Good day,
Our family of 6 (2 parents and 4 children ages 18-23) like to think we are seasoned Rick Steves travelers as we have used all his info for our previous 5 European trips with great success. My husband has comfortably driven rental vehicles in numerous countries as well (Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Greece). Our question regarding the next trip--we are from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and are used to cold winters and adverse driving conditions. We know that theoretically (according to Google Maps) the drive from Frankfurt to Prague is 5.5 hrs, and the drive from Prague to Krakow is almost 6 hrs. Has anyone made this drive before? The next complication is that these driving estimates are of course for "right now", which is the fall season. We will be driving these roads in January. Any idea of road conditions? Do they close roads down in adverse weather? Of course we are accustomed to driving in winter conditions with roads that are relatively well-maintained in the winter, but we don't know if this is the case there. We had originally thought we would take the train for each leg, but the train rides are each 8-9 hours which seems far too long. We are also considering flying to each destination. But there is no direct flight from Prague to Krakow and we would have a 4 hour layover in Munich. And after paying for flights for 6 people sometimes it's cheaper for a 1-way rental vehicle. We would welcome any insights please!
Thank you!
Tracey
Posted by
San Diego, California
5776 posts
Are you returning the rental car to the original pick up point? If not, there could be significant drop off fees, and maybe border vignettes.
Posted by
OP
Edmonton, AB, CANADA
41 posts
Currently we were planning on a one-way rental, as the thought of driving 11 hours back to Frankfurt did not appeal to us. My husband plans to do some rental checking tonight. We have done one-way rentals in other countries (Italy, for example), but have never crossed borders to leave a rental. Hm.
Posted by
Bavaria
2488 posts
The assumption that you can drive from Frankfurt to Prague in 5:30 is rather optimistic. You have to factor in your rest breaks (including a stop buying a sticker for the Czech highway at the border!) and take into account that the highway between Würzburg and Nuremberg is currently a single construction site for about 100 km with unpredictable delays. If you can make it in 6:30, that's a good value.
OTOH, the fastest train connection from Frankfurt to Prague takes seven hours (with a transfer in Dresden). If you book early enough with Czech Railways (cd.cz) you can get a ticket for around €40 pp, half that for children - so for the whole family you will end up with approx. €200. Compare that with the rental price for a minivan, gasoline, the motorway sticker and the - hefty - drop off fee abroad, and you'll realize that you can make quite a lot of money in half an hour.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8022 posts
Some car rentals don't permit taking the car into Poland (or even Czech Republic), even if returned to Germany. Start checking on that now. Are you planning to pay for multi-day parking in both cities?
It seems to me that you have made a poor selection of destinations for the time of year and number of travelers. We go to the Caribbean in many Januaries. If you want to go in the winter, why not select locations that are closer together, and linked by trains. Examples, Berlin-Leipzig-Dresden-Weimar, Brussels-Bruges-Lille, Amsterdam-Leiden-Utrecht, Brussels-Aachen-Cologne-Dusseldorf.
This is a very American-sounding major car trip. Have you been able to get rentals that have the desired comfort for such large numbers of people and such long distances? Do you need an Automatic Transmission? Does your bad-weather experience include diesel and hybrid vehicles? I guess I haven't seen many bad-tires on rental cars.
Lately posters like me have been criticized for telling questioners to do something other than what they proposed. But we put off our first trip to Poland for many years, simply because it was so time-consuming and inconvenient to get there, even from Germany. We actually flew there to start, and visited friends in England on the way home. We only visited four cities in Poland, and did not rent a car, although we hired two private tour drivers, for the Churches of Peace and for Auschwitz. Polish trains were incredibly cheap, and more reliable than current German train reports!
Posted by
Green Bay
21274 posts
Also consider the size of vehicle required to hold 6 adults and all their luggage.
Posted by
Prague
451 posts
Done the Frankfurt part many times from Prague both ways. Done the Krakow part twice. Things to consider.
1) Does rental car company allow the car to be driven in Czech or Poland?
2) Frankfurt-Prague is 6.5 hours with a proper break. If you are splitting the driving then it's possible in 5.5 hours. If you take a break then Wurzburg and Nurnberg have good services. Aim to fill up your tank at Rozvadov inside the Czech border as it's a lot cheaper than in Germany. Prague to Krakow is the same distance/time except the motorways are not as good.
3) You buy the CZ motorway vignette online now and it has to be matched to the registration of the car so unless the hire company already has this arranged you'll have to do it after you hire the car.
4) Before Prague stop at Beroun or Rudna for the next break. As you'll be taking the ring road around the city the next reasonable rest stop is another 45/60 mins drive.
5) Your next rest stop should be around Ostrava before the Polish border.
6) In my experience the Polish border to Katowice is the slowest part. After Katowice it's straight motorway to Krakow.
7) January weather? can be good or it can be hellish. Remember as you drive in this direction you get higher so snowfall becomes an issue. Try and get a car that has "winter" tyres not "all weather" tyres which are not good on snow.
8) If you get snow chains with the car practice how to use them before you need to use them!
Posted by
OP
Edmonton, AB, CANADA
41 posts
These responses have been fantastic--thank you very much! My husband typically drives standard transmission overseas, and that includes Ireland, lol! We typically get a small 6 passenger vehicle for our family, which has always allowed us room for the 6 carryons that we take (no checked bags) and all 6 of us.
In light of all the responses, we are re-evaluating this plan and considering new things, so thank you VERY much for your help everyone! This is exactly why I post questions on the RS Forum :) .
Tracey
Posted by
Canada
1 posts
Your trip sounds amazing! I've done a similar route before, so let me share my experience. Driving from Frankfurt to Prague and then to Krakow in January is definitely doable, but there are a few things to keep in mind. German highways (Autobahns) are very well-maintained, even in winter, and snow removal is efficient, but the Czech Republic and Poland can be a bit trickier. Main roads and highways are usually fine, but smaller, rural roads might not be cleared as quickly. Make sure your rental car is equipped with winter tires—they’re mandatory in both Germany and the Czech Republic when there's snow or ice. Speaking of the Czech Republic, don’t forget to buy a motorway vignette (https://electronic-vignette.cz)before entering their highways; you can get it at gas stations near the border or even online.
When it comes to winter driving, the weather can be unpredictable, so I’d recommend starting your drives early in the day to avoid being on the road at night if conditions worsen. January days are short, and it’s always nice to have a bit of flexibility in case of delays. I’ve driven through snowstorms in this region, and while the roads are generally kept open, it’s always good to be prepared—pack snacks, water, and blankets just in case. If the weather looks particularly rough, I’d also consider an alternative like the train for certain legs of the trip.
I get that train travel can feel long (8-9 hours), but it’s stress-free and lets you relax or enjoy the scenery. For the Prague to Krakow leg especially, the drive can feel a bit tiring in winter conditions. I’ve done the flying option as well, but with layovers and airport transfers, you don’t save much time, and it’s definitely more expensive for a group of six. Honestly, a mix of driving and train travel worked best for me—drive where it’s more scenic and manageable, and take the train for longer stretches to avoid potential headaches.
It sounds like you’re already used to winter driving, so as long as you’re prepared and keep an eye on the forecast, I think you’ll be fine. Enjoy your adventure—it’s a beautiful route with so much to see!