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Thanks again for all for the comments.
On the language barrier:
On this trip, we spent time in Southern Germany and the Czech Republic. We speak no German or Czech. It was very rare that we went somewhere that English was not spoken. There were 1 or 2 occasions that we had a difficult time ordering food or something, but for the most part people were basically fluent in English. Last year, we went to Italy and found the same thing (in Rome and Tuscany). Although if you go to Italy, it helps if you also speak Spanish....as there are many similarities in between the two. My wife knows Spanish, and was able to understand most of the Italian that we came across.
On driving and toll roads:
I don't recall coming across any toll roads in Southern Germany or the Czech Republic. To drive in the Czech Republic or Austria, you need to purchase a sticker to display on the windshield. These can be bought at gas stations around the border. I think they are like 5-10 Euros.
Driving in Europe can be quite a bit different than the states. For one, you don’t see people talking on the cell phone, texting, eating, etc. while driving. You also don’t see people going slow in the fast lane. In Germany, there seems to be road construction and detours all over the place. I don’t see how I could have made it around without NAV. As one could expect, the Autobahn is a blast. In general, highway driving is very nice both in Germany and the Czech Republic. I would say that it’s comparable to the states (with the exception of speed limits in Germany).
Driving in the cities is where things get tricky. Prague was a challenge. Munich wasn’t too bad. Based on last year’s trip, Rome looked way worse than Prague. I do not think I would attempt to drive in a place like Rome. I spent several years living in downtown Philadelphia, and found the driving/traffic/parking situation to be better there than any big city in Europe. If you are going to be driving much in the cities, you’ll need to be patient. Also, be sure to scope out parking garages prior to your trip.
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