golds009

We are arriving in Krakow on October 07 to travel through Slovakia enroute to arriving in Budapest on October 16. Renting a car in Krakow and dropping in Budapest is a huge expense, getting from Krakow to Poprad Slovakia to explore the High Tatras has become a challenge because of the 10 hour train ride, and changing trains in Fuzesabony Hungary in order to get to Eger only has 2 minutes for the change. We have scheduled 4 nights Krakow, 3 nights High tatras, 2 nights Eger, then 2 nights Budapest before joining a river cruise to Nuernberg. Has anybody done a similar trip? Does anybody have suggestions for transportation and/or car rental? Thank you.
golds009

tomboy

1. Will the 4 nites in Krakow include Auschwitz? Should.
2. Is the rental drop charge a MAJOR impediment? Is this a once-in-a-lifetime trip?
3. 3 nites in Tatras might be loooonnnng
4. We much enjoyed Eger in one day, and that night
5. 2 nights in Budapest would be too short for us....a very cosmopolitan town, I thought

golds009

Thank you for the reply.
1. Auschwitz is included in the Krakow stay. We don't arrive until 22:00 the first night, so don't have as much time as the itinerary implies.
2.The rental drop charge is $457 USD, almost 1/2 the cost of the total rental. We have been to Europe several times, so this is not a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
3.Of the 3 nights in the Tatras, we don't arrive until late in the afternoon of the first night, if we take the train. We very much enjoy the outdoors, wilderness, etc., so hope we won't be disappointed with the mountains.
4. Of the 2 nights in Eger, we don't arrive until the evening of the first night, then will have a full day and night before leaving for Budapest.
5.We actually have 3 nights in Budapest - 2 on our own, then one evening and another day of touring with the river cruise.
When you traveled, did you have a car, or did you use bus/train? If you used bus/train, can you comment on getting around in the Tatras without a car.

Again, thank you.
golds009

tomboy

We had a car. We like to go to places off the tourist track.
In Poland, for example, we drove from Tarnow to Krakow, experiencing the Polish countryside. In the Tatras, for example, we drove to a ski lift (September) and rode to the top. Leaving there, we encountered a horse-drawn cart made of....logs, with cross sections of a log for wheels. In Budapest, for example, we stayed at Hotel Pension Gold, which is a mile out from downtown. Ate at Trofea Grill, which is an upscale all-you-can-eat cooked-to-order buffet in a central but upscale neighborhood, which was excellent and a great intro to Hungarian foods (which we might otherwise have selected "safe" choices). In Eger, we stayed at Hotel Romantic, or something like that. Not upscale, but more than adequate, with nice staff and courtyard.
Re: carless Tatras, I don't know how you'd experience it thoroughly without either a car or a taxi/guide.

golds009

Again, thank you. We also like to get off the beaten path,and tend to use the Rick Steves travel guides in our travels. What rental agency did you use for the car?
golds009

Alec

Two nights in Eger is very worthwhile. You need one whole day to explore the town with its many Barock churches and the castle (must see). Spend the evening in one of the restaurants with outdoor terrace off Dobo István Square such as Senator-Ház, or slightly more upmarket, Imola Udvarház just down the steps from the main castle entrance.
We had two weeks in Eger in July/August and enjoyed every minute of it.
Travelling independently from Krakow via Slovakia, Eger to Budapest isn't easy, timewise, and the drop-off fee is something you need to accept for the convenience of having your own transport.

Sher

This caught my eye as we will be in Krakow Oct, 6,7,8, Maybe we will see you on the main square.
We are flying into Krakow taking the train to Budapest so I cannot help with you car advice.

karen67

I am currently planning our trip this summer, which includes Berlin (3 1/2 - 4 days), Prague (4 full days), High Tatras (3 1/2 days), and Budapest (4 full days). I'm curious to know how your stay in the Tatras went, and if you felt you had enough time, or too much time. We plan to do some hiking, and are currently staying at Strbske Pleso (Grand Kempinski). Right now we don't plan to have a car, except for our final day there, where we will most likely use it as transportation enroute to Kosice to pick up a shuttle or train to Budapest, and visit Spissky Hrad and other sites along the way. Did you feel having a car was helpful, especially if we plan to be hiking most of time in the Tatras? We have also considered a quick detour to Krakow before heading to the Tatras, to visit Auschwitz and maybe the Salt mines, but this will cut into our time in either the Tatras or Budapest. Would you recommend this?

If anyone has any recommendations, please let us know!

Thanks!