We debated about this a lot (carbon emissions, fuel costs, finding parking etc.) but after realizing that back-packing (or  hauling bags) around Europe is really more of a romantic, sometimes limiting, and more expensive notion these days, we unfortunately decided to shelve the idea. Once practicality and the convenience factors settled in, we decided to invest in maintaining our sanity and lease a car through Ideamerge.

– our 2010 Renault Clio

Without it, we would not be able to visit the many villages and “off-the-motor-way-track” places in our trip so far. We of course loved parking Clio for the entire days and weeks after we established our home bases (especially in Barcelona, Beynac et Cazenac, Paris, and Nice) and having the trunk act as our traveling picnic basket was great.

Finally, the included Carminat TomTom integrated satellite navigation is simply “amazing”.