Car-related travel questions. See also the "car-rental", "private-car", "driving", and "road-trip" tags.
31
votes
3answers
820 views
Is there a ZIP code I can enter when paying-at-the-pump in the USA with a foreign credit card?
In the USA, many pay-at-the-pump fuel dispensers that accept credit cards require a 5-digit numeric zip code that corresponds to the billing address of the credit card. In Canada, for instance, we ...
22
votes
7answers
2k views
Car rental vs. buying a car for 1 month
I would like to visit a few places in the states sometime next year, and I was thinking of doing a road trip while I'm at it. I could start in either Los Angeles or Montreal, and then I would like to ...
21
votes
7answers
328 views
How can I protect my vehicle when left at a trail head for an extended period?
Previously when I went backpacking, the vehicle I left behind at the trail head was, erm, not particularly worth stealing. I'm looking at new vehicles now, and somewhere in the back of my mind is "do ...
20
votes
3answers
2k views
Shipping my car from Europe to Canada or the U.S
The plan is to drive my car (a small 4x4) from Prudhoe Bay1 (Deadhorse), Alaska to Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego in Chile. I will be travelling for an undetermined duration, with a minimum of two years. ...
19
votes
2answers
752 views
What's the name for the “blocking” stickers used on car headlights?
I'll be driving my car from Belgium to the UK, with plans to then drive around the country.
Like most cars in the European mainland, my car's headlights/headlamps are slightly adjusted to the right ...
16
votes
2answers
492 views
How can I find which European countries require headlights on during daytime?
I know that the driving law in several countries in Europe require headlights on during daytime, some of them only in winter.
But where can I find which countries have such a requirement?
Just to ...
14
votes
7answers
860 views
What are the most effective rideshare sites in the US?
Recently, I have been traveling from upstate New York to NYC quite frequently and would like to find a site that is more effective than craigslist in attracting reliable rideshares for splitting gas ...
13
votes
4answers
434 views
How far away can I get with my car starting in Amsterdam
It is a question I have been dreaming about since I can remember. Could I for example drive to Argentina from Amsterdam, or can I drive all the way to South-africa? What are the extremities of a ...
12
votes
4answers
3k views
Driving in Iceland: a good idea?
For this summer I am thinking about going to Iceland. I would like to fly to Reykjavik, spend some days there, then rent a car, travel around the island and then fly back home. Now I have a few ...
12
votes
5answers
292 views
What does it take to make my car fully compliant with all EU countries?
In Belgium every car is required to carry at least one fire extinguisher. In Germany you need to have an environment sticker to drive into a city. In France you might need alcohol testers. Coming from ...
11
votes
6answers
823 views
Are there advantages to using private car service over taxis from the airport?
When planning a trip I've seen people say private cars are scams and other people say they can be better than city taxi's because you know how much it will cost ahead of time. Are there any other ...
11
votes
4answers
203 views
How can I get a reliable taxi/car service in LA?
I am fully aware LA is based around the car and has limited public transport. But I'm planning to be there a few days and will not be able to drive a car of any kind.
I already have the airport ...
11
votes
2answers
541 views
Foreign car insurance for Canada and/or the U.S
Still working on my plan to Ship my car from Europe to Canada or the U.S. We're planning on leaving early January.
Shipping turns out not to be the problem. However, the next hurdle is: car ...
10
votes
3answers
450 views
What is the cheapest way to get from Thailand to Australia with a car?
Imagine I have a car in Thailand and I want to get Australia, is there any ferry that cross from Asia to Australia? How much is it? No problem if have to drive to another country or if there is no ...
10
votes
3answers
161 views
How are road charges collected in France?
This summer we'll go to France by car for the first time. I noticed that some motorways on our route require road charge to be paid (in case it matters - we're going from Freiburg to Perpignan).
How ...
10
votes
3answers
242 views
Driving license in Australia
We will be in Australia for a few days and I was considering renting a car. Is a standard European license (we have Polish and Italian) good enough, or do we need "international driving license"? We ...
10
votes
2answers
195 views
What is the quickest way to get a car from London to Iceland?
I am considering going to Iceland and was wondering if it is feasible to take there my car with me. The only way to get there by ferry that I could find is described here, which suggests getting to ...
