Prague, Budapest & Croatia +Krakow?

Old Apr 16th, 2014, 09:59 AM
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Prague, Budapest & Croatia +Krakow?

My sister and I have 16 nights/15 days planned in Central Europe this upcoming May/June. Flying into Prague and out of Dubrovnik. Initially we had planned 4 days in each city- Prague, Budapest and Split/Hvar and Dubrovnik. But I also really want to check out Krakow so now I am thinking we can take an overnight train to Krakow from Prague. This means cutting down the time in each city to 3 days. Do you think adding Krakow into the itinerary is worth cutting down time in each city? Any advice you can give would be great! Thank you!
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 10:35 AM
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Considerations:
Depending on where you are flying from, the first day might be a wash (also the last day, depending on flight time).
Add up the travel time between cities--how much time will it pull from your time on the ground?
For my first trip, I visited Prague, Budapest, and Krakow, and I feel they make a great combination and you might be less likely to visit Krakow later. However, after many years of travel, I now like to combine longer stays with short stays as necessary. Having been to Croatia a few times, and knowing how nice it is in May/June, you may want more time there.
So, you may not need to divide up the days equally but may want to list what you want to see/do and allot your days accordingly.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 11:42 AM
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I would eliminate Split and Dubrovnik in favor of Krakow and more time in Prague.

Three days in Krakow is not enough time but it's way too much in Dubrovnik.

If you really want to see Split and Dubrovnik then save Krakow for another time when you can combine it with other locations in Poland.

If you do keep Krakow in the itinerary you'd need to fly to Split or Dubrovnik as it's too far by train.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 11:59 AM
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You need to check on this. I'm not sure there's a direct overnight train to Krakow from Prague, which means a 4 am train change in Katowice or something similar. That's kinda cruddy.

Cities are not created equal, therefore equal time causes regrets when you spend too much time in one and not enough in another. Dubrovnik and Split are each far smaller than Prague and Budapest.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 12:10 PM
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There is a direct overnight train between Krakow and Prague, leaving nightly or most nights - I did not check every day of the week - about 7 pm, getting into Prague about 7:30 am - there is also a direct overnight train between Krakow and Budapest.

For more about night trains and trains in general check out www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. Book online early for possible discounted tickets, which though are usually non-changebale non-refundable so be sure of your date!
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 12:37 PM
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The OP wants to travel from Prague to Krakow. There is a direct overnight train leaving Prague at 22:36 and arriving Krakow Glowny at 6:36. Sleeping car or couchette is offered. But it does not run daily.

Interestingly, Katowice is not one of the stops.
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 05:05 PM
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I agree with adrienne. I don't believe you have enough time for all these places. Deferring Dubrovnik and Split until you have time to visit that part of the world a bit more makes a LOT of sense to me. Your time would, IMO, be perfect for Prague, Budapest, and Krakow.

Enjoy!
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Old Apr 16th, 2014, 10:20 PM
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It appears the OP is flying home from Dubrovnik. So I assume it is a given. I assume Split is part of the logistics ( otherwise, I agree... I would eliminate this part and add Krakow).

If you already have the flight purchased, I would not add Krakow.

Curious, how are you getting to Dubrovnik from this region?
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 05:29 AM
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Interestingly, Katowice is not one of the stops.>

the other poster was mixing up the daytime Prague to Krakow rail link where you change off the Prague to Warsaw train at Katowice for a regional (dumy IME) train to Krakow. But yes night trains go direct.
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 08:54 AM
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Thanks for all the help! I do agree that traveling down to Croatia isn't ideal but my sister's number one place to travel is Croatia and mine is Prague/Budapest/Krakow so we compromised. I know it is a lot, though which is why I wasn't sure what my plan of action should be!

We were planning on flying from Budapest to Split. There is a train but it takes about 11 hours I think, which is a little too long (unless it's an overnight).

I'm just not sure when I will be back in that part of the world which is why I wanted to squeeze in Krakow!
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 11:08 AM
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The train from Budapest to Split takes 16 hours and is overnight with 2 hour stop in Zagreb.

Please do not "squeeze in" Krakow, it's worth much more.
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Old Apr 17th, 2014, 04:10 PM
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Do remember that "squeezing something in" also means squeezing other things out, and it also means substituting time in transit for the time you would otherwise have spent visiting the places you actually want to see. And each change of location "costs" about 1/2 day -- time lost to checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting to/from train (or whatever) stations AND getting there early enough to find where you need to be, etc., time spent getting oriented, etc. "Squeezing something in" can IME be a decidedly bad choice.

