Prague and Vienna OR Prague and Budapest
 

Hello again!

As some of you who have been helping me know, I am planning a trip to Prague and Budapest next August. 8 days. I was thinking either 4/4 or 5 Prague and 3 Budapest.

I am using frequent flier miles - I currently have the tickets on hold (into Prague and out of Budapest), and I have to make final determinations by the 19th. So this question may only be in theory and may not even be possible, but I was thinking...

What would you pick - Prague and Budapest OR Prague and Vienna? I was all set on the Prague and Budapest idea and then my husband mentioned Vienna. I want to go to all three cities and I think we will eventually - so this isn't a question of which is better, but a question of which two combine together more logically.

The reason I grouped Budapest with Prague was because I thought that Budapest might not be too expensive and I thought it would make a great look at Central Europe, especially when combined with Prague - which we haven't been too before. Thus, I thought it and Prague would be good compliments.

I thought about Prague and Vienna, but it seems like I've read reports here that people have been slightly disappointed with Vienna when it is grouped with Prague - I think this has had to with the prices in Vienna being higher (probably normal) and it not seeming as exciting (as Prague). Yet Vienna has lots of wonderful cafes and music and it would be really neat....

Anyway, what do you think? For this trip - which is a logical combination assuming I can change it - Vienna and Prague OR Budapest and Prague?

Thanks again!
Sally

Hello Sally,

As long as you <b>promise</b> me to visit Budapest at some future date, I would say Vienna would better lend itself to being paired with Prague, if only from the point of view that they are a 4.5 hour train ride rather than a 7 hour train ride apart.

I would suggest having no less than 3 full days in Vienna. But, as so often is the case, a little longer would be even better, if you could swing it.

I also would suggest seeing Vienna first, if possible. I loved Vienna, but it is very clean and orderly. For some people this level of tidiness might almost feel sterile, or at least that's how it might strike some people if they visited Vienna straight after Prague, which is slightly more quirky.

But please take my comments about sterility in the overall context of what I'm trying to say. I did not find Vienna sterile at all. I found it delightful, beautiful, and interesting. Furthermore, all of the Viennese people with whom we interacted were very friendly towards us.

A place that I have not yet visited, that I would love to see, is Salzburg. If we'd had longer in Vienna, I would have loved to have gone on a day trip to Salzburg (although I think Salzburg could keep a person meaningfully occupied for much more than a day). If you do Budapest on a future trip, perhaps you would consider combining it with Salzburg. Just a thought.

I've never been to any of them, but I'd love to go to Prague and Budapest. (Excessive orderliness give me a pain in the back of the neck.)

Thank you both! So many decisions to make!!!

Judy - of course I will make that promise if we don't go to Budapest now!! I totally want to go to both of them.

The fact that Vienna is closer is a consideration that would weigh in its favor. It sounds like if we were to change to Vienna and Prague, then we should try to switch the flights so as to be into Vienna and out of Prague. (This would probably also lend itself to not being disappointed with Vienna as we wouldn't have seen Prague yet.)

Thanks again....

Hi! I've never been to Prague or Budapest so I can't comment on either one, but I have been to Vienna and I just wanted to mention that my husband and I loved it. The cafes, the architecture, the atmosphere...there is just something about Vienna! It is very clean. We combined Vienna with Florence and Rome, and Vienna was very different in comparison, but I don't necessarily think that is bad; just different. I doubt you could go wrong with either choice, but Vienna definitely didn't dissapoint us.

Good luck with your decision!
Tracy

I just have to put in a plug for Budapest. Like Judy, maybe a &quot;someday&quot; trip, if not this time. I too hope to see both Prague and Vienna but haven't yet. I just finished a trip report where 4 days in Budapest was sort of the finale, and we were just talking last night about all the things we still didn't get to do. We're definitely planning on a return trip someday when we spend even longer.

