American reacts to: How to drive when in Europe

Summary

This video offers an insightful guide for American drivers planning to navigate Europe's roads. It highlights key differences from American driving, such as the predominance of right-side driving and the absence of right-turn-on-red. The host emphasizes the importance of familiarizing oneself with European road signs, understanding speed limits, and the ubiquity of speed cameras. Additionally, the video touches on the cost of tolls, the necessity of an international driver's permit in some countries, and the unique experience of driving on small, windy roads. It concludes by advocating for the freedom and adventure that comes with driving in Europe, allowing for exploration beyond typical tourist routes.

Takeaways

• 😀 Americans should not act like 'morons' when driving in Europe, implying they should be respectful of local driving customs.
• 🚗 In most of Europe, except the British Isles, you drive on the right side of the road, similar to the U.S.
• 📚 It's important to learn and understand European road signs, which are similar across the EU and often lack language but convey meaning through symbols.
• 🛣️ European road signs, especially for roundabouts and speed limits, may differ from American signs, so familiarization is key.
• 🚦 The left lane on highways is for passing only; drivers should not ride in it unless actively overtaking.
• 🚦 Speed limits may not always be posted, and drivers need to know the default speed limits for different types of roads.
• 🚦 There is no right turn on red in Europe, unlike in the U.S.
• 📷 Speeding in Europe is typically enforced by cameras rather than police stops, with fines sent by mail or processed by rental car companies.
• 💶 Gasoline in Europe is expensive, and diesel costs about the same as unleaded gas. Be aware of the local word for diesel to avoid refueling mistakes.
• 🛃 Tolls in Europe come in two forms: toll stickers for countries like Austria and Switzerland, and toll booths for specific roads in countries like France and Italy.
• 🅿️ Parking lots often require payment at self-service kiosks, and having cash on hand is recommended due to potential issues with credit card compatibility.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the key differences between driving in Europe and America, and what Americans need to know to drive in Europe.

Is it necessary for Americans to change their driving habits when driving in Europe?

Yes, Americans need to adapt to certain differences such as driving on the right side of the road, understanding European road signs, and being aware of specific driving rules like roundabouts and speed limits.

Which side of the road do most European countries drive on?

Most European countries drive on the right side of the road, similar to the United States.

What is the importance of learning European road signs before driving in Europe?

Learning European road signs is important to ensure safety and compliance with local traffic laws, as they may differ from American road signs.

What is the general rule for using the left lane on European highways?

The left lane is for passing only; drivers should not ride in the left lane unless they are actively passing a vehicle to the right.

Are there any countries in Europe with no speed limit on certain roads?

Yes, Germany has no speed limit on certain sections of their highways, known as Autobahns.

What is the significance of the sign that indicates the end of speed restrictions in Germany?

The sign signifies that the driver is now at the default speed limit for the road they are on, and there are no further speed restrictions.

How are speeding violations typically handled in Europe?

Speeding violations in Europe are typically handled through speed cameras that capture the vehicle's license plate, and the driver receives a ticket in the mail, often with a fine.

What is the general cost of a speeding ticket in Europe?

The cost of a speeding ticket in Europe can vary, but the script mentions one ticket being €15 and another €30.

Do speeding tickets in Europe affect an American's driving record or insurance?

According to the script, speeding tickets in Europe do not get reported to American insurance companies or appear on American driving records.

What are some additional costs that American drivers should be aware of when driving in Europe?

Additional costs include tolls, which can be sticker-based for some countries or booth-based for others, as well as the higher cost of gasoline and the need for a potentially an international driver's permit in some countries.

Why is it recommended to have both cash and a credit card when driving in Europe?

It is recommended to have both cash and a credit card because some toll booths and parking kiosks may only accept one or the other, and not all American credit cards may work at automated payment systems in Europe.

What is a unique aspect of driving in the Black Forest mentioned in the script?

A unique aspect of driving in the Black Forest mentioned in the script is that the roads are small and windy, and drivers should be prepared for potentially fast speeds on these roads.

What is the final piece of advice given in the script about driving in Europe?

