Hi all,

We're a couple in our late 20s and are traveling to Central Europe in August for 3.5 weeks. Just a few questions:

1. I know it's ambitious but the below loop is where we think we'll travel to. We're used to fitting in as much as possible on our holidays so yes, it's a lot to fit in for 3.5 weeks but we don't mind traveling around more to see more places. We'd like to spend a majority of our time in Austria and then just 1-3 days in each city. Will the below loop be possible in terms of travel via bus?

Fly into Vienna
St Stevens cathedral

Bratislava
Bratislava old town
Devin castle
St Elizabeth's church

(Are there other cities in Slovakia worth checking out?)

Budapest
Fisherman's Bastion
Budapest Pinball Museum
Castle Hill
St. Stephen's Basilica

Crakow

Wroclaw
(Poland may be omitted due to buses and may be replaced with Venice, Italy)

Prague
Old Town Stare Mesto
Charles Bridge
Old Town Square
St. Vitus Cathedral

Neinburg

Munich
Brewery/beer tour
English Garden
Marienplatz


Innsbruck
Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen

Salzberg
Fly out of Vienna

2. We looked into a train pass but with the AUD currency conversion the tickets will be quite expensive for us so we think we’ll take buses instead. The buses that we've looked at are very reasonably priced. Do we need to book the buses in advance? Is there a particular bus company we should be looking into? We couldn’t find any buses in Poland so we may omit Poland and go to Venice instead.

3. Any cities in this loop that I've missed that you would suggest adding or maybe a city that should be omitted? Or places that we should check out while we're in these cities?

4. Bonus question : ) recommendations for where I can take the best photos.

Thanks heaps for any assistance and advise!
Rachel

Sorry - have done all of those places (some several times) but either as individual cities (business with vacation attached) or as part of road trips. So have no idea what the bus options/times are.

And our travel speed is much slower than yours I think.

It's hard to judge since you don;t lay out the whole trip but I woulc ocnsider the following minimum time to see much in some places:

Innsbruck (2 nights)
Salzburg and (3 nights, 4 if you do a lot of the surrounding countryside, Hallstatt, etc)
Vienna (4 night, 5 if you are also doing Melk and Schoenbrunn (most of a day) and some time in the vienna woods

I would look at the Michelin green guides to see which sights you really want to see - and how long it takes to see them.

Your itinerary is fast-paced; however, if this is what you are set on, I can offer a few insights.

1. Base in Vienna and take a day trip to Bratislava, in which you can see your sights of interest quite easily without time spent on hotel shuffling. The Austrian State Railways offers €15 RT tickets that include public transportation in Bratislava. You can buy them the day of travel, and you are not tied to a return.

2. All you wish to see in Prague and Budapest are castle complexes and Stare Mestos, so give yourself two complete days in each city and add more to other cities.

3. Drop Poland, and don't add Venice. Add the days to other cities; you'll be surprised at what you'll find to enjoy (for example, adding Hallstatt to your Salzburg time). For Vienna to Salzburg, Westbahn tickets can be purchased on the train (OW €25)

4. For bus travel, The Student Agency Bus is safe, reliable, clean, and affordable. Our son (20) and his friends use it regularly on the Vienna-Prague and Vienna-Budapest routes.

5. As for photos, my favorite place in Vienna for photos is when I'm walking through the vineyards with my dog. The hills sit above Vienna and offer lovely views; in August, the vines will be spectacular, as well.

Happy Planning.

Did you price individual train tickets bought ahead of time? Rail passes are usually not cost effective for Central and Eastern Europe. See seat62.com for info on buying tickets from the national rail companies. I would never take a bus if a train was available and reasonably priced. I like to be able to keep an eye on my luggage, get up and move around, and have access to a semi-reasonable bathroom.

I have no comment on your itinerary, as I could (and have) easily spent a week in cities like Vienna and Budapest alone. There are places in Slovakia worth seeing besides Bratislava, but they are more for people who want to get off the beaten track and like to hike.

Are you staying in hotels? Hostels? If you're traveling by bus, consider how long it will take you to get to and from your hotel, check in, check out, etc.

Have been to all these places , except I think Prague is amazing - would certainly spend as much time there as I could! Much more there than just the castle complex. I thought Bratislava was easily seen in a day or two.

Oops, that should have been seat61.com.

Hello Oceanspired,

Seat61 can be of help - but I'm surprised at you comments about buses vs trains - at least in Germany trains can be real cheap + they are confortable and faster than buses.

Take time into consideration, your itinerary is already rushed, if you lose time on buses it will be more rushed.

We looked into a train pass but with the AUD currency conversion the tickets will be quite expensive for us so we think we’ll take buses instead.>

You did look at the Eastern European Railpass - the only one you would consider and buses are usually much slower than trains and IMe much less comfy. Cheapest is not always the best. Trains run much more frequently and you can take overnight trains too to save daytime travel time and the cost of an accommodation - yes there are overnight buses too but that IME is very uncomfortable as opposed to a berth with bedding - anyway check these sources for lots of good info - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

The Eastern European Pass costs about $42/ unlimited travel day or about 37 euros/day - those are good fares for long-distance trains but not as cheap as buses probably but cheapest is not always best IME.

Hi Rachel,

It looks like you have a nice trip planned. One suggestion is looking at an open jaw flight, perhaps fly into Budapest or Prague & fly back from Munich. This could help you avoid 2 days of traveling within Europe during your trip since Vienna is in the center of the loop for your trip.

There are inexpensive direct buses from Kraków to Wroclaw & Wroclaw to Prague on Polskibus. The buses are fairly new & are cheaper/quicker compared to the trains. Student Agency is also a good option when you travel from the Czech Reuplic.

I would use the rail jet train from Vienna to Budapest, it is a really nice train & tickets one way are as cheap as 19 euros if you buy in advance on the obb website.

I would look at spending 3-4 nights in Budapest, Prague, & Kraków. Tons of things to see & do in those cities. If you have time in Salzburg, check out the Eagle's Nest just outside of town. Spectacular views from there on a clear day.

Have a great time.

https://www.oebb.at/en/

The official site of Austrian Railways sctraveler1 mentions in her/his excellent tips above.

For flat cheap walk up fares check Westbahn, which competes with the Austrian Railways on the Vienna-Salzburg route with 25.50 euros Vienna to Salzburg - walk-up fare in case you do not want to book far in advance that may be needed to guarantee www.oebb.at's lowest fares (19 - or almost as low).

Sounds like buses are the way to go in Poland and Czech Republic - if you can tolerate at long-distance bus and if young like you surely but some of us would take the train at any cost or speed. At your age I took many buses - all-night buses London to Amsterdam and they were jammed up but at the age OK.

Overnight buses save daytime travel time and the cost of a night's accommodation.