I think you'll be satisfied with either choice, but personally I'd pick Vienna and Prague. Of the three, I prefer the &quot;feel&quot; of Prague, but the museums in Vienna are among the best in the world. They alone would make me choose Vienna.

As I said, this is a personal choice. Perhaps the fact that I was pickpocketed in Budapest has affected my decision!

We were in both Prague and Vienna this past March, and although the prices for food and attractions were a little higher, they weren't outrageously so.

By the way, my wife just walked into the room and she said &quot;Definitely Vienna&quot;!

Good luck, and have a great trip (whatever you choose).

Hi
Prague I loved, Vienna not so much.
The art museums in Vienna are awesome, but not all of the art as much to my taste as, say, in Italy or France.

The food in Vienna can be excellent, but I wouldn't call Vienna a food destination per se. But then neither is Prague.

There are some historic buildings, but so much of the city center was destroyed during WWII that I wasn't knoocked over by the sense of history. Prague's city center on the other hand emerged from the war largely unscathed.

I am not saying Vienna should not be visited, just that it didn't wow me and I'm unlikely to rush back. Yet that in itself makes me happy to have checked it off on my travel list.

We flew from Vienna to Prague; flight is less than an hour.

My opinion of a city is not based only on what that city looks like now. My interest in a place derives also from what that place was in the past and its relationships with its neighbours, near and far.

The fact that there is nothing visible of Vienna's ancient castle walls, and the fact that the position of those walls now is demarkated by the route of the Ring Strasse, is more significant if one has seen the partially intact Castle District in Budapest, the much more intact Castle in Prague, the equally intact Castle in Eger (Hungary), and the almost perfectly preserved fortress of Petrovaradin in Novi Sad (Serbia). Conversely, one appreciates the well preserved fortresses if one is aware that there used to be many more fortresses, and that only a handful survive in good condition.

Austria now has 8 million people, but it once owned an empire that encompassed 56 million people. It used to have a navy back when it owned the (now Italian) port of Trieste.

Some of the chandeliers in the Hofburg and Schoenbrunn came from Bohemia, then part of the Austrian Empire, but now the Czech Republic.

The Belvedere Palace in Vienna was commissioned by Prince Eugene of Savoy, the great conqueror of Ottoman Turkish armies, whose statue one sees outside of the Royal Palace in Budapest, and a hulking great portrait of whom one sees at the fortress of Petrovaradin where he enjoyed one of his famous victories.

Marie Antoinette of France was the daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, so if one has been to Versailles, one immediately is aware of the connections when one visits Schoenbrunn.

One sees the bedroom in which Napoleon slept in Schoenbrunn, and one again is aware of one of the occasions when there were, shall we say, interactions between France and Austria.

I could go on and on about this stuff. But not everyone is interested in history. Anyway, suffice it to say, one sees the connections if one visits more than one of these places, or at least one has a greater opportunity to notice the connections.

I've been to all three.
Prague is beautiful, but a little like a theme park.
Vienna isn't sterile, but I get ffreaked out by the Hapsburg monuments after a couple days.
I flat out adore Budapest. It's both exotic and gritty.

If you have 8 days I would do this:
Prague: 2 or 3
Vienna: 2 or 3
Budapest: 3

The train from Prague to Vienna is 5 hours I think. Budapest is just another 3 hours. So you don't really lose a whole day in the transit. Nor are you exhausted.

Let if know if you want suggestions for each city.

You all are being so helpful and here I am becoming more and more confused - gosh I wish I had more time to do it all! If only.... But alas I don't so I'll have to be satisfied with 8 days, which really isn't so bad.

Looks like my husband and I have to do some serious talking - although I am really considering the whole idea of doing all three. The only thing is that I promised both of us that we wouldn't rush - we always end up tired then.

I'll report back in a couple of days.

Thank you again!!!

