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Need help with order of Eastern European cities

Need help with order of Eastern European cities

Old Mar 26th, 2012, 07:54 AM
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Need help with order of Eastern European cities

Hi, We are going to Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. We have decided to do the train and have 3 weeks. Does anyone have suggestion about the route we should take ie, first, second, third, etc. Thanks! Jo
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 08:12 AM
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Where you are flying to and home from will determine the first and last stop. Can you share this information with us?
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 09:26 AM
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Sure...From my husband "I was thinking of flying into Berlin and out of Prague but we could go with any of the cities for our flights - maybe not Krawkow." Thanks!!
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 09:27 AM
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First, the pedantic point: none of those cities are in Eastern Europe, they are in Central Europe. If Berlin is "Eastern" what is Kyiv?

A direct answer to your question is, if you must take the train then the order in which you listed the cities (or its reverse) is decent. Would strongly consider flying from Krakow to Budapest if possible (about 10.5 hours by train) and possibly from Berlin to Warsaw because you have to go all the way across Poland on a six-hour trip.
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 09:32 AM
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Have you looked up the best flight times and costs in and our\t of these cities from your departure city? There can be big differences - in $ and convenience.

And I don't think it's pedantic.

These places are all in central europe. Eastern is Russia and the Ukraine. (I know tour groups call this eastern - but what do they know about geopolitics or history/culture?)
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 10:02 AM
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You need to firm up your plane plans as there could be a big difference in fares, depending on where you fly to and home from. Get your plane reservations first and the rest will fall into place.

The only place you should take the train from Krakow to is Warsaw. All other places take forever to get to from Krakow.
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 10:13 AM
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Thank you...all this info helps. I was a great social worker (MSW) with another graduate degree but ask me where anything is in the world...I'm sorry to say I'm lost

Jo
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 10:19 AM
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, We are going to Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. We have decided to do the train and have 3 weeks.>

Land in Berlin, train to Warsaw, Krakow, overnight train to Budapest or a long long slog in daytime - train to Vienna, fly back out of Vienna - your shortest time-wise on the train and just a logical order I believe. But if air fares are better say flying back out of Budapest then do Vienna from Krakow - still a long haul and overnight train available I think. And with all that train travel investigate the European East Railpass where you can travel in 2nd class on a 5-day pass for 32 euros a day for fully flexible hop on any train just about anytime travel or 48 euros a day in first class, which my many train travels in eastern Europe make me strongly suggest doing. Lots of great rail info at these sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 11:36 AM
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Sheeyoot, if PalQ says this about a train ride "long long slog in daytime" then you definitely need to look into flights. PalQ is the biggest train shill on this board.

I wouldn't be caught on an overnight train in 2d class anywhere east of Germany. There's a BIG dropoff in train quality, timeliness, speed, comfort and quality when you go from Germany to [other] lands east of the Iron Curtain. This applies to a degree in Austria because you'd be taking a train from Hungary.
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Old Mar 26th, 2012, 12:46 PM
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I've gone second class on Czech trains and it was fine. In Poland I went first class because of my travel companion. If I were on my own I would have bought second class tickets. In Poland the train toilets are about 10th class!

If you do the Krakow/Warsaw run be sure to get a seat reservation no matter what class of ticket you buy as the high-speed train is pretty full.
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