I am planning a trip with my husband for late summer. We're landing in Prague and leaving from Istanbul. A rental car costs around $10K for 12 days!!! What? Are there any suggestions as to how to see as much of all the countries that live over there and not spend $10K?
Posted by
Oklahoma City, OK, USA
430 posts
Picking up a car in one country and returning it in another does drive up the price -- but that seems very, very high...
What are your other destinations? Can you take the train from one major stop to the next, then rent a car locally for a few days, turn it in, and take the train to the next leg of the journey?
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
3 posts
That sounds like the best idea. We just purchased the tickets and have not made a plan as of yet. Thankfully, this trip is happening in September and we will have plenty of time to figure it out. I just thought I'd get started. I don't know much about Eastern Europe and was hopeful someone out there would be happy to share info!
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
I think is very probably 10000 czech crowns per 12 days, not US dollars. I rent a car in the Czech Republic quite often and 10 thousand crowns would be expected price for 12 days. For 10 thousand dollars you can buy a car. Anyway I think it is an unwise idea to drive in Istanbul.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
3 posts
Ok....Thank you for the heads up. Obviously the rental companies are trying to discourage driving from Prague to Istanbul....stupid me thinking it was going to be ok! So...next plan of action is taking a train to each country then renting a car within to see what there is to see then on to the next country.
Now all I need is some insight to where to go!
Thanks to all of you for your response and assistance. I must say I'm so excited yet a little intimidated to discover a part of the world I know not much about.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32198 posts
Anna,
Given the destinations you want to visit, and as you "want to discover a part of the world I know not much about", I wondered if you've considered taking a tour in either Prague or Istanbul? ETBD has one-week tours of both of those cities.
I've found that I learn so much more with a tour (even a short one), that it makes the travel experience so much more rewarding and memorable.
As you've discovered, the charges for car rental drop-off can be a bit "steep". Given your location, you might stop by ETBD in Edmonds and pick up one of the 2010 Rail Guides. There's lots of information there and you can speak with the experts at the office to get the best transportation options for your trip.
Note that for driving in some countries, an International Driver's Permit is compulsory. The IDP is not expensive, but must be used in conjunction with your home D.L. Check with your local AAA office for details and current costs.
Happy travels!