We are planning to fly into Munich, drive to Salzburg, then to Prague, and finish in Berlin. We will use public transportation from/to airports. Since we prefer the freedom of a car, we'd like to rent a car in Munich when we are ready to leave for Salzburg, drive it to the points in between and then turn it in when we arrive in Berlin. Does this plan sound practical?
Make sure that the rental agency knows where the car is going. Some may object to driving in the Czech Republic, so be upfront about that or an accident in that country could void your insurance protection.
You will need to purchase an Austrian vignette sticker and attach it properly to the windshield. There are short term ones available and you can buy at the border or gas stations near the border.
Ditto for Czech Republic.
Every driver get an International Drivers Permit from AAA before you go. That is a supplement to your actual drivers license.
Yes, that sounds good. We did a similar itinerary a couple of years ago and it worked well. Sam provides good info in his comment above. Some companies charge extra to drive into Czech, some don't. We used Sixt, they had no extra charge. Enjoy your trip!
Does this plan sound practical?
A car in Europe makes sense if you want to explore the countryside. If you only visit big cities, and you only list big cities, a car is a expensive hindrance. You don't need it, but pay for it.
Absolute agreement with Martin. Train will be cheaper, in most cases faster (exception Salzburg to Prague).
Totally agree with Ilja. My family arranged for a driver from Prague to Salzburg with MyDaytrip. We customized stops along the way. Not cheap, but well worth it IMO.
Thank you all for your helpful responses.