leb88

I’m booked for a 12 day trip to Prague and Budapest. Cashed in my FF miles for and open jaw business class ticket----woohoo! Got my hotels, studied my guidebooks and am starting to get very excited about my upcoming adventure. A couple of questions have arisen and I thought I’d ask the knowledgeable Fodorites for advice.

First, I need to book a train to Budapest from Prague and am wondering if I should do it via RailEurope before I go. I want the day train and I see by looking at the schedules that unless I want to change trains about 5 times, I need one particular train. I will arrive in Prague 5 days before I need this train. What do you think? Book when I get there? I think I’m concerned that besides knowing how to say “hello” and “where is the toilet” I won’t be able to get what I need from a surly train station attendant!

Next, money. I will get crowns from an ATM when I get there, but Hungarian Forints? Should I exchange to get some before getting on the train in Prague? I would like to have local currency arriving in Budapest. Or is there a reliable ATM near the train station that anyone knows about.

And any other tips or advice, restaurants or sites you all can offer a lady traveling solo! I’ve done solo trips before but I think I am a little bit apprehensive because of not knowing the language well.

Thanks in advance for any information you might have!

Michael

There are plenty of banks and ATMs in Budapest. I would not be surprised if there were one in the train station. It should not be a problem.

jeg

My family took the Budapest-Prague train early on a weekday in July and also wanted just one particular train. We bought the tickets when we arrived in Budapest (a week before). The train was almost empty, so I was glad we hadn't booked in the US before leaving. Sorry, don't know about the reverse direction (Prague to Budapest), but maybe it would be a similar situation.

Clifton

I found the travel information on this page useful before our trip to budapest. It has a page that says there is an exchange office in the Keleti station, which is where you're likely to arrive, if you do not find an ATM there.

http://www.budapesthotels.com/touris...ange_rates.asp

For approx. 200 Forints, there is a Metro stop, the red M2 line, that you can catch to go to the central Deak Ter line. Deak Ter is fairly close to the Vaci Utca. The red line continues on to the opposite side of the river.

Metro ticket machines are easy to use and the Red line is clean and well policed, we found. Be sure to validate your ticket before boarding in the small free standing validators before boarding, as they do check tickets. I would imagine though, since Keleti is the main station, that a taxi stand is also available. There are ATM's all over Budapest, so if you do need the exchange office, I'd only do enough for the ride or so, as an ATM will give a better rate.

Clifton

Oh, if you are using the metro and you're heading to the Vaci Utca or Pest riverfront hotels like the Marriott, you can transfer at Deak Ter to the small yellow line for one stop to Varosmarty Ter. This will bring you up right on Vaci Utca, in front of the Gerbauds, the famous pastry cafe, and may save some walking with your bags.

sfowler

Unless things have changed radically in the past few years DON'T take a taxi that has not been called by your hotel and if you do, DO agree on the fare before you get in. Budapest and Prague vy for the most rapacious taxidrivers I have ever met.

You should be fine getting a ticket for that train once you get there unless it is a Friday or a Sunday or a holiday weekend.

logos999

The taxi companies are owned by the local mafia, be prepared.

yipper

Hi,
We had one of those mafia taxi drivers. we even tipped him. Now we laugh.

parkhill24

We made the same trip and just went to the train station a few days beforehand and got a ticket with no trouble. Don't miss Gerbauds in Budapest! Also, a tip: the fine restaurant Gundel has a sister restaurant next door also with excellent food and lower prices. Try the cold cherry soup.

nytraveler

Unless you are traveling on som eholiday or other you should have no rouble getting a ticket a couple of days beforehadn. And we didn;t meet any surly in Prague (except for one cab driver - who was VERY unhappy when we didn't allow him to cheat us) - definitelynot in the train station.

You can get forints in the train statin in Budapest. If you want to have some in hand before you arrive - you must change cash(crowns only) in Prague at a bank or bureau de change. (If you try to change dollars they will first have to change them to corwns and then to forints - doubling the fees and makng the rates of exchange horrendous.)

J62

The www.bahn.de website shows the 7:30 am with no changes. You can go to the train station in Prague at your leisure any of the of the days you are there and reserve a seat. I've never had a problem reserving a seat even the day before departure.

If you miss that train it looks like the 8am departure actually catches up with the 7:30 in Breclav where you can change trains.

jpichicago

You'll have no problem getting a tix from Prague to Budapest with 4-5 advanced purchase. If you are concerned about a 'surly' tix attendent have the conceirge or desk attendent at your hotel make the reservation for you. Most are very willing to help for a small tip.

ATM are everywhere. I'd avoid machines in the train stations simply because you'll be an easy target for pick pockets. In both these cities, credit cards are widely accepted. If you really want some local currency, pop into any bank along the way and change a few dollars.

Finally, don't worry about the language especially if you are sticking to Prague and Budapest -- English is very common.

mez05

I have been training around Central Europe for the last few weeks. I am in Budapest at the moment, and was in Prague a couple of weeks ago so I thought I'd add my two cents worth. You'll have no problem buying tickets at the train station in Prague. I have a little phrase book and generally write out '2 tickets to...' in the appropriate language before I get to the ticket seller, but in fact in Prague this was unnecessary - the ticket sellers for international trains all seemed to be extraordinarily multilingual (I heard English, French, Spanish from our ticket seller whilst waiting in the queue). They we were not surly at all.

I would change some money at the Prague train station before you get to Budapest Keleti. Keleti station was really quite dodgy with pickpockets and not the place youd want to withdraw large amounts of money.

Have fun'

leb88

Thank you all for your replies! I appreciate the information and I think I feel a bit more relaxed about it. And the metro information is great, Clifton, as I will be somewhat loaded down with my bag---though after learning my lesson in my first big trip abroad, I know to pack light. I will definately avoid the taxi drivers! Sounds a bit scary! I usually do just hoof it (so I can eat more without gaining weight!) or use public transportation.

Speaking of transportation, yea or nay on the Prague card or Budapest card---I was thinking that at least the transportation card might be better to deal with than individual tickets. I've read that the cards that include admission to various sites aren't woth it. Did you find that to be the case?

Giovanna

We spent five days in Prague and four in Budapest (with Vienna in between for a couple days)and for the first time (certainly not the last) avoided all the hassle and language barriers by going to Cedok Travel Agency, Na Prikope 18 in Prague ([email protected]) and bought all our train tickets there. It was so easy, we will never try to purchase from an agent at a train station in any country we visit again. I did, however, use the Die Bahn website to choose our preferred trains, printed out the schedules and took them with us. We had a very pleasant, English speaking agent and were out of there in less than half an hour with all our train travel taken care of.

You are taking a very special trip. We loved both cities. I have websites and other information for Prague and Budapest. If you would like either or both, please e-mail me.

aerbare

I must agree....don't worry one bit about a language barrier, unless you're going anywhere outside the city centre. Last year, we wound up at a beer hall pretty far outside the city and no one spoke english, but our waitress did her best & was very patient with us. As long as you have a guidebook which has usefull words in teh back (potato, chicken, etc..) you can at least pick out your meal =)