Driving or Training: Prague to Vienna, Budapest to Prague
 

We are considering hiring a car and driver for the Prague-Vienna and Budapest-Prague legs of our September trip. Are the highways scenic or are we passing through mainly industrial areas or ... ?
As an alternative, does the train provide great scenery for these legs?

I took the train from Prague to Vienna and Vienna to Budapest years ago. I don't remember it being all that scenic. (Whereas I remember the train from Salzburg to Graz being amazingly scenic.)

A few years ago, I drove around some of the small towns in southern Bohemia south of Prague. There are some nice towns to stop on the way from Prague to Vienna (or maybe slight via slight detour): Jindrichuv Hradec, Slavonice, Telc, etc.

If you aren't interested in stopping at towns, I'd most certainly just take the train instead of hiring a driver and car.

Scenery on train or road is not that great IME in old Soviet Bloc countries - lots of old crumbling industries and detritus - I'd take the train as you'll see about the same scenery unless as andrew says you want to spend time and stop in some towns, etc.

For lots of great info on trains check www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Vienna to Budapest can lovingly be done by hydrofoil on the not-so-blue Danube too- sweet!

Thank you, that helps clarify my plans. I think I will train and leave my companions to the car and driver route.
I get a little carsick if I am jammed in a car on curvy roads but am fine on trains.
I don't love hydrofoils - no open decks obviously for sea, or river, air.
Appreciate the viewpoints.

Though we drive between the cities (we often have our dog and prefer the flexibility to make our own schedule), I would recommend the train, as well. There is construction on portions of the route (reductions to one traffic lane for several kilometers at a stretch). The scenery is not all that impressive along the route, whether by vehicle or train, either. Pack a small picnic and a book and enjoy a relaxing transit between destinations. :)