Oktoberfest 2016
May 16, 2015, 9:50 pm
#1
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Posts: 43
Oktoberfest 2016
Hello All,
I wanted to plan a gateaway to Munich for Okotober Fest 2016. Would fly out of ORD to Munich for 3-4 days and than rent a car to visit Poland for 2 weeks. Fly out of either Warsaw or Krakow back to ORD. Since I have ample time, I wanted to complete this trip using miles/points. I was hoping to get recommendations on which airline and hotel I should target for points churning. I appreciate any and all advice. Trip would include myself, wife.
Sincerely,
I wanted to plan a gateaway to Munich for Okotober Fest 2016. Would fly out of ORD to Munich for 3-4 days and than rent a car to visit Poland for 2 weeks. Fly out of either Warsaw or Krakow back to ORD. Since I have ample time, I wanted to complete this trip using miles/points. I was hoping to get recommendations on which airline and hotel I should target for points churning. I appreciate any and all advice. Trip would include myself, wife.
Sincerely,
May 17, 2015, 1:00 pm
#3
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Indeed. All of the major rental companies I can think of don't allow cars to be taken to Poland, since there is significant concern (justified) that these cars will never make it back.
May 18, 2015, 4:14 am
#5
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Hotels with points in Munich during Octoberfest: no chance, my friend. You can periodically check if anything opens up (it did for fellow FTers last year), but not really bank on it. Flights should be available without issues.
Hertz often has cars in Munich that need to be taken back to their origin countries. You can check the last minute status here: http://www.hertz-transfer.de/index.php?lang=GB
Otherwise I would just book a flight/train to Poland and start my rental there.
Hertz often has cars in Munich that need to be taken back to their origin countries. You can check the last minute status here: http://www.hertz-transfer.de/index.php?lang=GB
Otherwise I would just book a flight/train to Poland and start my rental there.
May 20, 2015, 4:40 am
#6
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Regarding hotels with points availability, much to my surprise, I am finding points nights for 2015. I've checked IHG, Club Carlson and Marriott. Booked a trip to Germany several weeks ago when a good airfare popped up. Didn't realize that the dates I chose happen to be during Oktober Fest 2015 (initially naively assumed Oktoberfest was in October). So I am able to get opening weekend on points--would have skipped it if I had to pay those hotel rates.
May 21, 2015, 9:36 am
#7
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This is fortunately utterly nonsense. Hertz eg only prohibits you from taking BMW and Mercedes and certain top models into Poland, Sixt and National add Audi and VW to the list. The problem however are one way rentals. They are either not possible or carry a substantial surcharge.
May 23, 2015, 12:02 pm
#9
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This sentence is obviously utterly nonsense. I frequently take Hertz cars into Poland without any issue legally and practically. Simply review the rental conditions and you will see what you can do. We are no longer in the year 1980 but in the Poland of 2015. Some people need to understand that and forget about such backwards perspectives.
May 24, 2015, 3:40 am
#10
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You give the impression that you can just rent a car in Germany and drive into Poland. This is not the case for a large subsection of the cars offered for rental. As an example, here is what Sixt has to say about it:
Source:
http://www.sixt.co.uk/rental-service...l-information/
Hertz is not dissimilar:
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/reser...TIONS&EOAG=MUC
I'm not saying that you can't find a rental car to drive into Poland, but you generally can't drop off, and you are restricted in terms of which cars are allowed in in the first place. This is not the case for, say Belgium.
Cross Border Rentals & Territorial Restrictions
Cross Border Rentals are allowed to the following countries - inclusive islands:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatikan City.
Cross Border Rentals are allowed to the following countries but not with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Porsche and all Jeeps/Offroader:
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
It is allowed to enter the last-mentioned countries with all vehicles of car groups IVMR, SVMR and FVMR (including Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Viano), vans and trucks.
In case of offence against Cross Border & Territorial Restrictions all insurances lose their validity.
Cross Border Rentals are allowed to the following countries - inclusive islands:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatikan City.
