The roads criss-crossing Panama’s countryside are windy and narrow, climbing precariously through the richly forested Sierra de Veraguas before spiraling down the other side, connecting to the Pacific to the Carribbean in a long, slow, march to the sea. There are no traffic laws to speak of, and little traffic. The cities of Andalucia are different, cobblestone streets radiating haphazardly from historic squares, roads narrowing to one-way streets and then to pedestrian-only thoroughfares without warning. Spanish drivers park compact cars in impossible places. Scooters careen around corners, and foreigners long for the sensible predictability of the American grid system. And on the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, there were few roads to speak of; we kept our jeep to the beaches.
Each time I’ve rented a car while traveling, I’ve seen more, done more than I would have if I’d limited myself to public transportation options. Driving yourself, even in a foreign country, is liberating. It makes you spontaneous, unshackling you from bus time tables. Suddenly your destinations are limitless, not restricted to those areas that attract enough tourist traffic to support a bus stop or a train station.
Though renting a car is not without its challenges – parking, logistics, navigation, insurance – overcoming these obstacles is its own kind of travel experience. As anyone who’s rented a car overseas will tell you, the road has its own culture. It’s in food stands and market stalls that spring up weekend mornings, in gas stations, and on dirt paths with confusing signage. Renting a car overseas makes these experiences limitless.
If you need more convincing, check out these benefits of traveling by rental car:
Take charge of your schedule. Having your own mode of transportation is freeing. Decide to leave early or late. Choose to spend an extra day or two in your favorite city. Don’t worry about finding the bus station, or reserving tickets in advance.
Choose convenience. Cars are simply more comfortable than public transit. They are also faster, and you’ll be able to take the most direct route from your point of origin to your destination, stopping only when you choose to. Certainly there’s a trade off. You’ll stop for gas instead of for passengers, but bus travel just isn’t as efficient.
Take better photos. Who among us has not tried to take a picture from a moving bus before? I probably have entire hard drives full of blurred pictures of trees and power lines that swept into the viewfinder, obscuring scenic waterfalls and sunsets. Being in control of your own transportation gives you the ability to stop, get out of the car, and set up that perfect shot.
Take a detour. When you’re in control of the vehicle, it’s easier to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. When we were driving through Panama, for example, we came across a sign for hot springs. Several dirt roads and one terrifying suspension bridge later, we discovered the bubbling, steaming pools hidden in the rainforest, completely isolated. We have since followed signs for cheap helicopter rides and remote shooting ranges. We’ve also gotten lost and taken wrong turns and driven against traffic on one-way streets. Even though our foreign road trips rarely go as planned, the ability to make extra stops or visit unusual, or even unheard of, locales enriches any vacation.
See the country from a new perspective. Transportation networks are the arteries of a nation. As you learn to navigate a foreign country, you learn its secrets. You see places far from the cultural or tourist centers. Daily life happens on highways and side streets; it gets caught in rush hour traffic and tries to make sense of traffic circles and parking meters. I’ve seen entire families plus livestock executing impossible balancing acts on motorcycles, herds of sheep blocking traffic, even bicycles carting that day’s produce. Learning the road system isn’t just a lesson in transportation and culture; it embodies a country’s history. A year ago I drove from Cadiz in southwestern Spain to Granada along the mountain roads that at one time formed the boundary between northern Spain and the territory occupied by the Moors. I stopped in villages along the way, photographing ancient fortress and stone walls that had been Spain’s first line of defense against invasion from the south. In comparison, the bus route between Cadiz and Granada uses the highway and makes no stops.
Let’s be fearless,
Jen