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Prague to Wroclaw with toddlers

Good day everyone,

I'm traveling with my three year old twins from Prague to Wroclaw between the 21st and 26th of December. I'm considering driving with a rental car. Would you recommend that? What's the likelihood of snow and how would that affect the road conditions? Any other items I should consider?

TIA!

Posted by
5362 posts

I think you should consider the enormous fees for picking up a rental car in one country and dropping it in another country.

Posted by
195 posts

There is snow in winter in Poland. Not all the time of course, but it's not something unusual. Wrocław tends to be warmer than, for example, central or eastern Poland. I'm not sure how to calculate the likelihood because we are used to it and don't even pay attention to it unless it's massive. And when it's massive the roads may look like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPaXv-QEtu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbnDHzclr7Y
Although heavy snowfall does not happen very often, when it does, you need a great deal of skill to stay on the road.
Normally when it snows, roads look like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCy_7ol94e8

Posted by
39 posts

Thanks Emily and Sati for your input.

I'll be driving back to Prague, so no worries about the rental car fees.

I'm not used to driving on the snow which makes it a bit risky. Would you recommend a reasonably priced private transfer company?

Another option I have which is a bit more expensive is not to go to Prague. I just fly directly from Amsterdam to Katowice airport and take the train to Wroclaw. Would this be less hustle and better option?

Thanks!

Posted by
195 posts

I'm sorry I do not know any private transfer companies in that region of Poland. As far as public transport is concerned - the cheapest and fastest connection (slightly over 4 hrs) would be by bus http://www.polskibus.com/en/index.htm
(Prague= Praga in Polish)
There are also several trains with a change in Katowice but the journey will be over 8 hours.
If you decide on the Amsterdam option do bear in mind that Katowice airport is not actually in Katowice but 30 km north of it so getting to the train station will add time and cost to it.

Posted by
39 posts

I guess driving would be the best option as it will permit visiting Prague!

Thanks again!

Posted by
190 posts

The good news is you're now close enough to your dates to get a good-ish sense of what the weather will be like. https://www.accuweather.com/en/pl/wrocaw/273125/daily-weather-forecast/273125?day=11
From this, it looks like the highs will be above freezing, and while there might be some snow the day before you leave, right now the 21st is predicted to be cloudy, but no snow.

How much gear will you have? I saw on your other post you'll need car seats, which is another issue to keep in mind, as far as costs. The Katowice airport, as mentioned, is pretty far from the city and its center. My memory was a taxi cost about 100PLN, and a quick look at the airport taxi website gave an estimate of 160PLN, or about $50. There's also a bus, which is cheaper, but you'll have to balance that with juggling your toddlers and luggage.

How tied into Prague are you? Are you visiting people there? Are you coming from Amsterdam? I only ask because, in playing around with the DB website, I noticed that one train goes through Dresden. And when I looked on Google Maps, it looks like Dresden in about an hour closer to Wroclaw (driving) than Prague. I think that route might be less mountainous as well.

Posted by
123 posts

You can travel by train with a change in

1) Katowice - firstly PORTA MORAVICA train EX113 from Prague to Warsaw, but only to Katowice (not to the end of this route). Then from Cracow to Wrocław by another train (there are many of them); See at http://mt.rozklad-pkp.pl/en;

or
2) a change in Cracow (Kraków) - firstly EuroNight train EN443 from Prague to Warsaw, but only to Kraków (not to the end of this route). Then from Cracow to Wrocław by another train;

3) There is also another path through Lichkov.

Good luck!