rent a car or go by train?

[optimist]

Please help me decide this, what would you do?
My husband and I are planning a two week tour of Germany and Eastern Europe in July. We fly in and out of Frankfurt airport and the only accommodation we have booked so far is a week in the timeshare in Vienna.
While we are based in Vienna, we are hoping to visit Krakaw and Salzburg and any other sights within reasonable distance. After we leave Vienna, we would like to stay a few nights in Germany and the rest in the Alsace region in France.
My question is would you rent a car for two weeks or do everything by train?

I know that the rates for car rental are much cheaper by the week if you book ahead of time from the U.S. But the parking in Vienna is probably going to be hard, especially close to where we are staying (Cordial Theaterhotel). Then, there is the question of unfamiliarity with the roads etc.
With the train, there is a big schlep factor and having to be at the mercy of schedules. Also, we don't drive stick so we can't wait and do a combination of the two last minute because automatics are not readily available.

Those of you that know the area, what do you think is the best way to go?
Thanks a lot for your input.

 

[nerodog]

train or car

Hi, there are frequent trains from Vienna to Salzburg so why not rent the car for the few days you might have less frequent trains ?!? I am not sure about Krakow but on my travels met a group of travelers who did the train the whole way.. we did a bit of both... we drove from Munich to the timeshare in Grundlsee which was nice and took the train from Salzburg to Vienna. The train system is so wonderful in Europe so try taking advantage rather than getting lost and having to watch the roads... book ahead at some nice small bed and breakfasts or small hotels in your desired destinations... we will be heading back to Germany next year and I am thinking of the trains for the first few days before I go to the ts... Vienna is a beautiful and elegant city which I loved... its very busy for cars and has lots of public transport that is also safe.You could take a cab to the ts in Vienna and then leave from the train station ....

 

[vacationhopeful]

You might be trying to cover TOO much ground in 2 weeks.

I have done the Eastern Europe twice using trains in the past 5 years. My loop was Budapest, Krakow, and Prague (Praha on the train schedules) on the trains. Two weeks was used for covering that ground. Krakow is, by train, an all day (or night) trip from either Budapest or Praha in my experience. Friends left just this past Friday flying into Frankfurt, then flying to Krakow for 1 night (to see the concentration camp the next morning via private car) and flying that afternoon to Prague (you could fly to Vienna instead) from Krakow.

After my conversations with my friend about all the sights to see in Krakow (learned from my first 20 hour visit to Krakow and my decision to return again to see the city), he was considering extending his time in Krakow.

 

[Carolinian]

In Alsace-Lorraine, you will need a car if you really want to get out and see some of the neat medieval towns other than Strassbourg and Colmar, which are themselves neat places. There is frequent and fast rail service between Salzburg and Vienna. Krakow is one of my favorite cities, but even though it was part of the Austrian empire until 1918, it doesn't have the best rail connections from Vienna. Driving would allow you to do some sightseeing along the way.

While in Vienna, you can do a couple of good nearby day trips by train - Bratislavia in Slovakia and Sopron in Hungary. In warm weather, there is also a hydrofoil down the Danube to Bratislava from Vienna, and you can take the train the other direction.

 

[optimist]

Thank you all for your insights. No matter how many guide books you read, nothing beats the benefit of experience from well travelled tuggers!

I think we will rent a car, drive it to Vienna and give it up for the week that we are there and use the train. We will then pick up another rental for the trip to Alsace and back to Frankfurt.

I agree that it is an ambitious trip but there is so much to see in that region and it all looks so close on the map:rofl:

 

[thomtaylor]

I think we will rent a car, drive it to Vienna and give it up for the week that we are there and use the train. We will then pick up another rental for the trip to Alsace and back to Frankfurt. :rofl:

After college, I rode a motorcycle all around Europe for the summer & nothing beats the flexibility of not having to coordinate train times, wait at stations, and still have to get ground transportation. I bought and sold it, for a profit.

Trains are highly efficient throughout Europe, but best for longer journeys, so having a car will take you so many more places. I've wondered about the possibility of renting a camper=van, where you can sleep inside when most convenient (i often pulled my bike to roadsides where truckers stayed, rolled out a sleeping bag, and got an early start -- showering at youth hostels).

If you find that such camper rentals are available, please advise. The weather in summertime is usually optimal, except in the high-altitude areas.

