Ayaan

My husband and I are traveling from US to Eastern Europe in June by car for three weeks. We would fly in and out from Frankfurt. What is the best way to navigate between Eastern European countries and cities? Should we get Garmin GPS or get local SIM card with data usage to connect with Google maps? Also, are there any bed & breakfast available or we should stick with hotels? (we are on a tight budget). We love urban life, countryside, historical architectures, castles and landscapes. To see Lake Bled in Slovakia is top on the list. This is the trip of a life time and we want to cover as much as we can in three weeks. All responses would be greatly appreciated.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors Ayaan. See the "Change Forum" pull down menu? Click that and re-post your questions over on the Europe Forum. Only a very small % of Fodorites check this board, which is more for general topics like luggage, travel shoes, those sorts of things.

MANY more (and more knowledgeable) people will read/see your thread over there.

sparkchaser

<i>What is the best way to navigate between Eastern European countries and cities? </i>

"Best" means different things to different people. Do you mean fastest? Cheapest? Less stressful?

Since you're flying into FRA, the "best" might be to just rent a car; however, there are a few important things to keep in mind if you do rent a car:

1. Be sure to tell the rental company in FRA that you plan on driving it into Eastern Europe. There are certain car classes that aren't designated for travel into Eastern Europe (BMW, Mercedes, etc.). If you let them know that you plan on going into Eastern Europe and you'll get an appropriate car.

2. Navigating in city centers/old towns will probably be a hair raising and stressful experience that you might want to avoid. parking in these areas can often be an issue so it's helpful to stay at places that have [free] parking available.

3. If you want to drive on the highways, some countries require that you purchase a vignette. These countries are:
* Czech Republic
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Austria
* Switzerland
* Hungary
* Bulgaria
* Romania
If you do not want to pay for a vignette, take the secondary roads. It will be slower but you will see things you might otherwise miss (like charming little villages). This is what I do.



<i>Should we get Garmin GPS or get local SIM card with data usage to connect with Google maps? </i>

Getting a dedicated navi is my preference. TomTom is the Navi of choice here, but whatever brand you go with, make sure the maps are up to date. If you already have a navi, you should be able to put the European maps on it.

I would avoid getting a local sim for using your phone's GPS because you will want a fast-ish connection with a good data limit, which translates to not inexpensive. Plus you will have to change sims when you cross borders. Not fun. Sure there a few workarounds but it's easier to just use a car GPS. Get a GPS with RDS-TMC and it will keep you up to date with traffic conditions.

It's possible that your rental car will come with a navigation system. If it does, make sure the menu is set to English before you drive away.

<i>Also, are there any bed & breakfast available or we should stick with hotels? </i>

There is the wonderful hotel/B&B hybrid called a guesthouse that might fit the bill for you. best to look at booking.com and see what kinds of lodging is available in your overnight stops. I use booking.com all the time and get some good rates.

janisj

sparkchaser: Ayaan re-posted over on the Europe board. You might want to post your comments there since he might not see them here.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-524811-2.cfm

sludick

ttt

Ayaan

Thank you Sparkchaser for this helpful information. Your advise on rental car and taking back roads are noted and will be considered. We are very excited and looking forward to this trip.