Compare and contrast Vienna and Prague
 

Hi
I'm helping to plan a family trip to one of the above next March. (The trip will be a first to one of the above, combined with a return visit, probably to Florence.)Total time in the trip will probably be 7 or 8 full days--it's spring break for the kids.

The family group would be 3 adults and two boys, one teenager, one preteen. All have a keen interest in history and culture in general. Museums of fine arts not so much, though we (or I) will definitely work in one or two.) Timing, again, early March.

What are the pros and cons of visiting either Prague or Vienna, using the above information? Everybody gets a vote; I appreciate all comments, but I get two votes.
thanks

also, any recommended websites that go along with your recs would be appreciated
Yes, I'm already searching here.

this didn't post, I'm trying again

Hi Elaine,

Although it has been about 9 years since I visited these wonderful cities, here are my impressions, for what they are worth:

Prague seemed more "foreign" to me. Meaning, not that many people spoke English (remember, this was only 4 years after the end of the Iron Curtain); the cultural aspects - historic buildings, the castle, Old Town etc, impacted me more because of this impression. It's a great "walking city". I loved getting lost down little cobblestone streets and just wandering around.

Vienna is big and beautiful and full of wonderful churches and museums. It was more sophisticated and "city-like", and is more cultured as far as the arts goes. My visit there was more "destination-oriented" - meaning we would walk between places, but not necessarily just walk around for the sake of walking around.

I loved both cities. If I had to choose one to go back to, I'd choose Prague. It enchanted me.

As far as websites go, my best thought is to go to www.google.com and type in Prague or Vienna. You will quickly find tons of websites about both cities, including the official tourist sites, etc.

Good luck and have fun!
Karen

Prague was a true delight. I could wonder the streets for hours, come across street musicians, etc. I thought it was really fun. Lots of historical interest: castles. Food was different (not its strong point!)

Vienna was a more formal city, somewhat stiff. Palaces, museums.

I think a family would prefer Prague.

A Texan friend of mine went to Prague last year, at the same time I went to Vienna.

I goot tell you, he LOVED Prague and I was not thrilled about Vienna.

Not really opinions you can hang your hat on, but might help.

I liked them both, and I think that the differences are fairly well described above. Vienna is indeed formal looking in many places, and quite a museum lover's destination - - almost up there with Washington DC or Paris.

Prague has more of that "connection to the middle ages" feeling in some parts. It is not as simple as an absence of modernity - - this is not a "problem", but more visible remnants that this was a world capital before Christopher Columbus' grandfather was born.

Best wishes,

Rex

I made the error of going to Vienna AFTER Prague (and therefore left Vienna two days earlier than planned).

Prague took my breath away, since my first view of the bridge and castle were at night. It looks stunning in the sunshine, or magical on a gray snowy day. I liked it in just about any weather.

Of course, part of the fun of Prague is the reasonably (many will say CHEAP) food and excellent beer! Even in tourist central, it is reasonable...but of course if you venture a little ways from the main sites, deals are to be found!

There are plenty of things to do in Prague, including operas, etc. Cesky Krumlov is not far from Prague and is a lovely town.

Vienna is pretty, no doubt. But after the cheap eats of Prague, I went through sticker shock! While it was a gorgeous day, I didn't find it as pretty as Prague. The culture (operas, etc) world famous, so you may really like it. And of course, the shopping is more upscale in Vienna.

My vote goes to Prague. It would be worth it to see it now...in a few years the euro will hit, and who knows if it will be as reasonable then?

We were in both cities in 1999 (3 nights Prague/2 nights Vienna.) Both were wonderful as people have said. I would agree with what has been said and add as follows:

Cost
Vienna very expensive for rooms, shopping, and food. (This was in 1999 with strong dollar, pre Euro)

Prague food and shopping very inexpensive, rooms more but not as high as Vienna.

Ambiance -
Vienna as stated above more formal. Loved Shoenbrun palace (poor spelling)

Prague more casual but phenominal architecture.

Variety-
Vienna - Good, Opera, Palaces, Churches, casino (small).

Prague - Great, Churches, Clocks, Jewish quarter (amazing history), (It just seemed a little more diverse, maybe it was because we had more time).

City transportation-
Both - Walking and trolleys
Each is easily manuevered, but I enjoyed walking in Prague more, probably because of the cities characteristics. There seem to be more cafes and small squares to visit. Less commercial also in prague although that was 4 years ago.

