Hi Everyone! My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Budapest to spend Christmas and New Year's with his family. It is my first time there.
I would love to drive to Prague while we are there. Any idea how long the drive is? Is it better to take a bus? If so, would you advise on the how much it would cost? I don't think we can afford the train prices.
Thanks!

hi, saira,

I just put this into www.viamichelin.com and came up with 5.45hrs, mostly on motorways.

the main problem would be the weather, but if it were so bad as to affect the motorways, you could just not go!

we went for 3 nights between Christmas and New Year about 3 years ago and it was great. it was cold but the public buildings and restaurants are well-heated, the same as budapest.

on the whole, we found it pricier than budapest, where we spent the same period the following year. if you stay on for New Year, it will be expensive.

you will need to start looking for accommodation soon, especially if you want somewhere cheap.

good luck!

regards, ann

regards, ann

Try Autoeurope to get a sense of the cost of rental: http://www.autoeurope.com/

I suspect that the cross-border charge will be exorbitant.

As for distance and time,try Mappy.com.

Thank you both for your kind help!

hi again, saira,

I'd assumed you were coming back to B'pest after your prague trip. I agree that if you're not, the train might be better. you won't want a car in Prague, anyway.

regards, ann

PS - we found loads to do in B'pest, and lots, like the museums, is free, unlike in Prague. why not leave prague for another time, and not risk annoying the "inlaws" by disappearing off as soon as you've met them? just a thought!

Thanks for the message, Ann. I've met the in-laws before (they visited here), and actually the plan is that we all may head there as one big happy family for a short trip. But I'm not sure yet. I'm sure Budapest is lovely, but the thought of being in a family situation for over two weeks nonstop is a bit overwhelming right now. A trip may be fun. We will be going around Hungary a bit, too, though. Maybe Pecs. And my boyfriend studied in Sopron. Can you suggest other places? Did you stay in Budapest or travel around Hungary
Thanks.

Also in Hungary, have a look at Eger. A pretty little city specializing in red wine, it's centered around a castle ruin and a Turkish minaret. Not very far at all from Budapest.

Thanks, Clifton. I actually read a bit about Ottoman architecture in Hungary, and this is one of the reasons I want to see Pecs.

hi, saira,

I'm glad that you're not meeting your "in-laws" for the 1st time at christmas. THat could be tricky.

I sympathise with your desire to escape for a while. we only went to Budapest so can't help about where to go otherwise. mt rough guide to eastern europe, however, suggests as side trips from Budapest the following:

Szentendre - on the danube

Pecs [turkish remains - you can get the train]

Eger - for the wine - there's trip report on B'pest that talks about this in depth - another train I think.

if you have access to a library, why not borrow a book and see what you can sort out?

good luck,

regards, ann

You might be interested in the Hungarian section of my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34659808

Thanks everyone! This is turning out to be a travel advice posting and a support group for me. Really, Ann, the in-laws are nice, but...really...

Ann, Michael, thank you for the websites. And Michael, the trip report is great.

I recommend the overnight trains. The bus will leave you feeling miserable. Driving is a chore unless you want to stop in some villages along the way.