Well, looks like Kat has returned! She submitted the only correct answer last week. The location was in fact, Rome’s own Trevi Fountain. And now for this week’s image.

Q. This city’s soccer team recently won something, What city is it, and what did they win?

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Dear Auto Europe,
I’m new to your site and was wondering something. It looks like you don’t have your own fleet of cars, and you are a consolidator. Why would I book with Auto Europe when you just book me with Hertz, Avis, Europcar, National, etc? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go to them directly and bypass you?

Henry
Wisconsin

Thanks for the email Henry!

Service is the name of the game for Auto Europe. If you book with other companies, you can sacrifice the quality and service you deserve, and end up with a less than savory rental experience. Fortunately, this is where Auto Europe can help. Our US based call center never closes, and you can reach us toll free from nearly anywhere in Europe if there is something you need to discuss. All that aside, we also offer you the best rates!

Many companies have guarantees, but our best rates guarantee is one of a kind. The way it works is simple. In a nutshell, if you find a lower rate with another company, and we can confirm the rate is true, we guarantee to meet or beat the price. A couple of things have to line up in order for us to happen. We need to confirm that we are comparing apples to apples. This means that we need to account for the car type, insurance details, and local fees, etc. If we can do that, you can save! We can do this because we can get a better deal on our contracts due to the number of rentals we provide to our clients every year.

Give us a try, we promise you won’t be disappointed.

If you have a question you would like to see addressed on our blog, please leave a comment or send me an email.

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Looks like no one was familiar enough with the city of Geneva, Switzerland to recognize it in last weeks travel trivia, but John had a good guess!

This week should be easy!

What is the name of this famous Italian fountain?
Good luck!
-Hans

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The Eurovision song contest is a unique competition held annually. Each member country of the European Broadcasting Union submits a song to be performed live in front of an audience, and broadcast on television. Then, the citizens get to vote and choose their favorite. Seeing as how it started in 1956, you can’t say they stole any ideas from American Idol! This year the contest was held in Moscow, Russia and the winner was Norway’s Alexander Rybak, and his performance of a song called “Fairytale.”

The styles are shockingly similar, and most entries this year definitely fit into the Europop category. You can check out the Eurovision You Tube page to see all the entries, like Serbia’s Marko Kon & Milan Nikolic performing “Cipela.” This one was my favorite, as it seemed not to take itself as seriously as other contestants. Apparently it’s about shoes. Check it out!

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Planning on biking in Europe this summer? Here are some things you should think about before crossing overseas.

The first thing you should ask yourself is how badly you need to use your own bike? There are business all over Europe that will rent you whatever kind of bicycle you want!  This means you won’t have to travel with your bike. Personally, I can’t imagine taking my bike overseas. Assuming your bike makes it to Europe in one piece, you are going to have a hard time finding a rental car company that will rent you a car with a bike rack. Because the car rental suppliers usually won’t have a rack, you will be forced to rent a larger vehicle, which is going to cost you.  The difference you would pay for a van is usually more than the cost of a couple bicycle rentals, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.

Another thing to think about is where you want to go. If you are interested in biking in England, but you don’t know where, do research! There are a plethora of cycle clubs all over the Europe, and they are always looking for people to join them!

Lastly, make sure you know the rules of the road. This may seem like common sense, but the rules can change quite drastically depending on what country you are in.  There are no exceptions for not knowing proper safety protocol.

Whether you’re trail riding in the Black Forrest, or racing through the French wine country, cycling can be a wonderful way to see the country side on your next European vacation.

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Looks like our image of Manchester, England was enough to stump everybody last week! Hopefully we have some more guesses this week.

Q: In what city is this chess board located?

Hint: If you were watching this match, you would be netural.

Good luck!
Hans

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One of the most common questions we get at Auto Europe is in regards to sound systems. When you’re heading overseas and planning on doing some serious driving, the radio doesn’t always cut it, especially if you don’t speak the native language. Travelers are always curious if they should bring CD’s, tapes, or MP3 players. The answer is not quite as simple as you may think. In nearly all locations, all cars come with CD players. It’s highly unlikely that you will get a vehicle that has a tape player. As for the MP3 players, while many cars have built in 1/8″ inputs, it’s not guaranteed. Your best bet is to bring an FM transmitter, as all cars, everywhere, will have FM radios.

Remember if you have questions about any aspect of your rental, this blog is a great place to bring them up!

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Did you know that there are close to 1,300 breweries in Germany? That’s more than in any other country except the United States which has 1,500. Keep in mind that there’s only 80 million people in Germany, as opposed to the 300 million in the US! To say Beer is popular in Germany would be an understatement. It’s no secret that most Americans aren’t really beerducated to the extent of the average German, so here’s a short list of the styles of beers you can expect to run into on your next vacation in Germany.

Altbier- Meaning old style beer, breweries in Cologne and Dusseldorf have a rivalry on who brews the better version of this dark amber, hoppy beer.

Kölsch- Less bitter than Pils, this local beer can only legally be brewed in the Cologne region.

Weizen/Weißbier- When beer is brewed with a large portion of wheat, it produces a cloudy delight known as wheat beer. This style is replicated in the US frequently. The term Hefeweizen refers to wheat beer in an unfiltered form.

Pilsener- This pale lager with a light body is extremely popular, and makes up of 75% of all beer brewed in Germany. If you like Beck’s or Warsteiner, this is for you.

Bock- This heavy amber lager generally has more alcohol than other lager, with 6.5-7% ABV.

Märzen- During Oktoberfest, this beer is the one most served. It comes in a variety of light, medium and heavy lagers.

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Congratulations to Damien and Stella who knew that the Maidens Tower is located in Istanbul, Turkey! I thought it was pretty hard, but sure enough, they got it! Now for this week’s trivia!

Q: In what old ocean side city is this modern looking bridge located?
Good luck everyone!
-Hans

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I never thought I would find a city with clean streets and an awesome music festival, but I just may have to take my next vacation in Copenhagen.

Recently voted the cleanest city in Europe in an online poll from trip adviser, Copenhagen is a city with much to offer. Filled with museums, theaters, and two of the world’s oldest amusement parks, there is truly never a dull moment if you know where to look. There are 13 Michelin star restaurants to choose from for your eating needs, as well as a plethora of many other delicious, less pricey places to dine.

Copenhagen also is known for hosting the famous Rosklide Festival. Every year since 1972 the best bands of the era play to thousands and thousands of fans. Over the years the festival has attracted the biggest names in music, including Bob Marley, the Talking Heads, U2, The Clash and Raidohead. This year should be no expectation as headlining acts include Coldplay, Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails, Oasis, the Pet Shop Boys, Slipknot, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. On side stages and separate areas, you can also hear one of the 151 acts scheduled for the weekend. This festival really does it proper, as they have tents you can rent if you don’t want to bring your own. They even offer access to hot showers if you are willing to pay up for one of the tents! It all takes place July 2nd through the 5th and you can get your tickets now.

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