I know one night we went to a "trio concert" in the Museum on Wenselas square. We found out about it at the TI. It was on the steps of the Museum, lasted a little more that 1 1/4 hour which was nice, we could get everybody to agree to it, then dinner and window shopping on Wenselas.

Food - Prague seemed to have more variety and it was wonderful. Vienna was more continental with the usual things we see here in the US.

Hope this helps. Mary Ann

By the way, the concert was on the interior steps in case you were wondering. Also, the view at night walking along the river in Prague is beautiful.

I have to agree. I have been to both and, although under very different circumstances, I enjoyed Prague more. The people seem so much nicer; in Vienna, many people seem rather indifferent. Also whenever I go to these destinations I always explore it thinking that I will return with my nieces & nephew, so I look at it from their perspective. I got a lot of ideas from Prague, and not so many from Vienna (although I did really enjoy Salzburg).

I think they make a good pair to do in tandem. To choose one would depend on your interests.
Prague has amazing architecture and is a great city for "wandering". It also has good shopping if you're interested in crystal and some other decorative objects.
Vienna is a feast of culture. While we were there we saw excellent opera, ballet and symphony performances plus some wonderful art museums and the summer palace is also a sight to see.
Both cities would be interesting to history buffs.
Cost-wise Prague is quite a bit less expensive than Vienna, although it's not the bargain it was a few years ago.

Hi Elaine,

I've been to both (Vienna twice). My culture shock was the opposite of Mina's. I went to Prague after Vienna. The difference between the joyous, fun-loving Austrians and the somber Czechs was marked and I had trouble adjusting. I was also surprized to find that almost no one spoke English and, for a major capital city, there was little tourist information (although I'm sure that has changed quite a bit now - my trip was in 1995). However, you will only be going to one of those cities so you won't experience the cultural nor price differences.

I love Vienna, but after some consideration, my vote is for Prague. Two young boys will have more fun in Prague. It's a more exotic locale; the castle will fascinate them as will the buskers on the Charles Bridge. There's a hop-on, hop-off tram with commentary that you can use to get around town and up to the Castle. The clock is exciting to watch chime the hour (the square becomes very crowded just before the hour) and they can climb the tower for a good view of the town. And the Jewish cemetery is a must see. Prague has a rich history which you can share with the boys.

For fun you can take them to the very large Kmart not far from the Charles Bridge (went there to buy much needed socks) and compare Czech goods with American.

Although I didn't do this, there's a mirror maze on Petrin Hill - a great activity for the boys. It's one of the few in the world.

The adults will appreciate the diverse architecture and the wonderful church concerts; the narrow streets and the artwork on the buildings.

Whatever you choose - have a fabulous trip.

adrienne

Keep this informative thread going. I leave next week for my trip to Vienna and Prague! Speaking of which...I'm assuming that I can buy a midweek train ticket from Vienna to Prague pretty much on the spot and I don't need to set up any reservations. I'd appreciate if someone can verify that this is true. Thanks.

We bought our tickets at the station and had no problem.

Eurogoer - I went to a travel agency in Vienna to buy train tickets. They didn't charge a commission and it was a lot easier than waiting until we got to the station. The train had a dining car with large windows. You could get a snack and something to drink and have an enjoyable time looking at the scenery while having a Czech beer to get you in the mood.

By the way - don't eat at the James Joyce pub in Prague - awful food - don't ask me why I wanted to eat at an Irish pub in Prague - I guess after 2 weeks of pork and veal a burger sounded like a good idea and I thought an Irish pub could make an ok burger. That was my first and last burger in Europe!

adrienne

Hi Elaine.....We were in Prague (for the 2nd time) last August just after the flood. Even with parts of the city on both sides of the river off-limits we found plenty to do. Our daughter and family spent 5 months there in '93 and they loved it. They were back 2 years ago and plan to go again in '04. Perhaps that is why the votes on this site seem to be going for Prague.........We were in Vienna also last year and enjoyed it for 4 days but I don't feel the need to do it again except to ride the ferris wheel. If you have specific questions I'll give you our daughter's E address...Betty

My vote is for Prague. While we enjoyed Vienna it didn't feel "right" to me. Too stuffy? Too hi-brow? I'm not sure exactly how to put my finger on it. Prague however felt fresh and vibrant yet the architecture stunningly historic.

Just two cents from a turnip.

I've been to both and much prefer Prague, where I've been twice now. I was in Vienna about 4 days and that was enough.

