Europe Road Trip Help
Apr 4th, 2018, 01:11 PM
#1
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Europe Road Trip Help
I'm planing a road trip through Europe and I'd like to get some thoughts if what I planned is doable and makes sense. This is for 2 people, both can drive and alternate driving and both are comfortable sleeping in cars. We are also used to sleeping 5 hours per night every night. I want to keep the trip flexible, if we don't feel the vibe of a certain city we can leave early, or if we like it we can stay longer. Here is the basic plan so far.
Day 1
Leave Rzeszow, Poland 5am
Arrive Budapest 1pm
Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 2
Leave Budapest 3pm
Arrive Vienna 5PM
Travel Time: 2 Hours
Day 3
Chill in Vienna
Day 4
Leave Vienna 5am
Arrive Venice Noon
Travel Time: 6.5 Hours
Day 5
Leave Venice 2pm
Arrive Milan 5pm
Travel Time: 3 Hours
Day 6
Chill in Milan
Day 7
Leave Milan 5am
Arrive Zurich 9am
Travel Time: 3.5 Hours
Day 8
Leave Zurich 5am
Arrive Munich 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 9
Leave Munich 5am
Arrive Prague 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 10
Leave Prague or Stay 1 more day
Travel Time to Rzeszow 6.5 Hours
Day 1
Leave Rzeszow, Poland 5am
Arrive Budapest 1pm
Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 2
Leave Budapest 3pm
Arrive Vienna 5PM
Travel Time: 2 Hours
Day 3
Chill in Vienna
Day 4
Leave Vienna 5am
Arrive Venice Noon
Travel Time: 6.5 Hours
Day 5
Leave Venice 2pm
Arrive Milan 5pm
Travel Time: 3 Hours
Day 6
Chill in Milan
Day 7
Leave Milan 5am
Arrive Zurich 9am
Travel Time: 3.5 Hours
Day 8
Leave Zurich 5am
Arrive Munich 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 9
Leave Munich 5am
Arrive Prague 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 10
Leave Prague or Stay 1 more day
Travel Time to Rzeszow 6.5 Hours
Apr 4th, 2018, 07:54 PM
#3
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You may be used to sleeping only a few hours per night, but driving on unfamiliar roads with night after night of little sleep is not smart.
Sleep in your car? Will you be fit to be walking around sight seeing after a night in the car?
You won't want to leave luggage in the parked car!
Playing things by ear is fine, but with your already rushed and limited time, you may waste time looking for hotels or hostels. In your case, it would be better to have fewer places with a more concrete plan.
Not even one whole day in Venice? Just parts of different days?
When figuring travel time, add in time it will take to get the car parked, especially in Venice, and getting to your hotel.
What do you wish from this trip? Touring some major sights? Walking around in a new place? Taking pictures? Interesting or good food? Any cultural interests? Any art or architecture? Just hanging with a friend for a week on the road?
When is the trip?
Sleep in your car? Will you be fit to be walking around sight seeing after a night in the car?
You won't want to leave luggage in the parked car!
Playing things by ear is fine, but with your already rushed and limited time, you may waste time looking for hotels or hostels. In your case, it would be better to have fewer places with a more concrete plan.
Not even one whole day in Venice? Just parts of different days?
When figuring travel time, add in time it will take to get the car parked, especially in Venice, and getting to your hotel.
What do you wish from this trip? Touring some major sights? Walking around in a new place? Taking pictures? Interesting or good food? Any cultural interests? Any art or architecture? Just hanging with a friend for a week on the road?
When is the trip?
Apr 4th, 2018, 10:14 PM
#4
"...I'd like to get some thoughts if what I planned is doable and makes sense." Even without knowing the time of year you will be traveling, my response is, "No" for all of the reasons offered above. Cut Venice, Milan, Zurich and Budapest, and take the train between destinations. This leaves you with 10 days to divide between Vienna, Munich and Prague, an itinerary you can actually achieve.
Apr 5th, 2018, 12:33 AM
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Hi so I get it that you want to see a lot of places in a short time. It isn't how most of us travel, including me. I would only do three cities, ak Budapest/Vienna/Prague. Or I would add Munich instead. I wouldn't include Italy. One reason is that Google maps consistently underestimates travel times in Europe. Another is that you are not allowing time to stop and see anything along your drive. Sleep in your hotel, not your car. You will miss the countryside.
