A Europe road trip itinerary works best as a loop or a one-way route between airports with a rental drop fee already priced in. Keep daily driving under a few hours where possible; a scenic route that consumes a whole day leaves little time for the destination itself.
Check toll roads, low-emission zone rules, city center driving and parking restrictions, and whether a base with day trips beats moving hotels every night. Not every multi-city itinerary is better by car—compare it against a train- or flight-based version before committing to a rental.