Budapest, Prague and/or Bucharest ?
 

Trying hard to spend my kids inheritance (with their blessings), by traveling to a lot of places that have been reviewed by many of you. This trip is planned for Aug/Sept, 2019. We want to spend 2-3 weeks visiting Budapest, Prague and possibly Bucharest. I think Bucharest is too far to include in this trip, but I'm open for suggestions. I've searched this site, and found some great info, including a great TR from Amy. What I need to know is how much time should I spend in each city/country ? What is the best means of transportation between each place ? We will likely rent an apartment in each city, from which we plan on walking to attractions

How much time depends on what you want to see and do, so my suggestion would be to consult some good guidebooks and then decide your priorities, laying them out on a calendar when you are ready.

For transportation options, consult rome2rio.com -- just be sure to click through to the source links, as the main site is not sensitive to seasonal variation in schedules.

Thanks Kia. We are interested in historical sites, which is why we chose these cities. I suspect there are numerous historical sites, and I have read about most, but it's difficult to determine how much time is necessary as a whole for each city. For example, someone may have been there, and can say you can see most of the sites in a week/ 3 days, etc. If someone on here has been there, hopefully they can give us an idea of how long a tourist needs for each city.

I think your assumption is mistaken, because people differ in what they consider to be the sites worth seeing and at what pace.

jeterray, if you have 3 weeks, I think you have time not only to visit the cities but also the countryside or smaller cities/towns as well. I haven't been to Budapest or Bucharest, but I have been to Prague twice. I recommend at least 4 nights in Prague to see what most guidebooks and people would consider the highlights. If you want more time to leisurely stroll around the city, you could add a few more nights.

The last time we were in the Czech Republic, I believe we were there for 10 nights. In addition to spending 4 or 5 nights in Prague, we also spent 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov, 2 nights in Karlovy Vary, and 1 night in Telc. We rented a car to get to all of these places. Some people visit CK as a day trip from Prague, but I personally think it would be too rushed, a very long day, and hectic. Since you have the time, why not overnight in these places and enjoy them more. This way you are there at night when it is quiet and peaceful after the daytrippers have gone.

I can't help you with the other places. If you haven't already done so, I recommend buying some guidebooks.

I spent 5 nights in Prague with a day trip to Terezin. Could have used a couple of more nights and a day trip to Kunta Hora.

Spent 1night in C. Krumlov, would have preferred 2.

spent 4 nights in Budapest with a day trip to ? Can't remember the name at the moment, it had the marzipan museum? Probably should have skipped it and gone somewhere else.. Could have used another night or two there.

I think your assumption is mistaken, too. Just because someone has been to place X and thought it was fine to spend Y days there does not mean I would agree. I often find I need a LOT more time in places than most people think they do. OTOH, we spent 6 nights in Budapest last year, which many people said was a good amount of time there, and I wanted to leave after Day 2. I defy anyone to think there are formulas for these sorts of things. The best you can do is do tons of research and decide what seems right for you and your interests.

With 3 weeks and plane connections, Bucharest is not too far.

You might want to take a look at my trip report that involves a Danube river cruise and a stay in Bucharest.

I have been to all three, and Bucharest does not compare at all with the other two. Until like StCirq I could easily spend a week in Budapest, but Prague could occupy several days as well, although I found it already too crowded back in 2004. If you want to see a little of Romania I would go south from Budapest to Szeged, which has some lovely Art Nouveau buildings and then over the border to Timisoara.

While I agree that people have different interests and likes and dislikes, and they travel at a different pace, I think that most people want to see at least the major highlights when they travel. And some people would like to have additional time to just wander and see "lesser" sights. I know that when I am planning an itinerary, my biggest dilemma is how many nights to spend in each place. I know I want to see the highlights, but IF I have the time, I also like to see hidden gems, lesser-known sites, and have time for wandering around the city/town. So for me it is helpful to have a base from which to start; by that I mean the minimum number of nights to see at least the major sites, and than I build from there. I may add a night or two, or decrease, based on my interests. So if someone is asking the question, "how many nights", I let them know what worked for me, and hope that helps them get a start in planning.

