Congratulations to Christine who knew that last weeks trivia location was in Clonmacnoise, Ireland.  Keep the guesses and stories coming! Now for this week’s travel trivia:

The body of water seen above could be any one of four rivers in this European city. What is the city?

Good luck, check back next week for the answer!

-Hans Ericsson

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Although it is the middle of winter, many people have already begun planning their spring and summer vacations already. If you’re looking for an economical vacation where you can see a lot of a country, a car rental in Dublin, Ireland may be just what you need to make it happen!

There is no better place to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day than Dublin! The festivities begin Thursday, March 12th and end on the 17th. There is always lots going on all over the city- music, street theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street performances, dance, treasure hunts, are just some of the activities you can participate in. Over a million people celebrate and the parade draws about 700,000. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without a trip to several pubs; after all it is Ireland’s biggest party!

Many people who make the trip will stay for at least a week. The best part is, a car rental in Dublin, Ireland is affordable, and getting around from city to city is easy. Cork is only about a three hour drive away, and is a beautiful location filled with many famous sights, including the famous Blarney Castle. You can make the trip a little longer if you wish to see the scenic coast line of Ireland. Once in Cork, you will find friendly locals, small quaint pubs, and delicious fresh seafood.

From there, you can take another three hour drive over to Galway. Nicknamed Ireland’s Cultural Heard, it is known for its lively night life, festivals, celebrations and events. Many people here speak traditional Gaelic. There are beautiful churches and architecture, as well as many high quality restaurants for your dining pleasure. The Galway Comedy Festival takes place every March, and is always a big hit.

If that doesn’t suit you, you can always take your car rental in Dublin, Ireland up north, and explore the costal towns and villages, all of which have their own Irish charm. Either way, you will be saying Sláinte and speaking crack in no time!

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We had some good feedback on the Ice Hotel blog entry, so here are some more zany and interesting hotels from around the world!

Hotel De Vrouwe van Stavoren

At first glance, the Hotel De Vrouwe van Stavoren appears to be a warm friendly hotel tucked away in the quaint port town of Stavoren, Netherlands. Upon closer inspection, you will find so much more! What makes this hotel stand out, is its unique housing arrangements. The rooms are made of empty 14000 liter wooden wine casks! Inside of each room, you access the cask through a doorway, and in the cask is two beds and a couple of windows with a scenic port view. The casks have been cleaned and dried, and provide a very cozy atmosphere for travelers in the Netherlands. A car rental in Amsterdam will get you there in under two hours.

Hobbitton

If you’re as much a fan of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy as I am, you will undoubtedly want to make a trip to New Zealand at some point in your life. While checking out the now famous locations from the film, you can set up a base camp at the Hobbit Hotel in Otorohanga, New Zealand. Here you will find two hillside burrows, that have been reproduced as working replicas from the film. They are however, slightly larger than scale, so you won’t have to be ducking under doorways or running into light fixtures. The Hobbit Motel is actually part of a company called Woodlyn Park, who also has rooms set up in an authentic train car and a room in a once active military plane! You can get to Woodlyn Park in about 2.5 hours with a car rental from Auckland.

Sala Silver Mine

Who hasn’t at some point in their lives wanted to burrow themselves into the ground and stay the night? Well now you can, sort of. The Sala Silver Mine used to produce massive amounts of sliver, and is now closed, but tours are still available. In Addition to the tours, you can stay the night in the cave, 300 feet below the surface. You get dinner, and one of the quietest nights of rest ever. When the morning comes, the guides come down with breakfast before leading you back to the surface. It’s about an hour and a half drive with a rental car in Stockholm. Sounds like a deep experience!

Do you have an interesting hotel story from Europe? Post a comment and tell us all about it!

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Last week, three of our readers had the correct answer to the travel trivia, however Damien had the fastest response, so congratulations!  For this weeks trivia, check out the image below.  Guesses will be posted on Monday morning.

Where is this cemetery and tower located?

Good luck everyone, keep the guesses coming!

-Hans Ericsson

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Last Friday, it was so cold outside here in Portland, Maine that my car failed to start. After losing feeling in my fingers trying to get it going, I began to think of places I would rather be. Here are the three locations that I dreamt of, as I sat frozen in my car while it was -19 degrees Fahrenheit.

Palma de Mallorca, Spain
This location off the coast of Spain has always been a very popular destination for European travelers and it is not hard to understand why. All kinds of travelers can be entertained with trips to Mallorca’s historical sights that include the Gothic Cathedral and the old city. There is a train that can take you through the mountains of the area for those seeking outdoor adventure. There are often local festivals celebrating just how great life is on the island. A car rental in Mallorca gets you around easily, but you will need to wander on foot if you want to explore the beaches!

Palermo, Italy
Southern Italy is known for it’s warm climate, and I would like to be in Palermo today. Aside from the dozens of beautiful churches to marvel at, the art culture runs deep, and there are museums a plenty to explore. I wouldn’t think twice about getting a car rental in Palermo and heading to the coast line for a scenic drive. With the average February temperature a cool 50 degrees Fahrenheit, I could keep the windows open!

