joela

My wife and I are planning a 16 day trip to Paris and the above cities in July or August. We have spent considerable time in Paris, but have not been to the other cities.

We plan to stay in Paris 4 or 5 days. Approximately how many days do you recommend we stay in the above cities to enjoy museums, music, good food and excellent hotels?

Any suggestioins would be greatly appreciated.

Joel

thursdaysd

I just spent six nights in Budapest and six nights in Vienna, and it was my second visit to both cities, so I would say as much time as you can manage for both places. If you subtract four days for Paris you only have 12 days including travel time, which isn't much for three cities. I haven't been to Saltzburg, but you could maybe get by with only two or three nights there, but I'd be inclined to drop a city.

lucy_d

Paris-4
Salzburg-2
Split the remainder between Vienna and Budapest, subtracting three days for travel between each city.

Have a great time!

bob_brown

I have several questions about your planned trip. Starting with Paris, have you made a list of the major attractions you want to visit?

Given the large number of major attractions outside of Paris and the staggering number of world class attractions in the city, I suggest strongly that you make a list and prioritize.

For example, the Louvre alone for an art lover could take two full days. Add another full day for the Musee d'Orsay and the Rodin Museum and you have already spent 3 days with several more major attractions in the art world not yet seen.

On the other hand, if you don't know a Monet from a Degas or an impressionist from a classicist, then you can scratch those two and go on to something else.

If you have any interest at all in classical music, Paris is the venue for quite a few concerts and opera.

Outside of Paris, but within an hour or so by RER or banlieu train, there are places like Fontainbleau, Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Chantilly, Chartres, and Giverney. (The latter only if you know something of Monet.)

Then there are the churches and cathedrals: St. Sulpice, Notre Dame, and Sacre Coeur. Then we can throw in a few museums and monuments.

The list is already long and the list of omissions is notable.

You can do the same for Vienna, with the Hapsburg palaces and the museums leading a growing list.

Also, how do you plan to travel? The train trip from Paris to Vienna is long: about 12 hours during the day.

Also are you flying open jawed? Arrive in Paris and return from Vienna? (Possible; I have done it several times with Delta and Us Airways.)

The bottom line to this discussion is simply this: All the cities you mention can required many days to see depending on your interests. As spread out as they are, you will be investing quite a few hours in transit.

Unless you just want to skim the surface, and add another city to your list, I suggest reducing the major cities to two and enjoy fully what is there.

zwho

Hi, I hope you get more responses, because we are visiting Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest this summer. We are seeing Salzburg as 2 day trips, Vienna for 2 and half days and Budapest for 3 and half days. Thats all the time we have. I know we can't possibly see everything, but hopefully we can hit the highlights of each city. We are DIYers and I try to plan our itineraries with veg time built in, but not waste a minute. Our veg time is usually lots of sidewalk cafe stops to relax, people watch and just gaze in awe at our surroundings.