We're planning a 2 week holiday to Czech, Hungary, and Romania. How long should we spend in each place if we have just 14 days to spare and what are the best places to visit in each country.

I can only speak for the Czech republic, I think I spent 3 nights in Prague and two nights in Cesky Krumlov and thought that was the right amount of time. Travel between the two can take a while so you really only have one full day in Cesky krumlov if you go that route.

Where are you going in romania?

Thanks dw0201. This is our first time to these countries so any feedback is useful. How long is the drive from Prague to Cesky Krumlov? Can you recommend a good hotel? (can be upto US$ 250)

Hi degas. We've been told to go to the following places in Romania:

Poina Brasov ( For Skiing),
Bran & Rasnov ( Dracula's castles),
Sinai ( The Royal Palace),
Sigisuara ( Fortified Midieval town),
Sibiu ( the largest midieval town in Europe),
Campulung ( Petking plant,
Gorges & ice-caves), & Bucharest.

We'd like to see some snow while we're there (if we can). Ideally want to spend 7 days in Romania. Thanks

abcd_xyz

Sounds like you're doing some of the same route in Romania we are. We're not going to Bucharest though, in favor of adding the city of Timisoara and the areas of Maramures for the traditional villages (ox carts, trad costumes and old wooden churches, UNESCO area) and Bucovina for the painted monastaries. I kept reading recommendations that no one should skip the monastaries. I guess I'm an easy mark lol.

I think I'm looking forward most to Sighisoara though. The gothic pics I've seen and all of read sound great. As I said in the other post, I'll drop a few words in here when we get back.

Check out http://www.turism.ro/english/index.php

and www.spirit.ro

They've both been very helpful non-commercial sites.

My notes tell me that the trip to Cesky Krumlov was about 3 hours to Ceske Budejovice (sp?) and then I had to change trains and I can't remember but I think it was another 45 minutes or so to CK. All locals on the train so it was a delightful trip. I think it cost just a few dollars but it was a local train, not high speed. I am sure you could do much better driving but I was traveling alone and enjoy the time on the trains. I am sure rail europe would have the travel times.

My hotel was right on the main square and was called Hotel Golden Angel or Zlaty Andel. I paid $38/night (3 years ago) for a single room in their new section of the hotel. The room is very cute but small. nice bathroom. You can do a search for that hotel or go to tripadvisor.com and see all the hotels for Cesky Krumlov, I think Pensione Barbakan gets the best ratings. The old section of town is very small so you can't go too wrong with location. It is a well known back packer stop so lots of pensiones and hostels there.

dw0201: Thanks again

Hi Clifton. Many thanks for the links. We're not sure whether we want to go to Bucharest. What we have is just a tentative itinerary. Hope you have a wonderful trip. Look forward to hearing from you again.

I think you will enjoy the following site for Cesky Krumlov. Following it is a site for CK hotels.

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/atlas/i_cmm.htm

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/mesto/rpphv/i_sezuby.htm

This site might help you for info on the Czech Republic.

http://www.visitczechia.cz/

Here are a few for Hungary/Budapest.

http://www.budapestinfo.hu/en/index.html

http://www.szoborpark.hu/indexa.html

http://budapesthotels.com/

http://www.budpocketguide.com/

We visited Prague and Budapest last year and loved both cities. If I can help further, don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Few people ever have much nice to say about Bucharest. But the gold exhibition in its national museum stunned me in a way no other museum in Europe has (and I'm a British Library groupie). And its folk museum - which sounds awfully worthy - is amazing: dozens of re-assembled farmsteads from a country that's astonishingly diverse. Sometimes called the Village Museum, it doesn't seem to have a web site, but (understated) details are at http://www.rotraveler.com/regionguid...lagemuseum.php.

I'd skip Poiana Brasov. Skiing is dull, and the practicalities involve an awful lot of messing about for not very much skiing.

OTOH, Mrs F came back raving the other day from the painted monasteries, which I've never managed to organise my time to get to see. She swears they beat everything else in Romania. Only problem is that Romania isn't very good at organising winter travel, and winter comes early round Suceava. Once the snows fall, roads start closing (we've had people stranded for a couple of days by the roadside in the north). Once you see Romanian snow, you don't want to see much more.

a number of years ago, the Rose Hotel in CK was really top quality. Magnificent facility. My guess is that it is still exceptional.

Lake Battalon in Hungary.

Thanks a lot you guys. This is all very helpful. I will digest the new information and get back to you with more questions

hopefully not many more. Thanks again