The final piece of advice is that driving in Europe is the best way to explore off the beaten path and see unique sites and attractions, away from typical tourist areas.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Introduction to Driving in Europe

The video script begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the topic of driving in Europe as compared to America. The speaker expresses enthusiasm for the subject and clarifies that the video is educational, not a critique of American drivers. Viewers are encouraged to learn about the differences in driving, such as the fact that most of Europe drives on the right side of the road, similar to the U.S. The importance of familiarizing oneself with European road signs is emphasized, and the speaker shares personal strategies for learning these signs, such as studying Wikipedia entries. The paragraph concludes with advice on understanding right-of-way rules, particularly in roundabouts, and the necessity of adapting to local driving customs.

05:02

🛣️ Understanding Speed Limits and Road Signs

This paragraph delves into the specifics of speed limits and road signs in Europe. It explains that speed limits may not always be explicitly posted, and drivers need to be aware of default speeds for different types of roads. The speaker discusses the use of rectangular signs to indicate entry and exit of towns, where the speed limit typically drops to 50 km/h unless otherwise indicated. The paragraph also touches on the unique case of Germany, where there is no speed limit on certain roads, known as Autobahns. Additionally, the absence of right turns on red lights in Europe is highlighted as a key difference from American driving rules. The speaker suggests using online resources and quizzes to better understand and remember these rules.

10:03

📸 Dealing with Speed Cameras and Tolls

The speaker discusses the prevalence of speed cameras in Europe as a common method for enforcing speed limits, rather than police pulling over speeders. They share personal experiences with receiving speeding tickets, noting that fines are typically not reported to American insurance companies. The paragraph also addresses the cost of gasoline in Europe, the importance of knowing the local term for diesel fuel, and the challenges of using credit cards at self-service gas stations due to the requirement for chip and pin cards. Furthermore, the different types of toll systems in various European countries are explained, including toll stickers for countries like Austria and Switzerland, and toll booths in countries like France and Italy. The speaker advises being prepared with cash or a compatible credit card for toll payments.

15:03

🚧 Additional Driving Considerations in Europe

In the final paragraph, the speaker covers additional considerations for driving in Europe, such as the need for an international driver's permit in some countries, the importance of having a chip and pin card for parking kiosks, and the unique driving conditions on small, windy roads, especially in mountainous regions. They also mention the presence of animals like cows on the roads, which can pose a hazard. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the benefits of driving in Europe, such as the ability to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations, and encourages viewers to watch another video for more insights on renting a car for a European vacation.

Keywords

💡Driving in Europe

Driving in Europe refers to the experience of navigating and operating a vehicle on the roads of European countries. This concept is central to the video's theme, which aims to educate American drivers on the nuances of driving in Europe compared to the United States. The script mentions that while there are similarities in driving, there are also key differences such as driving on the right side of the road and understanding European road signs.

💡Road Signs

Road signs are visual indicators used to convey information about traffic rules, directions, and warnings. In the context of the video, understanding European road signs is emphasized as crucial for American drivers. The script suggests studying these signs, as they may differ from those in the U.S., and provides an example of the 'stop' sign being universally recognized.

💡Roundabouts

A roundabout, also known as a traffic circle, is a type of intersection where traffic flows in one direction around a central island. The video script discusses the importance of knowing the right-of-way rules in roundabouts, which may vary slightly from those in America, and highlights the need to understand local driving customs to navigate them safely.

💡Speed Limits

Speed limits are legal limits on vehicle speeds, usually posted along roads to ensure safety. The script points out that speed limits in Europe may not always be explicitly posted and that drivers need to be aware of the default speed limits for different types of roads. It also mentions the unique case of Germany's Autobahn, where there is no universal speed limit.

💡Right-on-Red

Right-on-red refers to the permission to turn right at a red traffic light without coming to a complete stop, if it is safe to do so. The video script clarifies that this practice, common in the U.S., does not exist in Europe, which could potentially confuse American drivers accustomed to this rule.

