How annoyed would you be if you got a speeding ticket, even though there was no speed limit posted? The good news is that if you pay attention to the tips in this post you can avoid making expensive mistakes when driving in Europe.
Because European roads look pretty similar to what you’re used to back home, it can be tempting to think that the rules are the same as well. But that assumption could ruin your holiday with some really expensive fines.
In the last three years since returning to Europe after living in the US and Canada, we have crisscrossed the European continent in our camper van. With every country having different rules, signs, and languages it can be really easy to make mistakes.
We’ve definitely made a few blunders ourselves, from getting three speeding tickets in one week without realizing it, to turning right on a red light, right in front of a police station.
In this article we are going to give you 7 tips on how to avoid both simple mistakes that will just hurt your wallet, and big mistakes that could leave you stranded on the side of the road. Watch the full video on YouTube for 8 more expensive mistakes driving in Europe, and how to avoid making them.
I will also be sharing a free cheat sheet of all the different tolls, and vignettes you’ll need in Europe, so that you can save hours of research, not to mention avoid fines for not having a vignette.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
Mistake #1: Turning Right on Red
Let’s start by talking about a driving mistake that is really easy to make. I’ve personally committed this blunder a few times in Europe after living in the US, and Canada.
That mistake is turning right on red.
If you’ve spent any time driving in North America, I’m sure you will appreciate how ingrained that habit becomes.
A few years ago when I was living in Canada but visiting family in Switzerland, I casually made a right turn on red, without giving it a second thought. A few seconds later my brain caught up with me, and I swore a little bit under my breath. After yet another few seconds I was in full panic mode as I realised that I had just turned right on red directly in front of a police station. Luckily for me no one noticed, and there was no camera.
Just remember in Europe you are absolutely not allowed to turn right on red, unless there is a dedicated traffic light telling you that you are allowed to turn right.
If you forget where you are for a moment, and end up turning right on red, and you are unlucky enough to do it in front of a police officer, or a red light camera, then you will be fined as if you ran a red light.
Mistake #2: Picking the Fuel Pump Based on Colour
This next mistake could end up being very costly, and even ruin your whole trip. Picking your fuel based on the colour at the fuel pump is a surprisingly common mistake that tourists make.
Just because European gas stations look the same as they do in the US and Canada, well unless you compare it to Buc-ee’s which is the size of a French village, does not mean that the fuel pump colours are the same. I have heard so many stories of American travellers putting gasoline into a diesel car, or vice versa simply because they blindly assumed that the colours on the pump meant the same as they do back home.
If you put gasoline in a modern diesel engine, and try to drive away from the gas station, there is a chance that you will destroy the engine. If you put diesel into a gasoline car, it’s definitely not great, but it probably won’t destroy the entire engine.
The great news is that the solution to this mistake is ridiculously simple. First look on the inside of the fuel lid of your rental vehicle to see whether it uses gasoline or diesel. Next look at the pump, read the labels, and then choose the correct handle. That’s it, all you have to do is read and you will save yourself a lot of money, and stress.
There is one exception to this rule, and that is France. In French, diesel is called ‘gazole’, which is awfully close to the word ‘gasoline’ in English, but filling your gasoline vehicle with gazole would be a big mistake. Gasoline in French is called essence, which is what you will want if your vehicle runs on gasoline.
In the end the best way to avoid misfuelling your vehicle in Europe is to look on the inside of the fuel lid on your rental vehicle, and then choose the pump handle that matches the letter, and number that’s written there.
Mistake #3: Not Realizing Toll Costs Could Ruin Your Europe Travel Budget
Now let’s talk about the surprisingly high cost of highway tolls in Europe.
If you’re not vigilant they can quickly eat up your holiday budget, leaving you to feast on cup noodles for the rest of your trip. In North America, toll roads are normally limited to the larger metropolitan area, for example the Sam Houston Parkway in Texas. Whereas interstate travel is typically toll free. However, in Europe the majority of countries will have some sort of toll on the entire highway network.
For example, a 9 hour journey from Paris to Saint Tropez would set you back €77 in tolls alone.
Likewise, the highways in Greece, and Italy are also shockingly expensive, which we discovered first hand on our travels. We made the mistake of taking a toll road in Italy to try to save some time. Unfortunately just one exit on that toll road ended up costing us over €20. To this day the total cost of that road trip is a complete bank to me, as I was so angry after paying €20 for one little section that my brain shut down. Learn from our expensive mistake, and just avoid toll roads in Italy.
The good news is that you can avoid tolls in most countries. Just go into your navigation app settings, and select ‘avoid tolls’. This will likely add some time to your journey, but in exchange you’ll see a lot more of the countryside instead of miles, and miles of dull highway.
Mistake #4: Forgetting to Buy a Vignette
On the topic of tolls, let’s talk about the ‘invisible toll’, aka a vignette, that could easily land you with a fine if you forget to buy one before you enter the country.
A vignette in the context of driving in Europe is a little sticker that you have to have to put on your windshield to prove that you have paid to be able to drive on the roads in that country. When you buy a vignette you will essentially have unlimited access to the road network for the amount of days you’ve purchased.
The majority of countries with a vignette system have now made them digital so you don’t actually need a physical sticker. Simply go to the official website, register your license plate, and pay for the period of time you want. Be careful of imitation websites though, and make sure to only use the official site.
