Is 1 Night in Salzburg Worth it?

I am going to have to agree with you that Salzburg should wait for another time. Budapest-Vienna-Prague makes a nice straight line with good rail links. Salzburg to Prague can be a bit of a slog on the train adding a 6 1/2 hour (minimum) train journey into the mix. That's 6 1/2 hours plus the extra day to enjoy Vienna.

Dissenting opinion on Salzburg here. If you're not doing a Sound of Music Tour, you can see Salzburg in several hours. The Alstadt, the main focus for most tourists, is pretty small... and if you ask me, surprisingly monochromatic (compared to a lot of other smallish Austrian-Bavarian cities that are bursting with colorful buildings).

But I think only 2 nights for Vienna is not enough, since this will effectively give you only one full day.

Definitely agree to drop Salzburg and add one more day in Vienna, especially if you are into history and food. You can see Salzburg on a future trip, perhaps as a side trip from Munich, or during another visit to Austria.

Or, if you like natural scenery and spectacular mountains, as a side trip from Berchtesgaden.

If you were already going to be passing through Salzburg, or coming from Munich in under two hours, Salzburg would certainly be worth a 1-day stop. But coming from Prague, travel time is 6 hours, e.g., departing at 5:30 or 9:30 a.m. with a connection in Linz, which eats up a lot of that day. I would give that day to Vienna, which really has so much to see.

Thanks so much for the feedback. We have decided to cut Salzburg and add another night to Vienna. A hard decision, but I think it's the right one.

You didn't say when in September, as that makes a big difference. There is a huge folk fest in Salzburg the end of September. It's so good I am going back this year: http://www.rupertikirtag.at/

Jordan: I assume you're taking a young Bohemian's tour of Europe--looking for the better beer and nightlife.
Prague is a great party town, but beer's about the only thing cheap there. Take the Free Walking Tour first day, and follow up with their nightly Pub Crawl Tour or Nightlife Tour. You'll then know where to eat and drink for a fair price.
Vienna's also a great nightlife town, but it's also got all the arts there--music, dance, palaces. It's old continental Europe and well worth visiting.
Budapest is one of my favorite towns--one that's got some of the best grunge bars anywhere. It's a special place.

We love Salzburg and spending time in the Augustiner beer garden in Summer, but your time is so short. I'd catch it next trip.