Czech Republic and Hungary
 

Hi Guys,

Finally booked my ticket to Czech Republic and Hungary from November 18th to 27th. I don't have a fixed itinerry but a rough idea of what I want to do and needed your suggestions.

Nov 19th - Arrive in Prague early morning. Explore Prague
Nov 20th - Explore Prague
Nov 21st - Day Trip to Cesky Krumlov from Prague
Nov 22nd - Day trip to Saxon Switzerland National Park from Prague (is there another option of a day trip if national park is not an option in November?)
Nov 22nd late night flight to Budapest.
Nov 23rd - Explore Budapest
Nov 24th - Explore Budapest
Nov 25th - Day trip to Eger from Budapest
Nov 26th - Day trip Szentendre from Budapest
Nov 27th - Flight back to NYC

need your help in understanding if this is realistic.. if I should add or subtract anything. what could be some other options for day trips from Budapest?

Also, another question I had was if i should carry some local currency for both these countries from NYC. I do have an international credit card but still wanted to carry some cash. needed your suggestion on how much is sufficient.

I am traveling by myself hence a little apprehensive,

Thanks for your suggestions!

You don't tell us what attracts you to Prague in the first place. Maybe a sort-of-half and a full day will suffice, although for most people it wouldn't.

Plzen is a popular day trip - it is the origin of Pilsener, read what this fellow experienced:
http://www.nakedtourguideprague.com/...trip-to-plzen/

@michelhuebeli I am not in the mood for cathedrals or museums as most of them r the same all over Europe.. i want to see things I would never find in any other European country. In prague I am staying in the center. and in budapest I am staying in the Pest side.

Depends on what you want to see and experience, but your time in both Prague and Budapest seems short to me.

(As an aside -- IMO, cathedrals and museums are not interchangeable. YMMV.)

No need to exchange currency before leaving NYC -- you will find ATMs upon arrival. Make sure you notify your credit card and ATM companies that you will be abroad (and where) before leaving. Also make sure that you know what networks your ATM card works with -- using "your" network can save you on fees.

"Day trip to Saxon Switzerland National Park from Prague (is there another option of a day trip if national park is not an option in November?)"

I might suggest having a backup plan for this day trip, if your goal is to hike/walk the park. We scrapped our plan to hike that area yesterday as the weather was too dreary for either a pleasant walk or good photography. Later in the month you may find it to be the same. Look at Vysehrad, easily accessible from Prague, and might give you an alternative worthwhile "nature" experience.


"Day trip Szentendre from Budapest." Absent an event or other special offer in the city, you won't need more than a half day to explore everything.

Well logically you'd catch the train from Prague into the Saxony region. This area is full of some pretty little castles, towns in and amongst the industrial rust belt and the concentration camps. If you follow my name back to last summer you can see the sort of places we visited if sticking to the river side.

A day trip to Cesky Krumlov is easy - did it myself earlier this year, see http://www.seat61.com/places-of-inte...ky-krumlov.htm

Nobody flies between Prague and Budapest unless they're on a business trip, it's too much cost and hassle.

Just buy a train ticket on one of the two-hourly EuroCity trains, from €19 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class, centre to centre with a proper restaurant car serving affordable freshly-cooked meals with beer or wine - a real experience!

I should have added, book Prague to Budapest at Czech Railways www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket.

@all thanks for the wonderful suggestions.. I already booked my flight long back and at that time I was getting a good deal for 60 euros.. looks like I was not since trains are much cheaper. I booked myself on a flight thinking I would save time.

regarding Saxon switzerland National Park - I was thinking of doing a tour with Viator. but if that is not feasible I will try Vysehrad, is there any other place aside from Cesky Krumlov that I can do as a day trip from Prague?

If Szentendre is a half day trip and nothing much to see then can you please suggest any other day trip I can take from Budapest?

