Itinerary check and help with train

Where you would drop the car off depends on which rental company you are using and where they have an office. But it might make sense to drive to a larger city with better train connections anyway and drop it off there. But you will almost certainly incur large drop fees if you keep it into another country. Who are you renting the car with? I always use Auto Europe/Kemwell (both based in Portland, Maine and have great customer service if you call them).

It looks like she has us renting from Enterprise? I'm not sure if she has to stick with certain companies or not.

Hi Christine, your travel agent should help you get the easiest trip with the best prices. Shop around for rental cars. Picking up in one country and dropping off in another usually has huge fees. After Rothenberg you might want to drop the car at Nuremberg because it’s a major rail center and then take a train to Prague.

We took a train from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg and looked around Nuremberg for a few hours. We then took the DB bus to Prague and it worked out quite well, with comfortable seats and a clean (but very small) restroom. It was cheaper, faster and less complicated than taking the train, plus it gave us the opportunity to see a bit of Nuremberg.

My travel agent is suggesting driving from Rothenburg to Prague,
stopping in Pilsen on the way (one of our must sees in CR), then
dropping the car off in Prague and using public transport to see other
things outside Prague. However, she isn't sure if this is even doable,
let alone the fees we might incur.

You have a bad travel agent. It's her job to either know these things or to educate herself about them.

Nuremberg, as mentioned above, is likely the place to drop the car. It is about a 75-minute drive from Rothenburg. Look at the Deutsche Bahn website (www.bahn.de) to see your options from Nuremberg to Prague -- a 3.5-hour no-transfer, direct bus ride vs a 4.5-hour train ride with one transfer. The train stops at Pilsen, but I have no idea if there are lockers there for luggage.

I don't disagree about the bad travel agent. I haven't paid her anything, but we've been emailing back and forth for like 2 months and she's done a lot of working up things for us. So I feel like I have to use her now? I'm not sure how all this works, this is my first time traveling internationally and planning such a big and expensive trip. Her quote for this itinerary, including car, hotels, and airfare is about $4600 which seems very good.

Yes, the drop fee for leaving the car in the Czech Republic will be about $500--so either that is included in the quote your agent has shared with you OR you will have to budget additional for that. Also, gas prices are much higher than in the US. As others have said, the bus from Nuremberg to Prague is a pleasant, inexpensive ride. No need for a car in Prague, as transit is easy. Pilsen is only an hour or so away by bus or train. There are numerous postings on this site with recommendations for transportation to the Prague airport.

I did a quick search on Google Flights and see that flights similar to those you listed (Delta?) total about $2300 for two passengers on your dates. So, the quote you received MIGHT be in the ballpark--with a couple of questions for you to research:

• How much will the price change if you drop the car in Nuremberg, then take the bus to Prague?
• In what part of the city/town is each hotel located? Both Munich and Prague have great public transportation. Do you want to stay in an outlying location ("commute" to the historic center) or do you want to stay in the center (step out of the hotel and walk to historic sites, restaurants, shops + explore)? No right answer here, just something for you to consider given what you are looking for from your trip.

Her quote for this itinerary, including car, hotels, and airfare is
about $4600 which seems very good.

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on what hotels she is putting you in. What is the name of the hotel in Prague and Munich?

Overall, it is wholly unnecessary to use a travel agent in today's world. You know your travel dates. Use kayak.com or google flights to get your flights booked. Use booking.com to book your hotels. Use kayak.com to rent your car. Done. Easy. I cannot imagine leaving a stranger to make these decisions for me, especially on hotels.

There is nothing wrong with using a travel agent. Not everyone has the time or interest in doing it themself. The price for two is reasonable.

Unless there is a super fare, I don’t understand why you fly from Minneapolis to Detroit before continuing to Munich.

Unless there is a super fare, I don’t understand why you fly from
Minneapolis to Detroit before continuing to Munich.

Delta itinerary. Delta does not offer a Fargo to Detroit flight.

OP, have you asked your travel agent about a 1-stop itinerary on United through Chicago?

I picked random days and checked prices on United and Delta. It looks like the Fargo to Chicago flights aren't timed well for the Munich flights in general. If it is timed well, the fare is about $300-500 per person higher than a Delta itinerary with reasonable connection times.

You do know that you could do this whole itinerary without a car at all? Train will work. Its pretty rare to find a travel agent with experience other than package tours in Europe.

There is nothing wrong with using a travel agent.

Sure, unless it is clear that the travel agent has no idea what they are talking about.

Just a possible alternative - fly into Prague and do your sightseeing with public transportation, then take the DB bus to either Nuremberg or Munich and get your car there at the Munich airport. Do your drive (although I would prefer the train myself) and return the car where you got it. Fly home from Munich

Maybe, maybe not. It depends on what hotels she is putting you in. What is the name of the hotel in Prague and Munich?

The Prague hotel is INNSIDE Prague and Munich is TRYP Munich City Center.

You do know that you could do this whole itinerary without a car at all?

I do know this, but as someone who lives in a city where public transportation is not something I've really ever used I felt a car would be easier. Trying to juggle train/bus times with the amount of places we want to go to seems like more hassle. I could be wrong, this is just my feeling.

At this point I'm sort of regretting even starting this with a travel agent. Again, I haven't paid her anything. But she's done a fair amount of work doing some research and coming up with itineraries. So I feel like I need to use her. I'm okay with the hotels she's picked and she will change them if I ask. So other than that I suppose its not that different than picking myself, she just did the initial leg work. I assume she can get me discounts through her connections so some things (flights, some hotels, car rental) will be cheaper than if I book myself.

I don’t believe travel agents get reduced prices (or kickbacks) from regularly scheduled commercial flights. They may get a reduced rate at hotels belonging to large groups or chains that contract with the travel agency.

Ultimately you have to decide on your own travel style... Costs, Big hotels/ Small Hotels, Cars/trains, Many moves among places, staying in fewer places and doing day trips, etc.

Your conundrum is exactly that of folks who choose to take a tour rather than figure out all of the details themselves. Don't feel bad for not wanting to initially take this all on yourself.

And, I am confident that I and all of the folks who comment here were where you were, once upon a time...

However, entrusting things to a travel agent, or to a tour operator, doesn't answer all of the questions.

Seeking input here or anywhere else provides other's perspectives, but won't change your own travel style "comfort zone."

Good luck. Have fun. Go back if you miss a few things.