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We have a trip planned next May into Prague and have plans to rent a car, drive through Cesky Krumlov on our way to Salzburg and Hallstatt, then drive onto Vienna and on to Budapest. Our original plans are to fly home from Budapest so we would have to return our car there. It is a ridiculous charge to return our car there in Budapest after picking it up in Prague. We are thinking about driving back to Prague just to forgo a $500 extra charge and just fly out of there and not Budapest. I am thinking that the extra night in a hotel in Prague, the gas to get back, etc might amount to $500 and we might as well stay with our original plane to fly home from Budapest.......thoughts???
Would love to get feedback on this! Thank you for your help!!!
Posted by
Washington DC
27111 posts
Could you perhaps use a shuttle service in and out of CK and just rent a car for use in Austria? I don't know whether that would be substantially cheaper.
The drop charge you've encountered is common.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7029 posts
I agree with the others that much of this itinerary is better served by train unless, as stated previously, you plan to drive around other than just between the cities mentioned. You might do as suggested and take a shuttle from Prague to Cesky, spend a night there, then take a shuttle from there to Salzburg. You could then rent a car for Salzburg, Hallstatt, and drop it in Vienna (no need for a car there) and train to Budapest. I did much the same thing on my trip, using shuttle from Salzburg to CK and CK to Prague, then train for Vienna and Budapest. The Austria portion seems to be the only time a car would be welcome, and even then it's not absolutely necessary.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL
1669 posts
Train, Train, Train. Cars in cities are doable, but parking is a pain and a lot of hotels have no parking available. These cities are great train stops and the costs are very reasonable. As someone already stated, your drop off fee will probably cover your train tickets. Not to mention your savings on a car rental and parking fees. Enjoy.