To take out some of the stress for your next European driving trip, we’ve created a free cheat sheet that shows what toll system, if any, is used in every single European country.
If you download the free guide, you will find all the toll information you need, including links to the official website of the country to buy vignettes or pay for electronic tolls. Downloading this guide will save you hours of research, and stress about finding the official website to purchase your vignette from.
Mistake #5: Not Knowing What the Speed Limit Is
This next mistake is a big one, and one that has confused countless tourists. That mistake is speed limit signs, or rather the lack thereof.
In many European countries the actual speed limit is not always posted, instead you’re expected to know what the speed limit is based on what type of road you’re driving on, and when it changes. This is in stark contrast to the US and Canada, where speed limits and changes are always posted, even if the school zone sign is sometimes hidden behind a tree.
In Europe there are typically three major road categories which are: urban, inter urban, and highway. Each category has a set speed limit that you need to memorise. These set rules will change based on the country you’re driving in.
So when you enter a new European country make sure you pay attention to this sign when you enter the country, as it will tell you exactly what the speed limits are for the different road categories.
The most critical sign to look out for when driving, especially along rural roads, is the ‘urban zone’ sign as it indicates that you are now entering an urban zone, and therefore the speed limit is reduced to 50 km/h, even if there is no speed limit sign.
The entrance to an urban zone is also where you will typically find a lot of speed cameras lurking, which can quickly get expensive. For example, exceeding the speed limit by just 2 mph in Denmark would land you with a minimum fine of $169.
When you leave the urban zone you will see a sign like this – which means that you can now drive 80 or 90 km/h depending on the country, because you are now in a rural zone. If you see a speed limit sign indicating a different speed, then that will always take precedence.
Generally the speed limit is 50 km/h for urban zones, 80 km/h for inter urban, and 110 km/h for highways. However, every European country is unique, so make sure you research the speed limits for the countries you plan on driving in ahead of time, to avoid any unpleasant speeding tickets.
Mistake #6 Not Watching Your Speed, and Getting Caught on Camera
Since we’re talking about speed limits in Europe, let’s discuss what happens if you exceed them.
Unlike in the US and Canada, it’s fairly uncommon for European police to stand on the side of the road with a radar device, ready to pull you over for speeding. Instead if you don’t watch your speed limit carefully when driving in Europe you’ll probably end up getting a not so cute holiday snapshot in the mail courtesy of the local police.
To illustrate just how prolific speed cameras are in Europe, let’s look at an example:
Let’s say you want to enjoy the sun soaked beaches of Spain, and feast on tapas until you’ve gone up a shirt size, then Malaga could be just the spot for you. But there is a dark side to this tourist paradise, that could end up souring your vacation.
On just one stretch of the main A7 highway in Malaga almost 67,000 speeding fines were issued in 2023. That’s an average of 183 fines a day. The reason for this staggering amount of fines is that the road has a lot of bends, where the speed limit is reduced from 120 km/h down to 80 km/h. Naturally for the benefit of the city budget…I mean driver safety the government has helpfully installed speed cameras whenever the speed limit is reduced.
For the unsuspecting tourist, this could lead to a whopping €300 ($325) speeding fine, if you fail to slow down for the curves, or are trying to overtake a slow moving vehicle.
But it’s not just one section you need to be careful of, in the greater Malaga area alone almost 350,000 speeding fines were issued in 2023 alone.
I personally find Sweden’s approach to be the most civilised, as there is always a sign post warning you of an upcoming camera, along with what the speed limit is. This achieves the desired result of slower speeds, but without fines, which I think is a win win.
If you do accidentally exceed the speed limit the fine for speeding will vary greatly depending on the country you’re travelling in.
For example, in a one week trip to Germany I somehow managed to collect three speeding fines, without even realising it at the time. In every single case I had only exceeded the speed limit by a max of 3 mph. So I can tell you from experience that a speeding fine in Germany is normally around $26 if you only exceed the speed limit by a little bit. That is definitely on the low end for Europe though, and you should generally expect to pay more.
In addition to the fine from the police, your rental car company may also charge you a fee for ‘processing’ the ticket, this fee can sometimes be as much as €50 per ticket. In the case of my German speeding fines the processing fee from the rental company was actually more expensive than the fine itself, which really feels like a kick in the nuts.
Mistake #7: Thinking the Autobahn Doesn’t Have Speed Limits
Since we’re on the topic of speeding, let’s talk about the Autobahn, and debunk some myths so you don’t end up with a fine.
The Autobahn is a mythical land where powerful German sedans get to explore their limits without the risk of getting told off by a pesky spoilsport police officer. So, if going a measly 80 mph, which is the highest speed limit in most states, isn’t enough for you, then a trip to Germany could be just the ticket.
But before you get too excited, an easy and common mistake for American travellers is thinking that the entire autobahn network is a speed limit free utopia. Although there are sections of the Autobahn where you can unleash your inner speed demon, there are also plenty of sections with a permanent speed limit.
Even when there is technically no speed limit, you might still come across speed limit signs. For example, this sign means that if the road is wet you’re only allowed to drive 120 km/h, but if the road conditions are dry then there is no speed limit.
Unless you have a particular desire to be scolded by an angry German police officer in a tight leather jacket, no judgement, then I would suggest that you pay close attention to the road signs when you’re driving. As the speed limit can change at any point.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO FOR 8 MORE MISTAKES
