Vienna and Budapest- how many nights for each town

I cant give you an answer from experience, but have a trip planned to both in two weeks. We are doing 4 nights in Vienna, 3 in Budapest, and then one more day in Vienna until we take a train an airport hotel for early flights the next day.

Hi William, I did the RS 1-week Prague/Budapest tour this year which gave both of those cities three full days, plus my extra pre-tour days in the Czech Republic. And I’ve stayed in Vienna three times. At a minimum I would give each of them three full days, not including travel days.

Sounds like you’re signed up for the Adriatic tour. I arrived in Ljubljana two nights early - went to an evening concert and also took a half-day tour out to the caves which I highly recommend. Have a great time!

I've been to both cities and would allot at least 4 nights for each city. That would give you 3 full days, as Jean noted above.

Both have a lot to see and do, and you could easily spend more nights there, but they're both pretty wonderful and are well worth at least 4 nights each.

Agree with the 3 to 4 day perspectives offered so far. If you really enjoy museums, palaces and more affluent shopping districts, then you can add days to Vienna. And, a visit to Melk?

I just spent six nights in Vienna and had no trouble filling my five days there! I once spent four nights in Budapest and filled that time easily as well! So I would recommend consulting a good guide book and figure out what you most want to do and see, and then plan accordingly.

You cannot compare the time a tour spends in a city with the time you would spend in a city on your own. You have to allow extra time for independent travel as a tour guide isn't leading you around.

Three nights equals two full days, which isn't really enough for either location. I mean, if you could work in four full days in Vienna, then you would definitely cover the highlights (Day 1 - city center; Day 2 - Schonbrunn; Day 3 - Museums; Day 4 - wine hike).

I agree with Emily about Vienna - and the same applies to Budapest. Four full days (5 nights) are really good if you can manage it. I understand not everyone has the time off - but if you have time available and have traveled so far to get there, it would be good to not rush through either city.

Ideally, you'd add these day at the end so you'd avoid covering the same stuff twice. The second issue is that changing cities kills a half a day, so account for that.

A tough question for a well thought out answer. Before I get technical, one broad piece of advice. Which ever you fly into from the US, add a day to compensate for jetlag.

If you start with a standard orientation tour, you probably are required to have two full days and the half day on arrival in both cities. So that’s the basement level. Now, what interests you and what time of the year? No, what exact dates if you want the best answer.

If you are interested in fine art, then go through the lists of art museums in Vienna. Figure you could do 2 a day at most. So that could add a day or two to Vienna. But that was an easy analysis.

What if you love music? Vienna has world class classical in world class venues where you share the time with word class tourists. Budapest quality of performance is every bit as good to the ear 90% of the RS folks but it can be more intimate and more local in ambiance. So that’s a choice. I sort of think the Budapest venue are as beautiful, if not more so, but that’s subjective. I am certain there is other types in Vienna, if you can find recommendations on it, consider it. I can tell you where to go for Jazz and Klezmer here and I can tell you how good they are.

Maybe you would like theater. Again, I am certain the equivalent exists in Vienna, but if you can’t find the support network for that in Vienna there is a post in the Hungary forum with the theater names. Glorious turn of the century buildings with amazing productions, some in English, many with surtitles over the proscenium or on screens at your seat.

Okay, the list is endless, but to get the absolute most out of the holiday … tell you want, I will send you a list with Budapest things.

• When you see something or get an idea, search for the Vienna equivalent.
• Then make two lists, add some time,
• see that you don’t have enough time and start cutting.
  

I suspect you will end up with not less than 4 full days in one city and not less then 5 full days in the other city.

What I am trying to get you to is my place. I have two destinations that I love. One is Budapest and the other is the Balkans. Why? Well, in Budapest I know what to do, I know what is there, I am my own source and my own support network. In the Balkans I have someone that serves that purpose for me. In both locations I get nearly 100% of the value in every thing I see and do and every minute I am there. That’s a wonderful holiday.

I'd also suggest four full days in Budapest. This summer I was in Prague, Krakow, and Budapest on the RS Central Europe tour, plus Vienna on my own. Of those, I enjoyed Budapest the most. We spent three nights/ two full days in Budapest, and it wasn't nearly enough. The beautiful parks reminded me of Central Park in New York City, making it a great place to walk and wander. There is such a variety of things to do and see: churches and the synagogue, the indoor market, the baths, and performances at the opera house. Without the crush of crowds in Prague and parts of Vienna. I loved the energy in Budapest, too. While I was there, the riverfront was closed to traffic all weekend, and it was filled with locals eating, dancing, and enjoying life.

Ideally, you'd add this day at the end, so you'd avoid covering the same stuff twice. The second issue is that changing cities kills half a day, so account for that.

Chris, I agree with that. But before I rant on that, let me suggest that another consideration is jet lag. Your city of arrival from the US should automatically get one more night.

Okay, the train takes half a day. Especially thanks to OBB. I have waited on maybe 5 Vienna trains this year. Every one of them was 30 minutes or more late. And the time from Vienna to Budapest used to be 2:40, now they say its 2:49. It’s like progress in reverse. Heck my train to Kyiv last year was more punctual, despite what was going on around it.

So, your hotel in Vienna comes with breakfast, so you pick a train that departs after 9am. Then you add to that leaving the hotel in Vienna an hour before the train departs and you take the metro, which is maybe a 20-minute experience to the station. I know, you only need to be at the train 2.765 minutes prior to departure, but tourists don’t live that way. So now you are up to 3:49, throw in 21 minutes late and it’s 4:10 plus about 20 minutes to your hotel in Budapest = 4.5 hours for a 2:40 trip. That inhales air deeply.

Then you come to the forum and read where the 50 euro OBB ticket would have cost you 23 euro if you had bought it from MAV and you want to break something. But at least the metro from the Train Station in Budapest is free, because you are an old .... well, you know. Then you read about all the great breakfast places in Budapest, and you wish you hadn’t paid 25 euro and day for cold cuts and runny eggs at the hotel. Sorry, but the hotel doesn’t have Palinka spiked lemonade. For that you must go to Stika.

and it was filled with locals eating, dancing, and enjoying life.

Katarina, one of those locals was an expat from Texas.......

But at least the metro from the Train Station in Budapest is free, because you are an old .... well, you know.

Free public transport for seniors in Hungary is limited to citizens of the European Union.