A decade ago on a trip to Corfu with my wife we somehow ended up halfway up a mountain on what I had thought was a road but turned out to be a goat track. In executing a 27-point turn I managed to dislodge the rear bumper on the right side after catching it on a rock. After some frantic scouring of what little there was in the car that we could use to re-attach it I managed to get it held in place with a shoestring and number of toothpicks. The rental car agency didn't say anything when we turned it back in, so neither did I...
Love it as well, did the whole Corfu thing 10 years ago. I felt the city environment, with no discernible signs or rules was almost more stressful than the mountain driving. It’s great being passed up the switchback on a road barely two lanes wide. Timely article since we’re currently in Germany and I’m still trying to figure out the Audi A6 the rental company suggested for us. At least I can speak German so I know what it’s saying when yelling at me. Cheers!
Love it. After a brief off-road excursion in Turks & Caicos, the front bumper of our crummy rental stone cold fell off in our driveway. I managed to somehow fight my way through the torrential sweat of a Caribbean July and pop it back on. Never was I so happy to drop off a rental car.
It’s hard to think of a better way to create memories! In college, my girlfriend (now wife) and I rented a car in Normandy. We picked it up at a small gas station that doubled as a Hertz location. I hadn’t meaningfully driven a manual transmission, but that was the option. It was the map quest era, and our directions to the B and B were printed on paper. Over the next three days we got lost, asked a gentleman walking a donkey for directions, drove through a farmers market (without incident), and were made fun of by an old lady while rolling backwards down a hill trying to get the car in gear.
I drove from Firenze to Lucca. I was upgraded to an Alfa Romeo SUV which sounded nice at the time but I quickly realized a Panda would be far better navigating out Firenze. Your piece is spot on as it took a few minutes to get my bearings. I wish car designers would keep if very simple and intuitive to use the vehicle. Still a lot of fun driving in Italia.
There’s also something exotic and exciting about being pulled over by police in a foreign country (presuming that they are just issuing a speeding ticket in an orderly manner, and not soliciting a bribe/taking you to a Siberian labor camp).
Great piece, David. There’s also the danger of putting the wrong gas in a rented car as happened to us in Norway. You remember the story. Finally rescued from the isolated mountaintop at dusk, your mother and I sat in the Volvo atop a huge tow truck as it headed to a garage. We waved at the sheep we had passed hours earlier on the way up the mountain.
Dad! I left that anecdote out of the story for your dignity. I put diesel gas in the car we have (the first time in my life) and confirmed the car required diesel about three times before I made the fateful decision.
My in-laws did the same thing trying to drive from Como to Venice but taking a very wrong turn. The story ends with my mother in law basically wiping out the minibar while she watched the boats parade down the Grand Canal from her balcony with the door barricaded so my father in law couldn’t talk to her
A decade ago on a trip to Corfu with my wife we somehow ended up halfway up a mountain on what I had thought was a road but turned out to be a goat track. In executing a 27-point turn I managed to dislodge the rear bumper on the right side after catching it on a rock. After some frantic scouring of what little there was in the car that we could use to re-attach it I managed to get it held in place with a shoestring and number of toothpicks. The rental car agency didn't say anything when we turned it back in, so neither did I...
This is the good stuff! 27-point turns and goat tracks!
Love it as well, did the whole Corfu thing 10 years ago. I felt the city environment, with no discernible signs or rules was almost more stressful than the mountain driving. It’s great being passed up the switchback on a road barely two lanes wide. Timely article since we’re currently in Germany and I’m still trying to figure out the Audi A6 the rental company suggested for us. At least I can speak German so I know what it’s saying when yelling at me. Cheers!
Love it. After a brief off-road excursion in Turks & Caicos, the front bumper of our crummy rental stone cold fell off in our driveway. I managed to somehow fight my way through the torrential sweat of a Caribbean July and pop it back on. Never was I so happy to drop off a rental car.
“Once the game deserts you it can be tough out there.” Amen, brother.
It’s hard to think of a better way to create memories! In college, my girlfriend (now wife) and I rented a car in Normandy. We picked it up at a small gas station that doubled as a Hertz location. I hadn’t meaningfully driven a manual transmission, but that was the option. It was the map quest era, and our directions to the B and B were printed on paper. Over the next three days we got lost, asked a gentleman walking a donkey for directions, drove through a farmers market (without incident), and were made fun of by an old lady while rolling backwards down a hill trying to get the car in gear.
Always take travel guidance from Monsieur Hulot
I drove from Firenze to Lucca. I was upgraded to an Alfa Romeo SUV which sounded nice at the time but I quickly realized a Panda would be far better navigating out Firenze. Your piece is spot on as it took a few minutes to get my bearings. I wish car designers would keep if very simple and intuitive to use the vehicle. Still a lot of fun driving in Italia.
I’m getting nervous just thinking about a Florence SUV!
Definitely a few tight squeezes and gasps getting in and out of Firenze.
There’s also something exotic and exciting about being pulled over by police in a foreign country (presuming that they are just issuing a speeding ticket in an orderly manner, and not soliciting a bribe/taking you to a Siberian labor camp).
You almost want to say “So that’s what police drive in this country?”
I can imagine your pain with the big Merc on Scottish B roads!
I kept trying to avoid the small roads and of course there was no way.
Great piece, David. There’s also the danger of putting the wrong gas in a rented car as happened to us in Norway. You remember the story. Finally rescued from the isolated mountaintop at dusk, your mother and I sat in the Volvo atop a huge tow truck as it headed to a garage. We waved at the sheep we had passed hours earlier on the way up the mountain.
Dad! I left that anecdote out of the story for your dignity. I put diesel gas in the car we have (the first time in my life) and confirmed the car required diesel about three times before I made the fateful decision.
My in-laws did the same thing trying to drive from Como to Venice but taking a very wrong turn. The story ends with my mother in law basically wiping out the minibar while she watched the boats parade down the Grand Canal from her balcony with the door barricaded so my father in law couldn’t talk to her
Which movie ?
Ha! The Contender readers are known for their detective skills. Or are you not a Jacques Tati fan?
Ok , Traffic. I did survive the Arc de Triomphe years ago trying to return a rental car. It was exciting.
It's easy.
Uber has rental cars now.
Is that a good or bad thing?