So once again, I agree with adrienne -- leave Krakow, as charming as it is, for another trip.
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Old Apr 21st, 2014, 02:26 PM
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Thank you for all the help everyone! Even though I would love to visit Krakow, there just isn't enough time. I'll save it for the next trip.
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Old Apr 29th, 2014, 03:41 PM
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I have another question for the experienced Croatian travelers! We arrive in Split on May 27 and leave out of Dubrovnik on June 4. That gives us 7 full days. We want to see the Plitvice Lake and Hvar while we are in the Split area. Do you suggest staying in Split and taking day trips to Hvar/lakes/other islands or should we stay over in Hvar?

Also, I see that there are buses daily to get from Split to Dubrovnik but I wanted to take the ferry that takes a full day. Does anyone know if it'll be running in May? I read it goes from Split --> Dubrovnik only on Saturdays and Tuesdays from June-Sept. I'd like to go Saturday but that date is May 31st. Do you think the ferry will be running that day? Any idea what times they leave?

Thanks for the help!
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Old Apr 29th, 2014, 04:39 PM
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I do not recommend visiting the Plitvice Lakes as a day trip. Part of what makes them so special is that the lakes differ from one another, and to see that, you need to get some distance into the park. Yes, you can see parts in just a couple of hours, but spending 6 or 7 hours gives you a much better sense of this magnificently, stunningly beautiful place, and to do that, it's best to spend a night in the area. Just something to consider.

Whether to spend a night in Hvar depends on what you want to see and experience. I only spent about 3 in Hvar Town; I would have liked another hour or two, but didn't feel that I missed out on much. Other people love Hvar Town and spend several days there and write glowingly of their experiences. I spent most of my limited time -- namely, two evenings and the better part of a day -- in Stari Grad (also on Hvar Island) and loved it; most people skip Stari Grad entirely. Whether you can do ANY of that as a day trip depends on the ferry schedules.

Whether/how much time to spend in Split depends on your interests. I loved Split -- I found it dynamic and energetic and full of interesting things to do and see. Some people don't like it, perhaps because it is not a laid back tourist resort and is not completely centered around tourism. You'll have to decide for yourselves. BTW, while in Split, do consider spending a half day (or more) in lovely nearby Trogir.

Most Jadrolinija ferries do change schedules on 1 June. There are several ferry lines that run services in the area; most of the ferries are (I believe) run by Jadrolinija. I see no reason to doubt what the schedules show. But you never know!

By the way, for your trip from Split to Dubrovnik, the views of the islands from the bus may make skipping the ferry seem worthwhile! I didn't make that full trip by bus, but OMG, the part I saw (the southern part) was jaw dropping! The ferries were lovely, but I didn't think the views quite as dramatic. YMMV.

Hope that helps!
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Old Apr 30th, 2014, 07:24 AM
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I agree with kja on overnight in Plitvice, mostly because it takes about 4 hours to get there. (If you want to do it as a day trip, it is probably best to pay for an organized tour.)
For bus schedules, see http://www.ak-split.hr/EN/. (looks like there are 4 departures to Plitvice on May 27)
You could depart the day you arrive in Split (if early enough), get in an evening hike, stay the night, hike in the morning, and then return to Split.
I would stay a day or two in Split, go to Hvar, and then to Dubrovnik. I would reverse the order if the ferry is not running that day, and take the bus instead.
I do not like long ferry rides. No matter how gorgeous, it gets cold--and old--to me! The coastal ferry schedule has recently been published and is available at http://www.jadrolinija.hr (note it departs from Stari Grad on Hvar, 30 mins by bus from Hvar town).
This is much more fast-paced than why I would ideally do, but you are young, and it seems like that kind of trip. If you decide it is more island time that you are after and Hvar does not work out, Korcula is a great alternative and may work better with ferry schedules.
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Old May 1st, 2014, 11:29 AM
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Could you fly or take the train from Budapest to Zagreb instead? Plitvice is closer to Zagreb- you could take the bus to Plitvice for an overnight and then take the bus to Split. I highly recommend staying at least one night.

Our time in Croatia was only a week as well (following a week in Czech Rep so not all that unusual!). We spent 1 night in Plitvice, 1 in Split, 2 in Dubrovnik, and 3 on Mjlet. I really liked Split and wouldn't have minded another day there but it was enough for my husband. We wanted to take the ferry down the coast too but the timing just didn't work out.

Have fun! I loved Croatia and hope to get back sometime.
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Old May 23rd, 2014, 06:33 AM
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I love my Krakow! I lived here since I have decided to study in Poland. I run two blogs if you are interested in. >http://krakow-city-breaks.blogspot.com/<
>seekrakow.blogspot.com<

Follow my blogs
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Old Jul 7th, 2014, 01:20 PM
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Hi, any advice or links to handicap accessible( mobility) travel to & between Budapest, Prague and Croatia? Thank you
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