💡Speed Cameras

Speed cameras are devices used to detect vehicles exceeding the speed limit, often resulting in fines for the driver. The script describes the prevalence of speed cameras in Europe and how they operate differently from police pulling over speeders, as is more common in the U.S. It also touches on the process of receiving and paying fines for speeding.

💡Tolls

Tolls are fees charged for using certain roads or highways. The script explains that there are different systems for tolls in Europe, such as toll stickers for countries like Austria and Switzerland, and toll booths in countries like France and Italy. It also advises on the importance of having a credit card that works with toll systems or having cash on hand.

💡International Driver's Permit

An International Driver's Permit is a document that allows individuals to drive in foreign countries when accompanied by a valid domestic driver's license. The video script suggests that while not always required, obtaining an International Driver's Permit is a precautionary measure for American drivers in Europe, especially in case of accidents or traffic violations.

💡Gasoline

Gasoline, or petrol, is the fuel used to power internal combustion engines in vehicles. The script notes the high cost of gasoline in Europe and the difference in pricing between diesel and unleaded gasoline. It also mentions the challenges American drivers might face at self-service gas stations due to differences in credit card technology.

💡Driving Vacation

A driving vacation is a type of travel where the primary mode of transportation is by car, allowing for flexibility and the ability to explore at one's own pace. The video script promotes the idea of renting a car for a European vacation to experience the local culture and scenery off the beaten path, which is an integral part of the video's message.

💡Cows on the Road

The presence of cows on the road is a humorous and unexpected aspect of driving in rural Europe mentioned in the script. It serves as a reminder for drivers to be alert to local wildlife, which can be as dangerous as deer in America, and adds a cultural touch to the driving experience in Europe.

Highlights

Driving in Europe compared to America has key differences, but if you can drive in America, you'll do fine in Europe.

In Europe, except for the British Isles, you drive on the right side of the road, contrary to a common American misconception.

European road signs are similar across the European Union and don't have language on them, making them easier to understand.

Studying European road signs on Wikipedia before a trip can help familiarize yourself with them.

The left lane on European highways is for passing only; you should not ride in it unless actively overtaking.

Speed limits in Europe may not always be posted, and drivers should be aware of the default speeds for different types of roads.

In Germany, there is no speed limit on the Autobahn, but this is not the case in other European countries.

Speed cameras are common in Europe and are the primary method of catching speeders, rather than police pulling drivers over.

Speeding tickets in Europe are not usually reported to American insurance companies or driving records.

Gasoline in Europe is expensive, and diesel fuel costs about the same as regular unleaded gasoline.

Many gas pumps in Europe are self-service and credit card only, often requiring a chip and pin card.

Tolls in Europe come in two forms: toll stickers for countries like Austria and Switzerland, and toll booths for specific roads in countries like France and Italy.

In Switzerland, a toll sticker is required for the entire year, which may affect short-term travelers' plans.

Parking in Europe often requires payment at self-service kiosks, and having cash on hand is recommended.

Drivers in Europe may encounter fast traffic on small, windy roads, especially in mountainous regions.

Watch out for cows on European roads, as they can cause significant damage to vehicles if hit.

An International Driver's Permit is recommended for Americans driving in Europe, and can be obtained easily from AAA.

Driving in Europe allows for unique travel experiences off the beaten path and to less-visited attractions.

