duketennisgal

Good afternoon, I was hoping to get a little bit of advice on my itinerary for a trip this Nov/Dec. My boyfriend and I visited Europe for the first time last year and have decided to make it an annual event! This year I really wanted to visit Christmas markets so we are flying out on Thanksgiving day and spending our time in Budapest, Vienna and Prague. I was hoping to get some suggestions on my itinerary!

Schedule:
Nov 24th - Depart US for Budapest
Nov 25th - Arrive Budapest (morning)
Nov 25th - 28th explore Budapest
Nov 29th - Early train from Budapest to Vienna
Nov 29th - Dec 2nd explore Vienna
Dec 3rd - Early train from Vienna to Prague
Dec 3rd - Dec 6th explore Prague
Dec 7th - fly home from Prague

I would like to take a trip to Szentendre during our time in Budapest, this appears to be pretty easy and shouldn't take too much time. Does anybody know if they have a Christmas market?

During our time in Vienna I am contemplating a trip to Salzburg. I know the train is expensive and it's a long journey, but I've been told Christmas in Salzburg is magical and I would love to experience it. We both are early risers so we could take the very early train (5:30 or 6:30) and be in Salzburg for breakfast and then leave around dinner time. Has anybody done this, is it a really bad idea? Neither of us really mind the travel time and I would love to get at least a glimpse of the Alps. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Are there any interesting, short, day trips from our base cities or should we just focus on those cities? Again, my focus on this trip is Christmas markets so if anybody has any suggestions of a must see that is somewhere along our itinerary let me know!

Thanks!

fourfortravel

Oh, lucky you! We live in Vienna, and Christmas in Central Europe is entirely magical! With your itinerary you should have no difficulty filling your days with sightseeing punctuated by visits to Christmas markets; there is little need for day trips.

That said, if you wish to make a day trip to Salzburg from Vienna, the first step is to check the hours of the markets for your planned visit (during the week some markets are only open in the late afternoon or evening). Assuming the markets will be open, RT tickets from Vienna are approximately €50 per person and can be easily purchased on the train, so that you will not have to plan ahead, and nor are you tied to a particular time. The one-way trip is just under three hours. We have taken numerous visiting friends and family for a day trip to Salzburg; it's a whirlwind, but if it's what you want to do...though, keep in mind that the Alps may be fogged in or clouded over at that time of year.

In general, do your homework regarding the Christmas markets. In Vienna, for example, most tourists flock to the Wiener Kristkindlmarkt, the "big" commercial market set up in front of Rathaus, but there are so many other more charming markets where you can find handmade, authentic gifts. A little bit of research goes a long way.

Happy Planning!

duketennisgal

Thank you, I had no idea that you could purchase tickets on the train for that price, I assumed I needed to book in advance! That will help tremendously as we may decide that there is just too much to see in Vienna to leave!

tripplanner001

I second fourfortravel in that late November / early December will be a magical time to be in Central Europe. We spent a week in Vienna around the same time last year and Budapest the year before.

We had four nights in Budapest and found enough to occupy our time.

What you don't have on your itinerary is Bratislava; it's worth a day trip from Vienna or even enroute from Budapest to Vienna if you have the time. The center of town is compact and easy to walk around. I really liked that it felt like one big village and the market felt particularly cosy.

Like fourfortravel, I found some of the smaller markets in Vienna less commercialized and more enjoyable. You can click on my name for our report from last year, which discusses the various markets we visited in Vienna.

fourfortravel

Bratislava's Christmas markets are rather small, and with more commercial products and food than traditional handmade items, but if you have time to visit the city the markets will make a nice addition.

Here are our Christmas market reports from last year (Salzkammergut) and Bavaria (2014).

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...zkammergut.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...as-markets.cfm

duketennisgal

Thank you, heading to your trip reports right now. I'll check out Bratislava and might add that in to our itinerary!