10
votes
2answers
272 views
What is the cheapest and most efficient way to travel around Jamaica?
I'm thinking about going to Jamaica next spring, but I am pretty unfamiliar with the infrastructure of the country. I'd like to go to Ochos Rios and maybe Montego Bay for a few days, then make my way ...
10
votes
1answer
316 views
Where can you park a camper in Munich?
I am going to Munich (Oktoberfest) tonight in my camper.
Does anyone have any suggestions on where to park/sleep in Munich? Ideally I would like to park for free. Obviously I will not be able to park ...
10
votes
1answer
191 views
Do any of the ferries between Korea and Japan charge per car and not per person in a car?
I've travelled on ferries between Korea and Japan probably more than anyone else using our site so far, but there's one thing I never thought about until now:
Do any of the ferries commonly take ...
10
votes
2answers
431 views
Are there any guarded parking lots anywhere in or near Berlin, Germany?
Are there any guarded parking lots in or around the city of Berlin in Germany?
By guarded parking I do NOT mean "guarded" by an automated gate or camera - that is a joke. I mean a real guarded ...
9
votes
1answer
515 views
How does full-service gas work in Oregon?
I'm from a state in the US where all gas is self-service. When traveling to Oregon (where all gas stations are full-service), how does the process work? Do you just pull up to the pump and hand the ...
9
votes
1answer
71 views
Is there a map that shows Austrian winter road closures?
Some highways in Austria close for the winter season. For example, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is closed until sometime in May.
Where can I find a map that shows which roads are currently ...
8
votes
4answers
362 views
Crashing a rental car abroad
What happens if I (a US citizen) rent a car in, say, the UK, and crash it because I was driving on the wrong side of the road?
Do I have to pay the damages out of pocket? What if I don't have the ...
8
votes
2answers
159 views
Preventing Smash and Grab Theft while Travelling
A piece on Slashdot asks a question that seems pertinent to this site. What measures can be taken to prevent 'smash and grab' - from your car, when your valuable stuff is inside the car.
Aside ...
8
votes
3answers
415 views
What are my options for long term parking at Paris Charles de Gaulle?
I am flying from Paris on a two week holiday. The parking fees at the airport are quite expensive. Does anyone know alternatives?
8
votes
2answers
754 views
Free parking in Bath UK
Where can I park in Bath for free, so that it's convenient for the town centre? I will be there 22nd Dec - 29th Dec, so on both holidays and normal weekdays.
8
votes
1answer
135 views
Who provides Carnet de Passage for Indian vehicles?
Under which government department and which law the Carnet is issued in India ?
I have already visited Nepal and Bhutan on bike. Both the countries don't need any Carnet from Indians. Now, I want to ...
8
votes
1answer
215 views
Can I leave my U.S. car in Mexico on an FM3 visa?
As a U.S. citizen in Mexico on an FM3 visa, can I leave my car in Mexico when I travel to other countries as long as my visa is still current, or must my car follow me when I leave the country?
If it ...
8
votes
2answers
125 views
What needs to be done locally in case of a car accident while travelling in the US?
My friend is away from home right now; he lives in Ohio and has had a car accident in the state of New Jersey. What does he need to do locally before he can return home? He says a state trooper took ...
8
votes
1answer
164 views
How to drive a car from Australia to Europe?
I want to drive to Europe from Australia by shipping it to Asia and to drive from there onwards.
Can someone tell me the cheapest way for shipping, which ports I should use for shipping and how much ...
8
votes
1answer
163 views
Is it possible for a foreigner to drive through (mainland) China in a foreign-registered car?
Is it possible to drive through mainland China, for example for transit from Kazakhstan to Vietnam, as a non-Chinese citizen, in an own car/van/truck?
This is about an European Union citizen, trying ...
7
votes
5answers
441 views
Car damage caused by potholes in the EU, what to do?
I'm driving often with my own car abroad (EU) and even on highways there are potholes. What can I do if my car gets damaged?
Is there an EU-regulation or is it different in every country? What should ...
7
votes
2answers
203 views
Can go to Germany on all-year tires in winter?
