Travelling Eastern Europe

We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we travel on
our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has advised not to travel
on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road conditions, poor signage, etc.
I somehow have the notion that Eastern Europe is probably a safer area to
travel in than Western Europe. I don't relish traveling with a tour group,
but would do so to experience the E.E. culture, food, art, etc. Any advice
from experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.

This time last year we spent 5 weeks driving a small camper van through
Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech republic. We
did a similar trip 3 years before that. Now I know that Europeans call
those countries Central Europe so maybe you are referring to countries
further east. In any case, We had NO trouble, roads were good in some
places poor in others. Just like here in Canada. And we were mostly on the
small rural roads to avoid traffic. Signage is always a challenge, even is
the US and Canada for someone who does not speak the language or recognize
city names that are spelt with local spellings. But if you have a good map
and/or a GPS with maps of those countries (make sure any GPS you get has the
countries you want) then you will be fine.

As to safety, we never felt it was any more or less of an issue in any of
the places we were in, West or East. What we found was a lower standard of
living, less variety of things to purchase, mostly lower prices than in
Western Europe. Except for touristy places and Croatia. And the people
were helpful and interesting. Not much english but we never really had any
problems with that.

We were travelling with another couple in a separate van so we had none of
the tour group issues to deal with. In any large city or sight, we hired
local guides or joined local tours to get the most out of where we were. We
had some amazing experiences with some local people we met up with just by
being friendly and interested in them. Most noteably, I remember singing
along drunkenly with a Hungarian winemaker in his wine cave outside of the
campsite in Eger Hungary. We just walked into his cave and he made us
welcome. And drunk.

So go for it. driving is no worse or better than North America.

Gord


"singlemalt" wrote in message
...
We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we travel
on our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has advised not to
travel on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road conditions, poor
signage, etc. I somehow have the notion that Eastern Europe is probably a
safer area to travel in than Western Europe. I don't relish traveling with
a tour group, but would do so to experience the E.E. culture, food, art,
etc. Any advice from experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.

"Gord Pope" wrote in message
news:nV0pj.37552$ow.14029@pd7urf1no...
This time last year we spent 5 weeks driving a small camper van through
Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech republic. We
did a similar trip 3 years before that. Now I know that Europeans call
those countries Central Europe so maybe you are referring to countries
further east. In any case, We had NO trouble, roads were good in some
places poor in others. Just like here in Canada. And we were mostly on
the small rural roads to avoid traffic. Signage is always a challenge,
even is the US and Canada for someone who does not speak the language or
recognize city names that are spelt with local spellings. But if you have
a good map and/or a GPS with maps of those countries (make sure any GPS
you get has the countries you want) then you will be fine.

As to safety, we never felt it was any more or less of an issue in any of
the places we were in, West or East. What we found was a lower standard
of living, less variety of things to purchase, mostly lower prices than in
Western Europe. Except for touristy places and Croatia. And the people
were helpful and interesting. Not much english but we never really had
any problems with that.

We were travelling with another couple in a separate van so we had none of
the tour group issues to deal with. In any large city or sight, we hired
local guides or joined local tours to get the most out of where we were.
We had some amazing experiences with some local people we met up with just
by being friendly and interested in them. Most noteably, I remember
singing along drunkenly with a Hungarian winemaker in his wine cave
outside of the campsite in Eger Hungary. We just walked into his cave and
he made us welcome. And drunk.

So go for it. driving is no worse or better than North America.

Gord

Thanks, I stand corrected. "Cenral Europe" is the place I apparently want
to go.

"singlemalt" wrote in message
...
We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we travel
on our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has advised not to
travel on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road conditions, poor
signage, etc. I somehow have the notion that Eastern Europe is probably a
safer area to travel in than Western Europe. I don't relish traveling with
a tour group, but would do so to experience the E.E. culture, food, art,
etc. Any advice from experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.

