Road Trip in Europe: Round Trip or One Way?

[rohny jones]

Road tripping in Europe is a great way to see more of the countries you are visiting and have general freedom during your trip. There 2 main options when renting a car and that is choosing either a round trip or a one way drop off.

Roundtrip generally means picking up the car in, for example, Madrid, Spain and also returning the car to Madrid.

One way would mean picking up the car in Madrid and dropping it off in Barcelona. Both options have their place in different styles of trips, and there are both pros and cons of roundtrip and one-way rental cars.

Value for money

The Value for money of roundtrip and one-way rentals can be something that is very important to you. Generally, it can be a bit cheaper to do a roundtrip rental car. This is the case because when doing one way, there can be a one-way rental fee. Therefore, if you are a budget traveler and concerned about avoiding as many fees as possible, this can be a good option for you. Choose the round-trip rental and just prepare to be back in your original city to return the car. If this means you will have to back track and visit places you have already gone, then make sure to save some activities for the drive back.

Value of time

Alternatively, choosing to do a one-way rental can save time, and allow you to drive further. With a roundtrip rental you may feel that you have to backtrack and therefore see less things, and not drive as deeply into the country. If you value your time and the ability to see more, then paying a one-way rental car fee would be the best option and definitely worth it for your trip. If you are not on an extremely tight budget, then this may be your best option for a rental car in Europe.

Airport

Usually when traveling to Europe the most economical way to purchase a ticket is roundtrip airfare. If you have to fly in and out of the same airport for your trip, then most likely you would be choosing roundtrip car rental as well. A great way to make this work and see more things during your road trip is by taking a different route on the way back, than what you took on the original route. In a country such as Iceland, roundtrip car rental is very easy due to the entire country being a circle. You would be able to loop around the entire country, and this will make your trip cheaper due to not having to pay the one-way rental car fee.

 

It is always a great idea to rent a car while traveling in Europe. As long as you are prepared and realize the different options in terms of pricing, the trip will go very smoothly, and you will have great freedom to see the country in a different way than someone using public transportation.