They are just different due to culture, wealth, history, population. I prefer Prague -- everything just seemed more laid back, friendly, real. Also, Prague has interesting shops and crafts -- I didn't buy a thing in Vienna or want to. I think Prague is more beautiful than Vienna. Vienna was more drab and dirty in areas I was surprised. Also, people spoke English just as well or even better in Prague than in Vienna when I've been there (twice in last 4-5 years). Things are cheaper, people are friendlier, metro is easier.

My opinions are sort of the opposite of some of the above impressions. I think Prague is superior to Vienna in terms of museums and especially culture (meaning classical music and opera). There are three main opera houses in Prague, they love classical music and there are outstanding performances all over for very reasonable rates. Prague is one of the few places I would go to the opera because it is very good and cheap. When I was in Vienna in July, there was almost nothing going on in town in terms of concerts-- they close their performing arts season very early. I'm not that interested in opera, more classical music. One thing that surprised me because I always carry a radio with me to listen to local stations is that there wasn't a single classical music station in Vienna. The main things going on were tourist concerts. Prague also has good ballet.

I wasn't that crazy about the main art museum in Vienna. It just seemed a let down compared to other major cities. I did like their royal treasury and the music museum.

Prague is very different from when some others have visited above -- no problem with English and plenty of tourist info. I just think it would be more appealing to teens. I didn't find Vienna that expensive, though -- it was cheaper than Paris and London in all ways. Prague is even cheaper, except hotel rooms in Prague are not especially cheap for a decent one.

Hi Elaine,

You only have 7-8 days and you are going to Florence AND Vienna or Prague?

If that's the case, I agree with the Prague group.

However, I strongly urge you to do Vienna and Prague and leave out Florence.

HI
Florence would have been a return trip, so less pressure for first-time sightseeing, but it now looks that the combo will be Vienna and Prague, mostly due to the inter-city transportation logistics. As I mentioned, I'm helping to plan and will be part of the trip, but I'm not making all the decisions and, luckily, the budget isn't mine either.

Anyway, since it looks now that it will be Vienna and Prague next March, I'll keep searching for past comments.
Any new recommendations for websites (I'm still looking for ones for municipal transportation), restaurants, and hotels are and will be welcome.
The hotel budget, I'm thrilled to say, is pretty much unlimited so any insights on location will be appreciated. I don't know the cities at all, yet but am rapidly compiling information.

Have you ever thought that the internet is bad for us obsessive planners BECAUSE the resources are limitless?

Christina,

Yes, I too remember being stunned that I could find no classical radio station in Vienna, which seems perfectly insane to me. However, this is just possibly my one criticism of Vienna. It truly is a grand mecca for culture and history buffs. Unlike a previous poster, I also found it to be very clean and the museums that I saw there interesting. The people were not as friendly as they are in London, but I did find them a bit friendlier than the Parisians.

Judging by the rave reviews here, it does seem that I should add Prague to my list of places to see!

Yes Elaine it is bad for obsessive planners, like myself. I want to check out everything, and usually want the best deal since finances are not unlimited and repeatedly keep checking on things to make sure I have not missed something.

Anyways, back to Prague. I mentioned above that we were there in 1999. We used information from Rick Steves which he does have on line. A little old now (1998 data) but for the historic aspects it is good and he does have a drawn map that shows some of the key areas. See below. This may help for figuring our locations. It does have in his discussion info about transportation and walking tours.
In his Austria area he does have some comments.
Hope it helps, regards, Mary Ann

http://www.ricksteves.com/update/prague.htm

We were in Prague and Vienna last November. I agree with most comments. Prague is more medieval and architectually interesting with great little streets and shops. The people are a little more glum in Prague but friendly when you talk with them. I also agree that English is more prevalent in Prague. There are more signs in English and people are more likely to know English. Be sure to spend time in the Jewish quarter.

Vienna is a bit formal, but, again culturally exciting. We had rainy weather in Vienna and that always colors your impressions and memories.

Hi Elaine

In Prague we stayed at the Pensione Dientzenhofer, which we loved. http://www.dientzenhofer.cz/

In Vienna we stayed at the Kaerntnerhof, which we liked a lot. http://www.ivacation.com/hotels/hotel.asp?HotelID=20196

Having been to both I'd have to agree with the pro-Prague group. After all, they don't call it "The Golden City" for nothing...if you like the baroque and like the feel of actually being transported back to the Middle Ages you'll enjoy the "older" parts of Prague a great deal. Probably aalso the reason so many movie exteriors such as "Amadeus" are filmed there. Be prepared for gold leaf because it is everywhere inside churches, etc.
As to the train connection, there is a lot of service between the two cities and I wouldn't think you'd have any trouble getting tickets. Enjoy.