But...
If you are insistent, then you really should drop Milan and Zurich at the bare minimum, and give yourself more time for the remaining places. I picked those two to drop because Milan is not considered a first time visitor/ highlight of Europe. I would drop Zurich because it is so much further from the the rest of your stops . Also, from what I've read of Switzerland, the star is the outdoors. You need 2-3 days to get up to the mountains and hike around.
I dropped those two and modified your schedule with what you have left.
On the way from Venice to Munich, you could see Innsbruck.
Finally, yes, no matter what else your plans, stay one more day in Prague. Alternative: the afternoon of that extra day, drive to Brno or Olmouc, for the night. Both are said to be great. That would give you a shorter drive to Poland, as well as a great side visit.
Day 1
Leave Rzeszow, Poland 5am
Arrive Budapest 1pm
Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 2
Chill Budapest
Day 3
Leave Budapest 3pm
Arrive Vienna 5PM
Travel Time: 2 Hours
Day 4
Chill in Vienna
Day 5
Leave Vienna 5am
Arrive Venice Noon
Travel Time: 6.5 Hours
Day 6
Chill Venice
Day 7
Leave Venice in AM
Arrive Munich
Travel Time 5 hours 38 min
Day 8 Chill Munich
Day 9
Leave Munich 5am
Arrive Prague 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 10
Prague -- Yes, Stay 1 more day, (or in the afternoon drive to Brno or Olmouc, which shortens your final drive)
Day 11
Travel Time to Rzeszow 6.5 Hours
But...
If you are insistent, then you really should drop Milan and Zurich at the bare minimum, and give yourself more time for the remaining places. I picked those two to drop because Milan is not considered a first time visitor/ highlight of Europe. I would drop Zurich because it is so much further from the the rest of your stops . Also, from what I've read of Switzerland, the star is the outdoors. You need 2-3 days to get up to the mountains and hike around.
I dropped those two and modified your schedule with what you have left.
On the way from Venice to Munich, you could see Innsbruck.
Finally, yes, no matter what else your plans, stay one more day in Prague. Alternative: the afternoon of that extra day, drive to Brno or Olmouc, for the night. Both are said to be great. That would give you a shorter drive to Poland, as well as a great side visit.
Day 1
Leave Rzeszow, Poland 5am
Arrive Budapest 1pm
Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 2
Chill Budapest
Day 3
Leave Budapest 3pm
Arrive Vienna 5PM
Travel Time: 2 Hours
Day 4
Chill in Vienna
Day 5
Leave Vienna 5am
Arrive Venice Noon
Travel Time: 6.5 Hours
Day 6
Chill Venice
Day 7
Leave Venice in AM
Arrive Munich
Travel Time 5 hours 38 min
Day 8 Chill Munich
Day 9
Leave Munich 5am
Arrive Prague 9am
Travel Time 3.5 Hours
Day 10
Prague -- Yes, Stay 1 more day, (or in the afternoon drive to Brno or Olmouc, which shortens your final drive)
Day 11
Travel Time to Rzeszow 6.5 Hours
Last edited by 5alive; Apr 5th, 2018 at 12:37 AM.
Apr 5th, 2018, 01:06 AM
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Sleeping in your car is illegal in many European countries. It is dangerous is some. Finding toilet and washing facilities will be difficult if you do not plan on hotels.
I enjoy road trips, but we sleep in hotels and take time to explore the places we visit, which tend not to be big cities where a car can be a total pain. It's your trip, and if you think you can do it fine, but be prepared to be moved on in the middle of the night by the local police, or hassled by the local youths. Be prepared to need another holiday to get over the one you have planned.
I enjoy road trips, but we sleep in hotels and take time to explore the places we visit, which tend not to be big cities where a car can be a total pain. It's your trip, and if you think you can do it fine, but be prepared to be moved on in the middle of the night by the local police, or hassled by the local youths. Be prepared to need another holiday to get over the one you have planned.
Apr 5th, 2018, 06:23 AM
#8
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I didn't mean sleep in the car overnight, I meant 1 person can sleep for additional rest while the other drives. At nights we would obviously get hotels in each city we stay. Additionally I'm used to driving 10 hours without any issues. I live in the US and drive to Canada once a month, it's a 10 hour drive (roughly) 1 way. I stay there for a day or 2 max and drive back 10 hours. The longest drive I have on my Europe trip is 7 hours, and if you split that for 2 people it's a piece of cake.
