Europe 24/25

[jamesdeluxe]

The only time I needed more than a U.S. license and passport was my first arrival into Milan, during peak COVID. I went to pick up my sport wagon -- booked through Fox for only $198/week -- at what ended up being an offsite "local" (Italy-specific) partner which required an international license, noted in very fine print in the rental contract that I never bother reading.

After arguing with them for 15 minutes, I walked over to the nearby Sixt (expecting to get gouged for a walk-up booking) and they rented me a car for a still reasonable $250 -- and mentioned how that runaround happens to visitors several times a month. Lesson learned: if you rent a car in Italy, make sure it's one of the large global companies that don't pull the international license bollocks on you.

 

[ChrisC]

Last time I drove ~10 years ago I never even had a second thought and just showed up with my US license and away I went. But all the internet info now says you better have an international permit or some such.
What say yee, Euro rental car regulars?? Needed or not?

No. An international license is not needed in Europe.

Usually, like you, I try to avoid renting cars when traveling to Europe for vacation or business (My company had a Helsinki-based, Finnish business partner/later acquirer requiring 2 extended trips per year for strategic planning: product and sales & marketing.)

For ski destinations - I have rented from Geneva, Milan, and Zurich (2x), and there is no need for an international license from major rental companies: Sixt, Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, etc. at the airport. I have rented off-airport in Ireland, Florence, and Helsinki, and there is no need for an international license.

Destinations where you need an International License:

• Japan - they clearly stated this requirement when we rented two large SUVs for our group—required to produce it.
• Caribbean - Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, Dominica (maybe ex-British places?). I got one for the Caymans, but I bought one onsite in Dominica for $10 at a local agency last year. Dominica is remote, inexpensive, and more akin to Hawaii or Costa Rica (waterfalls, jungles, cloud forests, diving, etc.) without major chains - car rentals and hotels.

Note: I did not need an International License in Chile, Argentina, or Mexico.

 

[ChrisC]

Skied:

• Wednesday, Feb 5th - Courmayeur. I primarily skied the Val Veny side, which has a long itinerary to the valley floor and some couloirs/bowls from Youla Cable Car to Gabba lift. There are still a few sections of powder/unskied - huge sidecountry area. The Americans I met on one of those runs had equipment but paid no attention to spacing, one at a time, and where they stopped. So, I left them halfway through - despite their big talk about the Tetons, etc. - their ignorance and creating some slough scared me. I did a final run with some Italians down the Dolonne Valley from the lower Checrouit Summit (2258) - faces East, but nice up high first 1000ft. Its runout was much better than last year. There is A TON of snow in Italy. Likely 2-4x the amount (3-6 ft snowbanks) vs. Chamonix town, Engelberg, or Andermatt.
• 

• Thursday, Feb 6th - Crevacol. High on St. Bernard Pass - Italian side vs. Swiss - but sought-facing. Cheapest all-day ticket in a while - $35. A local introduced me to skiing off the backside (north) and traversing around using the road. The pistes were soft, and some were untracked above 2000m, but it was getting spring-like on the bottom 1/3 of the mountain. Note: Aosta Valley sells a $100 6-day ticket for its smaller resorts.
• Friday, Feb 7th - Andermatt. Andermatt Mountain Guides group of 5. We skied a few of the popular classic lines: Felsental and outer lines to get unskied snow, Guspis to Hospental (required a taxi back) and a variant of Unteralp (long traverse into Andermatt proper). These outer lines were new to me. Luckily the weather held off.

North is UP in below Map: Andermatt, Switzerland: March 6, 7 and 8, 2020

 

[ChrisC]

WePowder has restored some storm projections for the Southern Alps. Will need to decide what to ski tomorrow if overcast and/or snowing.

The weather held today, but we could see storm clouds in the south.

The Valais region of Switzerland has some good storm areas: Bruson/Verbier, Gstaad, Les Diablerets, Vercorin, etc. It is too far due to the train tunnel from Central Switzerland and getting back to Zurich. Likely take the Andermat-Sedrun-Disentis train to the lower areas with few trees (Sedrun-Disentis).

I looked at some small mountains near Zurich - like Flumserberg - but not a ton of trees, and a bit of a drive - 1-2 hrs.