Car Rentals

Renting or hiring an automobile is a pretty straight forward thing to do. There are always several agencies to choose from in airports of industrialized countries, or through your hotel or youth hostel. But do you really want to rent a car? First, consider the total cost of renting a car, including

• mileage and insurance
• the quality of the road system
• road service availability
• the risk of theft or car-jacking
• the price of fuel
• and parking availability.

You will find that in most countries, public transportation is the not only the best value, but the least hassle.

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Motorcycle Rentals

Touring on a motorcycle (motorbike or scooter) is a great way to see a place. Outside of highly-developed western countries, the motorcycle is the motorized transportation of choice, so getting your hands on one is usually easy to do.

[More on this topic in the Full Version of Quit Dreaming & Go!]

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Your Own Vehicle

If you plan to be in a country for a long while and want to see it at your own pace, and economically, you may wish to buy a car or motorcycle. This will allow you to see much more of the country while taking a few friends with you. In some places the cost of the vehicle will most likely be comparable to buying a bunch of plane, train and bus tickets, and when you're done with it, you can sell it. Do some advance planning and lots of research. Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum may be a good place to start.