Transcripts

hello thank you so much for joining me

today how you doing today I'm G to learn

what Americans need to know to drive in

Europe I like this subject it's a fun

subject driving in Europe compared to

America it's also a very funny subject I

know you guys like it like it a lot too

mostly just to on American drivers

which

hey that's fun we can do that I'm not

sure if that's what this video is doing

or not I can't really tell from the

title you know what Americans need to

know about driving in Europe uh they

need to know that they can't act like

morons I don't

know um it's from around the world with

Aaron go check out the channel link down

below I'm very interested let's go if

you finally decided to take that driving

vacation in Europe there's some things

you really need to know to make your

trip a little bit less stressful while

it's not that much different from

driving in America there are some key

differences to know about but if you can

drive in America you'll do just fine in

Europe wow well I can tell this video

was made by an American not a European

this is actually kind of a relief okay

so this is like actually just straight

up educational it's not critiquing

American drivers so much as it is just

actually letting me know what you need

to know that's pretty cool okay let's do

it unless you're going to be going to

the British Isles you get to drive on

the side of the road that you're used to

driving on that is an interesting point

because for whatever reason growing up

and I don't know if all Americans have

this misconception but I thought that I

thought that like almost every country

drove on the

left at least in Europe I

assumed it was all like Britain I kind

of viewed it as like you know like uh

Fahrenheit vers Celsius or metric verse

Imperial where it's like oh yeah the

whole rest of the world they drive on

the left for whatever reason we drive on

the right but no it's

actually the right side is the most

common on they drive on the right side

of the road in Europe just like we which

is extremely

fortunate take time to learn what all of

the signs are it's really important well

the nice thing is that I think is it in

the European Union that the signs are

all relatively similar to understand

what the signs are and they don't have

like language on them for the most part

they are different from the signs we

have from the road signs to the speed

limit signs and some of these signs have

meaning Beyond just the words on the

sign the way I prepared for my first

European trip was to go to the Wikipedia

media entry on European road signs and

just kind of study them a little bit

look through the countries you're at

least you know a lot of the signs

actually European road signs and just

kind of study them a little like thank

God stop is pretty Universal huh and

yield that's really

convenient um and kind of surprising I'm

I'm surprised how similar the stop signs

are to the American ones uh that's

really great

that's an important one

stop but I'm wondering what is the

actual qualifications you need to drive

over in Europe can I really just go over

there and drive it's up to me to like do

to go on the Wikipedia and quiz myself

on the

signs that seems kind of

crazy but

okay bit look through the countries

you're going to go to and just

understand them you're not going to

remember all of it but at least you'll

be familiarized with the different

you're not going to remember all of it

but hey you probably won't die on the

different rules on the a roads which is

their equivalent of essentially an

interstate or a highway the big signs do

not tell you which direction you're

traveling in they basically tell you the

big city at the end of DF of the road

that you're traveling towards so you

have to understand the cities that

you're traveling towards so you know

which direction you're going to go

whenever you get onto a road take some

time to get to know what the right away

rules are over there especially for

roundabouts in general wait does that

change their right away rules aren't

much different from ours the person on

the is our roundabout not exactly the

same everywhere in the world that would

be really inconvenient right has the

right away unless a sign says otherwise

but there are some differences I'm not

going to get into the details here

there's plenty of really good resources

available to you online Google is your

friend here um there's even some places

that have quizzes that you can take if

you're the kind of person likes quizzes

I know that these things can seem like a

lot can feel feel a little bit

overwhelming but trust me it's not that

complicated it's no more complicated

than it is here you just need to take

some time familiarize yourself with the

rule so that you don't find yourself in

trouble over there I put some links in

the description for sites that you can

access this information for the

countries you plan on driving to and

while we're talking about rules the left

lane is for pass that's a good oneing

only you do not ride in the left lane

unless you are actively passing a

vehicle to the right of you this is a

rule this is the expectation and this is

how they drive and the speed limit it's

kind of how we're supposed to drive too

just nobody got the memo is not always

obvious you need to understand there are

certain instances where the speed limit

isn't posted by a sign with a number on

it for example when driving into or out

of a town there is a rectangular sign

that tells you you are entering or

leaving a city when you drive past and

it's like 55 kilm per hour when you're

outside isn't that like the

standard that sign the speed limit is

now 50 kmph unless otherwise posted that

is just a rule that everybody

understands you will not necessarily see

a sign telling you that the speed limit

changed to 50 also you have to

understand what the default speeds for

specific types of roads are the default

speed for many roads see over here in

America you're always going to get a

speed limit

sign which I I mean

that's that's interesting on one hand it

would be it it would be convenient to

have just a default speed just so that

you know when in doubt it's like you

know you can kind of use context clues

and be like it's probably just the

default speed that would be

nice but also having a sign there is you

know it makes it pretty easy is 130 or

120 km an hour or 80 km an hour and it's

not always posted you just have to know

what it is based on the type of Road

you're on and then there will be further

signs restricting speed on those roads

I'd be nervous to go up to those high of

speeds without seeing a sign telling me

I could or giving you guidance um under

certain weather conditions or traffic

conditions a key thing to understand is

that this a really beautiful landscape

it is only on I'm trying not to be

distracted Autobon I.E the a roads in

Germany where there is not a speed limit

no other countries in Europe have this

allowance to drive as fast as you choose

so when you see this sign it doesn't

mean there's no speed limit what it

means a famous sign that's a sign that

um the best German disc golfer in the

world Simon lazat one of the best disc

golfers in the world period used as

inspiration for his

stamp on his discs it ends all of the

previously signed

restrictions you are now at the default

speed limit for the road that you're on

and one final rule to be aware of is

there's no no right on

red that would actually throw me off a

lot I could could easily see myself see

I have pretty bad add

so like I could just see myself kind of

thinking about too many things at once

and I would be and I would forget

there's no red on red such thing as a

right turn that would be bad well I mean

I guess in theory I wouldn't probably

cause an accident but people would be

like what the hell are you doing on red

in Europe that is an American invention

and it's a great one but it doesn't

exist over there and hey if it's a great

one except for pedestrians when there's

a lot of pedestrians it's not such a

great rule if you're enjoying this video

and want to see more of our travel

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Subscribe button below it really helps