Sydney, Australia
For obvious reasons, Sydney is a great place to be. What is even greater is that while we are freezing here in the US, they are in the middle of their summer! Australia is known for it’s miles of beautiful beaches, scenic deserts, and inland mountains. The Blue Mountains near Sydney would make for an excellent day hike, followed by some fine dining at some of Sydney’s finest restaurants. If you are looking to get more remote, you could always take a rental car in Australia over to Brisbane for some scuba diving near the Great Barrier Reef!

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Kat had the only guess last week, and it was correct. The town hall in last weeks photo is indeed located in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. This weeks structure may or may not be easier, it depends on where you’ve been!

Where is this structure located?
Good luck everyone!

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When you go to Europe, it’s important to know the laws and rules of the road. Knowing your responsibilities while driving overseas is something important, and is often overlooked. Over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting some countries that have different driving laws than we are used to in the states, and going over safety procedures. Any helpful information you have on the countries we discuss is always welcome!

The Autobahn is the network of highways that interconnect Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is the third largest highway infrastructure in the world, behind the United States, and China, respectively. While driving on the Autobahn is a dream for car enthusiasts, there are a few important things that you should know before you rent a sports car in Germany. Safety above all else, takes precedence.

Don’t let the illusions of a speed-limit free highway cloud your mind. In reality, much of the Autobahn network has mandated speed limits, particularly around urban areas. These are important to note. You can see what all the road signs will look like at our road signs of Germany page.   It is not uncommon for speed limits to change.   You will notice large lit up signs showing any change in speed limit.

There are of course different laws that apply to driving in Germany. The German police cars and motorcycles that patrol the Autobahn are equipped with video cameras. This allows the enforcement of laws which are often difficult to enforce in court, such as tailgating. Probably the most important safety rule to be aware of is “Rechtsfarhen,” or drive right. This means that unless you are passing another vehicle, you must drive in the right lane. If you are leisurely driving in the center or left, you are not only risking a substantial fine, and making other motorists angry, you would be creating a very dangerous situation for yourself and others. Passing on the right hand side is also strictly forbidden, even if the other driver is driving illegally in the left hand lane. The police would rather you flash your lights at another driver then pass incorrectly.

If you’re thinking you can just ignore the ticket, think again. German police are authorized to fine you on the spot, and revoke your driving privileges if you are deemed unsafe. As you can imagine being unable to drive your rental car in Germany could put a damper on your vacation.  Also, don’t forget to get an international drivers license before you leave, regardless of your destination. While it may not be mandatory everywhere, like a parachute is always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. With proper education, you can be sure to have the dream drive on the Autobahn you have always wanted!

Drive Safe,
Hans Ericsson

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It is with good reason that the country of Belgium is a popular tourist destination. It has a rich history, beautiful landscape, and many must see museums in such as The Royal Museum for Fine Arts, in Antwerp, The Groeninge museum in Bruges, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, which has a cinema, a concert hall, and artworks of many periods.

If you are still looking for excitement after the all the artwork, then you can head over to the dinner in the sky crane, where you can eat your meal suspended 13 stories in the air, overlooking a beautiful view of the city. This is a trend that is catching on all over Europe, as you can actually do this in many cities. If it’s not your cup of tea, you’re probably not alone, so you might be better off eating at one of the high class fine dining restaurants of Belgium, which are comfortably located on the ground. A car rental in Belgium will get you around efficiently.

Edit: As Lori pointed out, the Star Wars Exhibition was actually in 2008, therefore it was removed from this post.

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Last weeks trivia was a tough one, but Kat knew the correct answer was Bratislava, Slovakia.  Good luck to everyone with this week’s trivia! Click the Image for a larger version.

Q. In what European city is this town hall located?

Hint: This country this photo was taken in is land locked.

As always, answers will be posted Monday morning. Good luck.

-Hans

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Slovakia has officially replaced its old currency (the koruna) with the Euro, and is now the 16th official member of the Eurozone. The Eurozone is not the same as the European Union, as to be a member you must use the Euro as your official currency.

If nothing else, the Euro is the smartest currency I have ever used. I don’t mean from any kind of economical standpoint, but rather from a design perspective. The Euro has a very user friendly design template. Paper Euros have color and size discrepancies. Coins, which come in denominations of €2, 1, .50, .20, .10, .5 .02 and .01 all have different weights and ridges on the side. This means that the blind can use all kinds of currency with much more ease.
The €2 Euro coins are similar to what the United States did with quarters over the past 10 years, except the coins are only released in their respective countries. Each country may produce commemorative coins every year. Typically they commemorate historically relevant anniversaries or draw attention to important special events. As of 2008, fifty variations of €2 commemorative coins have been minted. The €2 coins not only make great collecting, they can teach you about history!

It’s important to keep track of the coins you have as you may end up with something worth more than €2. This is why I always keep either a fanny pack or a coin purse with me when I travel. I prefer the coin purse, as the fanny pack isn’t quite the hippest invention. Coins worth €5 and €10 are sometimes used in general transaction. Higher amounts than €10 are extremely uncommon; however some countries have minted coins worth as much as €200, so it may be worth it to double check all your coins. It would be a shame to use a €100 coin to pay a €1 toll while in your rental car in Europe!

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