 

[glenn1000]

Several years ago we purchased a rail-drive pass in Europe with Avis. It gave a certain number of days of train travel plus a certain number of days of car rental. We took the train for major trips and used the car for day trips and shorter travel. There were several options in terms of how many days of each. Not sure it's still available but might save you some $.

 

[optimist]

Several years ago we purchased a rail-drive pass in Europe with Avis. It gave a certain number of days of train travel plus a certain number of days of car rental. We took the train for major trips and used the car for day trips and shorter travel. There were several options in terms of how many days of each. Not sure it's still available but might save you some $.

How brilliant!!!! Thank you so much for this tip. It looks like it's still available and might be exactly what we are looking for! I am going to research it right now!!

 

[beejaybee]

I think we will rent a car, drive it to Vienna and give it up for the week that we are there and use the train. We will then pick up another rental for the trip to Alsace and back to Frankfurt. :

I see from a later post you are considering the Avis rail/drive. That is a great idea, because one-way dropoff fees on rental cars are hefty, hefty, hefty.

We did drive to Vienna from near Salzburg in '07. Thanks to Jane, our GPS voice, it was easy to navigate to our hotel. Once there we parked the car in the hotel garage for a fee and walked all over Vienna's centrum. Except for city stays, we like the freedom a rental car provides us to be able to stop whenever and wherever.

You might check out budget airlines, too, for quick transportation from Frankfurt to Vienna.

 

[Carolinian]

Avis is probably going to be higher than a consolidator like www.economycarrentals.com , www.europebycar.com , or www.autoeurope.com , plus the rail pass portion is likely to be higher than point to point tickets would cost. It is rare that a rail pass is good value in Europe. And never buy point to point tickets in the US, where they are priced higher, sometimes very significantly higher, than at the station in Europe.

You might also look at an LCC for cheap air connections, but keep in mind that if you have a lot of luggage the cost for that on an LCC can be more than your airfare. Try www.wegolo.com , www.skyscanner.com , or www.whichbudget.com to find low cost airlines. From Frankfurt, the LCC's usually fly from another airport, called Frankfurt-Hahn, which is an old air base and has a direct bus link to FRA airport that runs regularly and takes about 45 minutes. Most of the LCC's go directly to the VIE airport, although some go to Bratislava, across the Slovak border, which is about an hour or less away from Vienna.

 

[optimist]

the rail pass portion is likely to be higher than point to point tickets would cost. It is rare that a rail pass is good value in Europe. .

You are right about this. I checked the rail/drive pass and for the two of us, since they charge per person, I am paying about the same as a car rental for two weeks and I am limited to two days' drive and two days' rail. Much more limiting that the car rental. So I am back to the idea of renting for the whole time. I just found out though that our rental did not include eastern europe which will add another couple of hundred dollars to the cost.

 

[Carolinian]

You are right about this. I checked the rail/drive pass and for the two of us, since they charge per person, I am paying about the same as a car rental for two weeks and I am limited to two days' drive and two days' rail. Much more limiting that the car rental. So I am back to the idea of renting for the whole time. I just found out though that our rental did not include eastern europe which will add another couple of hundred dollars to the cost.

Check the consolidators I listed on car rentals. Sometimes they either dont charge or charge less for such add-ons. I have rented cars in Munich some years ago through Europe By Car, that were cheaper than anyone else, and did not have an add-on for eastern Europe. I was given a car authorized to go to eastern Europe for the same price as a car for western Europe.

 

[rosebud5]

I know its probably too late to change your flight, but why did you fly into Frankfurt? I think I would have flown to Vienna, since your staying there for a week, then visit Bavaria (Germany stop) which is basically a few hours drive. I agree with one comment that you are packing too much in. You'll end up in your car most of your vacation and while not in your car tiring yourself out. My suggestion is to drop France, unless it is a must. If that is the case, see if you could do one of those stopovers in Paris for a couple days, then fly out of there. You should consider reducing the number of miles and time in the car.

 

[optimist]

I know its probably too late to change your flight, but why did you fly into Frankfurt? I think I would have flown to Vienna, since your staying there for a week, then visit Bavaria (Germany stop) which is basically a few hours drive. I agree with one comment that you are packing too much in. You'll end up in your car most of your vacation and while not in your car tiring yourself out. My suggestion is to drop France, unless it is a must. If that is the case, see if you could do one of those stopovers in Paris for a couple days, then fly out of there. You should consider reducing the number of miles and time in the car.

in retrospect, it was not very smart It all started because of that thread about Continental running a 25% off sale for a limited time that someone had kindly posted. We were thinking of doing an Eastern European tour so I just put in the first german city i could think of and Lo and Behold a fantastic fare popped up and I couldn't refuse I wish I had done one of those open jaw flights, it would have really made things much easier. I only want to do France because we will be doing a lot of history (some of it very depressing - concentration camps) and I want to go somewhere just for the food and beauty.

