We plan to visit Paris in France, then take the train to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. We plan to rent a car in Germany and Austria because our travels there will also be in the countryside. As it is very expensive to pick up a rental car in one country and drop it off in another, the idea I have is to use the Swiss Family Pass to get just inside Germany (we will be traveling from Lauterbrunnen to Fussen) and rent a car from there, eventually dropping it off in Heidelberg. 1) When I rented a car in Seattle, USA, and dropped it off in Portland, I had to pay a substantial fee. Is it like that in Europe, or are they only concerned with dropping off the rental car in the same country as opposed to the same city? 2) If I only have to get just inside Germany from Switzerland on the way to Fussen, what town should I get off the train and rent the car in?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
1. If you pick up and drop off a car in the same country, you shouldn't have to pay a drop-off fee. 2. Lindau would be a good place to pick up a car.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
2) Freiburg would be another choice. Although Lindau is better situated geographically, getting there from Lauterbrunnen would involve a series of slow regional trains. You're looking at a total transit time of close to 5 hours from Interlaken. There is a direct ICE between Interlaken and Freiburg, with a duration of less than 3 hours. Freiburg, however, is a considerably longer drive from Füssen. So, I guess it depends if you want to spend longer in the train or on the road.
Posted by
Paradise
6663 posts
"We plan to rent a car in Germany and Austria because our travels there will also be in the countryside." Freiburg makes good sense for a car pick-up. That said, car travel is relatively expensive, and the German countryside is well blanketed with rail routes. If you were to take the train to Lindau, your family could get a "Bayern Ticket" (22€ for one + 4€ per additional person) to travel to the Munich area. From Lindau, many of these connections are direct. Here's a sketch that includes the lines from Lindau and the many others that cover Bavaria: http://www.bahnland-bayern.de/content-startseite/streckennetzplan-pdf And if you end up in the Freiburg area, the rail system is similarly extensive. Here's a shot of the Black Forest lines: http://www.posten60.de/streckenbeschreibung/stb-bilder-itxt/strecken-sw5.gif And speaking of inexpensive travel, you can travel the Black Forest rails for free; most villages offer this free train pass to overnight guests: http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus BTW, the Bayern ticket gets you to Salzburg Austria. From there, the "Einfach Raus" daypass gets your family around for 28€/day: http://www.oebb.at/en/Tickets/Groups/Einfach-Raus-Ticket/index.jsp
Posted by
OP
Clovis, CA, USA
41 posts
Europcar seemed to have pretty good rental rates. I know gasoline is expensive in Europe, and we'll have to get the sticker to use the tollways in Austria, but what else do I have to watch out for, price-wise, in renting a car? Also, I want to be able to travel easily between Dinkelsbuhl and Nordlingen and on to Rothenburg ODT and Heidelberg. Same goes for Neuschwanstein Castle to Salzburg, where I want to explore Berchtesgaden, the Hallstatt Mine, and Hallein and be able to get up and go without concerning myself with bus or train schedules.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
"I know gasoline is expensive in Europe, and we'll have to get the sticker to use the tollways in Austria, but what else do I have to watch out for, price-wise, in renting a car?" That's pretty much it. There are no tolls in Germany, and you are already aware of the vignette requirement in Austria. "Also, I want to be able to travel easily between Dinkelsbuhl and Nordlingen and on to Rothenburg ODT and Heidelberg." If driving between Rothenburg (pretty, but very touristy and over-rated, in my opinion) and Heidelberg, consider taking the long but scenic route along the Neckar river valley. There are several towns worth visiting, including Bad Wimpfen, Hirschhorn and tiny Dilsberg. You will also pass several interesting castles.