Alaska-Yukon-BC vacation

[katmai]

I don't know - if BB is advising someone against visiting the Yukon (at least insofar as what Maladict has planned) that says something.

True enough.

Still I wonder how much experience BB has using the public transportation and no-car-required-tourism infrastructure in the Yukon? I mean, I assume cruise ship passengers don't bring cars with them and there's stuff for them to do and see where ever they come ashore.

[Grey Fox]

I don't know - if BB is advising someone against visiting the Yukon (at least insofar as what Maladict has planned) that says something.

True enough.

Still I wonder how much experience BB has using the public transportation and no-car-required-tourism infrastructure in the Yukon? I mean, I assume cruise ship passengers don't bring cars with them and there's stuff for them to do and see where ever they come ashore.

Sometimes Geography is hard, man!

[dps]

I think most Yuro countries require a driving course that costs a trillion yuros before you get a license.

2000 EUR in Austria is what you look at. I don't have a license. For most friends the parents financed the license when they turned 18, but my parents were poor, and we didn't have a car, anyways (rather unusual in Germany). Later, when I had the money, I didn't see the need, and the cost for having a car in Vienna easily outweigh the use I'd get out of it - I'd only need it for vacations or when I take a trip to the country side.

If I ever moved back into a rural area I'd go for a license and car, I guess.

Geez, that's what, about $4200-4300?  A NC drivers license is $4/yr.  Literally less than 1/1000 as much.

[Admiral Yi]

That's for the driver's ed, not the license itself. 

What does a private driver's course cost in the US, like 150 clams?

[Syt]

Geez, that's what, about $4200-4300?  A NC drivers license is $4/yr.  Literally less than 1/1000 as much.

Ca. $ 2,600.- But that's just getting the license (driving lessons, tests etc.). The annual fees would be taxes (deending on car), (mandatory) insurance, fuel etc.

According to autokosten.de, the monthly costs for a Golf IV 2.0 (about 10 years old) are € 69 insurance/month - and € 25 tax/month in Germany. That's €1128.- ($ 1460) per year. Plus maintenance/fuel it'll be €311.- on average per month for that car.

A newer Beemer 525i sends insurance up to €120/month, but tax down to €14. A new Merc S350 is €150 in insurance, €17 in taxes.

Depends on what insurance you sign up with, too, though.

[Barrister]

I don't know - if BB is advising someone against visiting the Yukon (at least insofar as what Maladict has planned) that says something.

True enough.

Still I wonder how much experience BB has using the public transportation and no-car-required-tourism infrastructure in the Yukon? I mean, I assume cruise ship passengers don't bring cars with them and there's stuff for them to do and see where ever they come ashore.

There appears to be a misconception here.

I'm not advising Mal against coming to Yukon/Alaska.  Goodness me I'd never do that - it's the most beautiful place on earth.

It's that I was actively recommending he did take an Alaskan cruise / bus tour, rather than rely on Greyhound and the like.

Taking a cruise / bus tours will mean travelling with a slightly older crowd (40s-60s I think), but will be in comfort and guarantee an excellent night's sleep every night.

I still struggle with going to the Yukon and not camping, but if you're going to do it, a tour is the way to go IMHO.

[dps]

Geez, that's what, about $4200-4300?  A NC drivers license is $4/yr.  Literally less than 1/1000 as much.

Ca. $ 2,600.- But that's just getting the license (driving lessons, tests etc.). The annual fees would be taxes (deending on car), (mandatory) insurance, fuel etc.

According to autokosten.de, the monthly costs for a Golf IV 2.0 (about 10 years old) are € 69 insurance/month - and € 25 tax/month in Germany. That's €1128.- ($ 1460) per year. Plus maintenance/fuel it'll be €311.- on average per month for that car.

A newer Beemer 525i sends insurance up to €120/month, but tax down to €14. A new Merc S350 is €150 in insurance, €17 in taxes.

Depends on what insurance you sign up with, too, though.

The thing is, here you can just go to the DMV and take the test.  If you pass, you can get your license--you never have to have taken formal lessons.  Though if you whether or not you have taken a driver's ed course will affect your insurance rates.   And obviously, there are other costs associated with owning a car--fuel, property tax, etc.  But you can get a driver's license without actually owning a car, and since in NC a state-issued non-driver's ID costs the same as a driver's license--and you really need to have one or the other--you might as well go ahead and get the driver's license.

[Syt]

The thing is, here you can just go to the DMV and take the test.  If you pass, you can get your license--you never have to have taken formal lessons.

Yeah, Germany/Austria require you a certain amount of theoretical lessons, plus a minimum of practical lessons (e.g. driving the autobahn or in city traffic), plus more if the driving school can talk you into it or deems it necessary.

I have yet to meet a poor driving school owner.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Do we have any data about how difficult the driving tests are in different countries?

[Syt]

Considering the amount and kinds of people I've met who have a driver's license, I'd say not too hard.

The one thing I find strange is that you take the exam once and that's it. Considering that during the span of time that people have their license (decades) the street laws can change rather significantly, I think a regular exam would be a good idea (every 5/10 years).

[dps]

Considering the amount and kinds of people I've met who have a driver's license, I'd say not too hard.

The one thing I find strange is that you take the exam once and that's it. Considering that during the span of time that people have their license (decades) the street laws can change rather significantly, I think a regular exam would be a good idea (every 5/10 years).

Some states now require re-testing for senior citizens.  Though in some of those, it's just limited to testing their eyesight.

[Syt]

That, too, seems like a good idea.

[The Larch]

Considering the amount and kinds of people I've met who have a driver's license, I'd say not too hard.

The one thing I find strange is that you take the exam once and that's it. Considering that during the span of time that people have their license (decades) the street laws can change rather significantly, I think a regular exam would be a good idea (every 5/10 years).

They don't change that much. What they check is physical ability, like declining eyesight and reflexes.

[alfred russel]

We don't have separate driver's licenses for automatic and manual cars--but our licenses work over there. Which I took advantage of to effectively teach myself how to drive manual on a weekend trip between Warsaw and Gdansk a few years ago.

I may have posted this before, but I stalled probably in excess of 100 times. The amusing part was getting out of the Hertz parking lot. I stalled several times before pulling up to the wrong exit lane that required me to put the car in reverse. I didn't know how to put the car in reverse and couldn't figure it out. I was worried about using the call box to ask for help (they might take my car away if they figured out I didn't really know how to drive it), but the guy on the box didn't speak english anyway. Eventually I got a very confused construction worker from a site across the street to come over and put the car in reverse for me.

Now I can drive manual transmission. Driver's ed not required.

[garbon]