In my mind there is no question Prague and Budapest. Vienna you will find less romantic and more of a German like city. more culture and better and cheaper food and logings in Praha and Budapest

No final decision reached yet. But we did decide that we won't try to see all three cities as it would be too much for us and wouldn't be relaxing.

I am quite torn - first I say Budapest and then I say Vienna and both look and sound wonderful and both have a lot to offer. I know we'll be able to go back and see whichever one we don't now, but I want to choose the best &quot;fit&quot; for this trip.

Will post more as our discussions continue.

Thank you again!!

We visited all three cities last year and it was one of our favorite trips in Europe. My personal choices for the two I loved were Prague and Budapest. Vienna was all right, but there is just something about the other two cities that was very special to me. Since your time is limited (we had two weeks) to cut down on travel time, fly from Prague to Budapest. These two cities will give you a much better feel that you have visited Central Europe.

I live in Vienna and thus have a natural bias but I would recommend that you visit just two cities. This gives you more time to properly see those you visit and also offers an excelent incentive to return at some later date.
Vienna offers much more cultural opportunities than the other cities and also much more to see( significant historical buildings such as the Belvedere , Hofburg and Sch&ouml;nbrunn Palaces, beautiful parks and gardens ) No matter your interests, you will find things here.
Opera, ballet, art, classical music, jazz, club scene and a full offer of history.
Every night you will find many events at reasonable prices.

The public transport system allows you to visit any part of the city at nominal cost.
Try an evening of good food , wine and music at Vienna`s famous heurigen ( wine taverns)Not expensive

Those who say that Vienna was not what they expected are a small minority compared to those that return yearly to enjoy days here.
You will find these people everywhere.

We visited Vienna and Prague and Munich last summer. We loved Vienna and Prague-- both for different reasons. I think they might provide a better contrast between the two cities; rather than Prague and Budapest, because I'm assuming those two might be more similar. But I could be wrong about that.
Whereas Vienna is sedate and cultured and high brow and set-in-its-ways, Prague seems more laid-back and funky and vital in a less-commercialized/up-and-coming way (if that makes sense). We actually loved the obsessive neatness of Vienna-- being neatniks ourselves we loved the gleaming woodwork, tile, porcelain, etc. everywhere. If you do go to Vienna, we loved the Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth-- right in the center of things, a smallish boutique-type, rather elegant hotel.
I think you're right to focus on just the two cities. We had 5 nights in Vienna and just 3 in Prague-- it would have been better to do 4 and 4, but we didn't have that option.
Either way you decide, you can't go wrong. It will be a marvelous trip.

Thank you all so much for your assistance.

We talked about it again and again and finally decided on Prague and Budapest. We'll plan on 4 days in each city.

We fly into Prague and then out of Budapest - we confirmed the tickets on Saturday night - so there is no turning back now.

We are so excited about this trip!

We also want to go to Vienna, but we'll have to pick it up on another trip!

Thank you all again.
Sally

I have been to both Prague and Vienna, never Budapest. I LOVE Prague. Vienna was a major disappointment for me. I didn't like the people (too formal, too aloof), and I thought the city was rather dismal. I must say that the coffee houses are fantastic, however, and I adored the Kunsthistoriches Museum, espescially the paintings by Velasquez and Reubens.

If you would like to read my trip report on Prague, type: PANCAKY PAPERS THINGORJUS IN PRAHA in the search box.

Happy New Year,
John G.

John G,
I'm planning a return trip to Prague in April (I'll be going with a first-timer), and will give more serious attention this time to Pancaky.
Happy New Year

John G,

Thanks for the link to your trip report! I will definitely try the restaurants you (and also Elaine)recommended. Your trip sounded great - I hope to make ours as special.

Thanks again!
Sally

Message Thingorjus:
Could not let your summary of Vienna as &quot;dismal&quot; distort the image of this city to others. Perhaps you spent too much time in the many coffeehouses and not enough time really touring the sights of the city.
Magnificent palaces, beautiful parks, world class museums( more than 50), opera, plays, all types of music are just a few examples of the things to do.
Perhaps the next time, a longer visit would change your incorrect impression.
Or do people say they like Budapest only because it is less expensive?

