, such as the super modern TGV of France, or the Eurostar, which will whisk you from London to Paris through the Channel Tunnel in a mere two hours and fifteen minutes. High speed train travel is often preferable to going by plane, as you can travel directly from one city center to another, with no awkward journeys to out-of-town airports, or the hassle of checking in.
In addition to such efficient train services, towns and villages are usually connected by bus services of reasonable frequency. And for those times late at night when the bus services are finished, or the more remote areas, you will still find that cabs, known as taxis in the UK, are available at a reasonable cost.
Car rental could be a good idea if you are planning on visiting some of the more remote places of Europe, where driving from village to village will be more convenient than relying upon rural bus services, which may be few and far between. However, if you are in Europe mainly for the cities and towns, using public transport will almost certainly make your trip more economical.