I always use 2 or 3 guidebooks while planning a trip, in addition to getting help from this forum and reading trip reports. I love to read guidebooks! I can't imagine planning a trip without a guidebook. You have all the information you need in one place. And they are fun to read! So I always recommend that people should get a few guidebooks, too, to help determine what they want to see and what works for them.

Thanks to all who replied. At this time we will fly into Budapest, spend a week, then river cruise to Vienna. After spending a couple of nights there (been there a couple of times), then travel to Prague. Any recommendations on transport from Vienna to Prague ? We will stay in Prague for a week before flying home. I have mostly used Fodor's tour guidebook. Any recommendations for better guidebooks for the area ?

Best means of transport - train for Budapest and Prague for sure - easy to add in Vienna -in between them - for a few days - to Bucharest a long train ride though I think overnight trains available but best fly - once there buses or trains. For lots on trains and booking own tickets online check www.trainline/eu - www.seat61.com - lots on booking discounted tickets; general info trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Lots of easy day trips by train from each city - again if looking to add say Vienna easy to do Salzburg too and then Cesky Krumlov to Prague - say you scrub Bucharest and have time to fill - all easily done by train.

For guidebooks: Check some at your local bookstore or library, but IME, the Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, and Michelin Green Guide provide the most information and cover the most places and sites, and so are best for people who are looking for more than just a very few highlights.

As for transportation, let me try again: Consult rome2rio.com -- just be sure to click through to the source links, as the main site is not sensitive to seasonal variation in schedules. And if you have done so, and have not found it useful, I would appreciate it if you would tell us what problems or limitations make you think it isn't a useful source.

Me and the cook were in Bucharest a few weeks ago, but just for the day at the tail-end of a wonderful d-i-y trip to Transylvania.

We had been in Bucharest for 2 hours, and were almost turned into mincemeat. We were walking along the pavement, when there was an almighty shreaking of vehicle engines and brakes, then a sickening thud, two 4x4s hit a wall at speed. Two seconds earlier and I wouldn't be typing this now.

The driving isn't for the faint hearted.

That said, Transylvania only had light traffic, and was as green and clean as anywhere we've ever travelled. A wonderful destination.

We use michelin and visa guides mostly.

I have not been to Budapest (on my todo list) and dislliked Bucharest. I spent several nights there and tried to spend most of one day, and found myself going back earlier to the airport...
I spent most of my time in taxis in Bucharest at a crawling pace, worst traffic jams I've ever seen (short of India).
Prague, like most posters here, we spent 10 days and could ahve stayed more but had pretty much exhausted it (with some daytrips).

I found Bucharest very walkable, but the OP has decided not to go there.

Everybody- Thanks again. I'm looking at travel guides. Hopefully a 2019 updated guide will come out soon. I have noticed that Prague has 2 areas that look like walking tourist friendly -Old Town and City Center. Can anyone recommend one of the areas for people who love history and eating ? Seems there are lots of nice apartments available for a 5 day stay. Same question about Budapest.

I found Old Town and Pest to be the best places for me to stay.

IMO, the information that is most valuable in a guidebook -- things like site descriptions, food (not restaurant) descriptions, an abbreviated set of translations, background info -- don't change much in a span of a few years.

Thanks Joann and Kja- I will definitely use at least 1 guidebook. I have usually used Fodor's, mainly because I'm comfortable with the format. However, I don't recall much info on the neighborhoods. A few hotels and restaurants are listed, along with towns nearby. Further, I found the Fodor's guidebook lacking info in the Panama and SE Asia guidebooks. That's why I asked (and got) some recommendations on other guidebooks that may concentrate on Hungry and CR. I really appreciate everyone's input. If you have been there, you usually have impressions on what you enjoy. With this input and some research, I can make the decisions. Thanks again for everyone's impressions/opinions.

I usually use Lonely Planet guidebooks, but also Rough Guide and Bradt.

