viatravel

We are a family of 4 flying into Prague and out of Budapest in June. We want to include Krakow on our trip and some time in the countryside. Please advise us on our itinerary (see below) and use of car vs train. In specific:

1. It seems more economical for us, since we are 4, to pick up a car at the end of our stay in Prague and drive to Krakow and then Budapest. That also allows us to stop along the way.

2. I gather the most direct route from Prague to Krakow is not scenic. Is there a nicer way to drive over 2 days? Could we drive to Krakow from Cesky Krumlov or is there a more scenic route to the north?

3. What are good places to stop between Krakow and Budapest? Eger sounds nice, but is quite close to Budapest. Where could we break up the trip about half way?

4. What is the best use of our 2 unscheduled days: Cesky Krumlov, Zakopane, a northern route from Prague to Krakow?

Prague – 3 full days
2 days-- ?
Drive to Krakow – 1 day
Krakow – 3 full days
Drive south – 2 days
Danube Bend – 1 day
Budapest – 3 full days

Thank you

BigRuss

You need to calculate the drop charge for any car into your determination of what's "economical" for travel. The drop charge will likely be astronomical for a car dropped in Hungary that you obtained in Prague.

iris1745

The michelin site will tell you the route for sightseeing. If you considered a slight north eastern route, you could spend a few days in Wroclaw, Poland. Then south to Krakow. www.viamichelin.com This site will give you information on some of the cities you wish to visit. www.inyourpocket.com

iris1745

Agree with BR. You can get a general idea of costs on theses sites. www.kayak.com or www.carrentals.com or www.economycarrentals.com or www.autoeurope.com Then check train fares.

Lexma90

Several years ago, we picked up a rental car in Prague, drove it throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, and dropped it in Budapest. We used AutoEurope, and I don't recall the exact amount of the drop charge, but it wasn't astronomical. And for whatever reason, it was cheaper to pick up the car in Prague and drop in Budapest than vice versa.

For another destination in between Krakow and Budapest, consider visiting Slovakia's most famous castle, Spissky Hrad. You could spend a night in Levoca, the most scenic town in the area, and visit Spissky Hrad. You could also stop in Eger on your way on to Budapest - we thought Eger was charmingly beautiful, and the castle there is the site of a famous battle in Hungarian history.

viatravel

Thank you for these responses. The drop charge is not too bad from Prague to Budapest considering the cost of 4 train tickets. Pick up in Krakow and drop off in Budapest seems to be the highest charge.