The Specials - Ghost town (12" version)

UnivAC!!!
http://www.thocp.net/hardware/univac.htm

Ultimate people skills + alcohol + making people keep their promises = free car for a day or two.
I know I'd be sceptical about giving my car for a fairly strange dude, for how it is in rest of the people around the world, I dunno.

I've heard some frightning things too, especially about Italian and French drivers. Plus UK (and Ireland?) has left side traffic, and imperial system, I suppose.
All I can really say for sure is Finnish traffic and I don't see anything special about that. Germany at least has those no-limits autobahns (it would be so cool to rent a powerful car and go 300kmh - legally!) but they have a hierarchy of their own that prevents slower cars to get mixed with speeding Porches.
Most exotic difference I can think of is different cars populating the streets and different music on the radio.
Oh, in Finland, the cost of gasoline (95oct) is about 1.40€/litre, but I think it'll be cheaper around EU.

Some more tips I didn't think of, but found out to be important:
Scan and send copys of your passport + other important documents to your email. Makes things easier if you get robbed when you can ID yourself. Embassies give temporary passports for unlucky ones.

Make sure your money isn't on a savings account, as some banks won't let you cash them out in instant. Also authorise someone you trust to use your account if necessary.

I'm getting a second atm card and give it to a friend to keep and mail to me, if I get in some trouble and have to disable the first one.
I also got a new phone (Nokia N81 8gb) just because I can get the maps of entire world on it, and it also works on wlan.

Oh, check your phone how it works across the world in different gsm bands, and of course, how to charge it. Check your operator for network roaming in eu + australia.

There. A lot of boring planning and checking to do.
Well, it all will be worth it.

First, and most important tip I can give, is to plan your travel carefully. Give yourself the time to get info on countries, treaties like Schengen (http://www.eurovisa.info/SchengenVisa.htm) and eurozone (http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/the_euro/index_en.htm?cs_mid=2946).

Second tip would be that don't worry. Europeans are just people, like anywhere in the world. And I suppose there's no country left without a McDonald's =)

Ask stuff, maybe someone here has already done some digging on questions you have.
Also, Lonely planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) and it's "thorn tree"-forum can be a massive help.

Red stripe and Tsingtao beat local ones easy. Finnish beer is, as Michael Jackson said, rubbish.