Guys, as i told before, i'm finally going to eastern europe next year =)
i've been reading about the area for almost a month and well, here`s what i thought so far:

4 nights - budapest
3 nights - prague
3 nights - vienna
4 nights - munch

25/03 - 19h50 sp/budapeste
26/03 - budapeste
27/03 - budapeste
28/03 - budapeste
29/03 - 9h25 budapeste => 12h10 bradislava //// 16h13 bratislava => 20h21 prague
30/03 - prague
31/03 - prague
01/04 - prague 8h40 => 13h40 vienna
02/04 - vienna
03/04 - vienna
04/04 - 9am viena => salzburg ///// 18h40 salzburg => 21h munich
05/04 - munich
06/04 - munich
07/04 - munich
08/04 - 19h50 munich / são paulo

well, here are some considerations:
1. i wasn`t meant to put prague on my original itinerary, but i read lots of nice comments about the city...
2. im afraid i won't have enough days in Vienna, but i couldn't think it in a better way
3. i've already bought my airticket, so ill have to start in budapest and leave in munich
4. yeah, munich is a little too much, but i want to visit dachau and lenbachhaus museum.
5. bratislava is on my way only because i dont wanna spend a WHOLE day travelling from budapest to prague
6. you may think its too much, but im on the other side of the globe and unfortunatelly i won't have another chance that soon to return to this area

Have you identified what you want to do/see in Prague and Vienna and determined that 2 full days in each city will be enough time? It wouldn't be for me.

The Lenbachhaus is very well worth visiting IMO, but it is small, so you probably only need to give it an hour or two. If you are interested in art -- and I'm making that assumption given that you want to visit the Lenbachhaus -- then I would strongly encourage you to find more time in Vienna. As an art lover, I found 5 full days there extremely rushed. You might be able to cut one day from Munich to add to Vienna, but no matter how you slice it, you are going to have to skip some things that you will probably want to see. As Jean has already noted, you are also giving Prague less time than many of us think it deserves and you are just giving Budapest what many of us consider the minimum.

Given that you will not have time for everything, you have a choice: See 3 of these cities in the way more suited to someone who wants to savor their incomparable art and architecture (and other wonderful features) AND save a day that you will otherwise devote to travel OR skip some high-priority sites in each city. One thing to keep in mind: It might be a while before you return, but if/when you do, would you be more likely to visit ONE of these cities or to find a way to visit each for a day?

But maybe I am mistaken about your interests. It would be very helpful if you tell use what they are.

Jean, i know it doesn't sound enough (actually, i could spend a week or more, and it will never be...) but i put everything i want to see in both cities and Prague seems totally fine - everyone says its a small town and, since i wake up early, walk a lot and go to bed late, sounds reasonable.

on the other hand, i did the same to Vienna, and that's where im reconsidering another night - or just skip the salzburg stopover. i'm not a big fan of castles, my main interest in the city are the museums, the food and the fact that my grandmother came from Austria.

Everyone's different. I had two nights in Vienna and that was enough for me. I found Vienna very pleasant and nice - but it didn't quite rank with Prague and Budapest in terms of "European excitement" or whatever. I think I had four nights in Prague the first visit - that was about enough, but some of that time was just spend wandering as I found Prague a great city to walk around in. Budapest is much bigger and less compact but there's also lots to see there...

kja, Lenbachhaus is very important to me, since i've been studying Franz Marc's work for a very long time. in fact, it was a surprise to realize that Tiger painting is in there - i thought it was in Koln.

Well, i put many days in Munich because i'm planning to go to Dachau and the Neue Pinakotecke (sorry for the wrong spelling, i've just started my german lessons few weeks ago), i love beer and sounded to me like a city that it's very pleasant to stay at.


I've already decided to cut some "do not miss" atractions in some cities, some of them because they sound like tourist traps, others just because they are not my thing. Ludwig castle, for example, long guided visits to some buildings in Budapest, the interior of Belvedere castle, climb up all those towers at Prague...

Prague is a tough decision for me: the Kakfa museum, Jewish Museum and Golden Lane in Prague's Castle are my priorities. but everyone is always saying that it's a city with so many annoying tourists that scares me. i hate places like these, as Westminster Bridge. and since Prague is small, i imagine the city as a huge Westminster bridge, or Plaza Mayor at night.

my plan is to get a little sample of the eastern europe. usually when i travel i'm not worried about visiting mainstream atractions, i love to taste the food, talk to people, go out at night, take the subway, feel the architecture and sure, take some nice photos too. but i'm not stuck on a pre-determined itinerary, hop on/hop off style.

well, at first i think i should add a day in Vienna. i might solve this cutting salzburg or skipping a night at budapest.

thanks soo much for your help. if you have some other comments, ill be glad to hear =))

I'm sure you will love the Lenbachhaus!

As you are discovering, the problem is that you will probably love your time in ANY of these places, and you might find you wish you had more time in each of them!

My reactions:
- I missed Dachau, but have been to Auschwitz/Birkanow. Visiting a concentration camp is a sobering, but incomparable, experience. If you have an interest, I agree that you should make it a priority.

