DH and I would like to travel to eastern Europe in 2015 and are trying to decide if we should take a tour or travel on our own.

This trip would be to celebrate my 50th birthday. DH is a little older than I am.
We are experienced travelers having been to Europe several times on our own. We enjoy planning our trips and researching our destinations on the internet to find unique places to stay, dine, etc.
We've traveled to Asia & Australia as well.

This would be a three week trip covering Prague, Krakow, Budapest, and Croatia (Plitivice Park, Lake Bled & Split).

Our concerns are: language & cultural barriers. And medical. While we are both in good health, on our last two trips (France in 2010 and Australia in 2013) each of us ended up in the hospital.

In France DH was taken by ambulance to the emergency room with food poisoning (France!). And in Australia I spent Christmas morning in the ER with a sinus infection, and later saw a private doctor for a second infection.

Would we be able to navigate hospitals and doctors in Eastern Europe? I would want to rent a car to drive from Budapest to Croatia. How is it driving with the language barrier?

Usually we are adventurous, but given our last two trips, have some concerns about doing this trip without the protection of a guided tour.

I have had no trouble traveling in Central Europe and the Balkans and I'm in my 60s and speak only English, American and some bad French (German would be more useful there). Those are some of the most-visited cities in the area. I make sure I have medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance. I don't drive (I travel solo) but there are posters here who have driven in that area. Note that there will probably be a hefty drop off fee if you don't return the car to Hungary.

How would a guided tour help you with a medical emergency? Your two incidents sound like flukes to me. If it concerns you, do some research on the medical system of each country and how a traveler would interact with the system. It would seem to me that a guided tour might be more restrictive if you say have to go to the hospital - because then they'd leave you behind, right? If you were on your own, you could adjust your own schedule.

I've been to all of the places you mention. (FYI, Lake Bled is in Slovenia.) I knew next to none of the local languages. I never had any issue getting around on my own (solo trips). A lot of people especially younger folks speak some English, particularly in the tourist businesses, but even when they didn't, I still got by. When planning future trips, I never worry about the language issue. (I loved Slovenia and Croatia and hope to return.)

Public transportation is good to great in Europe. Croatia has a good bus system even if not an extensive rail system. You could certainly rent a car but you don't need to for getting from city to city in many cases. I would rent a car in Croatia if you can to get between say Plitvice Lakes and elsewhere, if you can. Just know that if you pick up a car in one country, it's typically very expensive to drop it off in another.

I drove in both Slovenia and Croatia and found it very easy to drive there. Language was not an issue at all with driving. Road signs are still in the Roman alphabet. Getting a GPS might help but I didn't have one in either Slovenia or Croatia.

I don't know if your itinerary really works over three weeks - it is kind of spread out. You should plot all of those places on a Google map and see what the distance is between them. Sometimes flying from one to another might make more sense than driving or taking public transportation.

Yes, we experienced the hefty rental car drop off fee in Australia. $300! Yikes. But we drove from Sydney to Melbourne and weren't going to drive back to Sydney.

Yes, I realize that geographically it is spread out. But I have found night trains that go between Prague & Krakow, and Krakow & Budapest. So we can hop on the train at night and arrive in the new city in the morning.

I was in Poland and the Czech Republic last summer. Other than the distances mentioned above by Andrew, I think you'd be fine. What time of year are you thinking of going? The overnight train from Krakow to Prague was hothothot in late July. At the end of our trip my friend flew from Prague to Zadar, a cheap flight she found via skyscanner. Something to consider.

Our trip would be in late August - early September. Hmmm... hot trains don't sound too comfortable. Especially for us Washingtonians. I may have to think about that.

Other trains might have AC. Polish trains? None that I rode.

Not to dissuade you! I think I loved Krakow most of all.

Do the windows open on the train? We could live without a/c if we could open a window. The temperatures start to cool off toward the end of August and into September.

Yes, here is a photo of our 2-person sleeper car:

http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/image/152979610

It wasn't unbearable. We had a lot of fun (brought eye masks and Dramamine).

I doubt you will find a tour that covers the itinerary you want. I was on a tour in Croatia and one gentleman had to be hospitalized. He was left behind and had to make his own way to rejoin the tour. The tour cannot cater to one person who is sick and cannot travel.

It's fairly easy to travel in these countries and public transportation is the best way except for Plitivice. It's too bad that you can't fit Dubrovnik into your itinerary since it's lovely for a day or two.

I was only in Poland off season so no need of air conditioning on the trains but since they are old trains the windows did open in all of them.

There is an overnight bus between Krakow and Budapest. Although this would not be as comfortable as the train since you will be sitting up all night but the bus will be air conditioned. orangeways.com

Leely - your sleeper window didn't open?

These countries are central - not eastern - europe and (nothing like russia or ukraine) and in major cities or resorts the tourist infrastructure is very well developed. Have been to all but croatia several times, had no trouble managing with just english (but were no in the deep countryside).

There is no way I would do this on a tour if you are used to independent travel. I think you will be surprised to see how "western" these areas have become especially in the last 10 years. Walking around the Prague Old Town and nearby you will be surprised at the branch stores of a host of well-known designers - and large moderate chains.

Sorry - did not mention medical care. In these countries medical care in large cities is completely modern and most MDs and RPhs will speak English. If you are in deep countryside it will be simpler and if you have a serious problem you would be better off in a teritary care center in a large city.

If you have these types of problems fairly often (like my SIL who often gets sinus infections) I would 1) carry with you some basic meds to resolve them and 2) make sure your travel insurance has good medical coverage.

Sorry, I wasn't clear last night. Yes, the window in our sleeper car opened. We had a decent breeze when the train was moving; it was hot and humid while we waited for the train to depart, however.

BTW, if you need an English-speaking doctor, and the place you're staying can't recommend someone, and you don't want to visit the local hospital, check the US and UK embassy websites. I found a dentist in Beijing and an ophthalmologist in Tbilisi (Georgia) that way.

Thank you all for the information. It's become a running joke between DH & me about our ability to get seriously ill while on vacation. The rest of the time we're perfectly fine and save up our sick-time at work.

But put us in a foreign country and all bets are off. I do think a tour would be too constricting for us. We love to just wander around and people watch, or see/do things that a tours don't do (e.g. hot air ballooning in France - post sickness, that is).

<<Other trains might have AC. Polish trains? None that I rode.>>

Really? The Warsaw-Krakow express is modern and fully AC'd.

To the OP: you're not going to Eastern Europe, you're going to Central Europe. There are cheapo airlines to cover some of your hops (Budapest-Zagreb).

Intercity trains should have AC - the one we took from Budapest to Prague did, iirc.

If it's often infectious diseases you may well have picked them up on the plane. I have had hideous colds - that I don't normally get - on 2 separate trips - one Sweden and one France - and I blame it on the germs in the air - and seats etc on the plane.

Yes, I am one of those people that carries a small Purell on the plane and wipes down the tray tables and arm rests - and anything else I think I will touch. And cleans my hands before I touch any food. Not much you can do about the recycled air. Since I started doing that have not been sick after a flight.

<< Really? The Warsaw-Krakow express is modern and fully AC'd. >>

Not the one I was on. We had the windows open and there is no way I would describe that train as modern, even in 1st class.

I didn't ride that particular train between Warsaw and Krakow. Every other Polish train I was on (about eight of them) was not air conditioned or modern, even in 1st class. I didn't necessarily mind; it was September and it wasn't hot most days, and the trains were cheap! They weren't that bad, but I'd ride 1st class for sure. Doesn't cost much more on Polish trains.