I know that German law requires tires apt for snow in winter time. It's quite obvious that I cannot use summer tires, but can I go on universal all-year tires?
What are the exact requirements?
7
votes
1answer
218 views
Where to park a car near Hirtshals (Denmark)?
One of the options for a future trip to Iceland is to go to Hirtshals (Denmark) by car to take the ferry. This will allow us to take our own motorbikes so we don't need to rent one in Iceland. To ...
7
votes
2answers
65 views
Passo Giau parking fee
I'm trying to estimate costs of my car trip, and I'm wondering how much does it cost to leave your car at Passo Giau in Dolomites. If you don't know exact fee, just give me an estimate.
7
votes
1answer
163 views
Does anyone know of insurance for campervan in NZ
So I am traveling to New Zealand in May (I am a US citizen). I have been looking for a campervan to rent. Unfortunately insurance seems to be quite expensive (or not very good, some liability is up ...
7
votes
1answer
207 views
Can I take multiple cars into Mexico from the U.S.?
I've taken my car into Mexico multiple times from the United States, on a Tourist visa. Is it possible to take more than one car registered to me at the same time (obviously with a second driver)?
6
votes
2answers
176 views
Planning to stay for 3 months in Berlin, Germany. Should I bring a car with me?
I will be spending about 3 months (at least) in Berlin, Germany, primarly to look for some business oportunities or maybe a job. I am aware of the nearly perfect transportation services Berlin offers ...
6
votes
1answer
407 views
Is there a fuel calculator for RV travel in USA/Canada?
I'm thinking of taking an RV across Canada. However, having never used one before, I'm struggling to figure out how much fuel it might use.
I'm hoping there's a calculator for a Compact or Standard ...
6
votes
1answer
99 views
Are there international car ferries in the Caribbean?
Is it all possible to plan a road trip in the Caribbean? Trinidad & Tobago seems to have a ferry, but that is within one country.
I am looking for a ferry enabling me to do a road trip through ...
6
votes
1answer
108 views
Parking in Copenhagen
I can find lots of information online about using the public transportation in Copenhagen but almost none about how parking works. Everyone just says it's very hard and I should not try it but I am ...
6
votes
1answer
191 views
Free parking for motorbikes in Paris
I was wondering if motorbike parking is free in Paris as it happens to be in, for example, Madrid.
I also read about parking on the pavement on this page:
"Parking of two-wheeled vehicles on the ...
5
votes
2answers
87 views
Where can I find decent parking space to the east of London with a quick tube connection to the center?
We will be passing London soon by car. There might be some time available to have a day trip to London. I was advised not to drive all the way to the center of London for multiple reasons (congestion ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the difference between “Gazole” and “Diesel” in France
I am driving a car with a Diesel engine. I always thought that "Gazole" and "Diesel" were synonymous to each other, only to drive in a gas station which mentioned both terms, as in "Gazole" and ...
5
votes
1answer
324 views
Is it difficult to do a car border crossing in Kaliningrad Oblast?
Assuming I have the correct visa and intend to drive in from the Polish side, should I anticipate any problems crossing the border quickly?
I ask because Wikitravel says:
You will need Russian ...
5
votes
1answer
220 views
Are in-car camera systems legal in Germany?
On Youtube I have seen a lot of videos like this with car accidents in Russia recorded by in-car cameras. Is it legal to use such a device in Germany? If an accident happens, can I use the video as a ...
5
votes
2answers
107 views
What kind of bag can I use to travel with a baby car seat?
I need to carry a baby car seat on an international air trip. The car seat's dimensions are 28.5 x 17.5 x 30.9 inches and it looks like this:
I'm having trouble finding an appropriate bag for ...
5
votes
1answer
87 views
Parking via SMS in Sofia, Bulgaria
In Sofia, Bulgaria there are two parking zones - blue and green, and for both of them is possible to pay via SMS. My problem is that I have no longer a Bulgarian SIM-card, and I wonder if it's ...
5
votes
2answers
40 views
Parking for 3 - 4 days in Vancouver, BC
I'm moving from Alaska to Portland and will be driving to make the move. Along the way I wanted to stop in Vancouver and check out the city for 3-4 days. I will have all my stuff in the car so i'm ...
