We are a family of 4 planning a last minute holiday trip to Prague. This is a celebration of two pending college graduations, many anniversaries and birthdays that were uncelebrated, and just a chance to be with our boys for one last memorable vacation. If was supposed to be a surprise, but someone (dh!!) couldn't keep a secret.

My head is spinning in the planning process. We know we want Prague for four days. That gives us one day to look up some relatives. Then to Brno for a day. That leaves us about 6 remaining days. Six cold days, no doubt. We are a museum/history/artsy-type family, nothing fancy bunch of folks.

So, now the question is where to go for the remaining 5-6 days. Just looking for some recommendations. Krakow? Vienna? Budapest? Llubljana? Or do we try to do a stop in Germany? The trouble is, everytime we read about an area we decided THAT is where we want to go. It's a case of imformation overload. We will be taking the train between locations.

We are thinking Prague for New Years Eve, and then flying home from there. So where do we begin our European adventure? Any advice/ideas/opinions are appreciated.

If you want to be in Prague last, fly first into Vienna, spend a week in and around Vienna - plenty to see and do once you start to read up on it. Don't move hotels any more than absolutely necessary, it's a pain and costs you precious time - make daytrips, to Eisenstadt (Haydn-Esterhazy), to Salzburg (less than 3 hours each way - get up early and get back late to make it worthwhile!), to Passau, to Linz, to Bratislava, see the Hunderwasserhaus, Burghof, Stephansdom, Schönbrunn (the parks won't be much to look at so it shouldn't take all that long), attend a concert or two, visit everything near the Ring and on and on - the week in Vienna will fly by. Budapest is for another time.

Then take the train to Brno (less than 2 hours) and spend the night, or the same afternon take the train to Prague (2 1/2 hours), depending how much time you want to spend in Brno.

Fly home from Prague. Even if this so-called open-jaw ticket (into Vienna, home from Prague - use the multi-city function on www.kayak.com etc.) costs a bit more (and it may not), it will still save you money and time you don't have to spend doubling back just to catch a plane from Vienna.

I would do as WallyKringen said fly into Vienna, maybe cut the stay down a day or two, then catch a train to Brno. I would stay one night in Brno lovely place. http://www.brno.cz/index.php?lan=en&...8&nav03=85. Then catch a train Fron Brno to Prague.
This site should help you to plan train times.http://jizdnirady.atlas.cz/connform.asp?tt=a&cl=E5

Thanks to both. I'm searching and reading! Vienna looks like a good central spot to base. I know I will have questions as the night of reading progresses...thanks again.

Would just like to say that we had New Years Eve in Prague a few years ago.
It was crazy! Firecrackers started banging before lunchtime and most restaurants closed at lunchtime so we found it difficult to find a place to eat. Luckily we had booked the New Years Eve dinner/party at our hotel for that night -not that it was very good.
Foolishly we decided to go into town to see the celebrations at midnight. Big mistake! Nearly got crushed in the crowd. Some people were deliberately pushing and taking great delight in it.Fireworks were being thrown as well as bottles. We were terrified!!!It was a relief to return to the hotel.
We had a similar experience in Rome the following year so maybe its a european thing?

Hopefully Vienna will have snow if you're lucky, then it will be really beautiful, however 6 days in Vienna is a too long, 3-4 nights are plenty. You can add Budapest or Dresden (2 hours by train from Prague) or Berlin where New year's Eve celebration won't be so life threatening (just kidding). Prague is beautiful but jammed with tourists in the summer (wall to wall people) so coming in the winter may be a great idea and again I hope there will be snow in December. What a great family vacation you have.

I would do the trifecta of Vienna-Prague-Budapest if it's museums you like. I wouldn't do all those day trips on the train, too much running around for me. Three or 4 days in those 3 cities will just begin to scratch the surface. Maybe check out the low-fare airlines and fly instead of spending a lot of train time. Lucky you, have a fantastic trip.

Carylspall- I've also heard that Prague is pretty crazy on New years Eve. They set off firecrackers from the bridges & it scares the living daylights out of people. One of my friends used to work at a castle in the CZ, and he would shoot off a canon every hour on the hour until daybreak! They are a wild, fun loving bunch of people, and all that beer just serves to rowdy them up even more.

Regarding Bratislava, look at few pictures (with tips what to see there):

http://vvpg.net/bratislava/Downtown.htm

Bye

Vlado