I just returned from visiting both cities and must say that I thoroughly enjoyed both. The one difference that I noticed is that Vienna has more "green space" in the downtown area than Prague, which is something that appealed to me. This may not matter in March, when you will be traveling. Prague's relative lack of traffic compared with Vienna, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. I thought the architecture was comparable, with Vienna's being on a grander scale. Also, I would observe that Prague isn't as cheap as it used to be - the $7 concerts that people mentioned only a couple of years ago are now $16 - $18 and that is for sometimes an hour long performance. I could easily return to either city - lots to see and do, no problem with English, good food.

elaine - comparing Prague and Vienna as cities is like comparing apples and oranges as fruit. I prefer Prague (and apples) because the sites are closer together and it has a more quaint and almost medieval look. My wife, however, much prefers Vienna (and oranges) because it is more open with more green spaces to relax in and its architecture is more on the Baroque side - and perhaps "grander".

Hi
.
CharlieB, I know they are apples and oranges, that's exactly what I was hoping for, comments on how the two are both different and similar.
Both cities, both in central Europe, both with long histories. Then the differences come in.
The comments have been great, thanks to all.

Just returned last month with my daughter from Vienna and Prague. Definitely we liked Prague better than Vienna. The 2 young people would enjoy going up to Petrin hill on the funicular and then climbling to the top of the tower( An elevator for us older ones) to view Prague. Such a beautiful view. We daughter was so excited to find a TGI Friday restaurant in Prague after eating European food for 2 weeks before. The Jewish Cemetery and old synagogues are not to be missed. We found much English spoken and met some very nice young people-one operating the elevator on top of the Perin Hill and the other a waitress in TGIF. The subway system is very easy to get around on. We stayed at the Don Giovanni which is a good hotel not right in the center,but a subway stop almost at the door of the hotel. One night we went to a folk music show in one of the hotels which was very entertaining and refreshing with its young performers. As everyone mentioned the architecture is so unique at every turn in the city. You will enjoy Prague and find its magic.

elaine - let us know which you choose and why. Apples - crisp and tart, or oranges - sweet and luscious. Both are enjoyable fruits. No way will you choose the wrong city. Enjoy!

I think Elaine decided to go to both, which I think is a good idea. Actually, I did like that wedding cake architecture of Vienna -- it is something to see as I have never seen another city with so many large grand buildings like that. As I said, I didn't fall in love with Vienna, but I'm glad I saw it. I realize one reason it was not so exciting for me was that I was there in July when not much was going on (which I hadn't known) in terms of concerts. Also, it rained a lot which kind of put the damper on things, literally. I did like the green space, also, in the center but would have preferred less trash and more scenery in the area around St Stephans, for example.

As for cost, not many places are as cheap as they used to be due to inflation, unfortunately. Prague prices are rising as they become more adapted to tourism and costs go up (I've noticed hotel costs have gone up a lot in the last 5 years, at least the good ones). However, I think it's still cheap by any reasonable measure compared to other major European cities, including concerts and opera. Part of the reason it may seem so much more expensive is due to the falling value of the USD, not the prices. The USD has fallen more in the Czech Republic than in W. Europe in the last few years in comparison to the USD, although you don't hear people talk about that so much. When I was there in 2000, I got 40-42 CK for one USD; the current exchange rate is only 26 CK for one USD -- a drop of about 37 pct.

I was just there last year and concerts are still pretty cheap, except for the tourist concerts, of course. I remember paying only about US$12-15 for a ticket at the door at the National Museum for the Stamic Quartet, who are superb and internationally known. It lasted longer than an hour, also, it was a regular chamber music concert. Chamber music at the Clementinum's Hall of Mirrors is not to be missed IMO, if you like classical music (also, I think you cannot go in and view that room otherwise, but I'm not sure). Again, those are only about 400-500 CK for a regular concert (about US$15) that lasts about 2 hrs or more, but their tourist concerts (players in period costumes, playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons) are about 33 euro. You can see a nationally recognized opera company doing Rusalka at the National Theatre (and IMO the Czechs do Dvorak better than anyone) for only about 25-30 euro for top seats. Paris, London, etc charge double to triple that rate.

So, I don't complain about prices in Prague because I think they are still very reasonable in comparison to other places.