Driving

by Inga Aksamit; Kenwood, CA

Auto Europe (888/223-5555) now allows travelers to rent motorcyles in Cancún, Mexico; Spain, and France. Models available include Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Honda and BMW. Rates vary by country, make and model but typically run $300 to $1,000 per day, including insurance. 

Bookings must be made by phone; info is not on the website. A US motorcycle driver’s license is required to make a reservation. There is no upper age limit. Some bikes come with a “saddlebag” for a backpack or small duffel. 

There’s plenty to know before you drive a car in Europe, where road signs, fuel names and hidden traffic cameras can be intimidating to tourists. But driving in Europe is really only a problem for those who make it one.

Admittedly, some places are easier to handle than others. The British Isles have the advantage of no language barrier and fine roads. And after one near-head-on collision scares the bloody heck out of you, you’ll have no trouble remembering which side of the road to drive on.

by Marcia Brandes, Atlanta, GA

NETHERLANDS REPORT

by Charlie Ogg, Houston, TX. Photos by Jack Ogg

by Steven Cole; Grand Rapids, MI

by Marsha Caplan; Boulder, CO

My husband, Michael, and I left Denver on a nonstop Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt on Aug. 29, 2011, continuing on to Madrid for five wonderful weeks in northern Spain.