Eastern Europe Self Drive Tour
- Hotels
- Meals
- Sightseeing
- Transfers
Day 1
Vienna, Austria: Pick up your rental car
Welcome to romantic Vienna, a city of great diversity of art, architecture and culinary delights. The former home of the Habsburg court, the city still has the trappings of the imperial capital it once was and its downtown historic center is like an open-air museum with its many famous buildings. You will find many fine shopping streets. Visit the Danube Tower for breathtaking views of the city.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hotel Alexander or similar (2 nights)
Day 2
Vienna
Vienna is also a dynamic city, famous for its electronic music scene and, of course, its coffee culture with its many beautiful traditional coffee bars offering delicious coffee and delectable pastries. The Viennese take their food quite seriously and throughout the day you will find superb food and fine wines.
Day 3
Vienna – Graz – Slovenia – Ljubljana 02 km*
From Vienna your journey today takes you to the historic old town of Graz . See the Glockenspiel, which comes to life with song and rotating dance figures daily.
Continue across Austria to Slovenia, a charming country renowned for its rich history and scenic landscapes with churches, castles, roadside shrines, and farmsteads. Arrive at the capital Ljubljana, where we have arranged your overnight stay. Ljubljana is a city full of galleries, museums and artists whose narrow streets are surrounded by medieval houses and interesting squares. The fashionable venues of the riverside offer indoor/outdoor dining at bars and cafes.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Ahotel or similar
Day 4
Ljubljana – Croatia – Zagreb 143.23 km*
From Ljubljana enjoy the beautiful countryside with its picturesque little towns and villages as you cross the border into Croatia and to Zagreb, where we have arranged your overnight stay. Zagreb is a city with a rich history serving as cultural and political focus of Croatia since the Middle Ages, and after the dissolution of Yugoslavia becoming the capital. For your evening meal try the local cuisine of hearty soups, local fresh-water fish, spit roasted pork or lamb, homemade cheeses and polenta accompanied by the local zinfandel wine.
Accommodation:
Tourist & First Class Antonovic Zagreb or similar
Day 5
Zagreb – Lake Balaton – Hungary – Budapest 350.84 km*
Today’s drive from Croatia to Hungary takes you through beautiful countryside of hills, castles and old rural houses. Pass Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe and a popular resort. Stay for lunch as the hills north of Balaton are known for their vineyards and so you will find a fine selection of the local wines, and try the special Lake Balaton fish called fogas (similar to pike or perch) served roasted.
From Lake Balaton continue your drive to Budapest, where we have arranged your overnight stay, truly one of Europe’s most attractive cities. Visit the spectacular Royal Palace which sits atop Castle Hill where it towers above the city overlooking the Danube. Stroll the embankment of the River Danube. Walk down Andrassy Avenue, flanked by palaces and houses featuring fine facades and recognized as a World Heritage Site. The avenue is also home to such upscale boutiques as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, etc. The classic coffee shops in the city serve delicious cakes for the sweet-toothed, and there is no problem in finding a café or restaurant for fine dining to fast food.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hotel Erzsebet City Center or similar
Day 6
Budapest – Slovakia – Poland – Krakow 394.29 km*
Leave Hungary to drive through the country of Slovakia. Typical souvenirs are dolls dressed in folk costumes, ceramics, crystal and carved wooden figures. Slovaks have a very rich folk culture of songs, dances and fairytales. Stop for lunch, which in Slovakia is traditionally the main meal of the day. The national Slovak dish is potato dumplings with sheep’s milk, though the cuisine varies from region to region as it’s influenced by the cuisine of its neighbors. Soup of sauerkraut with sausage, fried potato pancakes and poppy seed rolls are all popular. Leave Slovakia and cross into Poland.
Continue on to historical Krakow, where we have arranged your overnight stay. On the Vistula River in a valley at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, Krakow’s history encompasses over a thousand years, and is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland. A mecca of art, culture and nightlife, it is a popular tourist location. Its historic center is a World Heritage Site. For those that like to shop there are individual stores with real character as well as the shopping malls. At the end of the day unwind in one of the city’s many cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hotel David or similar
Day 7
Krakow – Warsaw 296.12 km*
From Krakow drive to Poland’s capital city of Warsaw, situated on the River Vistula, where we have arranged your overnight stay. Warsaw has been known as the “phoenix” city as it was completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt with the heroic efforts of Polish citizens. With over 80 city parks there is plenty of greenery and the Saxon Garden, once a royal garden, with its avenues and many species of trees is a nice place to sit and relax. It is not difficult here to find unique dining experiences.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hetman Hotel or similar
Day 8
Warsaw – Wroclaw 344.4 km*
From Warsaw continue your road trip through southwestern Poland to the undiscovered gem of a city, Wroclaw, where we have arranged your overnight stay. Perched on the Odra River in the historic region of Silesia, Wroclaw is a city of many rivers and bridges and fascinating architecture, often referred to as “The Venice of Poland”. A thousand years of history has given the city a lively and cultural ambience. Visit the Medieval market square of Old Town. Bursting at the seams with cozy cafes and excellent restaurants, after a day of sightseeing you can enjoy the typical cuisine, a mixture of traditional Polish and Silesian dishes, unique to this city.
Accommodation:
Tourist & First Class TheMonopol Hotel or similar
Day 9
Wroclaw – Czech Republic – Prague 278.42 km*
Leave Wroclaw and continue on into the Czech Republic and to its capital city of Prague, which is situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia and where we have arranged your overnight stay. As Prague suffered considerably less damage during World War II than other major cities in the region it contains one of the world’s most varied collections of architecture in style from Art Nouveau to Baroque, Renaissance, Cubist, Gothic and Neo-Classical, as well as ultra modern. Prague has a thriving nightlife with many bars, cafes, clubs and restaurants.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hotel Popelka or similar
Day 10
Prague – Brno – Austria – Vienna 415.21 km*
Today’s journey takes you through the historical region of Moravia and to the city of Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. Its city center is full of historical buildings, fountains, sculptures and restaurants and is very compact so it is very easy to walk around and see most of the places of interest.
Continue on back to Austria and its romantic capital, Vienna, for your overnight stay. See the famous Lipizzaner horse show, an equestrian tradition that dates from the 16th century. Music has a great impact to this city, home to such famous composers as Johann Strauss. Hear great operas with world star guests, the Viennese Philharmonic Orchestra and the world-famous Vienna Boys Choir. This evening dine on some of Vienna’s world famous cuisine of Wiener Schnitzel, apple strudel and Sachertorte.
Accommodation:
Tourist Class Hotel Alexander or similar
Day 11
Vienna
Continue to airport, Drop-off Rental Car for your return flight home.
- The Royal Palace
- Lipizzaner horse show