maybe that's why it's only in America

it's the Channel all right so let's talk

about speed cameras I have never seen

anybody get pulled over on the side of

the road for speeding in Europe however

I have gotten multiple speeding tickets

in oh I didn't realize you just you

never get pulled over the way they find

speeders in Europe is by that that's the

number one reason you're getting pulled

over that's almost like I bet you 75% of

all people who are pulled over in

America it's for

speeding so it's like that's actually a

really efficient that helps improve the

efficiency of the police a lot if you

can get those out of the way the police

can focus on other

things speed cameras these cameras are

ubiquitous pretty much any town you

drive-thru will have multiple ones down

the main thoroughfare and they will take

your picture and you will get look at

this landscape often months later and

you won't even remember why they don't

know where I live in

Indiana these cameras they're never

going to find me with that ticket are on

all types of Roads regardless of the

size one nice thing is that these

tickets aren't particularly expensive I

think one of my tickets was 15 and don't

some European countries do it based off

your income which is kind of cool the

other one was €30 I was able to pay at

least one of them online another one I

had to send a money order so that was a

little bit inconvenient um and if you

are over there in a rental car do they

take Bitcoin your rental company will

charge you a $25 processing fee to send

that ticket to you as far as I can tell

a speeding ticket over there does not

get reported to your American Insurance

company or go on your American driving

record that's an interesting point but

just be careful and trust me there's a

good chance you're going to get a ticket

but it makes for a nice souvenir

gasoline is expensive

Europe but the roads are very nice and

unlike in America diesel fuel costs

about the same as regular unleaded

gasoline one thing to be aware of is you

have to understand the words well as of

recently let me see when this video came

out one year ago I mean as of recently

here in America it's been interesting to

see that difference between diesel you

know we do it in per gallon so a gallon

a diesel a gallon

of um

gasoline they've been like at some point

diesel has been cheaper from what I've

seen which is really crazy for the type

of gasoline that you're going to be

using in the car that you rent if you

have a diesel car you need to know what

the local word for diesel is otherwise

you may mess that up many of the

gasoline pumps are self-service and are

credit card use only a lot of them

require a chip and pin card which is a

really difficult thing to find from an

American Bank I'm surprised their credit

card

only especially I mean he he's is

clearly in Germany I believe and they

like to use cash a lot so credit card

only at the pump and what that is is you

insert the Chip And you have a pin

attached to it a lot of American cards

what they call Chip and signature and

often you have difficulty using the gas

pumps there so if you don't have a chip

and pin card you're going to need to

make sure that you can find gas stations

that are attached to a convenience store

with a cashier that you can go inside to

pay and another this is freaking

beautiful expense that we need discuss

is toll there's two different types of

tolls you'll encounter in Europe some

some countries like Austria and

Switzerland require you to buy a toll

sticker which allows you access to their

highways in Austria you can buy a

tourist sticker that's relatively

inexpensive and it's good for a couple

of weeks in Switzerland however they

only sell annual stickers so if you want

to drive in Switzerland you're going to

need are you serious you have to buy a

whole Year's worth buy the sticker for

the entire year for 2023 the price of

that sticker is around $45 so if you're

going to be there for a week

that's really not too bad but if you're

going to be there for the day that might

change your plan

German that would suck to change your

plan they got to rethink that if if T if

that's cutting down on any tourism

because people are like I don't want to

