We would like to do a three week trip where we stay in each of these cities. How difficult is taking the train from city to city? I had heard about some problems crossing the borders and visas being demanded even though US citizens do not need visas for these countries.

We hate traveling in the summer - we prefer the spring and fall. However, we have never traveled to this part of Europe. Is there a time in late spring or early fall when it is still comfortable to wander around in the evenings and, perhaps, have outdoor cafes open?

Also, we really enjoy 2-4 hour group walking tours of different parts of a city. Unfortunately, a private guide is beyond our budget but we have had good luck in other European countries with relatively inexpensive group tours. Any suggestions?

All help will be gratefully appreciated.
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It's so simple to take the train among these three cities. I suggest flying into one of them and out of another. Once at your first destination you can either go to the train station and purchase your tickets or go to a local travel agent and have them issue the tickets. I flew into Budapest, took the train to Vienna, the train to Prague and then flew home from Prague. There were no problems at any border.

I went in late May and the weather was delightful. A light jacket was sometimes needed in the day time, especially if it rained. The evenings were also temperate.

There are walking tours in Prague and Vienna. Not sure about Budapest.

http://www.viennawalks.tix.at/
http://pha.comp.cz/pwalks/

Went last year Sep.- Oct. The crowds were less and the leaves were changing. Just a little chill in the air. The trains were very comfortable and convenient between countries. Though our passports were checked a few times, a visa was never requested and we had no troubles. Have fun.

I've taken the trains between these cities multiple times and never had any problems. Just buy your tickets at the train stations. As mentioned above, May would be a lovely time to visit. Enjoy!

Hi
In Vienna, www.viennawalks.com offers group tours, and their prices seem reasonable to me

I'm planning my own family trip to Prague and Vienna for March. If you'd like to see my files, email me at [email protected]

We were in those 3 cities in September, and it was perfect. Rained part of one day in Prague, but we continued on. The description of summer crowds and pictures I had seen, left little doubt that we were fortunate to be there in Sept.
We e-mailed an agency in Prague, which was recommended on this forum and by our hotel, and they had all train tickets for the entire trip at our hotel waiting for us.

We had a wonderful guide in Prague, Sarka, she has a website and has posted on this board. I would highly recommend her, she is the best guide we have ever used, and is very reasonably priced. Also took us to a great cheap place for lunch and recommended other good non-touristy restaurants.