Rail or Drive in Eastern Europe

[Manhattan]

Checking out Eastern Europe with a buddy in about a week and we have a disagreement on whether to drive or ride the rail. He says driving a rental car will be cheaper (quite a bit cheaper apparently)and more convenient and we'll be able to check out small towns between cities. I prefer the rail for the convenience and lack of hassle. Anyone have suggestions?

We're looking to check out cities around Czech Republic, Vienna, Hungary and likely Germany and Poland too.

Advice on things to do would be nice too. :thumbsup:

[Grogador]

I think train would be cheaper and move convenient. Look into Interrail/EURail passes, check out www.bahn.com for schedules and costs (you might hafta visit individual country sites to buy, but ze Germans have the best site), then calculate mileage/gas/rental/traffic/stress/parking, etc.

Couchettes are great if you're planning some longer hauls (like Krakow/Prague) and can handle sleeping on an overnight train ride. Also, trains are sexy.

I guess it also depends how much time you have, what kind of travel you want to do (backpacking, resorts, euro-pubcrawl) and how old you are...

[CompletelyNumb]

Driving will likely be cheaper, depending on where youre going and if youre allowed tot ake the car into that country.

Rail is convenient for overnight trips though, and not too expensive if you use it lots.

[adamc]

Bar Montenegro to Belgrade Serbia is unbelievable

I hung out in the bar car and got pissed up with dudes that spoke zero english on .50 cent serbian beer while the most spectacular mountain scenery rushed by.

Head out the window not giving a shit, everyone does, was unbelievable.


At one point another train broke down on a section of track that can only handle one train, and we were stranded for about 3 hours in 45 degree heat in the middle of the Serbian mountains. Was amazing.

http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/303254_10150338097949367_1817977428_n.jpg

http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/299467_10150338098504367_679165615_n.jpg

http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294663_10150338100264367_240782497_n.jpg


Trains are the best, such an experience.

[Kobe]

I just drove from Poland > Slovakia > Austria > Hungary > Slovenia > Croatia > Montenegro

Gas costed us about $100 each time 2 fill out, so prob $600 going down..

We then had to pay 15euro in Hungary, Slovenia, Austria (I think dont remember), Hungary, Slovenia, Montenegro


for each country you need to pay between 8-15euro to drive on the highways for 10 days (Montenegro was 15e but was for car insurance or some BS tax like that)


Don't forget to add that into your account when driving, the fines are pretty huge if you get busted, + all the parking fees if you want to leave your car downtown at a hostel.. It comes out to a lot more money then trains..

That being said it is a lot more convinent, and much easier to get around, however the train system is Europe is great and it is not really difficult to get around (Just catch night trains but be careful 2 not get jacked)

I've done the car thing and loved it, but doing it alone would suck becuase of how expensive it is, with 2 others it wasn't all that bad.

Another shitty thing about driving is that in some countries the alcohol levels are 0.00 so you cant really get drunk the night before and then drive to another place...

It depends on how you feel, there is + and - to both situations.

[sillysod]

Originally posted by Manhattan
Checking out Eastern Europe with a buddy in about a week and we have a disagreement on whether to drive or ride the rail. He says driving a rental car will be cheaper (quite a bit cheaper apparently)and more convenient and we'll be able to check out small towns between cities. I prefer the rail for the convenience and lack of hassle. Anyone have suggestions?

We're looking to check out cities around Czech Republic, Vienna, Hungary and likely Germany and Poland too.

Advice on things to do would be nice too. :thumbsup:


I'm Czech, go rail and if he insists on going car abort the mission.

Rental cars can be a major PITA. Many rental cars are not allowed in certian countries and the farther East you go the more likely your car will get jacked. :D I know that if you rent a car in Germany most will not let you take it to CZ.

Parking is shitty at best in most of the cities. You can jump on the trolley or tube in Prague and get anywhere easily. When you've had enough take the tube to the main train station and ride rail to the next destination.

The train system is really good and driving sucks. The borders can be loooong boring waits. Taxi's are cheap, but public transit will get you anywhere you need to go no problem. Almost all young people speak enough English that you can walk up to them and get directions.

Sounds like the recipe for an awesome trip!

[Konj]

If you want the full Eastern European experience you will travel in one of these:

http://razkritia.com/wp-content/uploads/cigani_karuca.jpg

[sillysod]

Any of these 4 will do too...

http://3goose.com/velorex/DSCF2460-01.jpg

http://www.stag-budapest.com/images/katakt/trabant%20stag%20Budapest.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5693084154_f6e6dbb368.jpg

http://ned.ronet.ru/0/1977%20Tatra%20613.jpg

[Konj]

We also have the following:

http://static.kupindoslike.com/PEGLICA-POPUST-20-_slika_O_278656.jpg

http://auta5p.eu/katalog/yugo/yugo_45_01.jpg

http://images03.olx.cl/ui/8/13/94/1281197894_87930994_1-lada-samara-calegre-1281197894.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8356/tamiv.jpg

http://www.carsplusplus.com/pictures/1980/53743/photo.jpg

[Feruk]

Fly wherever possible! You can get some dirt cheap flights (~$30 after taxes) sometimes. Skyscanner.net

I would recommend not driving in Eastern Europe. The roads ain't great, there are tolls, and parking's a bitch. Trains are cheap but slow.

[adamc]

^ Terrible advice.


If you are so bent on saving money, go to Asia or South America.

The landscapes in Europe are not to be missed, flying transports you from one place to another with absolutely no sense of the journey along the way.

[sillysod]

^^ agree. by flying you will miss too much. It's not a business trip.

[88jbody]

Originally posted by Konj


http://images03.olx.cl/ui/8/13/94/1281197894_87930994_1-lada-samara-calegre-1281197894.jpg


my dad had one of those, 1992 lada Samarara 1500 I think it was
I went into Napa to get an oil filter, I had to wait a good 10 minutes for the laughing to stop when I asked for an oil filter and had to convince them I was indeed 100% serious.

but with 4 studded winters that car when everywhere in the east coast winters at the time