Planning an itinerary which will start in Warsaw and end in Krakow (or vice versa) with a few stops on the way to see places where family had originated from. Never visited the country and hardly speak any Polish at all. Will I be comfortable driving a rental car? (This will be the first journey ever in an Eastern European country). I guess that Warsaw-Krakow can be easily covered by train; but how feasible would it be to hire a chauffeur driven car to go to the smaller places? (In the past I've read posts on this forum from people who had driven rental cars, but I don't recall seeing any discussion on chauffeur driven)

Many 'taxi' firms have driver options. Larger hotels have concierges who can secure reliable service. If expense is not a concern opt for driver option. Drivers will know all the 'ins and outs'of your trip. They park while you tour. Expense is usually more than reasonable. You should expect to pay for lodging and food for driver. We included driver in our meals. Specify language you understand. Trip from Warszawa could include: Lodz, Czestochowa, Wroclaw and Krakow. Plug in family sites..use map. Driving in Poland is possible but often difficult. Any miscue and you are in trouble with a capitol T. Remember to get International Driver Permit. Tell us what happened.

By all means, rent a car! The roads in Poland are very good and easy to drive.
Have done it three times in the past without a worry. Car is not necessary in Krakow so it can be dropped off there unless you plan on returning to Warsaw. Even then you could take the train back to Warsaw.

Hi
consider renting a car. We are thinking of going back to Poland again this year and renting as usual. We were there several years ago, drove up from the Tatras in Slovakia to Krakow. Had a hotel with secured parking and walked around for several days and then drove to Auswitz. Some things are better done personal without a guide.
alan

Driving is easy. Most roads are just 2 lane secondary roads, but they are in good condition. They are well marked. As long as you could read a map, you should be fine.

Here is a great site for what's required when driving in Poland, or for anybody else, when driving anywhere in Europe -

<b>http://www.aer-net.co.uk/edr/poland.htm</b>

Dear Eli,

We did not find the driving at all difficult in the more rural areas of Poland. Their road signage is very similar to Western Europe. The roads are predominently two-lane, but fairly well-cared for and well-marked.

If you feel that you will need an &quot;interpreter&quot; to locate family heritage specifics in the smaller villages, then that is a different issue. In that case, an English fluent chauffeur could help you locate specific addresses, or help locate records at churches or city hall registries. In the smaller villages that get few &quot;American Tourists&quot;, you might be at a disadvantage if you were looking for information beyond a locating a place to sleep or eat, or finding the center of town.

If you decide to rent a car, I would caution you to check the deductible on the CDW from the agencies you get prices from-----the variances last year were significant. We got a deductible of $250 from National, while other agencies had deductibles as high as $1,200 to $1,500. Be certain to check the fine print before you commit. Of course, you would arrange the rental while still stateside.

We did the opposite of your journey, flew into Warsaw, trained to Krakow, and then picked up our rental on the way out of Krakow. We even drove on very rural roads during snowstorms, and had no problems. Since we were not doing a &quot;family heritage&quot; search, we did not need that extra translation assistance.

Enjoy your journey!!

Eli: please excuse the intrusion.
Georgene: Where all did you drive when you left Krakow? We plan to spend some time south of Krakow (driving) and would like to hear about your experience, perhaps on a seperate post so as not to take advantage of Eli. Thank you Eli.

Alan: is there any particular car rental firm which you would recommend? Is a local firm preferable to an international one?
Georgine: thanks for the detailed tips; they would definitely be considered.

Certainly, I will report back after we'd returned...

Local/vs International - really does not matter - although on international (ie. Hertz or similar) I would check prices and what you are getting 2 ways - one thru your agent outside of Poland and then by contacting specific agency in Poland... since there maybe differences in prices and promotions. Definitly shop around ... check not only daily price but also what is offered - (ie. does car have a radio included, maps)... also when getting insurance check deductable. Also cost of dropping off car in different city (since many do charge) as well as how many hours if any can you be late with your return - before they start charging you for another day.

I've used: http://www.rent-a-car.com.pl/

few times in past and always was satisfied with price and service as well as what they offered free of charge (maps, late returns even a quick tour of warsaw) ... but I always picked up and returned in Warsaw... since they do charge for drop off outside of Warsaw...

below are just some other listings which you may want to check and compare total price... they all speak english and have emails which you can use to communicate.

