Help with Itineray Central Europe
Nov 22nd, 2015, 09:40 AM
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Help with Itineray Central Europe
Made flight reservations for next years trip from Florida arriving Frankfurt May 8 and departing May 25. We plan to rent a car and make a circle route (starting to the east) out and back. We have already driven France, Austria, Italy,and Switzerland. We would appreciate any recommendations for stops (for lunch, or for a few days) on this trip.
We enjoy small historic towns as well as major tourist cities and sights. The only decisions made so far are stops in Warsaw and Krakow. I assume Berlin is a worthy of a visit? If yes, what would be the best route from Frankfurt to Warsaw that would include Berlin and Prague?.. I have heard Prague is a must seel city?
Don't know much about Budapest? Return to Germany along the Alpine Road?
Thanks for your help.
We enjoy small historic towns as well as major tourist cities and sights. The only decisions made so far are stops in Warsaw and Krakow. I assume Berlin is a worthy of a visit? If yes, what would be the best route from Frankfurt to Warsaw that would include Berlin and Prague?.. I have heard Prague is a must seel city?
Don't know much about Budapest? Return to Germany along the Alpine Road?
Thanks for your help.
Nov 22nd, 2015, 09:53 AM
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OK - you must double check if the rental agency will let you take the car into all of those countries. Sometimes they don't allow central europe - esp if you rent a larger or more expensive model.
Absolutely Berlin and Budapest are both well worth the time. A couple of hours with a good guide book (I like Michelin green) will show you how many wonderful things there are to see/do.
But since we don;t know how many weeks you have for the trip it's hard to make any specific recos.
And why in the world fly in and out of Frankfurt - forcing you into this big circle - versus perhaps flying into Berlin and out of Budapest thus saving you two days of just driving? These open jaw (multi-destination on web sites) tickets don't cost any more than half of the cost to each city.
Absolutely Berlin and Budapest are both well worth the time. A couple of hours with a good guide book (I like Michelin green) will show you how many wonderful things there are to see/do.
But since we don;t know how many weeks you have for the trip it's hard to make any specific recos.
And why in the world fly in and out of Frankfurt - forcing you into this big circle - versus perhaps flying into Berlin and out of Budapest thus saving you two days of just driving? These open jaw (multi-destination on web sites) tickets don't cost any more than half of the cost to each city.
Nov 22nd, 2015, 09:58 AM
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What you will cover depends on your style of travel. You are suggesting a wide territory for two weeks of travel. If you insist on that, leave out Berlin. From Frankfurt you might want to travel through Saxony (Dresden is definitely worth a stop) to Wroclaw on to Warsaw and swing back south to Krakow and perhaps drive through Slovakia and the Czech Republic to get back to Frankfurt. But if you can change the reservation, why not depart from Munich? Dropping off the car in the same country but another city can be done without an extra charge depending on the rental agency.
You might want to take a look at my trip reports; one on Poland (Krakow, SE Poland, and Wroclaw), and the other on Central Germany (mainly Franconia and Saxony). Click on my name to find them.
You might want to take a look at my trip reports; one on Poland (Krakow, SE Poland, and Wroclaw), and the other on Central Germany (mainly Franconia and Saxony). Click on my name to find them.
Nov 22nd, 2015, 10:36 AM
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Having just visited several of the locations in Central Europe you mentioned in September, we would agree with the suggestions above. Nytraveler's suggestions of open-jaw flights and checking the rules of the rental car company are good ones.
Michael suggested clicking on his name to read his TR. We are just completing ours also, which you might find of interest. It helped us in our preparation to comb through the TR's of others.
The cities you mentioned are all worthwhile visiting. One suggestion would be to plot the locations on a map; then check the mileage between them. That can help determine an itinerary which will work in your time frame.
Good luck in your planning!
Michael suggested clicking on his name to read his TR. We are just completing ours also, which you might find of interest. It helped us in our preparation to comb through the TR's of others.
The cities you mentioned are all worthwhile visiting. One suggestion would be to plot the locations on a map; then check the mileage between them. That can help determine an itinerary which will work in your time frame.
Good luck in your planning!
Nov 22nd, 2015, 12:00 PM
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Wroclaw is certainly worth a stop. The nearby castle of Ksiaz would make a nice detour. Between Wroclaw and Krakow the pilgrimage centre of Czestochowa is almost a must for its significance for the Polish nation. I would skip Warsaw and change it for Torun.
I would also skip Berlin. To do it any justice you'll have to spend a couple of days. Save it for another time and use those precious days for Dresden and surroundings. The small cities in that corner of Germany are very well worth a visit, such as Weimar and Gotha.