spend the day in Switzerland because I'd

have to buy a Year's worth of

tolls that's kind of a mistake I feel

like Germany has no tolls but their gas

tends to cost a little bit more and in

France and Italy they have more what

we're used to in America where they have

toll booths on specific roads uh the

tolls can get rather expensive to be

prepared and understand which Lanes take

cash and which Lanes take credit tolls

can go anywhere here in America from

like 75 cents to like I feel like they

can get up to

like

$3 it's pretty

expensive I don't know maybe they even

go higher make sure that you have a

credit card that's going to work with

them we have had problems in the past

where our credit card didn't work on our

most recent trip however we had good

luck with cards that allowed for tap to

pay um but we always make sure we do

have cash on hand in the event that a

credit card doesn't work and we have to

find a way to pay with cash in any case

I would recommend that the first couple

of times you go through a toll you find

the toll booth that has a cash year that

way in the event you have a credit card

that won't work for you you can at least

pay cash many of the parking lots in

Europe are pay lots and they tend to

have selfservice parking kiosk that you

have to walk up to and pay to get a

ticket for a specific amount of time

again make sure you have cash to pay for

this if you don't have a credit card

that'll work oh now you need cash

normally these require a chip and pin

card so if you don't have one make sure

you have enough cash to pay for your

parking another thing is he in the Black

Forest is that where he is be aware of

is that they tend to drive fast on small

windy roads I was going to say these

roads are incredibly windy I guess

that's just cuz it's mountainous I'm not

used to that over not a not a whole lot

of mountains over here in

Indiana not a lot

so the roads pretty much just go

straight I like driving fast I like

windy roads I'm not comfortable driving

as fast as they do on these is this a

two-way Road small windy roads but no

worries you don't need to push yourself

faster or pull over or anything like

that they'll find a time to pass you and

they'll pass you drive the speed you're

comfortable to drive and everything will

are you allowed to pass on this road

right here work out just fine for you

watch out for cows really watch out for

cows there's a lot of cows and sometimes

they end up in the middle of the road

make sure kind of like the equivalent of

deer over here in America I guess except

this will absolutely flatten your car

huh the cow probably would be fine might

not even notice look at that thing do

you understand the rules what are cows

doing just out there crossing the street

why did the cow cross the street

guarding intern get the other side I

guess driving permits most countries in

Europe allow an American to drive in

their

however some do require you to have an

international driver's permit you can

get these relatively inexpensively we

normally get wait you just have to pay

you don't even have to take a test one

at AAA many people don't bother to get

one I think the only time anybody's

going to ask to see one is if you're in

an accident or if you get stopped for

some sort of moving violation or

something but it's still best to just

get one they're not expensive and that

way it won't be a problem in the event

that you need to have it and one final

thing that you need to know about

driving in Europe is that it is the best

way to get off the beaten path away from

the normal tourist areas and go see

really interesting and unique sites and

attractions if you want to learn more

about driving in Europe check out this

other video about reason why you should

rent a car on your european vacation

hopefully interesting that was a really

great video that was very informative go

check out his channel around the world

with Aon I really enjoyed that and you

know it was an American doing it so you

know if a European was doing it it would

be like what Americans need to know

about driving in Europe

please don't please just stay home okay

we don't want to deal with

you all right thank you for watching

I'll see you guys

tomorrow bye