glover

4 of us are doing Austrian Airlines Prague/Vienna/Budapest air/hotel package. Pkg does not include transfers, so company now suggests another $550 or more for all transfers for all of us (amts to 6 between airports/hotels/trains). Just wondering how reasonable/or not that price sounds. Seems high to me - even if we averaged around $50 a transfer for the 4 of us - we'd be at just $300. . .. . Doesn't sound like taxis etc are that difficult/expensive to come by ... . Wondering what recent experience others have had

Christina

It's hard to say without knowing what you are doing and where you are going and where the hotels are actually located by distance from the airport. If it is just a hotel/air, I would have thought it would just be transfers from the airport to your hotel. What's the train got to do with it?

Taxis are not difficult to come by in major cities and all of these are, and they are always at airports and train stations. So you are talking $140 a person for complete transfers for an entire trip? Which would be maybe at least four transfers,and I think you are saying there will be six of them, and some could be long trips from city centers to airports? Given the value of the dollar today, that sounds pretty reasonable to me. That is a little over US$20 per transfer.

I think the idea that you can transport four people for US$50 (about 35 euro) a long distance is possible, but I wouldn't count on it. And if the transfers included directly to/from your hotel without you having to go somewhere, it could be more convenient (eg, a person car/van). It's up to you to decide if you want to figure out all the public transportation, etc., issues and how to get there. I paid around 30-35 euro for a taxi from Vienna airport into town, but that was some years ago. From Prague airport, it's not as much, in euro, I'd guess around 20-25 (of course they don't take euro). I didn't do that in Budapest, so have no idea the distance or cost there. I don't know how likely a taxi will take four people in these places.

glover

Thanks. Meant to say that the package includes train tickets between Prague and Vienna and Vienna and Budapest. That's where I came up with 6 - 2 from/to airports and 4 from/to train stations.

adrienne

Here are some links to Prague shuttles.

http://www.prague-airport-shuttle.com/

http://www.123-prague.com/

http://www.mike-chauffeur.cz/

You still haven't said where your hotels are located so you won't be able to get a realistic answer to your question on transportation costs.

yk

Taxi fare from central Budapest to Budapest airport is around 4300 HUF + tip - this was in May 2009. That's about $23. However, depending on the amount of luggage the 4 of you have, you may need a van-sized taxi for your transfers, which often costs a bit more.

yk

Trains from Vienna to Budapest departs from Westbahnhof, which is just outside the Ring. It should be a fairly cheap ride if you're staying at a hotel inside the Ring... perhaps 15 euros?

We had arranged for a van to pick us up at Budapest Keleti rail station to drive us to our rental agency office and then to our apt. We had 5 people and needed a van; this was arranged by our apartment rental agency. The van cost 37 euros but if it had been a car it would have been 25 euros.

nytraveler

It depends on 2 things:

Location of hotels versus airports/train stations
How much luggage you have

Assuming smallish luggage (so you all fit in a regular cab) and hotels not at the end of hell and gone this sounds quite high. But - if you have a lot of luggage and need a van versus a regular (small)cab, it might not be TOO much.

glover

Thanks for all the info. In regard to hotel location, in all cities should be fairly central. Victoria Prague hotel in Prague is in Prague 3 - near Vikova and Seifertova. Savoy Garni Vienna is supposedly in the Neubau area of Vienna. And Hotel Hungaria in Budapest is in the Jozsefvaros neighborhood.

yk

The Savoy Garni hotel in Vienna is fairly close to Westbahnhof. If you can handle it, it's only a 0.3 mile walk (5 minutes) to the Neubaugasse U-bahn station. From there, it is 2 stops on the U-bahn to Westbahnhof. The U-bahn takes about 3-5 minutes. There are escalators at stations.

Tickets are €1,80 per person.

thursdaysd

And there's always public transport, although with four a taxi or car service can be cost-effective. For Budapest, see http://www.bud.hu/english/passengers...rt_and_parking - I used the minibus. Although I had to wait awhile for the ride into Budapest, it delivered me to my hotel. Going the other way it will presumably pick you up at your hotel.

If you're arriving and leaving Vienna by train, I would (did) use the metro. See http://www.wien.gv.at/english/transp...ublictrans.htm - take a look at buying a pass, you'll likely want one for public transport while you're in Vienna.