Last, I have bank of america account. and they do not have any partner bank in Czech Republic or Budapest, which is why I wasn't sure if I should take any local currency from here.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

I already booked my flight long back and at that time I was getting a good deal for 60 euros.>

plus getting to the airport and then into the city- you are locked in but for others reading and I believe but am not sure that there is also an overnight train between the two that would be the ultimate time saver and save on the cost of a hotel too- all those day trips can be easily done by train too except Saxon Switzerland unless you just want to see the wonderful red sandstone cliffs soa tour there would be nice- even in November.

For others - lots of good stuff on trains - www.seat61.com- Man in Seat 61's commercial info-laden site;www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

is there any other place aside from Cesky Krumlov that I can do as a day trip from Prague?>

Karlstein and Kharlovy Vary are really nice - the former a once spiffy spa but still a nice thermal resort.

<<I am not in the mood for cathedrals or museums as most of them r the same all over Europe>>

That's daft.

If you want to really see things in Budapest that you cannot see outside of it, you go to the Terror Museum or Szoborpark or the Dohany Utca Synagogue. In Prague, there's a castle of some note with a fane and museums on grounds that are unique. Similarly, the Karluv Most is an open air museum - or does that not count?

Don't mistake your insouciance for insight.

Terezin is a day trip from Prague, but you might consider it a museum despite what you'd learn from it.

I also recommend Karlovy Vary as a day trip from Prague. Architecturally and visually, it is very different from Prague and Cesky Krumlov. Book a spa appointment, buy a cup and walk around the city and sip from the mineral springs. We didn't hear any English when we were there, heard a lot of Russian. We stayed overnight, had great meals. A nice highlight of our trip.

I don't agree with your comment about castles and museums, but everyone is different. You could also visit the small Communist Museum and/or the small Alphonse Mucha museum, both in Prague. We also enjoyed walking around Vysehrad, a neighborhood where my daughter studied. Different from Old Town. Beautiful small church and cemetery where famous Czechs are buried.

ah, those famous Czechs :-)

I love the idea that all European Cathedrals are all the same, such profundity...

"...any other day trip I can take from Budapest?" Two destinations that come to mind are Esztergom, but that is a basilica; and Gödöllő, but that is a palace and probably too much like a museum for you. Plus, it may not be open, as many castles/palaces close or have reduced hours during the winter months. There's always Memento Park as part of your Budapest itinerary, but that, too, could be considered a museum.

One caution with a tour of the Saxon is the weather. The other is that it is a park with rock canyons and waterfalls, both of which are not unique to CZ, so that might not meet your criteria of wanting to, "see things I would never find in any other European country."

One caution with a tour of the Saxon is the weather. The other is that it is a park with rock canyons and waterfalls, both of which are not unique to CZ, so that might not meet your criteria of wanting to>

IMO Saxon Switzerland is pretty unique -not to CZ but Germany - I have seen all such rock formations pretty much and these are not your average ones- really unique to me at least.

<<<<I am not in the mood for cathedrals or museums as most of them r the same all over Europe>>

Can you be serious? I don't believe on has to ascribe to the notion that "we are all different" to realize that such a statement is just ludicrously absurd. If you don't want to visit cathedrals or museums, fine, but to make such a statement is just, well, dumb.

Back to the original question, you could get to Györ easily by train from Budapest, but it has museums and other dumb stuff. And the Dohany Syngogue is a marvel, but it's, you know, just another synagogue.

For non-church, non-museum in Budapest, try a performance or tour of the Opera house, an art nouveau or communism walking tour, Memento Park and the Central Market Hall.

<<<<I am not in the mood for cathedrals or museums as most of them r the same all over Europe>>

I agree with St-Cirq- a ludicrous statement but also think you need not visit any churches or museums if they do not interest you- some folks go to Paris with a laundry list of must see museums and churches and spend most of their time in them-I prefer walking around, sitting at outdoor cafes, visiting street markets, etc over what to me are often boring museums.