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I assumed renting a car in Europe would require loads of paperwork, questions like why five American girls want to rent a car, and maybe at least a warning. Instead, it took a three minute online booking, five minutes in person, and cost less than a round-trip train or plane ticket. The man behind the counter barely asked for identification, no passport, just proof of license and that at least someone knows how to drive a car. Contrary to laws in America, you have to be 21 to rent a car in Austria, not 25. He handed us the keys like we were borrowing a pencil and we were on our way to find our Toyota Aygo in the parking garage. Automatic, not manual of course. That’s how four students with varying levels of driving competence ended up in control of a vehicle, twice.

Driving nine hours to Paris went smoothly until we met the highway tolls. We drove about five hours to Strasbourg, which is right on the border of France in Germany, and found a perfect hostel fit for three with an included breakfast in the morning. We immediately fell asleep upon getting there and were ready to continue driving first thing the morning. Driving on the Autobahn was a driving experience I will never forget. There are speed limits in theory, but they aren’t the part people pay attention to. The left lane isn’t democratic; it belongs to people with both experience and no fear. The tolls appeared, each offering an array of unlabeled lanes covered in symbols that did not feel intuitive to anyone in the car. But of course, there was only a slim chance everything would go perfectly, so we got stuck at some tolls dialing for help in broken English. Most gates opened. A few hesitated, which made us consider whether we had just committed toll fraud by accident. If a bill from France ever arrives, I’ll know exactly why. Once we found an overnight parking garage, which not only required a longer conversation with street signs than with the rental employee but also driving through the city of Paris, we walked through the beautiful and culture filled streets. Very few people can say they saw the Eiffel Tower and survived a toll booth system designed for locals with patience. On the way back, we decided to commit to driving the whole nine hours in one day. Unfortunately for me, I was hit with a mystery stomach bug the night before and was up all night sick. I was laying in fetal position in the back the entire way with a trash bag next to me. I gratefully bought my friends coffee and drinks for days after to show my appreciation for not making me drive. Nonetheless, Paris was incredible and one of my favorite cities. I took my time in the Louvre, ate delicious meals, and hung out with friends – what could be better! Returning the car was a different story. In no way, shape, or form, were we allowed to take the car outside of Austria—a rule that absolutely no employee mentioned to us, nor was it in the fine print. We ruled it a miscommunication with an employee who seemed to find it more humorous than worrying and left with a relieved smile on our faces.

The second rental car took even less effort to obtain. Within 15 minutes, we were on the Autobahn again. Luckily, Munich is only an one hour and forty minutes which made the drive 10x more enjoyable with some good music and company. We were more skilled in finding a parking garage, but this still entailed driving through the city streets of Munich. We enjoyed the festive Christmas markets under the Glockenspiel and celebrated with a brat and hot chocolate. It worked perfectly as a day trip: manageable, lively, and rewarding. Yet, coming back to Salzburg I realized nothing will beat the true Christmas markets here — up in the Fortress or in Residence Platz, they are arguably the best.

So, was driving worth it? Yes, and a million times over, yes. Not because it was efficient or logical—it wasn’t—but because we earned every market and historical sight we reached. We navigated toll roads without instructions, respected and adapted to the Autobahn, and found parking in cities that seemed determined to hide it.

Trains take you somewhere.
Driving abroad makes you understand where you are.