I have driven thousands of miles in Eastern Europe over the years and don't
even give it a second thought. You have to remember that most countries in
Eastern Europe are now in the EU and driving standards & conditions are, by
and large,almost on a par with Western Europe. Yes, there still are a few
backwaters, but chances are you won't be going there anyway.
The Baltic States, Poland, Hungary, Czecho, Slovakia and most of former
Yugoslavia all have good roads. There are even a few motorways (two lane
freeways). Petrol (gas) is available absolutely everywhere and costs about
two thirds to one half of what it costs in Western Europe.
When renting a car, take out full CDW (Collision Damage Waver) cover. Check
on the hirer's cross-border policies (some rental companies think that wars
are still being fought in Eastern Europe). Also, when staying in cities, if
your hotel doesn't offer parking, use a guarded car park (cost is minimal
and it's better to be safe than sorry).
Plenty of country specific information can be found he-
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...eas/index.html
If you've coped with driving in Western Europe, Eastern Europe won't pose
much more of a challenge to you.
Get yourself a good road atlas and go for it!

Regards
Gerry

On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:31:15 GMT, "Gord Pope"
wrote:

This time last year we spent 5 weeks driving a small camper van through
Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech republic. We
did a similar trip 3 years before that. Now I know that Europeans call
those countries Central Europe so maybe you are referring to countries
further east. In any case, We had NO trouble, roads were good in some
places poor in others. Just like here in Canada. And we were mostly on the
small rural roads to avoid traffic. Signage is always a challenge, even is
the US and Canada for someone who does not speak the language or recognize
city names that are spelt with local spellings. But if you have a good map
and/or a GPS with maps of those countries (make sure any GPS you get has the
countries you want) then you will be fine.

As to safety, we never felt it was any more or less of an issue in any of
the places we were in, West or East. What we found was a lower standard of
living, less variety of things to purchase, mostly lower prices than in
Western Europe. Except for touristy places and Croatia. And the people
were helpful and interesting. Not much english but we never really had any
problems with that.

We were travelling with another couple in a separate van so we had none of
the tour group issues to deal with. In any large city or sight, we hired
local guides or joined local tours to get the most out of where we were. We
had some amazing experiences with some local people we met up with just by
being friendly and interested in them. Most noteably, I remember singing
along drunkenly with a Hungarian winemaker in his wine cave outside of the
campsite in Eger Hungary. We just walked into his cave and he made us
welcome. And drunk.

So go for it. driving is no worse or better than North America.

Gord

What a great, positive reply!
Thank you!

Keith (formerly of Bristol UK)
now moved to Berlin/nach Berlin umgezogen

singlemalt wrote:
We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we
travel on our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has
advised not to travel on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road
conditions, poor signage, etc. I somehow have the notion that Eastern
Europe is probably a safer area to travel in than Western Europe. I
don't relish traveling with a tour group, but would do so to
experience the E.E. culture, food, art, etc. Any advice from
experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.

My son works in Czech an Slovak republics ( has aflat in Prague and a
villa in the mountains in Slovakia ) and drives about 60.000 kms a year
shuttling between the two countries, with cat spirngs to Serbia Montenegro
and Macedonia through Hungary

The only country where he does not want to drive is Montenegro
the others have very nice toll roads or motorways.

Pls do not forget
Poland Czech republic
Slovak republic
Hungary
Slovenia ( using Euro)

now are part of the Schengen Area
that means that there are no borders anymore among these countries
Toll roads in CZ SK and H are normally paid with a sticker. Maybe if you
ask the renting agency will give you a car with a yearly sticker
It is not very expensive though
Traffic in the main towns is exactly as bad as in all capital towns
Most of the capitals are closed to traffic. with very nice pedestrian areas
Public transports are very efficient and cheap.
Young people normally speak english. Old people normally speak german.
People are normally very polite friendly and smiling
you might consider visiting Ucraina too.
Normally tourists do not need a visa anymore

Food in all the Central Europe countries is very cheap.
Hotels normally are cheap as there are more hotel rooms than necessary
a price of 70 eur for a 4 stars hotel is normal ( Of course. you will have
to book in advance with web agencies. walk in prices are more expensive )

ATM and exchange offices are everywhere.

On the particular moment of Sat, 2 Feb 2008 10:42:28 -0600 in relation
to Mary's disappointingly immaculate rumpy pumpy, "singlemalt"
put forth:

Thanks, I stand corrected. "Cenral Europe" is the place I apparently want
to go.

You really should be more specific. Central Europe can comprise any of
a number of countries, with great variations in road quality. Surely
you have some idea about what you'd like to see instead of just a
geographical area!
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 10:02:16 -0600, "singlemalt"
wrote:

We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we travel on
our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has advised not to travel
on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road conditions, poor signage, etc.
I somehow have the notion that Eastern Europe is probably a safer area to
travel in than Western Europe. I don't relish traveling with a tour group,
but would do so to experience the E.E. culture, food, art, etc. Any advice
from experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.


