Central Europe for 8 days over NYE break
 

Hello!
Looking to spend NYE in Vienna but have enough time to add another 1-2 destinations in the vicinity. We depart NYC on Dec 28 and come back on Jan 5. I have been to Berlin, Prague and Budapest so not interested in either of these cities. So far, I am leaning towards Salzburg…but Krakow looks somewhat close as well. Bratislava is very close but not sure there is much to do there for more than 2hrs. Anything else?

Get an open jaw ticket, fly from Vienna to Krakow and return to NYC from Krakow (with a probably transfer in Germany.

If you mentioned Poland, you may try to go to Warsaw - not beautiful city but you have good connections to better places. I love Polish sea - really worth seeing - but sadly it a little bit far from your destination. ;)

the flight from Vienna to Krakow is $600 :( which is too much. Is it hard to go via train/bus? Is it a better option than Salzburg?

Bratislava's pretty nice too. You can easily spend a whole day there. There will be Christmas markets with some authentic Slovak food well worth trying. And the atmosphere is the best in Bratislava during the Christmas break (and then in the summer :))

Look here http://www.skyscanner.com/ for flights. Air Berlin offers an January 1 flight for $216.

The 2 options I was able to come up with are:
1) 2 days in Salzburg+5 days in Vienna including a day trip to Bratislava
2) 4 days in Vienna+3 days in Krakow

which is most recommended? option 1 is easier logistically

I agree with maladet - you may see other Polish cities than Krakow, if you go to Warsaw. There're a lot of cheap and nice connnections to other places. The sea is amazing - I have my special place close to Ustka. :) But I think it's too much in this trip of yours.

sounds like I should leave Krakow for when I want to do a longer trip to Poland and not just 3 days.

Krakow is feasible in three days: 1 for the city itself, 1 for the salt mines with another half day in the city, and one for Auschwitz.

I love salt mines. :) Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the oldest operating salt mines! It's very close to Krakow and absolutely worth seeing.

I think it depends on what you want to do. I would find plan 1 much better than plan 2 -- but that's just in light of MY interests.

I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from the train/bus station or whatever, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

You should have some wonderful experiences either way!

Something you may want to keep in mind is that most Christmas markets will be shut by December 25, and many stores and attractions are on holiday and reduced hours schedules between Christmas and 2 January. This could impact your sightseeing.

NYE is a huge affair in Vienna. You would be well served to reserve your lodging sooner rather than later.

Logistically, Option 1 uses less of your holiday for travel. Though, if interested in Option 2, there are day and overnight trains between Vienna and Krakow that, if booked early, will cost between €60 and €100 roundtrip. http://www.oebb.at/en/#

Bratislava is nice for longer staying, if you know what to see. You have nice galleries and museums and many historic buildings. :) Lovely city.

We spent Dec 26-NYE in Berlin and Amsterdam the previous 2 years and all the Christmas Markets were very open and happening. I would expect that the markets in Austria and/or Slovakia would be as well?

SShprints, that is not quite the case in Vienna. We, too, have traveled to Berlin and Prague post-Christmas and found many markets to be open. Not so in Vienna.

Austria is different from many of its Central and Western European neighbors; in general, the country maintains old world, traditional hours. Stores are closed early each evening, even earlier on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and holidays. The holiday markets adhere to early closings, too.

ohhh thats a bummer :(
I hope that Vienna, Salzburg and Bratislava will still fill out the 7 days we have. Trying to cram in Krakow instead of Salzburg seems more troublesome so the plan will likely be as follows:

Dec 29-arrive in Salzburg in the AM
Dec 30-Salzburg full day
Dec 31-AM train to Vienne, all day Vienna, NYE
Jan 1-Vienna Philharmonic (inside or outside), post NYE relaxing day
Jan 2-Vienna full day
Jan 3-Bratislava day trip
Jan 4-Shonbrun Palace, Vienna
Jan 5-AM flight home from Vienna

sounds good?

Its a shame that Munich is a stones throw away from Salzburg and we've never been, but we just don't have enough days to squeeze it in.

Those plans seem to be realizable without too big effort. :) I have been to the Vienna State Opera - you should definitely see it. You can buy staying ticket for 2 euros, what it really, really cheap. :)

definitely plan to hit up the opera!
thanks!