Ask specific questions - and if you get not a very clear answer - ask again...

Also always double check your final confirmation /or vouchers (which are emailed to you) to make sure all charges and totals as well as what is included - listed and correct (since this will resolve any conflicts that may or may not arise at pickup).

http://www.e-car.pl/index_en.php

http://www.rentup..com

http://www.europcar.pl/PL/index.html
http://www.avis.pl/avisonline/pl-gb/...n&amp;~Default
http://www.nationalcar.com.pl/english/
http://www.hertz.pl/zanim/punkty/punkty.htm

http://www.polhotels.com/

Enjoy!

PeterB: Thanks! I've read and valued your tips on Poland for a long time...

Hi
Eli I always rent from Autoeurope. They are a wholesaler and work with the major rental car cos. Their prices are lower than you can usually get yourself. When driving in europe we always take the additional insurance. Inform the rental co. that you will be driving in Poland etc. We have been driving in Central and eastern Europe now for the better part of 9 years. Any other questions, I'll be glad to assist if I can.
alan

I agree with all those who suggested car rental and would add that, thanks to PeterB, we have made arrangements through Local Rent-A-Car that are far less expensive than those available through AutoEurope. The latter is a broker that usually has the best prices and good service, but their deal was twice the price of Local Rent A Car. Though we are picking up in Krakow, that didn't add much to the price. Plus, they took the reservation with a credit card, which provides insurance coverage if we need it, and will take cash upon return of the car and give us a 10% discount to boot. Had the recommendation not come from Peter, I wouldn't have tried these people, but so far everything seems on the up and up and comparable to what we may have found with AE. In addition, they give a further $25 discount just for mentioning the promotion on their website. Works for me.

nrwayne: Glad I could help just hope they won't raise their prices now do to higher demand ;-) forcing me to look elsewhere on next trip ;-)

Eli: don't forget to ask for maps - both Poland and Warsaw, and verify you do have them... Road maps are constantly changing in Poland not only adding new - but also it's markings. Rental companies will provide you with latest and detailed maps. Which will also save you few bucks and headaches ;-)

Also radio may not be covered by insurance, but they always offer removable little panel which is conviniant. Another thing to remember is to never leave car papers (insurance/registration) in car - since you be voiding any theft insurance...

International Permit is required for all rentals - I always used one offered by AAA - $15 which I think includes pictures - which AAA does for you on the spot...

Enjoy!!! have fun!!!

PeterB: Since we've already paid half of the total rental, I tend to doubt that an increase, if any, will be meaningful. (We rented two cars, one for each family.) For one week, the overall cost is $300 vs. more than $600 thru AutoEurope. I don't know of any other supplier that will provide this kind of saving, though I suppose there may be other Polish car rental companies that could be competitive. We will ask for maps, but already have the Michelin Poland 2004 plus a Krakow city map. I'll be getting an International permit from AAA. The others have UK licenses, which they believe will be OK. The only question left has to do with driving into Slovakia, which Local says will require buying a green card at the border for about $20. I'm looking forward to this and will update after our return in mid-July.

nrwayne: I was just joking about prices and really refrancing myself and next trip of mine ;-) with voucher in hand or some kind of final reservation - no company would even try raising price - since it's binding aggreement. As for $20 for greencard I think they wanted to say 20zl since that is what sounds more likely ... also try pushing to get that thru them and to be included in price. esspecially when you renting 2 cars from them... You can definitly mention the fact that recommendation came from this forum and person (me) have used them in past and they have included a &quot;greencard&quot; free of charge in past for me.

Not sure if UK licenses be ok or not... Something which maybe worth verifing before the trip with them thru email... to avoid any issues during pickup.

&quot;Michelin Poland 2004 plus a Krakow city map&quot;? Looks like you are already prepered!!! Krakow map will definitly be useful since it can be bit confussing at times.

Enjoy!!! have a great trip!!!

If you are still interested in a driver, this guy is excellent:

<b>http://www.ceti.pl/~source/index.htm</b>l