Have any of you driven a car between these two cities? We'll leave Istanbul with 12 days left in Europe and wondering about just getting a car and driving to Budapest, then over to Munich....realisitic or stupid?
Thanks for your input!

What are the drop-off charges?

Well that's probably one of many questions I should get the answer to, we're just at the beginning stages of planning this trip. We'd thought about flying from Istanbul to Budapest, then getting a car and exploring for the 12 days, flying home from Munich (home is Florida). Just trying to figure out the most fun way without totally breaking the bank. Don't require the Ritz, but no hostel-stayer either.
The cheapest flight I've found from Istanbul to Budapest is about $425 for the two of us.
Thanks for any suggestions in this.

I drove up from Istanbul to Budapest about 15 years ago. Stopped in a few cities on the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania. This is very realistic from a logistics point of view. No problems at all. I used a company car so had no worry about drop-off charges or insurance. If you can manage those issues do it.

Thanks Hopscotch, We're inclined to try it--we enjoy exploring small towns and villages. I'll have to check on what's involved in crossing borders and drop-off details...otherwise, we'll just fly to Budapest, rent a car there and make our way over to Munich.
Thank you for your response.