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Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest which to choose?

Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest which to choose?

Old Feb 29th, 2016, 11:48 AM
  #21  
 
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I spent my birthday in Prague, arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, left early morning Sunday: 3 and a half days was perfect.

Such an amazing place, I would definately go back! I had enough time to just sit in the old town square with a drink and just watch the world go by!

Hopefully going to Budapest this year too!

Good luck!
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Old Feb 29th, 2016, 02:09 PM
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No need to buy the Vienna to Bratislava train in advance. I tend to prefer the bus, but the train runs more regularly.
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Old Feb 29th, 2016, 05:11 PM
  #23  
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Jumping in here quite late, but I take it that Rachelum hasn't yet finalized plans? FWIW -- and that may be nothing -- I agree that you CAN see all these places in the time you have, but I wonder whether doing so will really give you the chance to see and do what YOU want. I certainly couldn't have done so!

I offer this comment not only because I place great value on maximizing time on the ground relative to time in transit, but also because I've come to realize how much I want to be sure that I have all the time that I want in any place that I do choose to visit. If I can return to a region, the LAST thing that I am likely to want to do is spend my time re-tracing previously traveled routes so that I can finally see things I skipped the first time. In fact, there are places to which I will probably never return, even though there are things I would still like to see for the first time, specifically because it would mean using so much time for relatively little "pay-off." There are just too many places I want to see in the world to spend my time backtracking!

But then, my interests are evidently quite different than yours -- you say you saw "EVERY major site (and some not major ones) in Beijing in 3 days" -- I had 7+ full days there, was on the move from early morning until late night on every one of them, and do not believe that I saw everything that I, personally, would consider to be among its "major" sites. No criticism intended -- we all travel for different reasons (and thank goodness for that!); I'm just noting the difference.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip no matter what you decide, as you will be seeing some wonderful places!
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Old Feb 29th, 2016, 05:17 PM
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www.shuttlebus.cz Another direct venue from CK to Vienna
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Old Feb 29th, 2016, 10:31 PM
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rachelum, you can easily buy your ticket at Vienna's Hauptbahnhof before your departure. You are not tied to a specific return, either.
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Old Mar 1st, 2016, 06:21 AM
  #26  
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kja - You are correct, I have not finalized my plans yet. I also should clarify a little on my Beijing trip. I was there for a conference for 6 days and 2 of those nights I was able to go exploring. The major sites that I saw were the ones on my list of interests: the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Silk Market, Panjiayuan Market, Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, Jingshan park, Tiananmen Square, Niujie Mosque, Weifang Street, visited the Hutongs, saw an Opera, ate Peking duck multiple times, went to a tea house, saw the most amazing Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital by invitation from the leading doctor in Beijing, got massages, and more that I cannot think of right now. I know that I did not hit the Olympic site (drove past it), the Panda House of the Capital museum but none of those truly interested me. I even spent time just walking the city. I have friends who lived near Beijing for a year and said they didn't see as much as I did.

I plan on focusing my trip on Prague and Vienna but will travel to Budapest as a kind of scouting trip to see if I want to go back and spend more time there in the future.
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Old May 31st, 2016, 08:17 AM
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I would recommend you this...http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cr...rivers/danube/
And...Bratislava is a small city but we have nicer spots in Slovakia...
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Old May 31st, 2016, 08:23 AM
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or cheaper trip http://bluedanube.sk/en/lodou-po-dun...en-bratislava/
Budapest has splendid spas...
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Old May 31st, 2016, 01:22 PM
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And...Bratislava is a small city but we have nicer spots in Slovakia...>

Curious as to what you -presumably a native- could consider the highlights of Slovakia?
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Old May 15th, 2017, 03:26 AM
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If I had to choose I would go with Vienna in the summer. Although it's more expensive than Prague or Bratislava I think it has a particular nobility that needs to be explored.

There are many attractions in Vienna such as Schonbrunn, Albertina, Stephansplatz, Maria Hilferstrasse, Prater, etc. Also, in the summer, there's a festival at Rathaus with cuisine from all over the world and concerts displayed on a big screen.

I had a great time in Vienna and even though I've stayed 2 weeks I still feel that there were some things left to visit.
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Old May 15th, 2017, 06:01 AM
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The OP was traveling last year....
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