2 weeks trip to Europe in July, please help.
 

We're planning for a trip to Europe in July '23. We are a family of 3, my wife, me and my teenage daughter. We have already purchased our flights from USA. After searching the web, TA forum's suggestions, decided to get input from Fodor's forum. Our plan is as of now:
Day 1 : Bos to Berlin - overnight flight.
Day 2 -5 : Berlin for 4 N.
Day 6: Berlin to Prague
Day 6 - 7 : Prague for 2 N
Day 8 : Prague to Vienna
Day 8 -10 : Vienna for 3 N
Day 11: Vienna to Budapest
Day 11 - 12: Budapest for 2 N
Day 13 : Departure from Budapest to Boston.
Please help us with any recommendations on this itinerary. As flights are booked, we can only change our cities, length of stays etc. Any hotel recommendations, sight seeing etc will be highly appreciated. Also, any suggestions regarding regional train booking will be helpful. Thanks.

Removed Trip Report tag and added country tags

I would want more time in Prague, Vienna and Budapest. Your time in Prague is particularly short.

I wouldn't have added Budapest. Oh well. It is your trip.

Thanks. I can take out one day from Berlin and add it to Prague.

I too think you are shortchanging everywhere but Berlin. Since Berlin and Budapest are fixed I would drop either Prague or Vienna. Two nights at a destination only gives you one full day

I too think you are shortchanging everywhere but Berlin. Since Berlin and Budapest are fixed I would drop either Prague or Vienna. Two nights at a destination only gives you one full day.
in Budapest recommend the Marriott Millennium
Court. Good location. Lots of room and you could get a two bedroom apartment.

"Day 6: Berlin to Prague
Day 6 - 7 : Prague for 2 N"

. . . = 1 day in Prague

"Day 8 : Prague to Vienna
Day 8 -10 : Vienna for 3 N"

. . . = 2 days in Vienna

"Day 11: Vienna to Budapest
Day 11 - 12: Budapest for 2 N
Day 13 : Departure from Budapest to Boston."

. . . = 1 day in Budapest (day 11 is a travel day and day 13 is your departure day.

You are trying to squeeze four major cities into 10 usable days - and three of those days are traveling from one city to another (your arrival day -- day 2 -- may be a jet lagged slog so you likely won't be doing any major sightseeing, leaving 10 days for seeing/doing).

I'd do 3 cities max -- and that would be a rush.

I think I will have 3N for Berlin, Prague and Vienna, ending Budapest with 2N and return. Although only 2N in Budapest is not enough, but from Vienna, if I take early morning train, within 2 1/2 h in Budapest, so I will have 2 full days in Budapest.

" . . . but from Vienna, if I take early morning train, within 2 1/2 h in Budapest, so I will have 2 full days in Budapest"

The train takes 2.5 hours -- so you could get to Budapest by mid morning - but likely can't check in to your hotel room until 3 or 4 PM so that will be an inconvenient day - and certainly not '2 full days'.

With 3 of you, including a teenager, this seems an awfully aggressive itinerary.

I think you are short changing Budapest, much as I don't like the politics of the country I do like their spas and bars etc so 2 nights is really tough

I have calculated this time. But in the past, we used to leave our luggage at the hotel and started exploring the city instead of waiting to check in the hotel and then start the day. Everywhere check in starts at 3 pm, but if we need to wait for that, we're going to loose the day.
Thanks again for your suggestions.

"But in the past, we used to leave our luggage at the hotel and started exploring the city instead of waiting to check in the hotel and then start the day. "

I assumed as much -- that's what most anyone would do. But faffing about with transiting to the hotel, leaving the bags (and maybe checking in if the room happens to be ready) - realistically you won't get any real sightseeing in til noon-ish and then have to break it up to go back to the hotel to check in. Just an inconvenient day, and having been up since 5:30 or 6 AM it still won't be a 'full day' for sightseeing. (is your daughter an early riser?? Most teens I know aren't all that happy in the early AM ;) )

I think it's fine although I might have added one more day to Prague, perhaps out of Berlin, but you know your own interests. Some people on Fodors don't like moving much, I do, and they always say you lose an entire day just moving, which is not true, you have more than one day in Prague. Also people do things at night, the day doesn't end at 5 pm. You can get a train or bus from Berlin to Prague and be there around noon, if you want. So you have most of the day, espec compared to some people who don't do much in the morning. I get up very early in the morning but a lot of people don't. It also doesn't take me much time to pack, etc.

I wouldn't have added Budapest but I get that most of us don't have unlimited time to spend and travel oin Europe that much, so it's natural to want to see some places that beckon to you. I htink you have to decide for yourself on the days, you wanted 4 in Berlin for a reason, I"m sure. I personally liked Prague more than Vienna, so would do 3 there and 2 in Vienna but that's just me.

There isn't much you can do if your flights are fixed other than completely cancel one city, I suppose Vienna or Prague.

Thank you all for your valuable information. Yes, sometimes it is tough to travel from one city to another, but we are used to it and did a lot of trips in the past, staying in a city for 3-4 nights. As our flights have been booked, we will arrive at Berlin and depart from Budapest with these fixed days of travel in our hands. So, my plan is to stay 3 N at Berlin, Prague, Vienna and 2 N at Budapest, hopefully it will give me some opportunities to see the Eastern Europe with a touch of Berlin.

In Berlin, we stayed at Hotel Vivaldi on Knesbeckstr 29 a couple of times.
It is near the Sevigny Platz and Uhlandstrasse stations, in the Charlottenburg area.
There are other hotels nearby if Vivaldi is not to your standards.
Kurfustendamm is nearby, lots of night life, high end stores and restaurants.

If you go keep your open for the "Stumbling Stones" in the area, some a few meters from Vivaldi.

I have not been or have plans to visit the other three cities on your trip, but FWIW, my bother stayed two nights in Prague recently and he would have liked an extra night.

Thank you so much for your information abot the accommodations.

I agree with moving 1 night from Berlin to Prague. Stay in the centre of every city which will help you with cutting time on travel between sights.

Prague: Stay on either side of the bridge and you would be able to walk everywhere. I preferred the Castle side as it was more charming. Having meals at the top overlooking the city is beautiful. Had the weakest restaurant scene of the 3. I would stick to local cuisine
Vienna: Stay in the Inner Stadt and same deal with walking everywhere. Amazing cafes so really explore that part and don't eat breakfast at the hotel. That's my advice everywhere really
Budapest: I would stay in the castle side as much cleaner and more beautiful IMO but is more quiet and not really the party part of town. The largest of the 3 but my least favourite. The local post above gave you a great list of things to see. Budapest had by far the best food of the three