I like to stay in Pest, the view is good and there is more choice of restaurants. I highly recommend these apartments:

https://www.oncf.ma/en/

Thurs- I will look at Pest more carefully. The link you posted led me to a train/transportation site. It appeared you were referring me to an apartment site. Please help me understand. At this point I am researching apartments in Pest. Good travels to you. As I recall you were quite helpful on travels to other areas. Thanks.

I don't use guidebooks for lodging (I use booking.com, and also check reviews on TripAdvisor), and I don't use them for restaurants (although I do use guidebooks to learn about the food of the regions I visit).

Sorry, should have checked that the "copy" worked. Try this:

Six Very Special Apartments in the Heart of Budapest

thursdaysd- Great site that shows the various districts of Budapest. Very nice apartments in the preferred area of Pest. Since we have a big interest in historical sites, which side of the river would be best for visiting historical sites ? I get the impression that most things are within walking distance. Thanks again for the good info.

You can check walking distances on google maps.

Pest has castle hill but is just a short walk from Buda the commercial center of town with sights too - I walked everywhere.

Budapest is loaded with history. Which period? I didn't walk everywhere, I bought a transport pass and used the metro and trams.

PalenQ, you have the two areas reversed.

That's great info. We will look for our favorite apartment, and plan on walking everywhere. It appears that we will not have to worry that the apartment is located near the sites we want to visit. We enjoy walking about as much as seeing the sites.

thanks joaanyc!

I would echo Kja's suggestion to use booking.com. We have had great luck with their apartments.

In Prague, it is most popular to stay in the Old Town. You might consider staying in Mala Strana, just over the Charles Bridge. It is a little quieter and really pretty, still very historic.

Unlike PQ I do not consider all the sights in Budapest to be within walking distance of each other, at least not the sights I have chosen to see. I suggest you list the sights you want to see, and then check the distances in google maps. Once again, public transport works well and a transport pass is a good investment.

Good idea thursdaysd. The sites we like will be all over the area. We will plan on using public transportation as necessary. As for an apartment, I will search many sites, including some suggestions on here. I was impressed by the number of great looking apartments listed on Booking.com, VRBO and other sites. The cost of an apartment seems to be very reasonable, so we will not consider a hotel. At this time, we plan to fly into Prague where we will stay for 6 days. Then we will train/fly to Budapest where we will stay 5 days. After Budapest we will do a Crystal River Cruise to Vienna. We will stay in Vienna for a couple of days (been there a couple of times), before flying home This checks a lot of boxes for us. Strange how things evolve with some research and help. We originally planned to spend about a month in Spain, and return home. Have spent a lot of time in Spain (loved it), so the new agenda makes sense for us. Since we are not going until next year, we still have time to make other changes ? Thanks for the help.

Unlike PQ I do not consider all the sights in Budapest to be within walking distance of each other, at least not the sights I have chosen to see>

Well I should have clarified at that time I was a super walker - walking all day at fairly fast pace - after all I had been jogging 10+ miles a day for years so a 20-mile walk was routine but should have qualified that.

Yeah right. You certainly should have. Try considering your audience.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...l_Hungary.html

Well actually most folks who were asked how walkable Budapest was on Trip Advisor nearly all said yes Budapest is rather easily walkable between main sights. But right I should have qualified so folks who don't walk so well like would check out public transit.

According to google maps it's almost an hour's walk from the Szechenyi baths to the Great Market Hall, and the Museum of Applied Arts is nearly as far. Andrassy ut alone is 2.5 km. And that's just the Pest side.

And there's no sights en route between one and another? Even so to me hat's very walkable then - but it depends on what one considers walkable - and the approproche one has - to me often the thing I pass on foot walking from sight to sight is just as or even more memorable and fun to see than the sight itself so yes what is walkable varies and that small an area to me makes a nice day's few-mile stroll - stopping at cafes or stores in between and being able to do one of my passions to do in European cities - people watch. Just taking public transit between main sights you miss all that.

And though that area in Pest is compact yes folks who don't like walking or are challenged are better off with public transit though IMO they miss so much!

Directing people to a site that allows them to decide for themselves -- like google maps -- avoids the question of what any one person might define as walkable. AND it gives them a tool they can use for all sorts of purposes. I'm not sure arguing accomplishes either of those ends.