Noelene

We are in the early stages of planning an eight week trip through southern Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Venice and Paris in 2004. We plan to lease a car (Eurodrive) but we cannot get insurance to drive the car in Hungary. We really want to go to Budapest and are wondering whether it would be feasible to garage/park the car in Vienna and train to Budapest and back. Due to the depressingly low value of our Australian dollar, we would be on a fairly tight budget. I would appreciate your suggestions.

Noelene

Any suggestions of places to park? PLEASE? Or other alternatives?

Wayne

There are several parking garages in Vienna where you can leave a car overnight or for several days. One that I know about is located directly under the Graben (the central pedestrian zone) and I am sure there are others. I would also believe there are parking lots at or near the train station where you could leave your car. Try to use your browser and search under "Vienna Austria Parking" or similar word combinations. Something is sure to come up.<BR><BR>From the info you have given, it isn't clear how long you will keep the car, or just where you will pick it up to start your journey. Also, since you don't give any real order of towns and areas to visit, it's hard to help with alternatives. Depending on where you arrive and where you rent your car, you might consider taking a train for all your transportation until after your visit to Budapest. Also, though you cannot sometimes get insurance for a car if you take it into Hungary, the rules vary depending on where the car is leased or rented. For instance, if you pick up your car in Austria, there are different restrictions and privileges, one of which is that a car rented in Austria can usually (not always) be taken into Hungary and Slovakia. You might want to consider where you will pick up the car.<BR><BR>Now, assuming you have considered all those options already, and based on what your message said, I would assume you will pick up the car in Munich or Frankfurt and will return it in Paris. But I don't know if that is what you intend; maybe you intend to go to Paris by train after you leave Venice. Where you turn in the car is also a question. <BR><BR>Anyway, here's an idea: If your itinerary is totally flexible, you could fly into Vienna and take trains to Budapest and even to Prague, and explore those cities and countries by train. Then from Prague, assuming you go there after Budapest, take a train to Munich, where you can pick up your car. Once you have the car, you can take an itinerary that carries you through your objectives in Germany, then Austria, then Slovenia, and end your trip in Venice, where you return the car. Then you take a train from Venice to Paris. Or you put the car in the garage while in Venice, and then drive to Paris. I have no idea if this is feasible, but it's one way out of the dilemma.<BR><BR>To help any more, I'd need more info. But if your itinerary is already fixed, then the easiest choice is to park the car in a garage in Vienna. Good luck.

Jim

Noelene,<BR>Trains to Budapest leave from the Westbanhof station. There are two garages near there. The closest is<BR>Garage Westbahnhof;Tel: +43 1-8923513 and the other is Garage Reithofferpark<BR>Tel: +43 1-7842121.<BR>I think I would call them for prices/details

Art

Where are you renting your car. I rented one through AutoEurope for pickup in Germany last year and was able to drive in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary with no problems.

julie

We too have used Auto Europe in the past and have just requested a car that can go into Eastern Europe. This limits the companies they can deal with, but haven't found the prices to be significantly higher. We've been to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, & Slovakia. the issue is usually that they (rental companies) are afraid of theft and theft of car parts in Eastern Europe. But, guess where the only place we've ever had problems was? France--our hubcaps were stolen outside of our hotel. Another suggestion would be to drive to a smaller Austrian town on the route between the 2 cities and then just leave the car there while you train to Budapest. Frankly, we have found the smaller towns more enjoyable anyway.

Noelene

Many thanks for your replies. Plenty of food for thought! Our initial plan was to lease a Renault through Eurodrive. The most eastern pick up place seems to be Munich (or Frankfurt). Leasing is a much more economical option for six weeks, but the drop off/pick up points are much more limited.<BR><BR>Your idea, Wayne, of flying into Vienna and training to Budapest, Prague and then Munich certainly sounds interesting. We could then drive from there to Slovenia and Venice, and then either drive to Paris or drop the car off in Colmar / Strasbourg area and train to Paris.<BR><BR>Thanks also for the info on garages in Vienna, because if our plans remain as flexible as they are right now, we could do with all the information we can get!!