Cross Border Rentals are allowed to the following countries but not with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Porsche and all Jeeps/Offroader:
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
It is allowed to enter the last-mentioned countries with all vehicles of car groups IVMR, SVMR and FVMR (including Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Viano), vans and trucks.
In case of offence against Cross Border & Territorial Restrictions all insurances lose their validity.
http://www.sixt.co.uk/rental-service...l-information/
Hertz is not dissimilar:
Hertz vehicles cannot be driven into and/or dropped off in any African, American, Asian, or Middle Eastern country, nor in Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Hertz vehicles may be driven to, but not dropped off in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Exceptions: All Mercedes and BMW models, convertibles, SUVs, trucks and cargo vans, as well as all Hertz Prestige Collection and Fun Collection vehicles cannot be driven into or dropped off in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
All Mercedes and BMW models, Convertibles and SUVs, as well as all Hertz Prestige Collection and Fun Collection vehicles cannot be driven into or dropped off in Italy.
Hertz vehicles may be driven to, but not dropped off in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Exceptions: All Mercedes and BMW models, convertibles, SUVs, trucks and cargo vans, as well as all Hertz Prestige Collection and Fun Collection vehicles cannot be driven into or dropped off in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
All Mercedes and BMW models, Convertibles and SUVs, as well as all Hertz Prestige Collection and Fun Collection vehicles cannot be driven into or dropped off in Italy.
I'm not saying that you can't find a rental car to drive into Poland, but you generally can't drop off, and you are restricted in terms of which cars are allowed in in the first place. This is not the case for, say Belgium.
May 24, 2015, 10:37 am
#11
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You put in a long statement what I put in four lines. Certain brands can't be taken into Poland (the same is true for other countries like Italy). Your statement was however that no major rental car company will allow cars to be taken into Poland. And this is certainly the policy of the 80th.
Cross border rentals is a different thing. I personally would not even take a rental car from Germany to Austria, since they charge you an arm and a leg for the cross border rental, even if you rent eg. at SZG and return the car in Freilassing.
Cross border rentals is a different thing. I personally would not even take a rental car from Germany to Austria, since they charge you an arm and a leg for the cross border rental, even if you rent eg. at SZG and return the car in Freilassing.
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; May 24, 2015 at 2:11 pm
May 24, 2015, 1:58 pm
#12
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OK, so I guess in the end we agree (or at least don't disagree). My original statement was a bit too heavy-handed. My point was, as I pointed out later, that you shouldn't assume that you can take any old rental car into Poland (or any CEE country, including, in many cases, Italy) since anything halfway decent is barred. And the reason it's not permitted is not due to the condition of the road or anything like that...
May 24, 2015, 2:10 pm
#13
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OK, so I guess in the end we agree (or at least don't disagree). My original statement was a bit too heavy-handed. My point was, as I pointed out later, that you shouldn't assume that you can take any old rental car into Poland (or any CEE country, including, in many cases, Italy) since anything halfway decent is barred. And the reason it's not permitted is not due to the condition of the road or anything like that...
May 26, 2015, 2:09 pm
#14
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Hotels with points in Munich during Octoberfest: no chance, my friend. You can periodically check if anything opens up (it did for fellow FTers last year), but not really bank on it. Flights should be available without issues.
Hertz often has cars in Munich that need to be taken back to their origin countries. You can check the last minute status here: http://www.hertz-transfer.de/index.php?lang=GB
Otherwise I would just book a flight/train to Poland and start my rental there.
Hertz often has cars in Munich that need to be taken back to their origin countries. You can check the last minute status here: http://www.hertz-transfer.de/index.php?lang=GB
Otherwise I would just book a flight/train to Poland and start my rental there.
The downtown location might be tough, but the full service Marriott is just a short U/S Bahn ride away and made a great base for a short visit. Certainly better then ~$400 a night anywhere around Munich.
I also was able to score award flights with United miles, though it was in economy class.
