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Europe
> Transportation > Car or train?
Car or train?
Deciding between driving and
rail travel:
A do-it-yourself quiz
ABOVE: Two
Eurostar trains
in the Gare du Nord, Paris. INSET BELOW: A Peugeot 206 from Auto Europe's
short-term car leasing program.
By Durant Imboden
 First-time
travelers to Europe often want to know, "Should I drive or take the
train?" There's no one answer, but this Europe for Visitors questionnaire can help you weigh your
options more easily.
Click the buttons next to the questions below, read our
comments under "Yes" and "No," then record the score for
each question. When you've finished, see "Adding
and interpreting your scores" for help in deciding what's likely to work best for you.
Note: This
questionnaire does not take COVID-19 into account, because there are simply too
many variables at play. If you're in a high-risk group (or if you're simply
leery of COVID, as you should be), the public-health situation at your
destination is likely to matter more whether you travel there by car or train.
1. Do you live in Europe and own a car?
Traveling by car is more appealing when you have
your own vehicle, because you won't have the expense of renting or leasing
(although you will need to buy fuel). Give yourself a point.
Long ferry trips can be expensive, so
give yourself only half a point if you're crossing the English Channel, North Sea, or
another major body of water with your car.
Score your
answer:
YES (no ferry crossing) = 1 point
YES (with ferry crossing = .5 point
NO = 0 points
2. Are you visiting a country where people drive on the same side of the
road as they do at home?
Driving on the opposite of the road from the one
you're used to can be intimidating, especially if you're a nervous or
absent-minded driver. (I have enough problems surviving in England as a
pedestrian; I need to remind myself which way to look whenever I cross a busy
street.)
Besides having to remember which side of the
street to drive on, you may find it awkward to shift gears at first. Is low gear
on the left or next to your knee? Instinct may tell you the shift pattern is a
mirror image of the normal pattern, which means you may stall as you take off in
fourth or fifth. When renting a car, consider splurging on an automatic
transmission so you'll have one less thing to worry about. (Note: This advice
doesn't apply to drivers with perfect instincts and superb coordination.)
Score your
answer:
YES (same side of road) = 1 point
NO (different side of road) = 0 points
3. What's your itinerary: city to city, rural and small towns, or a mixture
of cities and countryside?
If you most of your travel is between cities
(e.g., from Paris to Amsterdam or from Rome to Berlin), forget driving and take
the train. You'll probably save money, you'll almost certainly save time, and
you'll avoid the hassles of driving and parking in crowded city centers.
If you're touring the countryside, a car is
likely to be your best bet (unless you're a bicyclist, in which case you can
spend your money on good food instead of motor fuel).
If you're visiting cities but also touring the
countryside or smaller towns, consider taking the train between cities and
renting a car for local and regional excursions. ("Rail and drive"
railpasses are available, and many national railroads have their own
train/car-rental packages.)
Where you're going may also influence your choice
of transportation. In a country like Switzerland, which is compact and has an
extremely dense rail network, you can visit most towns and resorts by train,
postal bus, funicular, cable car, and/or lake steamer. In a country like
Portugal, where the rail network is less developed, a car may be a necessity in
many areas unless you can adapt your itinerary to local bus schedules.
Score your
answer:
RURAL/SMALL TOWNS = 1 point
CITY/COUNTRY = .5 point
CITY TO CITY = 0 points
4. How many people are traveling in your group? What are their ages?
The more people in your group, the more
affordable a rental car becomes. And if you're traveling long distances with
children, you may find a car handy for the privacy and luggage space that it
offers. (Just make sure the car is big enough. Anything smaller than a VW Golf
won't have much room for luggage.)
Still, don't automatically assume that a rental
car is cheaper than the train when several people are traveling together.
Visitors from outside Europe can buy Europass and Eurailpass "saver
passes" that offer savings of about 15% for groups of two to five people,
and national railroads often have their own "family passes" and group
discounts.
Score your
answer:
FOUR OR MORE TRAVELERS = 1 point
TWO OR THREE TRAVELERS = .5 points
ONE TRAVELER = 0 points
CHILDREN = ADD .5 POINT TO
SCORE
5. If you're spending most of your time at a single destination, what will
you be doing there?
Rental cars aren't cheap, and an idle car wastes
money that could be spent on other travel pleasures.
Once you've reached your destination, will you be
running errands and taking excursions? (This is likely to be the case if you've
rented a cottage or villa in the countryside.) If so, you need a car.
If, on the other hand, you're just driving to a
city or resort and parking the car for a week, you're better off taking the
train.
Score your
answer:
DAILY LOCAL DRIVING = 1 point
SOME LOCAL DRIVING = .5 points
NO LOCAL DRIVING = 0 points
6. If you're flying in from abroad, will you be
arriving and departing at the same destination airport?
Drop-off charges for rental cars can be
expensive, so the train may be a better option if you're flying into Paris and
going home from Rome or Oslo. Compare total costs (not just the basic rental
cost) before making a decision.
Score your
answer:
YES = .5 point
NO = 0 points
First, a disclaimer: This questionnaire is not a
scientific tool, and stock answers are no substitute for comparison shopping--or
for making personal decisions based on your own preferences. If you love
driving, you should rent a car even if it costs more; if you're a railfan,
you'll be happier riding trains than you'd be on the highway.
Now for the scoring: Add up the scores from each question, then
use the guidelines below to help you determine whether driving or taking the
train is likely to be a wise choice.
| Total score: |
Your best
bet: |
| 4.0 to 6.0 |
Invest in driving gloves and
road maps. |
| 2.5 to 4.0 |
It's a tossup. |
| 0 to 2.5 |
Take the train and leave the
driving to Dwayne. |
| 
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