I didn't care that much for Vienna myself on my first visit last March. Weather wasn't great, but I've visited other cities in bad weather (Prague, during that same wintry week) and still have fallen in love. I wouldn't have used the word 'dismal' perhaps, but I found it colder in spirit (not just in weather) than many other places, not that much notable architecture in the city center, uninteresting shopping, not a city I would enjoy aimlessly strolling about in as I do elsewhere. The pluses were Schonbrunn Palace, the art museums (although some of the art not to my taste), Stefansdom, and the Spanish Riding School. I'm not at all sorry I went, but I'm not rushing back.

I have been to Vienna 4 times. There are many worthwhile things to see, including my favorite art museum in Europe, the Kunsthistoriche, BUT I am among those who find Vienna basically depressing. The word that comes to mind is HEAVY [and not just the food!] It is worth seeing yes -- and I'll probably come through again -- but never for more than 2 nights -- all that Hapsburg stuff gets to me after a while.

Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have used the word &quot;dismal.&quot; However, I found the city to be depressing and cold, even though I was there in September. I distinctly remember the smell of mildew in many buildings. (I am English, and therefore an expert on mildew :) )

I have to agree with Elaine, especially when she states she didn't enjoy walking around Wien. Neither did I.

I don't mean to offend you, Mr. Molker, but I didn't enjoy Wien at all. Honestly, when I stepped on the train to leave for Salzburg (an absolutely gorgeous place), I was very relieved.

Happy New Year,
John G.

Message Thingorjus:
Mildew? I live in Vienna and have never smelled or seen mildew. Of course I am not an expert as you seem to be. I suggest that you upgrade the style of hotel and-or type of tour.
This was an imperial city for centuries and has many buildings that remain from that era.Most people enjoy a walk in the center of the city to view them.Yes, some of the old city wall still remains- Molker Bastei!

Merry Christmas!

Molker, we were in Vienna in September 2004, and loved it. I would return in a heartbeat.

Aside from the palaces, museums, art galleries, churches, the friendliness of the people and the cleanliness of the city, one memory stands out for me. It was the park near Karlskirche. We looked around the church in the afternoon, and when we came out there were lots of elementary school aged children playing in the park. They looked as if they were having fun. That is so different from my own city in which the downtown core is very much an adult space and children stay out in the suburbs.

Mind you, child-friendliness and pedestrian-friendliness seem to be features of many European cities.

Even in Senta, Serbia (population 25,000), the undesirable hotel in which we stayed overlooked the town's central park in which there was the most delightful playground.

But, regardless of whether people like Vienna or not, I do believe it's instructive to visit that city, because it gives one a better understanding of other places in Central Europe. Also, visiting other places in Central Europe gives one a better understanding of Vienna. At least that's how it seemed to work for me.

Anyway, whatever the majority of Fodorites may think about Vienna, we encountered numerous tour groups receiving guidance in Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese, you name it. It's pretty obvious that Vienna is a city that attracts flocks of people. I guess not everyone bases his/her travel decisions on opinions at Fodors. ;)

Oh yes, another piece of information seemed to confirm our favourable impression of Vienna. The cab driver who took us from our hotel to the train station did not look European. We asked him if he was Austrian and he replied that he was an immigrant from Iraq. We asked him how he found life in Austria. He said that of course there were some differences, such as climate, language and customs. However, his experience was that Austrian people were very decent, and it was a pleasant society in which to live and raise his family.

By the way, my defence of Vienna is not intended to derail Sally's choice of Prague and Budapest. Sally, I think you're wise to have limited yourself to two cities in eight days, and I consider Prague and Budapest to be very valid options.

