Quote:
Originally Posted by TiMSport
For me, it's Amsterdam for sure. A few years ago I rented a car in Germany (Dusseldorf) and decided to use my weekend off from work to cruise over to The Netherlands. What a fantastic experience. To put it into context, I had never been to Germany before, so I had never driven the Autobahn. Needless to say I did during that trip and it was amazing.
I was stressed because I didn't really know what to expect but figured I'd take a chance and explore. I've since been there a few more times and became more comfortable/confident in driving. Not knowing the rules of the road in Amsterdam.... just wow. Let's just say it's not a car friendly place. Bicycles definitely rule the road there and I suppose that's why Amsterdam is known to have more bicycles than people. Reportedly there are over 900,000 bikes there. While walking around, it wasn't hard to believe.
If you drive down the wrong street in a car, cyclists will let you know it! Having said that, it was pure pleasure exploring the city and driving along cobble-stoned streets next to endless canals. I will never forget it.
I will admit there were a couple of times I found myself facing a tram car coming towards me and making me realize I'm not in the right place with my car! 
There were plenty of white knuckle moments driving my rental BMW M140i to be sure. It was exhilarating mostly. Weather was terribly cold and rainy making it even more stressful but I ultimately made it back to Germany in one piece and felt kind of proud of myself for not getting in a wreck or worse 
I've mentioned this in another forum here, but I love to rent cars that aren't available in the US. This was one of them. Somehow I find myself attracted to these BMW hot hatches with 6-cylinder engines and RWD. |
Yeah, when I visit Amsterdam I always rented a bike--it's really the best and most fun way to get around. It is definitely not made for cars and if you have an incident with a bike, the Dutch will definitely always look at the car who will be at fault. I've seen cars go out of their way to avoid even causing the bicyclists' to move. I can't imagine driving around Amsterdam.
Paris: I'd have to say driving in Paris has topped my list of insanity, especially at the traffic circles with no lanes and a million cars just trying to get in and out of that mess. You just have to figure that shit out and hope no one hits you.
Florence: This was crazy too but I actually kind of like their style of driving. The huge cobblestones in the city center is so messed up that you have to crawl through those streets or else you'll bottom out with your car. They love to disregard the lines in the road and they'll often straddle the lines for a bit before actually getting into their lane. If it fits then you're good to go!
Cambodia: I will never drive here. My uncle drove us from Battambang to Phnom Penh and I swear the last time I thought I was going to die like that was in Iraq. Don't ever try and drive in Cambodia, leave it to the locals.