Prague, Vienna and Budapest
 

Planning trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest, 3 nights each, need help on good area hotels for mother and daughter. Never been to this part of Europe. Is local transit safe and reliable, and easy to get around tourist areas w/o renting a car? Is Fall better than summer months?

We did this trip last year. Prague is small enough that you don't really need any local transit. Vienna we took the street cars - they're pretty easy and actually kind of fun. Budapest has a subway line that we found easy to manage. I wouldn't think you'd need a car in any of the areas.

We used airbnb.com to secure apartments in all 3 cities instead of hotels, so I can't help much there. Recommend going that route though - typically costs less than hotels and you get your own place.

We went in september and the weather was great. I'd be a little concerned with the heat in the summer.

Basically safe as long as you are smart. The only thing that's a bother is the Prague taxis - best to ask the hotel receptionist to call you one rather than to pick them on the street. Public transport is plentiful, having a car in those cities is not the normal thing to do. Prepare from home, print out some system maps, take along a phrasebook for Czech, German, and Hungarian, or the electronic equivalent on your phone/tablet - there will be a few words you need to know, like bus stop, fare, etc. - nothing that thousands of visitors each year can't manage.

Fall is definitely better than summer.

I've stayed in various locations, the one I think might be best for you with such a short stay would be in the vicinity of the Charles Bridge, A.k.a. Karlóv Most or Old Town Bridge.

While on that bridge, be extra pickpocketproof - don't reach for your real wallet if you buy a souvenir, put some loose money into a pocket and stash your wallet and documents really well in a place where no well-trained fingers can get to. (Watch some unfortunate people stand there waiting for change, with handbags and purses left open, open wallet in hand - just waiting for a disaster to happen...)

Not to scare you, just be smart. You can learn about that at www.ricksteves.com/search/?query=pickpockets and buy smart devices to make you safer at places like www.magellans.com and others.

In Vienna you might want to stay inside the Ring - check maps and you'll see what I mean. But do your homework about the few places you'll have time to visit, maybe your priorities will lie elsewhere.

Having a car in cities is a nonsense - no place to put it - huge waste of time and money.

For hotels you need to give us a budget.

If you have only 9 days all together I would do 2 cities not 3 - or you will spend too much time in transit.

I would think Oct would be beautiful - Sept still kind of warm and there isn;t a lot of AC.

Thanks for the input. Hotels not wanting to go over $200 night. How about wines.......are they also served along with the many beers? Will language be a problem in getting around?

Is local transit safe and reliable, and easy to get around tourist areas w/o renting a car?>

Yes and especially if spending most of time in those three cities take the train between them - parking can cost a ton and be hard to find - many hotels may not offer parking or charge a lot for it - in Prague at least leaving valuables in cars is not suggested, etc.

These cities are also eminently walkable - especially Prague and Budapest and all have excellent public transit to boot.

For lots of good stuff on trains in Eastern Europe check out these IMO superb sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and
http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id6.html.

The Raddison Hotel in Prague was just wonderful, within walking to everything!
In Vienna, the Steigenbrenner hotel was great!

YOu should never rent a car as a tourist in a city of any size, period, that's my opinion. But certainly not cities as large as these or any city that has public transportation. I live in a city with a lot of tourists, and tourists that rent cars and drive around the city have a terrible effect on traffic and pollution, and they often can't drive very well because they don't know the streets.

I don't agree that PRague is so small you never need to use public transportation, but I guess that depends entirely on what you do. If you never go anywhere but the main square and across the bridge to Mala Strana, and you stay right around there, sure, you could get away with never using the buses or trams or metro. I always use them as I like to see various parts of the city and see things that are not right around the main square. But I think many people prefer to use the tram just to get up to the castle, also, if nowhere else. I've used the buses and trams and metro to go to other areas, such as the Mozart museum (Bertramka which I think is closed now), Dvoraks house, the modern art museum north of the river, the National Theater, the cemetery south of town and its complex (Vysehrad), etc. eg http://www.aviewoncities.com/prague/vysehrad.htm

Three nights is only two days in each city. Have you also counted the time it takes to get from one city to the next or is this part of your two days?

I would go in the fall as I hate hot and humid weather.

I've used trams and subways in all three cities and it is reliable. I can't imagine any public transportation in Europe that would not be reliable, barring strikes. People who live in the cities depend on public transport to get them to and from work. Is it safe? Safe from what? You will find pick pockets in any city, regardless of the country. Other than that I don't see a problem.

If you rent a car in a city you'll be at the mercy of the car - finding your way around and looking for parking every time you move it. A car is not a good idea for cities.

Beer is more prevalent in Prague, though wine is available. A good bit more wine is consumed in Vienna and Budapest.

I think 3 nights in each is sufficient. Trains between Prague-Vienna and Vienna-Budapest are only 2-2.5 hours. The travel doesn't really cut into your time much.

Hydrofoils also provide a pleasant means of going between Budapest and Vienna on the Danube.

I'd put an extra day perhaps into Vienna simply to do a day trip to the fantastic Wachau Valley - one of the most scenic if not the most scenic stretches of Danube in its whole length from Black Forest hills to the Black Sea. The river here is bordered at many places by hill-clinging vineyards and is dotted by too-cute-to-be-true colorful wine villages.

Take a train to Melk - tour the Uber famous Melk Abbey there - go down to the boat docks, hop the fairly frequent in season boats to say Durnstein - one of the nicer picture-postcard wine towns - known especially for its ruined castle perched high above town where Richard-the-Lion-Hearted was once held for ransom after being nabbed go to or return from some Crusade - then re-board the next boat to Krens (or take a bus or even walk the lovely few miles like I did thru vineyards - Krens is a larger city but still really neat.

Then take a train directly back to Vienna. Melk and Krens are an hour or less by train from Vienna and the boat takes a few lovely hours - easily done - can buy an all-inclusive ticket for trains, abbey and boat in Vienna at the train station (last I knew anyway).

https://www.google.com/search?q=wach...=1600&bih=1075

Central Prague hotels that seem like they are PRAGUE hotels: http://www.avehotels.cz/en/

We stayed in Bishop's House II. Big rooms, more than decent breakfast. Less than 60 meters from the Charles Bridge.

You will need the train or trolley in Prague at some point - beats walking up the hill to the Castle.

K&K Hotel Opera in Budapest: EXCELLENT breakfast. Thisclose to the Opera House, just as close to the Metro 1 line, and a short walk to the river on the Pest side (stay in Pest, not Buda).

Three nights each is a bit thin for Budapest and Prague.

I agree with many of the ideas you've already gotten -- a car would be a liability, fall would be better than summer, 2 of the 3 cities would be much more enjoyable than trying to see all 3 with the time you've got. To help you decide on which 2 cities, we would need to know more about your interests. Language should not be a problem -- but do learn a few civilities in each language if at all possible.

Hope that helps!

To me 3 nights is enough for the average tourist in Prague and especially Budapest if you ain't doing day trips. Vienna is much bigger geographically and more varied attractions but still for the average traveler 3 nights for the city itself IMO would be about right.

Yeh you could well spend a year in each city and see only the tip of the iceberg!