I didn’t realize how much of a non-city person I am until I picked up the rental car this morning and set off on my own to explore Bavaria. Once I was out of the city (and its traffic!) and driving through quaint Bavarian villages and towns, I couldn’t help but smile and relax. After the horror stories I had read about rental car companies forcing you to take their insurance, or involving hidden costs in their pricing, I was a bit anxious about how the whole thing would play out. I’m pleased to report that my experience was nothing like what I had read about. Quick, easy, and no hidden costs. In fact, I got an upgraded car with built in GPS, and they actually took off the cost of the GPS. Of course, they also wrote “full risk” in big letters and made me sign to decline all their coverage, but still. I picked up the car at the airport, which added both time on the train and time in traffic to my day, but it worked out fine.

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