Apr 5th, 2018, 06:26 AM
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I agree that sleeping in cars is unwise, but I don't think the poster suggested they were doing that. I think the poster was simply saying they can get some added rest alternating drivers. We have been to many cities on 24 and 48 hour visits and, because of the way we travel, we can see and do a lot in a limited time frame. You can google 24 hours or 2 days for almost any city in the world and get a nice itinerary for that duration. It's certainly more time than say a cruise passenger might get in a port city. Often not enough for most, but just another way of travel. A few years ago, we wanted to show a family member more than a dozen European countries in a month. We were criticized for it, but we had one of the most exciting and interestng trips we ever took, and made 100 blog posts. Sometimes we prefer a week or more in a small Italian town, but travel is not one size fits all. My only concern for this poster's plan is parking, and perhaps navigating city centers. Our preference would be rail or even airplanes in some cases, since they often can be less costly than trains in Europe.
Apr 5th, 2018, 07:07 AM
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Sorry, I misunderstood you. Parking could well be a problem in the cities, also you will need toll vignets for some countries you are visiting, and you will need an Umweltplakette to drive into Munich. It is doubtful a Polish hire car (or a private Polish car for that matter) will have one.
Apr 5th, 2018, 07:31 AM
#11
"The longest drive I have on my Europe trip is 7 hours, and if you split that for 2 people it's a piece of cake."
This reads as if you have already decided on your itinerary, regardless of the advice those of us (including many, like myself, who live and drive in Europe) have offered. We lived in the U.S. for many years and currently live in Vienna; and we have traveled pretty much the entirety of your routes and are familiar with the disturbances that can upset your "piece of cake" drive.
I offer two examples of how our "piece of cake" drives in Europe have turned out not to be so. The first, on what should have been a 6-hour drive from Vienna into Germany toward our first overnight on a holiday, an accident on the Autobahn stopped all traffic for FOUR hours. That segment took 11 hours to complete; thankfully we had a hotel reservation once we finally arrived at our destination. The second involved a drive from Heidleberg into northern France, about 8 hours. One hour after departing Heidelberg we had traveled fewer than 6 kilometers because of road construction; the remaining long drive was equal parts misery and sadness as we encountered numerous construction delays. Lest you think our woes are all limited to Germany, I can assure you that there is plenty of road construction in Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, CZ and Poland).
But, if sleeping in cars, using dirty Autobahn WC's (don't forget the pocket change and bath tissue!), and stale sandwiches from the petrol stations is your idea of a holiday, by all means, I hope you write a trip report as to how it all (honestly) transpired.
This reads as if you have already decided on your itinerary, regardless of the advice those of us (including many, like myself, who live and drive in Europe) have offered. We lived in the U.S. for many years and currently live in Vienna; and we have traveled pretty much the entirety of your routes and are familiar with the disturbances that can upset your "piece of cake" drive.
I offer two examples of how our "piece of cake" drives in Europe have turned out not to be so. The first, on what should have been a 6-hour drive from Vienna into Germany toward our first overnight on a holiday, an accident on the Autobahn stopped all traffic for FOUR hours. That segment took 11 hours to complete; thankfully we had a hotel reservation once we finally arrived at our destination. The second involved a drive from Heidleberg into northern France, about 8 hours. One hour after departing Heidelberg we had traveled fewer than 6 kilometers because of road construction; the remaining long drive was equal parts misery and sadness as we encountered numerous construction delays. Lest you think our woes are all limited to Germany, I can assure you that there is plenty of road construction in Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, CZ and Poland).
But, if sleeping in cars, using dirty Autobahn WC's (don't forget the pocket change and bath tissue!), and stale sandwiches from the petrol stations is your idea of a holiday, by all means, I hope you write a trip report as to how it all (honestly) transpired.
Apr 5th, 2018, 07:34 AM
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Maybe they just want the thrill of driving around Europe - but to most just makes no sense and sounds horrible. But you never know what folks like and it could be a thrill to make mad dashes between cities. Go for it if that's what you want.
Apr 5th, 2018, 08:15 AM
#13
"Maybe they just want the thrill of driving around Europe."
With their itinerary there is only soulless Autobahn and toll roads. So, if the OP is in this for the "thrill," why, then, did they ask if their plan is "doable" and "makes sense?"
