Two trips to Italy in two years, passing through Sicily, Dolomites, Tuscany, and some other cities. Personally, I feel that the security in Italy is not a big problem. Tourist attractions are always crowded, which is unavoidable anywhere. Just be mindful of your belongings, keep some loose change in your pocket, and don't expose large amounts of cash. We added a small combination lock to our backpacks for extra security. Thieves also choose their targets, just like in our own country. I've seen many foreigners leaving their bags far away while taking photos, and their belongings were not stolen. There are armed police guarding various attractions in Italy, so I didn't feel unsafe at all ?
Italy Q&A
Regarding the prepayment of fuel issue, I want to give a hint to the friends who will rent a car later. I just saw a car friend above who said something not quite right. When we paid the prepayment for fuel, we were told to pick up the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank. However, when we returned the car, we were informed that because we returned it with a full tank, the deposit would be refunded. But in reality, it did not happen. We sent an email to the car rental company Sixt to confirm this, and the reply was that after prepaying the fuel fee, it is not necessary to return the car with a full tank, and returning it with a full tank will not result in a deposit refund. (It's just a way for them to keep your money in the end.) As long as you have signed the contract, they will insist on it. (Regarding what the car friend above said, to put it bluntly, it's just a matter of not being good at English. I really want to roll my eyes at this. ️ They are lumping everyone's different situations together.) ?
United Kingdom Q&A
How to refuel when driving in France?
In France, gas stations are widely available and easy to find, especially in urban areas. Most gas stations are open 24 hours a day, although some may have limited hours on weekends or holidays.
To refuel your car, simply pull up to a pump and insert your fuel card or pay with cash. Gasoline in France is sold in liters, with unleaded gasoline (essence) being the most common type.
It's important to note that French gas stations do not typically provide self-service fueling, so you will need to ask an attendant to pump your gas for you. Additionally, many gas stations require payment before pumping the fuel, so be sure to have cash or a credit card ready.
If you're unsure about where to find a gas station, you can use a GPS or map app on your phone to locate one nearby. Additionally, many French highways have gas stations located along the side of the road, so keep an eye out for these as you drive ?
France Q&A
The United States is very large, and every time you go somewhere it's different. This summer, I went to Yellowstone and chose an SUV, but I regretted it because the high center of gravity made it tilt heavily on the mountain roads... and all the roads were paved, so if you don't have a need for a lot of luggage, don't choose an SUV. Last year, I rented a BMW 4 Series to drive around the Grand Canyon area and it felt great. I stayed in Yellowstone for 5 days, 2 days at Old Faithful, 2 days at Canyon, and 1 day at Yellowstone Lake. The itinerary was not tight, so I just played around and drove all the roads in Yellowstone. Accommodation in Yellowstone is expensive, and the itinerary was not optimized, but the gas prices were cheaper than in the Bay Area. As for cash and credit cards, to be honest, I haven't used much cash in recent years. I only keep cash for tips. Throughout the trip, I only used cash once at a strange restaurant in Salt Lake City for one night, and also used cash to send postcards at the Yellowstone post office. Everything else was done with credit cards, including self-service gas and meals. It was surprising to find out at a gas station in Carson City that they explicitly did not accept VISA credit cards and had to use a MasterCard. I remembered trying credit cards at gas stations in Utah and San Diego last year, and this year's experience was really different, as many gas stations have upgraded ?
United States Q&A
We arrived in Paris on the 13th and stayed for 6 days, then drove to Fontainebleau, Lyon, Nice, Monaco, Genoa, Florence, and arrived in Rome yesterday. We were on edge the whole way... First of all, the temperature here is not hot. The wind is quite cold. We have to wear down jackets and woolen hats to keep warm. It is not recommended to drive in the city of Paris. It is difficult to find parking spaces on the road surface. The entrances and exits of underground parking lots are too narrow and difficult to find. Navigation mainly relies on the map built into the Apple phone, which is actually a collaboration with Tom Tom and is very accurate. The maps we downloaded at home are not very reliable, including Google Maps. We were misled several times, even guided to a snow-covered mountain road at night. Maybe it's because we didn't enter the address accurately. Remember to enter the postal code of the region. Google Play needs to be installed to have offline maps, so you must have wireless WiFi. The high-speed rail here is very fast. France is 130 and Italy is 110. I think this is the lowest speed. There will always be cars following me to drive. After all, the car company gave me a top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz E200 station wagon, black German license plate, which is too eye-catching. This caused me to park in the underground garage and dare not park on the road, for fear that my car windows would be broken and my bag would be stolen. All overtaking must be done from the left side, and then the left lane must be given up. It is forbidden to occupy the left lane for a long time. Right-hand overtaking is strictly prohibited, which is very dangerous! Highways need to prepare some 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1, and 0.5 euro banknotes and coins in advance. Do not enter the electronic payment channel by mistake. France and Italy have many dark tunnels that are relatively narrow. Overtaking and turning do not slow down. It feels like you're driving a race car, so small cars are popular here. Their control performance is good. Remember not to rent big cars! My Mercedes-Benz is too long, and the city control is really a bit difficult. Those streets, tunnels, and parking lot passages are really narrow! Bring fewer luggage when you go out ?
France Q&A