Upvote:1
So, having been in this part of Poland as recently as last year, and regularly traveling in Germany I feel confident recommending you utilize Google Maps and their Offline Download feature.
Whether it is more favorable to drive or take the train is really about how much of a walker you are vs. how much of a gearhead you are. :) Personally, the first time I got to drive in Germany, !! I didn't stop. Seriously, it was our honeymoon and Hubs was stuck in the passenger seat.
Also, the dual country rental should not be an issue. An option to select and a small fee probably is all.
Google is saying that it should take almost 6 hours if you take the A4 (A4 is a Toll Rd), closer to 7 or 7.5 if you go the A2. All dependent on traffic of course.
You could always make a weekend of it and stop in Wroclaw on the way down, then after go another half hour to Krakow...
Some Logistics: The city Auschwitz is in is called Oswiecim, Poland
Here's the Museum address: Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, Poland
Directions:
Upvote:2
When it comes to road conditions, at least the portion in Germany (which is about 1/3 of the way) you can expect a well paved motorway, so road conditions won't be a problem IMHO. I cannot speak for the Polish part of the way, though as I have never driven there. But also Poland is not a 3rd world country.
In Germany a rule of thumb is that you can usually expect to make about 100 km in one hour as long as there will be no traffic jams. It will be hard to predict if you will encounter any traffic jams on that route. But I'd plan some 6-8 hours one way.