My husband and I are going to eastern europe for the first time this July. To maximize sightseeing we plan to fly into Prague and fly home from Budapest. We think we will spend about 3 days in each of these cities and also 3 days in Vienna. That means we have about 6 days to visit smaller towns along the way. Any suggestions of towns to visit? Also, we want to rent a car. We realize we don't need a car in the big cities, but want to be able to see small towns as we go from one destination to another. I realize I need to call some car rental companies, but does anyone know if you can rent in one country and drop the car off in another? Thanks for any help and suggestions of where to visit. Sara
Posted by
Phoenix
26 posts
I'm excited to see that you are planning a trip to Eastern Europe! In my opinion, this part of Europe feels like the "old world" that many Americans are subconsciously seeking when they plan their trips to Europe. Having visited Vienna twice for only half a day each time, I congratulate you on allowing yourself ample time. We just didn't feel like we could get a good grip on the huge city in the little time we had (it was really just a layover from the train station in our case). Prague also deserves 3 days - although you really could do quite a bit of it in 2 days if you felt pinched for time.
I recommend visiting Czesky Krumlov in the Czech Rep., Ljubljana and Bled in Slovenia, and Krakow and the Zakopane region in Poland. (If you have time, take a memorable raft ride through the mountains in the Dunajec region of Krakow). In Hungary, I've heard good things about Eger and Budapest, but haven't been personally.
As for the car, it is a personal choice whether to rent or not. Some people feel liberated, knowing that they can just hop in and drive. In our case, we've travelled extensively in this region and have never needed our own car - most small towns are accessible by train and or bus. In Slovenia, a taxi driver took us from Ljubljana to Bled for a flat fee of $50 for two people - even less than the train would've cost! Renting across countries is difficult and the liability can be high - which is why we've never done it...
Posted by
OP
San Diego
15 posts
Melissa, thank you for your imput. We do plan to go to Cesky Krumlov and Krackow as well. Sara
Posted by
OH, OH, USA
1158 posts
Sara,
It is possible to rent from one place and drop to another, but it will cost you money.
I rented a car a few years ago from europcar.com
At that time they had the lowest rates I could find.
Posted by
Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
290 posts
Hi, Sara. I'm in the process of planning a trip to eastern Europe for September, flying into St. Petersburg and out of Berlin. Rick's 'Eastern Europe' guidebook has been very helpful; it has good information on everywhere you are (apparently)planning to visit. You may want to consider the European East railpass which covers Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia & Hungary; it will get you from one city to another cheaply. You can hire a car for a day or so to fill in, but renting in one country and returning it in another comes with some hefty fees. Some find hiring a car and driver for the day works well, if you can afford it.
We have rented cars in Europe a few times but usually manage to get around more easily and cheaply using public transit. You might look at doing day tours, say Krakow to Auschwitz or Prague to Cesky Krumlov; I don't have any experience with the companies that run these tours, but surely others on the Helpline do. Have a great trip!