We were in Vienna last June and found it elegant, beautiful, and spotlessly clean. I would term it 'sedate', not 'cold', certainly not 'dismal'. Everyone we encountered there was unfailingly polite-- which some Americans may assume is 'cold'.
I think it's unfortunate people harshly criticize other cities with which they are only briefly familiar.

Message- A Thank you to MaureenB and J Judy in Calgary.

Thank you for taking time to learn a little about Vienna and for your recent posts about the city. I am very happy that you enjoyed the many things that the city has to offer.It eagerly awaits your return!

Boy, you Vienna lovers are hardcore!

I disagree with you Maureen about what you consider &quot;harsh criticism&quot; of cities on the Forum. There have been threads here on hatred of Rome and feeling Paris is a dump, blasphemous to some of us, but nonetheless just opinions and feelings about the posters' experiences in those two cities.

It's simple, in my view, to take these kinds of comments with a grain of salt. When planning a trip, I find both sides of the coin helpful. Based on my own research and information, I sift through these threads and draw my own conclusions.

I'd like to think that the city and its people eagerly awaitany reasonable traveler's return.
If being less than thrilled with it disqualifies someone from being welcomed back, I may have been correct in the first place.

I would choose Prague and Budapest, also, but I think Vienna worth a visit just to see it. It wouldn't be my first choice, though.

I wasn't that crazy about Vienna, either -- I was there about 4-5 days a couple years ago. I wouldn't call it cold or anything, just dull. Maybe it has a lot of museums, but I didn't think they were that great in comparison to other capital cities. As for cleanliness, the pedestrian street in front of St Stephans (Karntnerstrasse?) was positively filthy, one thing I didn't like about Vienna was how dirty it was in some areas like that. That is one of the main area for visitors, the city should clean it up. The McDonalds near there had the filthiest bathroom I've ever seen, also.

I'd take Prague and Budapest.
And right you are: Budapest is not that expensive as Vienna, though the architecture is pretty much the same.
You can ask guys at www.budapestsun.com forum or browse through www.budapestindex.com, if you need any practical vital info.

Just for fun, I guess I'll chime in here as well.

I also didn't think much of Vienna when I was there in 2002. It was very brief though. That said, I've decided that I'll be returning at one point. One of the main draws is the orchestra, which I still haven't heard in the Musikverein. I find their concerts really enjoyable whenever they play in NYC. Also I hope to make it to the Salzburg Festival eventually, so Vienna will merit another visit.

Another draw is the Kunsthistorisches Museum. I've decided that I need to spend more time there, as I've become interested in paintings by Brueghel the Elder -- it looks like the Kunsthistorisches Museum has, by far, the largest number of extant Brueghels, including the famous &quot;Hunters in the Snow.&quot;

I spent a couple of days in Prague in 1999. I enjoyed that even less than Vienna -- I think that I must be in the minority on this forum. But I'll probably be back there again as well.

I've never been to Budapest.

I just wanted to thank you all again for your insights on which two cities we should combine on our 8 day trip!

Sounds like we really will need to get to Vienna! But since we've gone ahead and booked the tickets, this trip will be only Prague and Budapest - I can't wait!

By the way, I tried to contact Bela Lukas in Budapest, but he didn't respond. Does he have more than one e-mail address?

Thanks,
Sally

Hi Sally

Did you eventually go on your trip ?

what was it like ? What was the highlights ? Which country did you prefer ?

How did you break down your trip ?

I know it's an old thread. I remember it from before i joined Fodors and i wanted to comment then :-) and would love to know your final outcome.


Roberto
http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic...udapesthungary

Actually this reply is for the last poster, Roberto!

I remember about where Sally went because I read clear through this (very interesting) thread and searched for her trip report. I,too,was very interested in this trip!

I believe that their plans changed, and she ended up going to Venice and the environs for a few days instead!

( I feel like a trip report voyeur but I do search them out and read avidly, trying to gain information!)