hinckley

I'm planning my fifth ED in five years (some for me, some with friends). I've lived, worked and traveled in Europe for over 25 years, but have not been to eastern Europe since the wall fell. I know that at one time, car theft was a very big issue in the area.

So here's my question. I'm planning on picking up an M6 convertible with a friend in June. We're thinking about traveling into both the Czech Republic and Poland, then to Berlin and Amsterdam. Any opinions about traveling in that area with that car?

btw, I mean no disrespect to our Czech and Polish members!

PoleApart

I don't think it's really an issue these days at least not anymore so than in the old EU countries. You don't leave stuff in a convertible that might encourage roof slashing.

I'm over 2 years with my 530d in Poland and never had a crime related issue with it and I park it anywhere and don't have any security other than the standard alarm system. I've also left my Miata and Ferrari parked on main streets with the targa off / roof down off with no issues. Given you'll be on German plates which may attract scumbags more so than local ones I would simply park in watched parking lots in larger cities. Where do you want to travel in Poland? Polish side roads are crap, highways are OK.

///Marco.it

I am having oftently business trips to Czech, Slovakia, Hungary and even Serbia. I never had any problem whatsoever with any of my BMWs. Pay the usual attention you would pay in any other European country if you have the chance park always in garages specially in big cities.
Have a nice trip and enjoy your new car.

hinckley

I've never been to Poland and know that I'll be nearby when driving from Prague to Berlin, so I thought that I would go to the Wroclaw area. Any suggestions?

PoleApart

What are you looking for specifically - towns, bars, landscapes? Wroclaw is a really nice city with some nice hotels and a great nightlife - kind of like Prague but not really discovered by tourists although low cost flights are taking their toll.

This is a very nice hotel to stay: http://www.en.arthotel.pl/

The mountain area between say Prague and Wroclaw on the Polish border is nice - kind of like White Mountains in New England - lots of spa towns, nice places to stay. An obscure place to visit on the Polish Czech border in Kudowa is an 18th century chapel lined with human skulls...




In Wroclaw a fun way to view the town is to try and find all of the dwarves which are dotted all round the old town - this way you also get to see the best sights:

http://www.krasnale.pl/mapa/

The map just shows some of them, there are other hidden ones and there's a gallery of them all

http://picasaweb.google.pl/naaga1/KRASNALE...WwwKrasnalovePl

hondik

You'll have no problem with BMW in Czech Republic. If you had a VW (Skoda, VW, Audi, Seat) it could disappear quickly but BMWs are safer.

hinckley

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think that we're going to explore that part of Europe.

Hondik, we're considering the Manderin Oriental in Prague. Is that a good choice?

luxembourg

I' ll back up my country fellow-man's "Wroclaw visiting idea" with all my heart!
(while web-searching for additional info be careful though for different spellings possible: "Wrocław" in Polish, or Breslau in German, although discutable in Poland... )
During one of the trips by a pure coincidence I stayed at this place: QUBUS HOTEL

and I can highly recommend it, although their website is far from impressive...
- The hotel is perfectly located: only few steps from the main old town square, already in the old town.
- it has a nice swimming pool + whirlpool + small yet quite nice gym, all free for customers,
- tasty breakfasts,
- they have their own, reserved parking places in the nearby private parking (very, very safe), and if you wish - valet will pick up you car in the front door and park it there. I did not want to leave my E60 in anyone's hands though, so I followed the hotel's employee driving another car up to the parking space of my choice where the car safely slept for 4 nights.
- the rates are quite reasonable, considering the hotel's location.

Good luck and don't worry about BMWs in Poland.
Just keep them in safe places
I have foreign plates on my E60 and never had any problems in Poland and I am quite often back in my home-country.
(Once, for pure fun I even left my E60 parked in the center city Warsaw, just in front of the huge building called "Culture and Science Palace" for 5 or 6 nights, and nobody even touched the car), so no worries.
Well, if it was a recent Passat, I'd be talking to my insurance already, of course...

hondik

I haven't heard anything wrong about it. It is quite new, the location is great and it looks beautiful. Good choice, let me know how you liked it!

hinckley

Thank you very, very much. I love this site!! btw, is it true that Poland is not covered on the European nav disks?