 

[beejaybee]

You are definitely an optimist, Optimist

It sounds like you have lots of places to cover in your 2 weeks. If there is an extra car rental fee to drive to eastern Europe, rather than shell out for that, you might want to save that itinerary for your next trip!

You could call Continental and see about changing your tix for an open jaw,too. I think the fee would be @150 apiece which may be worth the cost if it helps your plans.

When you do visit the other areas you mentioned during your week in Vienna, will you be staying overnite? It may be worth the money you spend on a hotel room for a nite or two to make sure you see the sites you hope to.

 

[x3 skier]

For a really different idea and if you are in the market for a new car, why not look into buying or leasing a car (BMW, Mercedes) in Germany via their European Delivery Program. You get ~7% of the price for a start plus whatever you can negotiate and the shipping back is included. I bought one 4 years ago saved a bunch of money and drove around Germany, France and Holland in my own brand new vehicle. Got it delivered back home to my dealer about 4 weeks later and still have it.

Cheers

 

[optimist]

For a really different idea and if you are in the market for a new car, why not look into buying or leasing a car (BMW, Mercedes) in Germany via their European Delivery Program. You get ~7% of the price for a start plus whatever you can negotiate and the shipping back is included. I bought one 4 years ago saved a bunch of money and drove around Germany, France and Holland in my own brand new vehicle. Got it delivered back home to my dealer about 4 weeks later and still have it.

Cheers

I am familiar with this and thought it would be a clever way of ending up with a BMW but my husband's reaction was basically this:hysterical:

Leaving out Eastern Europe is not really an option since this trip was planned so that we could see Krakow and Auschwitz. I just wish I had not paid for the week in Austria (as a getaway). The problem with having a timeshare is that you want to use it all the time and this is the kind of trip that timesharing is just not good for. You need to stay a couple of nights in each place and move on.

 

[beejaybee]

If you haven't paid much for the getaway week in Vienna, you won't have lost much if you take several nites away from it. Don't regret your decision to have taken the week, because it is a great base for making your Eastern Europe itinerary happen!

E.G. we are booked for a timeshare week in the Algarve region of Portugal, but will be spending one of the 7 nites in a B&B midweek in Sintra, and a second by leaving a day early for a hotel in Lisbon so as to be able to catch an early a.m. flight out. When we use our t/s in Ireland we are also heading out for a midweek overnite in Kinsale.

Luckily, our bookings thus far are under 100 euros/nite. But, even if more it would be worth it to see the sites we might not pass close to again.

 

[optimist]

If you haven't paid much for the getaway week in Vienna, you won't have lost much if you take several nites away from it. Don't regret your decision to have taken the week, because it is a great base for making your Eastern Europe itinerary happen!

E.G. we are booked for a timeshare week in the Algarve region of Portugal, but will be spending one of the 7 nites in a B&B midweek in Sintra, and a second by leaving a day early for a hotel in Lisbon so as to be able to catch an early a.m. flight out. When we use our t/s in Ireland we are also heading out for a midweek overnite in Kinsale.

Luckily, our bookings thus far are under 100 euros/nite. But, even if more it would be worth it to see the sites we might not pass close to again.

We paid a little over $1,000 for the week but I agree with you, it's worth taking a few nights out and making the most of our time. We plan to stay at least one overnight in Krakow.

 

[Carolinian]

I am familiar with this and thought it would be a clever way of ending up with a BMW but my husband's reaction was basically this:hysterical:

Leaving out Eastern Europe is not really an option since this trip was planned so that we could see Krakow and Auschwitz. I just wish I had not paid for the week in Austria (as a getaway). The problem with having a timeshare is that you want to use it all the time and this is the kind of trip that timesharing is just not good for. You need to stay a couple of nights in each place and move on.

Vienna is actually not a bad place for a week exchange, as there is a lot to see in Vienna, and some good, easy day trips like Sopron, Hungary and Bratislava, Slovakia.