Affordable rental car from Vienna to Prague?

Posted by bb (Valencia, Spain) on 01/21/18 10:45 AM

We're finding very high (more than €500 for just 3 days rental) to rent a car in Vienna, and drop it off in Prague. There seems to be a €300 fee for a one-way charge. This seems abnormally high, and I am wondering why, and whether there are more affordable, yet still flexible, alternatives?

Our itinerary is Vienna > Melk > Chesky Krumlav > Telc > Prague. Melk and Telc are just stops along the way, not overnight stops. We could skip them if we have to, and go by bus/train, but it seems a shame not to be able to take our time by car and enjoy the countryside more fully.

Ideas? Thanks!

Bruce from Valencia, Spain

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

01/21/18 10:55 AM

20087 posts

It is not abnormally high, since the car would have to transported back to Austria to be rented again. Can't rent a car on Czechia that has Austrian license plates.
Can you rent a car in Chesky Krumlov and drop in Prague?

Posted by David

Huntsville, AL, USA

01/21/18 11:23 AM

8141 posts

Drop off charges are tough going from country to country. Most travelers would just take the 3 1/2 hour train between Vienna and Prague. The terrain is flat river bottom land between the cities and it is not particularly desirable to see.
Another alternative would be to take a bus down to C/K for a couple of days from Prague. There are also a number of really good shuttle services operating out of C/K that can take you all over the region.

Posted by Emily

Vienna, Austria

01/21/18 11:39 AM

5384 posts

I would do a day trip to Melk from Vienna using public transportation or renting a car for the day.

I would then use CK Shuttle to travel from Vienna to CK.

From CK I would figure out a way to rent a car nearby to continue your trip.

This will save you $$.

Posted by wmt1

01/21/18 02:38 PM

1906 posts

Our itinerary is Vienna > Melk > Chesky Krumlav > Telc > Prague. Melk and Telc are just stops along the way, not overnight stops.

No overnight stops? You want to do this in one day? Just driving this route, 550km, without any stops would need more than 7 hours.

Neither Melk, nor Cesky Krumlov, nor Telc are "just along the way" between Vienna and Prague.

Posted by Ilja

Seattle

01/21/18 03:47 PM

4637 posts

@wmt1 - OP is saying that Melk and Telc are not overnight stops. C.K. obviously is. Getting to C.K. from Vienna via Melk is only slight detour. Getting to Prague from C.K. via Telc is a little bigger detour but doable with the car.

Posted by bb OP

Valencia, Spain

01/21/18 06:40 PM

18 posts

I said our itinerary would be Vienna > Melk > Chesky Krumlav > Telc > Prague, but didn't specify that we're planning on staying in CK for 2 nights. The idea was to leave Vienna in the morning, drive through the Wachau valley and stop at Melk to see the Abbey. Then continue on to CK in the afternoon. Stay in CK 2 nights, then take the long way to Prague, stopping in Telc for a few hours along the way.

To @Emily that mentioned the CK Shuttle - thank you! I think this is going to be almost as good as if we could rent a car and drive ourselves, and in some ways better. And the price is very similar to the cost for 3 passengers going by trains/busses. https://www.ckshuttle.cz

@wmt1 It seems you chose to misinterpret my original posts, and leave a mean/unhelpful comments in both of them. Take a deep breath, and do something nice for yourself today.