Hello Fodorites. I am just beginning to research a summer trip to these cities and will greatly appreciate some input from those of you familiar with this region. My thought is to fly into Munich from the West coast and train to Vienna, then Prague and Budapest, in what ever order makes the most sense. While I know that one could likely spend months in each city, would 3 days in each be sufficient to get a taste? Also, what is the train time between cities? Your advice, and suggested itinerary, will be most appreciated.

If you must fly to Munich (instead of directly to Vienna) a possible (and I think the most logical) order would be Munich to Vienna (4 1/2 hours plus 45 minutes from the Munich airport to the main train station by S-Bahn);
Vienna to Budapest (about 3 hours); Budapest to Prague (about 6 1/2 hours)
Train times can depend on which train you are taking..could be a bit shorter or longer). Going to Prague from Vienna and then Budapest doesn't make as much sense geographically I don't think (you may want to consult a map and judge for yourself). Each of these cities has several stations but you could arrive at any of them and easily get a taxi to your hotel if you wished. (Watch out for the taxis in both Prague and Budapest..the latter particularly since the meters can be notoriously fraudulent) I think you could easily spend three days in each city, and each one is somewhat different. I've been to all three and I hope you would enjoy them. I am sure you will hear many. many ideas from others

Hi Bootman. Thanks for your input. I intend to use frequent flyer miles and will inquire about flying directly into Vienna. If you could plan a 10 day itinerary in this general area, what would you do? Would you cut one (or more) of the cities/countries and expand travel in the other? I am enamoured with the thought of all of these cities, but don't want to give any one of them short shrift. Please give me the benefit of your experience. Thanks!

Hi Iregeo:

In March we did 3 days in Budapest & 3 days in Vienna (flew Toronto-Frankfurt-Budapest, train from Budapest to Vienna & flew from Vienna back to Toronto).

Its a quick trip and you have to work out an agenda of what to see & stick to it (& hope the weather cooperates).

I enjoyed Budapest more than Vienna, as it seemed like a much more 'natural' city and wasn't 'exploiting' its history.

Both cities have excellant transit systems, so getting around is easy ...

Z

Is it doable, yes. You can get a sense of each city in 3 days. They are all 3 great places to see and, because they were once a part of the same empire, quite similar. However, the more recent history, with Vienna always in the West, Prague with the quick movement toward capitalism and Budapest moving more slowly that way, offers an interesting contrast. With 3 days, you will barely scratch the surface in the cities, much less an itinerary for day trips. Definitely take the half day tour in Prague, see the Charles Bridge at night, walk around and admire the marvelous architecture. In Budapest, try dessert and coffee at the Gellert, see the palace area, the opera house is a nice and inexpensive treat. Vienna has so much to see and try a torte at Demel's, weinerschnitzel at Figlmullers, new wine at cafes in the Vienna Woods or in the wine area just outside Vienna. If you can work it it, a half-day in Bratislava (1 hour train ride from Vienna to Slovakia) can bring some bargains in crystal and dolls.

With the time you have you can get a good taste of each city. Three days in Prague will pretty much cover the city, but only a taste of Budapest. They are indeed all great citys. Can you fly out of Prague? I agree with above that Vienna to Budapest to Prague would be the best choice for you as far as travel times. Have a great trip.

I'll be better able to advise on logistics after our trip (in 8 days!) - - but here is a twist you might want to consider - - comes from a trip I planned a few years ago, and had to cancel.

Consider flying Finnair via Helsinki - - they fly into/out of all three cities you are seeking to visit via Helsinki-New York (surely have some code share from the West coast to NY on some airline based in America).

You don't say what season, but I had a great deal for shoulder season (May), when the lengths of a day are fairly "normal" in Finland.

And depending on your perspective, one bonus can be a free night in Helsinki, because their flights out of one or more of those cities (I forget the details) do not arrive in Helsinki in time to make your NY connection - - so they put you up free, for the night in Helsinki. When else are you going to get a free opportunity for a sampler/taste of Scandinavia like this?

Best wishes,

Rex

In June my daughter and I will be making a similar trip on frequent flyer miles: - into Vienna for 3 days, pick up a car and drive to Budapest, 3 days in Budapest, then we spend 4 days in Badejov exploring eastern Slovakia and family history, on to Kracow for 2 days, and then to Prague for 3 days. If you look at a map, it's a circle. It will be interesting in that I haven't been to this area since '65. Originally I planned to use the train for most of this trip, but after reading about all the pickpockets on the trains and around the train stations (very different from '65), I decided to get a car for the whole trip.

Bedar,
Just curious, what rate did you get for the rental car?

Be sure you check with the car rental company as you must have certain passes to get into the Eastern countries. One of my friends tried to go into Czech Republic and the border guards turned him around. Also, some car rental places will not allow their cars to go into the old east.

I got the rate of $584 from AutoEurope for a car from National. Yes, that includes all the toll stamps and drop off fee.

Oops, that was $534 for 2 wks from National