Help! Anyone drive from Krakow to Prague?
The train schedule is impossible and the planes are crazy and expensive! Such a short distance, but we (3) thought of hiring a driver and car for the only 200 mile distance as we don't drive in countries where we don't speak the language!! Senior survival skills!
Your thoughts please!!

Not sure what you mean by train schedule not possible ... I think you have 2 good options from Katowice (and to Katowice you have a train almost every hour - so taking an earlier one would give you extra time for a transfer)... From Katowice you have an express at 14:30 arriving 20:48 - or a overnight sleeper at 22:35 arriving at 6am - so you go to sleep and then very next morning you are in Prague... as for 200 mile distance - remember you are crossing mountains and a boarder ... so even a drive will not be a quickie... As for renting a car - you are not giving your self and others too much credit - 1. many in Central and Eastern European countries speak english 2. gas stations are selfserv or when attended - then someone will speak basic english to get you going - and most 95% accept credit cards. As for drivers - best way is email/call around to get some quotes - check this listing for few Taxi services in Krakow - some offer van and many international trips - http://katalog.onet.pl/416,katreg.html?oidpow=11958
at min. you will get a feel how much it will cost you then I guess arrange a pickup back from same person to see if you get a greater break on a price ;-) Good luck!

Travel cost a concern? Check bus fares.

We found the train connections were nuts!
The fastest was 7 hours and included 1 train change 0f 6 minutes! Great if you were an olympic sprinter with no luggage!According to the atlas, the distance involved was just over 200 miles!
The airlines were nuts! No direct connections. Hired a driver and car for less than the plane fare and we can stop in the many colorful stops on the way in under 6 hours, unless we linger, including the late Pope Paul's home.
Will post our experience when we return the end of September.

Well, we did it! We hired a driver to take us from Krakow to Prague, due to the fact that train and plane schedules were so convoluted. The trip took 6 hours (the buses take over 10, and the trains 7, with a frantic train change). We packed sandwiches and took a few stops at rest stations (McDonalds was on the way...but no thanks!) In some areas the freeways had no center divider and some cars sped over 100mph! Hair raising! It was expensive, but less than the planes and
not as frantic as the trains with a 5 minute train change in route, luggage and all. At times like that, I think a group tour comes in handy, but then you might be stuck on a bus for over 10 hours with people you don't love!
I suppose you could rent a car and do it, but lots of luck with road signs in Polish and Czech, border checks and lots of highway construction and detours.