Japan's rail network is so good that renting a car looks absurd — until you try to reach Hokkaido's national parks or the Noto coast, where the train simply does not go.
Lisbon itself is a terrible place to have a car and an excellent place to leave from. Three day-trip routes that justify the rental, and the one that does not.
Spain is bigger than it looks on the map and the driving legs between the obvious family destinations are longer than most people plan for. Here is what actually fits in a week.
Driving in Paris is a solved problem: don't. But the rental picked up on your way out opens up Normandy, the Loire and Champagne in a way the train never will.
A week in Italy by car only works if you skip the cities you would drive into. Here is the route that uses the rental where it helps and abandons it where it does not.
Bangkok is the worst place in Thailand to drive and a few hours away are some of the best. Knowing where the line falls saves money and, more importantly, trouble.
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