We have traveled extensively in the UK, France, and Iberia, but never in Germany or Eastern Europe. We are interested in building an itinerary from Vienna to Paris, preferably traveling by train. We would like to spend a week or 10 days on the journey.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Can you give a little more information? What are your interests? How long would you like to stay in each destination along the way?
You could do a northern route, up to Prague, then through Germany and the low countries. Or you could go through Austria and Switzerland. But I don't have the vaguest idea of what you would enjoy more.
Honestly, I think this is something you are better equipped than anyone else to figure out. Look at a map, pick the places you are interesting in visiting, and maybe come back with two or three options and ask for feedback.
Stephen, the train? Who can blame you. Anything to avoid the horrors of modern air travel and having to deal with airports like the one in Vienna. Besides, the romance of the rails is hard to resist. And you have maybe 10 days so its not like time is an issue.
let’s see, hmmmm Vienna to Paris by train. OBB says the train with only one change will take 12 hours. There are some with three changes that are faster, but …. Naaaa. Tickets for two will be under $200.
So, you can stop someplace on the way. Spend the night or two. I am certain you will get a lot of good ideas but there is nothing near halfway that interests me so I wont be any help. On a purely technical observation it appears to be Stuttgart. You can be there with one change in about 6.5 hours with only one change. Then Paris is another 3.5 hours direct. Not bad, 11 hours or about two travel days out of the 10 you have. Stopping in Frankfurt might work better. Nope, that’s two direct trains but about 6 hours each. Sorry, no help for you.
Wait, a night train. Yup, there is one Vienna to Paris. A private compartment for two will be 540 euro unless you want a toilet and a shower, then 700 euro. But you will save a few hundred euro on the cost of a hotel room, so in reality its only costing 500 euro.
If it were not for the start in Vienna, the romance of the rails and ten days; I would suggest Budapest (of course). Being in Vienna will be your only opportunity to see Budapest by train (2.5 hours). It’s too far from everything else. BUT, starting in Vienna and needing to train to Paris rules it out for sure. But there is a lot of Europe to see without ever having seen that one city.
Okay so Ten days …
There have been several quite recent discussions on this forum about the reverse, i.e., going from Paris to Vienna. Use the light gray Search box at the very top center of a page, and put in Paris to Vienna. Then you can narrow down the results to just the Travel Forum and then just the last year. See if any of these ideas are of interest, and take it from there.
This isnt about the two cities as much as it is in 7 to 10 days for two GREAT cities. While it might be wiser to do Paris when you are close to Paris, maybe you have a reason or a love. So I don’t argue it.
1 depart US
2 arrive Vienna
3 Vienna
4 Vienna / Melk
5 Vienna
6 Morning flight to Paris
7 Paris
8 Paris / Versailles Palace and Gardens
9 Paris
10 Depart
Stephen, is the 10 days you mentioned intended to include your time in Vienna and Paris or just the travel time betwern those two cities? I assumed the latter; Mr. E assumed the former.
Anything to avoid the horrors of modern air travel and having to deal with airports like the one in Vienna.
Vienna International Airport is easy to handle, not much waiting time, rather compact layout, self-checkin of bags.
Problems start if travellers are ill prepared for departure, i.e., the number/size/weight of their luggage does not meet what they have payed for, not being aware that certain airlines require a hefty payment if you have not already your boarding pass, having carry-on luggage which is bigger/heavier than permitted, the names on their id does not match exactly the names printed on their boarding pass, the travellers are unable/unwillig to self-checkin and prefer to wait in a long line, carring items which will be seized at the security check, etc.
I don't know what Mr. É's complaints are about Vienna's airport, but I know much worse airports. I guess everything is better in Budapest. :-)
wmt1 sarcasm is often lost on the Germanic tribes. When someone says or implies they prefer 12 hours on a train i have to assume they feel like many on the forum do, that local flights, if not all flights, are experiences of horror, and arriving 45 min late on an OBB train is the only civilized way to travel.
As for the Vienna airport my words could only be called sarcasm on steroids. Where else can you buy a "There are no kangaroos in Austria" coffee mug (like the one I am currently drinking from). I have been flying through Vienna often, from Budapest (one ticket), the past few years as Austrian Air hits one of my favorite Balkan fishing spots. Nice easy almost laid-back airport, but not great food.
You will notice in the post, I explored the options that I could think of and finally suggested a flight.
While others argue over nothing to do with your question, here is what I would suggest. It will give you a taste of a few different cultures and histories.
From Vienna, I would take the train to Prague. (4.5 hours). Spend a couple of days there. From Prague, the train to Berlin. (4.5 hours) Spend 2-3 days there. From Berlin, I would head to Strasbourg (about 7 hours) for a taste of Alsace Lorraine. From there it's a quick 90 minutes to Paris.
How much time you spend at each location is up to you but all the trips I mention are done with direct trains and no changes.
By the way, what time of the year are you considering?
FrankII excellent idea. How do you do that in the OPs 7 to 10 days, so it's relative to the post?
Our flight discussion was to illustrate you could see a bit more in the 7 to 10 days if you gave up on the train being a ptrefeeence. And the airports in question are not difficult.
acraven, good point. If the 7 to 10 days is time on the ground in Europe, then the OP has 3 more days. With that I would research the heck out of Prague and Budapest, choose one and at the end, fly to Paris from the last stop.