Just adding to and endorsing Gord's excellent reply.

Last year we drove through Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia,
Poland and Czech Republic (among others). We also went via
the back roads and small villages and towns when we could.

A couple of tips. Some of those countries use "vignettes",
similar to Austria, to allow travel on their highways. Do
some research and find out which, and stop at the first
opportunity when you cross the border to buy one for your
windscreen. I've forgotten which countries, certainly
Slovenia and Czech. Failure to have one can result in an
expensive fine; the cops look for rental vehicles.

We also bought a local road map of the country as soon as we
crossed a border. Often, those maps had more detail of minor
roads and helped when we hit indecipherable (or missing)
signposts. Also try to have at least a phrasebook/dictionary
for each language change.

I bought a cheap car compass, in a fleamarket, that stuck to
the inside of the windscreen. Invaluable when it's a grey
day and you're not sure which way is North at one of those
intersections:-)

Finally, if you are going for more than a few weeks check
out the French lease-back system. Worked brilliantly for us.
This is the Renault site but there are also Peugot and
Citroen: http://www.renault-eurodrive.com/

PS I'm not sure if the Italians taught the Poles to drive or
vice-versa - but they are both crazy.

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:56:10 +0100, Keith Anderson
wrote:


So go for it. driving is no worse or better than North America.

Gord

What a great, positive reply!
Thank you!

On the other hand I found driving in California far better than in the
Netherlands and the UK.

I've always found that driving in the USA is dead easy compared to Europe,
and American friends turning up in Europe for the first time get a nasty
shock at the level of crowding on the roads...

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008 10:02:16 -0600, "singlemalt"
wrote:

We would like to travel Eastern Europe. Usually when we travel, we travel on
our own, rent a car, etc. and go. A German friend has advised not to travel
on our own in Eastern Europe due to poor road conditions, poor signage, etc.
I somehow have the notion that Eastern Europe is probably a safer area to
travel in than Western Europe. I don't relish traveling with a tour group,
but would do so to experience the E.E. culture, food, art, etc. Any advice
from experienced E.E. travelers? Thank you. Joe in Austin.

You've already gotten a bunch of really good responses.

I want to add just one warning: theft. The risk of car theft is
manifold greater in eastern Europe than in the west. You can minimize
this by making careful selection of your hotels. Shop around for
hotels with secure parking. If you cannot find a hotel with secure
parking, be sure to perform a thorough parking checklist. This applies
to overnight parking as well as parking at sites and stops. You should
hide or remove anything and everything from sight. Do not, under any
circumstances, leave anything of real value in your car, even for just
a few minutes. When you park, only leave things that you can justify
losing. This means keeping your passports, cameras and valuables with
you whenever you leave the car. It's probably OK to leave your clothes
and toiletries in the car if you must (they can be replaced fairly
easily). I always keep the "important stuff" in a small bag that is
always near me. My luggage stays in the back, hidden. When I stop for
food or a site, I grab my "valuables" bag every time. It should go
without saying that you must lock your car and arm the alarm each and
every time you leave the vehicle.

If you rent a car, select a crappy one. A Mercedes or BMW will
disappear quickly and re-appear in Russia within weeks. When I travel
in central Europe, I have the benefit of traveling with a buddy from
Vienna. He arranges our loaner vehicle. We've traveled central/eastern
Europe in a garish yellow auto repair van (ugly, unwanted) and in a
tired black Seat van (un-sexy, uniniviting to thieves). We had no
problems. But my Viennese buddy assures me that if we had traveled in
his new Audi TT it would have lasted maybe two days in Slovakia.

In all, I do recommend driving in central/eastern Europe if you can.
Others gave great advice about road conditions and highway permit
stickers. Enjoy your trip!

ObAnecdote: the only time we got hopelessly lost was south of Prague.
We decided to take side roads to see the countryside. Big mistake.
With only a dog-eared map and almost non-existent road signs, just
figuring out where the hell we were was difficult. We were eventually
reduced to using the sun as a compass and rivers as our guideposts. A
two-hour drive stretched into over 5 hours. But I must admit, I saw
some of rural Tschechia that most tourists never see. In retrospect,
it was worth it.

- TR