I would also skip Berlin. To do it any justice you'll have to spend a couple of days. Save it for another time and use those precious days for Dresden and surroundings. The small cities in that corner of Germany are very well worth a visit, such as Weimar and Gotha.
Nov 23rd, 2015, 10:37 AM
#6
I don't think there is a rental company that will allow leaving a car in the former Communist block.
SIXT is my choice for car rental when I want to drive in Poland. Their policies are the most flexible. If you can, try to start your car rental in Berlin.
Cities like Dresden, Wroclaw, Warsaw are essentially 70 years old.
After the war Wroclaw was taken apart brick by brick, (which were used to rebuild Warsaw) with all signs of German or Jewish heritage especially targeted.
Torun and Krakow are the only two major cities in Poland that have avoided destruction, both deserve a few days. Using Torun as a base, Gniezo, Znin and Biskupin are places that can be visited in a day.
Whatever you do, avoid Warsaw. Traffic is horrendous, driving culture is savage, hotel parking charges are in the $40 to $50 per day range.
In Poland,assume that your average speed will be between 40 and 50 kph.On my most recent Polish trip I left Koty Wroclawskie at 14:00 and got into Krakow around midnight, a distance of about 280 kilometers.
There are a lot of interesting day trips around Krakow. On e of them is the "Eagle's Nest Route" from Czestochowa to Krakow.
I don't think you have time for Budapest.
Mark
SIXT is my choice for car rental when I want to drive in Poland. Their policies are the most flexible. If you can, try to start your car rental in Berlin.
Cities like Dresden, Wroclaw, Warsaw are essentially 70 years old.
After the war Wroclaw was taken apart brick by brick, (which were used to rebuild Warsaw) with all signs of German or Jewish heritage especially targeted.
Torun and Krakow are the only two major cities in Poland that have avoided destruction, both deserve a few days. Using Torun as a base, Gniezo, Znin and Biskupin are places that can be visited in a day.
Whatever you do, avoid Warsaw. Traffic is horrendous, driving culture is savage, hotel parking charges are in the $40 to $50 per day range.
In Poland,assume that your average speed will be between 40 and 50 kph.On my most recent Polish trip I left Koty Wroclawskie at 14:00 and got into Krakow around midnight, a distance of about 280 kilometers.
There are a lot of interesting day trips around Krakow. On e of them is the "Eagle's Nest Route" from Czestochowa to Krakow.
I don't think you have time for Budapest.
Mark
Nov 23rd, 2015, 12:35 PM
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<i>After the war Wroclaw was taken apart brick by brick, (which were used to rebuild Warsaw)... </i>
That needs references. A contrary view is implied in this paragraph from Wikipedia:
"For most of World War II, the fighting did not affect Breslau. In 1941 the remnants of the pre-war Polish minority in the city, as well as Polish slave labourers, organised a resistance group called Olimp. The organisation gathered intelligence, carrying out sabotage, and organizing aid for Polish slave workers. As the war continued, refugees from bombed-out German cities, and later refugees from farther east, swelled the population to nearly one million,[26] including 51,000 forced labourers in 1944, and 9,876 Allied PoWs. At the end of 1944 an additional 30,000-60,000 Poles were moved into the city after Nazis crushed the Warsaw Uprising.[27] In February 1945 the Soviet Red Army approached the city. Gauleiter Karl Hanke declared the city a Festung (fortress) to be held at all costs. Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and children when it was almost too late. During his poorly organised evacuation in January 1945, 18,000 people froze to death in icy snowstorms and −20 °C (−4 °F) weather. By the end of the Battle of Breslau, half the city had been destroyed..."
That needs references. A contrary view is implied in this paragraph from Wikipedia:
"For most of World War II, the fighting did not affect Breslau. In 1941 the remnants of the pre-war Polish minority in the city, as well as Polish slave labourers, organised a resistance group called Olimp. The organisation gathered intelligence, carrying out sabotage, and organizing aid for Polish slave workers. As the war continued, refugees from bombed-out German cities, and later refugees from farther east, swelled the population to nearly one million,[26] including 51,000 forced labourers in 1944, and 9,876 Allied PoWs. At the end of 1944 an additional 30,000-60,000 Poles were moved into the city after Nazis crushed the Warsaw Uprising.[27] In February 1945 the Soviet Red Army approached the city. Gauleiter Karl Hanke declared the city a Festung (fortress) to be held at all costs. Hanke finally lifted a ban on the evacuation of women and children when it was almost too late. During his poorly organised evacuation in January 1945, 18,000 people froze to death in icy snowstorms and −20 °C (−4 °F) weather. By the end of the Battle of Breslau, half the city had been destroyed..."
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