Hiring a driver in foreign country relatively easy

Q: Last year, one of your writers did a great series in the Sunday travel section on her travels in Eastern Europe. She mentioned hiring a driver for a very low price. I am traveling this summer to some remote parts of northern Hungary and Slovakia and want to hire a driver. Can you tell me the best way to go about hiring someone?

Beth, Seattle

A: Hi. I wrote a series about traveling in Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania and I mentioned that I hired a local guide with a car for a few days in rural Romania. Frankly, I wouldn't hesitate to drive a rental car myself in the areas you mention — in my case, it was the guide I was after. He happened to come with a car.

I found his name mentioned in a Lonely Planet guidebook and e-mailed him, but I think it's possible to find people like this most everywhere in the former Communist bloc countries — entrepreneurial men and women who are trying to make a living in the growing business of tourism.

You might check in with the local tourist office once you arrive to see who might be available and the cost. I was in Penang, Malaysia, recently inquiring about hiring a driver. Someone overheard me and offered his services. This sort of thing is very common in Asia and in Eastern Europe.

Bottom line: Play it by ear and see what develops once you get there. You'll be in a better position to negotiate the price, and scope out the idea of driving yourself.

Carol Pucci, Seattle Times Travel writer

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