I've traveled in these countries before, but have never driven myself. Considering that I don't speak or read German and my car won't have Navigation, how much trouble am I likely to have finding my way around Germany, Austria and Switzerland?
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| Reply » I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV |
Quote: | I've traveled in these countries before, but have never driven myself. Considering that I don't speak or read German and my car won't have Navigation, how much trouble am I likely to have finding my way around Germany, Austria and Switzerland? | If you stay on major roads and in major cities, no problem at least for necessities. Many speak a little engl. and of course in major hotels (chains) this is not a problem at all.
Still time to go to Berlitz though.
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| Reply » I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV |
I did the same thing-- no nav, little to no german. I don't think you'll have a problem. Road signs in Europe are some of the best in the world, and you don't have to speak the language to understand them.
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| Reply » I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV |
Get yourself a good German phrasebook. I like the Rick Steves one. For navigation, I use Microsoft MapPoint trial with a cheap USB GPS receiver. If you are on the autobahn, getting around is easy. Once you get into a town though, you can easily get lost and disoriented.
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| Reply » I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV |
Its very simple, most people know at least a little English, and a lot of people (esp. business persons) speak it fluently. Make sure you get a good road map, you can pick them up in any gas station (where I found that most attendants speak English as well). Then make sure you examine your route before hand, and know what towns are between you and your destination on your route. Signs in one town point to the next town, so you just make a trail of them. Plus, if you do get lost, its usually no big deal, as most people are kind and helpful.
The first time I went to Germany, I drove from Frankfurt to Rothenburg O.d.t. without knowing a word of German, and I found it without getting lost and with resisting the urge to visit the town of Ausfahrt. 
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| Reply » I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV |
Quote: | ... and with resisting the urge to visit the town of Ausfahrt. | Excuse me, shouldn't you pardon yourself after saying that...sheesh 
j/k 
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I Can't Speak/Read German and won't have NAV