Road Tripping Through Southeastern Europe

Finding a road trip that is a bit more adventurous than usual is pretty easy in southern Europe. Take advantage of more affordable prices and the freedom of a car to see some of the loveliest terrain you can imagine, from the Carpathian Mountains to the Adriatic.

It is not a bad idea to start off in Vienna. Take in the sights of this beautiful city and rent a car from any major car rental company. Rates will vary, but the best time to go is outside of the high season of June–August and the winter months, as traveling will be difficult in winter weather. By using Vienna as a starting point, it is easy to plan a 10-day trip that takes you to Budapest, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Trieste and back to Vienna.

The distances between these cities will be no more than five hours of driving. Another possible route takes you down the coast from Vienna to Trieste down to Split and Podgorica, Montenegro. You can get back to Vienna through Belgrade and Budapest.

There are a few tips to remember about starting this kind of trip and the most important is getting an International Driving Permit. You may not need one in all of the countries listed above, but you will in some and it is better to be safe than sorry. Additionally, you cannot rely solely on the euro so be prepared to have the local currency available to you in Hungary, Croatia and Montenegro. Another concern is the state of the roads, so check your routes and be aware of any rural areas you may travel in and plan accordingly. Lastly, you cannot be expected to read in all of these languages, so take a look at the major road signs for these countries to become familiar with the traffic before you go.