travel from Prague to Budapest to Vienna
Dec 23rd, 2002, 04:56 AM
#3
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Prague and Budapest are both about 4 hrs by train (Prague a bit longer than Budapest). Good train service and countryside is OK. To Prague would be nicer by car for scenery so you can stop over at Cesky Krumlov for example. Plane is not worth the money for minimal time saving.
Dec 23rd, 2002, 05:07 AM
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The answer depends somewhat on your routing. If Vienna is your base, that may be one thing, but from Prague to Budapest is most easily/speedily done by plane even allowing for to/from airport and check-in, although that is also the least scenic and likely most costly. Overnight train is an alternative, and there likely is a day train, though I've not checked.<BR><BR>Vienna to/from Budapest is quite nice by train and can run 3 hours (more by some routing -- not all trains run the same route). Flying seldom makes sense between those cities -- basically if schedule was tight and you had to make a flight out of the destination city.
Dec 24th, 2002, 07:17 AM
#7
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I did this same trip just this summer. If you look at the geography, it makes more sense to start in Prague or Budapest, and visit Vienna in the middle. The train is probably the way to go, because it's much cheaper than flying. If you are going to take a cruise down the river, then you'll need to visit Prague first, then Vienna, because the river current will allow you to make the trip in a reasonable amount of time.<BR><BR>If you go from Prague to Budapest to Vienna, you're just doubling your travel time and cost. Go from Prague to Vienna to Budapest. You can book tickets at raileurope.com
Jan 5th, 2003, 10:13 PM
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I just come back from Vienna. We use Mike's Chauffeur service for transportation to Prague and Budapest. Contact Mike, he can help you with his car and knowledge especially for Prague and cities around. You can find Mike web-site in previous threads.
Feb 14th, 2003, 09:32 AM
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I bought my guidebooks online and haven't received them yet, so apologies for the possibly ignorant question, but are there different types of trains between these cities? i.e., rail europe and the ec/ic?? rail europe seems to be a lot more expensive than what I have heard I should be spending on one-way tickets.
Feb 14th, 2003, 11:02 AM
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The night train from Budapest to Prague is not good: it arrives at 0532. But eastbound is fine: Prague Hlavni station board about 2300, leave 2334, Budapest Keleti station 0813. It has 1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers and crowded 6 berth couchettes. The single fare in a 3 berth sleeper is 100 euros, and in a 2 berth sleeper is 150 euros. You save a hotel bill, and unlike flying you spend no daytime hours in travel. Day trains take 7 hours and have restaurant cars.<BR><BR>Between Vienna and Prague the through restaurant car expresses take 5 hours: by roads it is a long drive. To see the south Bohemian woods and beautiful Cesky Krumlov you can travel thus. Vienna Franz Josefs Bahnhof 0705, Gmund 0921 to 0926, Ceskje Budejovice 1023. Take a taxi or cross to the bus station for transfer in 45 minutes to Cesky Krumlov. Next day take a bus straight from Ceski Krumlov in three hours to Prague. Or the reverse, Prague 0800, direct bus, Cesky Krumlov 1055, night?s stay, Ceske Budejovice 1502, Gmund 1615 to 1650, Vienna 1856.<BR><BR>The direct route between Vienna and Budapest via Hegyeshalom takes three hours, and the indirect with a change at Sopron (worth seeing) takes four hours 20 minutes. By river it takes 5 ½ hours downstream and 6 ½ upstream. The river views are good for 20 minutes at Bratislava, and for an hour along the Danube Bend north of Budapest, but of course you can see those views on a half day trip from Budapest.<BR><BR>You need not pay RailEurope?s markup. From the States you can use <BR>Euraide, offices in Florida and Germany: http://www.euraide.de/. Telephone in USA 1 941-480-1555. Fax 1 941-480-1522. E-mail [email protected]<BR>or DER travel agency in the USA, formerly owned by German rail: http://www.der.com. E mail for information [email protected] and for sales [email protected]. But please get Euraide?s quote as well, as this firm is said to have fallen to RailEurope. <BR><BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to Europe.<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR>
Feb 14th, 2003, 12:37 PM
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Ben, you seem a wealth of detailed information. If I could bother you to recommend a train route the other way... so from Vienna to Prague. By the way, approx. how much should I expect to pay for a one-way ticket?