With their itinerary there is only soulless Autobahn and toll roads. So, if the OP is in this for the "thrill," why, then, did they ask if their plan is "doable" and "makes sense?"
Apr 5th, 2018, 09:14 AM
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After much driving in Europe over twenty years, I learned to keep my driving shifts down to 3 hours. Your proposed trip sounds like a nightmare.
Are you aware of the difficulties finding affordable parking in the cities you will visit.
Are you aware of the difficulties finding affordable parking in the cities you will visit.
Apr 5th, 2018, 10:35 AM
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Hi, kml17,
How is it you are starting Rzeszow? Are you a college student or working there as an ex-pat? I ask for a couple of reasons:
1. Do you have a car already to drive?
2. If not, are you under about age 26?
If you are proposing to rent a car....
I know you are doing a loop, so no dropoff fees, but you are proposing to go through several countries and there are surcharges for that. Also, fuel is far more expensive than in the USA. It could be that you will not come out much ahead over train tickets or RyanAir tickets.
I wasn't sure that you were sleeping in your car at night, although I wondered when I saw other posters' response. My feeling is that by driving that many hours, you can't afford to stop and see things along the way, in order to make your next destination. The advantage of a car is precisely to be able to make those stops. Also, you would be waking up the other person to stop.
You're envisioning one long drive with no decisions to be made, like driving up I-5 to Canada, or across I-90. That won't always be the case. My brother is a great driver and has driven in many countries. I've been the navigator/passenger on two trips with him, and I didn't have time to sleep. I watched signs--which weren't in English of course--watch the mapping tool for the next good place to stop, hand him snacks and get some music going. I did get to take a few great pictures here and there too.
Again--even knowing how you travel--I would still cut back at least two cities but probably three. Remember that you have cool smaller cities and sights to see along your trip.
How is it you are starting Rzeszow? Are you a college student or working there as an ex-pat? I ask for a couple of reasons:
1. Do you have a car already to drive?
2. If not, are you under about age 26?
If you are proposing to rent a car....
I know you are doing a loop, so no dropoff fees, but you are proposing to go through several countries and there are surcharges for that. Also, fuel is far more expensive than in the USA. It could be that you will not come out much ahead over train tickets or RyanAir tickets.
I wasn't sure that you were sleeping in your car at night, although I wondered when I saw other posters' response. My feeling is that by driving that many hours, you can't afford to stop and see things along the way, in order to make your next destination. The advantage of a car is precisely to be able to make those stops. Also, you would be waking up the other person to stop.
You're envisioning one long drive with no decisions to be made, like driving up I-5 to Canada, or across I-90. That won't always be the case. My brother is a great driver and has driven in many countries. I've been the navigator/passenger on two trips with him, and I didn't have time to sleep. I watched signs--which weren't in English of course--watch the mapping tool for the next good place to stop, hand him snacks and get some music going. I did get to take a few great pictures here and there too.
Again--even knowing how you travel--I would still cut back at least two cities but probably three. Remember that you have cool smaller cities and sights to see along your trip.
Apr 5th, 2018, 11:26 AM
#16
If you took the train you wouldn't have to worry about parking, you'd travel in greater comfort, and you could save sightseeing time by doing the long hauls overnight (i.e. to Budapest and Venice).
See bahn.de for schedules and seat61.com for info on train travel in Europe including buying cheap tickets. Maybe cheaper than gas. Don't confuse European train travel with Amtrak.
See bahn.de for schedules and seat61.com for info on train travel in Europe including buying cheap tickets. Maybe cheaper than gas. Don't confuse European train travel with Amtrak.
Apr 5th, 2018, 01:21 PM
#17
I didn't mean sleep in the car overnight, I meant 1 person can sleep for additional rest while the other drives. At nights we would obviously get hotels in each city we stay. Additionally I'm used to driving 10 hours without any issues. I live in the US and drive to Canada once a month, it's a 10 hour drive (roughly) 1 way. I stay there for a day or 2 max and drive back 10 hours. The longest drive I have on my Europe trip is 7 hours, and if you split that for 2 people it's a piece of cake.
Apr 5th, 2018, 01:36 PM
#18
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Delete Milan as you cannot even drive into the city proper as like many Italian cities private vehicles are simply banned. Venice of course no driving - maybe stay in Mestre across the lagoon and take the shuttle trains in if you want to drive to a hotel.
