Passau to Prague Transportation

Seeking recommendations for private car service going from Passau to Prague next June. We are a party of 4 and would like to make a 3-4 hour stop along the way in Cesky Krumlov.

We did a private transfer from Passau to Prague after debarking Uniworld in September of 2013. We used Prague Airport Transfers. They had to come all the way from Prague to pick us up on a Sunday morning. We asked for a 9am pickup. The driver was there on time. Since there were 4 of us we asked for a minivan. The vehicle was very nice and the driver was nice but spoke limited English. So he really was not a tour guide along the way but we were OK with that.

We stopped along the way in Cesky Krumlov for 3 hours while the driver waited for us. We had lunch there and walked around the beautiful city. It truly is worth a stop. We got to Prague somewhere in the 3 to 4 o'clock range. Our traveling companions were staying in a different hotel so that took more time and was more costly for 2 drop-offs in different areas of Prague.

We thought the price was VERY reasonable. It was about 4600 CZK (185 Euros) for the transfer with the 2 drop-offs. The time in Cesky Krumlov was paid directly to the driver at the rate of 260 CZK per hour. (very cheap divided by 4).

We also used them for our transfer from the hotel to the airport. Also pleased with their service.

You can book on their website but since I wanted to do the stopover in Cesky, I emailed them directly to tell them exactly what I wanted. I think this is the correct address: info@prague-airport-transfers.co.uk. Let me know if this does not work!

We spent 4 days in Prague. It was wonderful! We used a private guide for one day to get a good introduction to the city. She was wonderful. Will be glad to share her info if you are interested.

Other than paying the driver directly for the time in Cesky Krumlov.... how and when did you pay Prague Airport Transfers?

I would also appreciate the information on your private guide.

Thanks so much,

Andy

You need to pay for the transfer from Passau 24hrs ahead of pickup. I must admit I was a little unsure about doing that but they did show up on time. They will give you instructions on their website and their emails to you about how to pay by Visa, MC or Amex on their secure website. You can also pay through PayPal. I think I paid before we left the US with a credit card just because I was unsure about internet connections from the ship. And to be honest those connections were not good at times. Our Australian travel companions who we met here on Cruise Critic, paid with Pay Pal from the ship.

Our guide in Prague was Michaela. Her email is michaela.iblova@email.cz. We did a 6 hr over view tour and requested being taken to a local restaurant for lunch as a part of our tour. We were quite pleased. The lunch was not included in her price and we paid for her lunch. It was a local non touristy restaurant and very good local cuisine. You can request being taken to wherever you wish to go in Prague. For example she took us to the Jewish Quarter but we went back the next day and went to the interiors of the buildings. You can book as much time as you think you need. Her price was 600CZK per hour for 2 people which is very reasonable.

I do not know when you are traveling, but I booked in July for a September tour.

Hope this answers your questions. If not let me know what else you need and I will try to help. What cruise line are you sailing on.?

I've checked out their website and already received a very thorough response to my email full of questions. I feel very comfortable using their services. Price quoted was 5570CZK for a minivan & 220 CZK per hour for waiting time in Cesky Krumlov.

We are a party of 4 traveling on Uniworld, departing Budapest on June 7,2015.

I will also be contacting Michaela. Your recommendations are sincerely appreciated.

We did exactly the same cruise. It was a great trip! We used a private guide in Budapest too. Would you also like that info?

We will have two full days before boarding the River Beatrice. We will be staying at the Hilton in the Buda Castle area. Do you remember what sites you went to with your guide, what sites you went to with the ship's tour, and what you did on your own? Your recommendation of a guide would be appreciated. Did you have a favorite restaurant?

Ok, I have been back and reviewed photos and emails so I will give this a try.

First of all, we also stayed at the the Hilton in the Buda Castle area. Fabulous location. If you are on the river side, there are great views of the Parliament Building across the river. You are next to Mathias Church and surrounded by the Fisherman's Bastion. The hotel was built around parts of an old monastery.

Views at night are just breathtaking!

We did the Parliament Building with Uniworld. It is very difficult to get entrance tickets on your own. It is a beautiful building and worth visiting. Most guides will not take you tree either.

We also had 2 full days before boarding Uniworld. Your guide sort of has a planned tour but if there is somewhere special you wish to go they will accommodate your wishes within reason.

Budapest is a very big city and very spread out. So unlike Prague where you can walk to most things, you can not here. We broke our guided tours down into 2 days. On the first day we did a 4 hour walking tour of mostly the Buda side. We went to the Royal Palace, the interior of Mathias Church, the Fisherman's Bastion, all over the Castle District, across Chain Bridge and learned so much about the history, both good and bad that has happened to this city over the decades. Things you would never learn on your own! Even though you are staying in this area I think a guided tour would be good. The 4 hour walking tour for 2 (think 4 would be the same) was 90 Euros. In the afternoon we went back and saw some things more in depth and visited the Hospital in the Rock on our own.

On the 2nd day we did a 4 hour driving tour to places farther away. We visited Heroes Square, the City Park, Szechenyi Spa, the Jewish Quarter, Jewish Cemetery, the wonderful Covered Market (we love markets), the beautiful New York Cafe, and Gellert Hill with Liberation Monuments from which you have great views down on the city. Riding tour was about 160 Euros for 4 hours,

We went back to the market again to buy souvenirs and walked through the shopping streets on our own.

We found our guide through Andrea Makkay. Andrea is highly recommended on CC, Rick Steves, Trip Adviser, etc. But she was booked so she recommended one of her associates, Kristina Banfy. She was wonderful. She is a former English teacher and speaks perfect English and just told wonderful stories about her life growing up under communist rule. You must go through Andrea to get her. Of course you might be able to get Andrea. Anyway contact is andrea.makkay@gmail.com.

Our favorite restaurant for dinner was Alabardos which is very near the Hilton. The Hilton recommended it. We also really enjoyed Pest Buda on Fortuna Utca. It is also very near by and serves your Grandmas Hungarian food but done quite well. The owners of that one also have other restaurants on the same street that are also highly regarded.

Hope this helps! If I can answer anything else I will give it a try!

By the way we did Pest Buda for lunch after our 4 hour walking tour. By then a good hardy Hungarian meal was welcomed!

Thanks for such a thoughtful and through response. I think we will just try to duplicate everything you did and everywhere you went....looking forward to a wonderful vacation.

Thanks for the compliment! I enjoyed this trip very much and also enjoyed planning it. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions along the way. Hope you will post after your trip, so we can all know how it all worked. Would like to know if the guides are still good etc before I suggest to some one else. We will be doing Castles Along the Rhine on the SS Antoinette on May 24, 2015, just before your cruise. Hope you have a fabulous trip!