parkingmama

We are going to (flying in ) Budapest, and from there to Trieste, Venice and then to Munich. We think we want to drive vs taking trains so that we can stop over where ever we want and weren't thrilled with the trains (overnights, etc). Is it even remotely feasible to have a car in Venice? This is new to all 3 of us. I know that getting luggage on and off trains is a pain and we will be away 2 weeks. Ideas? Suggesions?

J62

Renting a car in Hungary and dropping it off in Germany or Italy will cost you a bundle in one way drop off fees. I'd check that first as it may be a deal breaker to your car rental plans. Check Autoeurope.com or kemwel.com

Train from Budapest to Trieste will be a long, non-direct route, so car would be the fastest. Others may know if there is bus service, perhaps Budapest to Ljubljana, then on to Trieste. Bus is often the best way to get around some parts of Europe.

Yes, it's quite feasible to have a car in Venice. You drive over the causeway and park at Piazzale Roma, take a water bus to your hotel, then return and pick up the car a few days later when you depart. Or you can drop it off at a rental car return, and rent a different car after that.

I've never considered getting luggage on/off trains to be a pain. If you have that much luggage that it's a problem, then you won't have room in a small car either.

zoecat

I suggest flying from Budapest to Venice, train to Trieste and then flying to Munich. Examine how much time you have and if the driving times allow you the time you want to spend in your destinations. I think that flying/train would maximize your enjoyment time in your destinations. If you did drive, you would need to pay for parking in Venice (no cars allowed) and also the high expense of dropping the car in another country (look into this).

Another suggestion- pack light. For 2 weeks you should be able to each take a 20"-22" luggage and a small bag.

adrienne

I'm curious about why taking suitcases up/down 3 steps in a train is a pain. If the suitcases are so heavy what will you do if your hotels do not have elevators?

In Venice your hotel should be accessible by water taxi (again, expensive) as there are many bridges with many steps (many more than on a train) for you to drag your luggage up and down.

If you like to drive and are willing to pay for high drop off charges in another country then drive. I would take the train or plane and relax. A train is much more relaxing than flying.

If you're looking to stop between Budapest and Trieste you must have some idea of where to stop. It's difficult to determine where to stop when you're driving on a highway. Book your train tickets from Budapest to your first stop and then continue from there the next day or the day after.

Gina817

It seems easier to scale back your luggage so you can take the train. The advice on these boards is right on - you want to be able to pick up your bags and carry them up and down stairs if you need to. I pack for a week regardless of how long the vacation is. You can always do laundry. I cannot put a price on the value of being unencumbered.

Paul1950

Of course you can't drive a car in Venice, but you can park it on the western edge of historic Venice, or less expensively in Mestre and take the short train ride into historic Venice.

adrienne

Oh Paul1950 - you didn't read - they don't want to have to take luggage on and off trains!

parkingmama

Thanks for all the great advice. I have traveled in Europe before but the other folks haven't. I am usually there for business and spend all my time in one city and/or country and always have lots of "stuff" but this time is a vacation so am looking forward to being relaxed. I loved the trains in England and used them lots. We have 4 days in Budapest for sure and a couple in Trieste and several in Venice and probably 3 in Munich. I have never been to Italy or Hungary and am looking forward to this trip.

clevelandbrown

I'd be inclined to go from Budapest to Munich, then Trieste, and fly home from Venice. I think that would save some travel time.

As for transport, flying is quickest but you would see nothing of the places you are going through. From a plane, you can't tell an Alp from a cloud.

Cars are often an expensive way to travel, and slow, but you can stop and smell the roses anytime you want. In your case, a car might be economical because there are three of you, so compare car rental costs with the costs of three train tickets. Even with gas costs, parking costs, etc., you might come out ahead. In all honesty, if you have a party of three and all that luggage, you are not going to fit into the typical rental car, and of course you will have to deal with the driving habits and laws of a number of countries that may be very different from what you have at home. Definitely return the car as soon as you get to Venice; why pay for parking?

I prefer trains because they have a lot of room and let you see some of the scenery. If you don't want a long train ride, just pick out where you want to stay overnight and buy tickets accordingly. You will be a lot more rested that evening than if you had driven that far. You definitely want to see the scenery as you cross the Alps.

As for luggage, that is not really much of a problem. My wife and I have two rollers with shoulder bags that can be mounted on them, and a larger roller. I'm not young, but I can pick them up and hand them to my wife on the train or the platform. Often, strangers will help. On our last trip, as I stood at the door waiting for the train to stop, a woman pushed in front of me, and then offloaded all our bags for me; getting old isn't all bad!

I hope you will be staying overnight in Venice, it is even prettier then with the crowds gone.

Christina

I take luggage on/off trains and I don't travel that lightly and do it myself. It's only a couple steps, what's the big deal. It's actually just as hard or harder to lift a bag up and put it in the trunk of a car.

Christina

you know, I will admit that when you travel by car, you can have lots of things in the car that aren't packed up so well or that can be spread out -- jackets, food, miscellaneous items. It is easier to spread out that way, but for crossing countries, it isn't always that feasible due to car rental costs for drop-off.

parkingmama

we are definately doing the train. I wish we had known the best routes and done Budapest, Munich, then Venice but we already have our airline tickets and they were considerably less expensive to fly out of Munich. We are spending at least one night and maybe two in Trieste and I am more excited about that I think than Venice. We are staying at least two nights in Venice. Definately looking forward to the trip. Now trying to find good hotel in Munich but shouldn't be too much of an issue.