Planning a European road trip

We've got a family friend working out in Prague at the moment. He's got plenty of space where he's living and has invited us over for a weekend.

I was thinking of driving (only 650 miles!) and then driving around other nearby countries with my wife and kids.

The list of countries I have is:

Poland
Slovakia
Hungry
Austria
Slovenia
Croatia
Serbia


Probably going for 7-10 days so wouldn't go to more than maybe a couple of these.

Does anyone have any recent experience of these countries that they could share? Are they reasonably safe to visit?

I've been to the far eastern end of Slovakia.  You know that image of communist Russia, with men wearing shabby donkey jackets and huddled round burning brazers to keep warm?  I saw that on the flat roof of a single storey outbuilding at Kosice International Airport (although to be fair it was the week before Christmas and it was snowing a lot).  And the airport itself made Barton look like Heathrow...

The centre of Humenné just looked like any other town, to be honest.  The hotel I stayed in was a three star, allegedly.  Bloody cheap, but it felt like I'd been transported back to the 70s.  There was a chrome tube coffee table with a smoked glass top!  A button-back chair in mustard!  Very cheap though, cost £34 for a whole week... In fact, the whole place was seriously inexpensive.  But worryingly close to the border with Ukraine, which then (like now) was a bit of a war zone.

The people seemed friendly enough, but I think Bratislava might be more interesting.

Bratislava and Vienna aren't that far apart and I think my wife mentioned that she'd like to go to Vienna. That was probably a few years ago, but I think she'd still like to go.

200 miles from Prague to Vienna and only 50 miles from Vienna to Bratislava. That looks like a good shout.

And Budapest is only 200 miles from Bratislava.

I think if we had two weeks, then maybe Maribor and Zagreb too. Unless they are safer and better than Bratislava and Budapest.

If you want Bratislava - ask me....back off there again on Saturday for a week.

TBF....the train is really cheap and if you do go to BTS, Vienna is 80 mins by train for 20 euros....less stress and bloody easy.

Train is the way to go if you ask me.

Go on AirBnB....see if there are any nice apartments for the night.

About to book a nice Florence apartment for my wife's 50th coming up.

Stole my thunder D. 

BTS is perfectly safe. Depends on what you want to do.

Sightseeing? How many days? Not been, but the caves there are supposed to be amazing...and only an hour away from the city centre....I've got a couple of days off next week whist I'm there, so hoping one of the cabin crew will take me (she promised she would...honestly she did!)

Didn't think about the train option. The kids would like that. Will speak to Mrs Dawg tonight. I think the idea of going to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and maybe Budapest will appeal to her.

It's great and really easy and a much cheaper option.

If you want a decent hotel, 10 mins in a taxi from the centre - shopping centre/food etc attached to the hotel and close to the main train stations - let me know.

The one I stay at is really nice.

http://www.lindner.de/en/bratislava-hotel-gallery-central/welcome.html?gclid=COfSjOqQxcoCFQoCwwodJwYPKg

They even do some great overnight trains (bed) for further afield...don't have the time this time, otherwise I would have done something further afield than Vienna. Not sure, but it may have been in the region of 50 euros each - 7/8 hour journey to Budapest for example.

Missus is keen on this trip. Maybe too cold in Feb so talking about Easter holidays. Thinking of a weekend in Prague, then 2 or 3  days in each of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest before going back to Prague for another weekend. 

Cheers for the info.

No probs. I'll try and get some local info on trains etc for you - remind me next week.

PM me your email address and I'll send you through what to do in BTS, prices etc for hotels and trains....I'll ask the pilots next week what they suggest you should do there.