Train or Car?

One of the big questions people face when traveling here is should I travel by public transit or rent a car?  

In the end, it is a matter of preference.  Renting a car can be pretty cheap if you pick it up in a neighborhood location (rather than at an airport).  A car gives you the freedom to go anywhere at any time, which is a great thing to have on a vacation.  However it also means that you'll have to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, and on the  'wrong' side of the car for that matter! No matter how proud you are of your driving skills, it will be stressful and probably dangerous.  

Public transit is much better-organized over here than in the states.  In bigger cities, public transit is the way to go.  In the countryside, trains and buses can get you at least near anything you want to see.  The down side is that you'll spend a lot of time waiting for the bus, train, or coach to come, and then you might also spend a lot of time walking form the bus stop or train station to the place you actually want to be.  It is less stressful, but much more time-consuming.  

In either case, you'll spend about the same amount of money on transportation.  Train tickets are not cheap (I'd say about $60 per round trip for big distances), but neither is petrol for your car ($9/gallon).  If there are more than two of you traveling in a group, a car will probably save you a significant amount of cash.  So just decide which kind of stress you would prefer -- waiting for buses, or driving in traffic!