- The Neue Pinakothek should also prove of great interest to you.

- Even with these plans for Munich, I think you can cut at least one and maybe two days -- especially because you still have some time for exploration on the day of your evening flight. Give yourself 1 full day for Dachau and whatever else you feel comfortable fitting into that emotional day and 1.5 days for the Neue Pinakothek and Lenbachhaus and whatever else you fit in -- and you can probably fit in quite a bit. Munich is pleasant, but you can drink German beer once you are back in São Paulo.

- You can skip most guided tours, especially if you read up in advance. But do try to go to the top of at least one of Prague's towers for the views.

- I'm guessing you'll face some jet lag upon your arrival in Budapest, so you'll probably "lose" a half day there. If you cut a night there, would you still try to visit Bucharest?

- Salzburg is also lovely, but again, you are very pressed for time.

- If you can add a day or two to Vienna, I don't think you'll regret it, given your interest in art and its wealth of stunning art museums. I think I already gave you some comments about its museums on a different thread; if you have other questions, feel free to ask!

The good news is that none of your choices will be bad -- it's just the challenge many of us face in trying to fit so many things into a limited window.

I don;t know if you have looked at the weather - but you will be there at the very end of winter and beginning of spring. Do not be surprised if it is still fairly cold - esp in the mountains.

As for the itinerary - I think too many places in to few days - my first trip to Prague was 5 full days (6 nights) and I missed a lot I wanted to see. But - it is part of my heriatge and you may have less interest. I think your stays everyplace are of the quick once over so I can decide which I want t see in depth type.

nytraveler, i saw the weather forecast for early april and i expect to face 2°/10°C. do you think it might snow? i thought it was spring already...

i know what you mean. i spent 9 days in Paris and i still feel that i need to see more. But at the same time i spent 2 days in Sevilla and, yet i know its almost nothing i´m happy that i could experience the city .Nowadays i plan to visit Morocco and i of course i would like to come back to sevilla with some more time.

back to central europe...
i spent my morning rewriting my itinerary and i happened to kick Salzburg and Bratislava. i also changed the order - so i can spend less time with transportation.

well, here it comes

25/03 - 19h50 budapeste
26/03 - budapeste
27/03 - budapeste
28/03 - budapeste
29/03 - 9h10 budapeste => 11h146 Viena
30/03 - Vienna
31/03 - Vienna
01/04 - vienna
02/04 - 8h24 vienna => 13h21 prague
03/04 -prague
04/04 - prague
05/04 - 7am prague => 12h munich
06/04 - munich
07/04 - munich
08/04 - 19h50 munich/sp

I was considering taking a night train from prague to munich on 04/04 (it leaves Prague at 23h40 and arrives in Munich at 9h40!)- but it´s way TOO expensive: i saw on german bahn.de for more than a 100 euros! are there better deals?

nevermind the train i posted above. i just saw that there are 4 changes on the route.

Well, once again i know i can´t miss munich. In fact i feel a little relief that Lenbachhaus is quite small!

- and it was great that you mentioned going somewhere else after Dashau - i was inicially thinking about leaving for my last day, can you imagine that? i would have a terrible flight on my way back to são paulo =/
- for the beer, its more for the experience: i agree that i can have my beers and caipirinhas here in são paulo =)

i was thinking about climbing the Orloj tower in Prague, is it a nice pick? i´m just afraid of the lines...

Bucharest or Budapest? my body normally responds well to jet lag. i was used to take a 9 hours night bus once a week, so i *think* i will do fine. what i can consider is to visit Buda´s side when im totally restored.

i removed Salzburg. yeah, it´s a pitty...i might visit it when i make a italia/swissland trip.

yeah, you gave me great advices on Vienna´s museums before and that helped me a lot. and yeah, im spending one more night in Vienna \o/

once again, thank you SO MUCH for your help. =))

Looks better to me. As to the amount of time in each city, everyone is different. We spent two full days in Munich, three in Prague and three in Vienna and only want to go back to Vienna and to go to Budapest. Pity to skip Salzburg, which is one place we really liked in that part of the world, but that's life.

To me (not having been to Budapest), the times look about right--maybe not enough time in Munich for your interests.

yeah, its a pity to skip salzburg, but a day trip there also didn't sound right to me: i would like to see many places in the city and also know Innsbruck and Hallstatt. and well, i should visit the Alps on another trip - and maybe make a stop in Munich, if i feel like there wasn't enough for me.

im skipping some main atractions in Munich that are far from the center - first because none of them reallly amuses, second because probably ill be tired of travelling and at last, because i want to feel free walking around the city.

but i gotta say that im really excited about Vienna: everyone loves there!

I think your revised plan will suit your interests much better. Be sure to let us know how it goes!

"but everyone is always saying that it's a city with so many annoying tourists that scares me. i hate places like these, as Westminster Bridge. and since Prague is small, i imagine the city as a huge Westminster bridge, or Plaza Mayor at night."

The tourist areas in Prague can be very crowded but they are just a small area in a large city. Even if you move just ten minutes by walking away from the main tourist areas, the atmosphere changes.

Personally I just love Prague.

Hans, thanks for your help. that´s good news!