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Desperate for help organizing trip starting in Prague

Posted by (Arkansas) on

I am stressing myself out trying to organize this trip. Please help if you have knowledge of this region!

We fly into Prague and have 9 nights to travel before we have to make our way to Budapest. On our list are: Prague, Cesky Keumlov, Hallstatt and Salzburg.

My thoughts were:
Prague 3 nights
Cesky Krumlov 1 night
Salzburg 4 nights
Hallstatt 1 night ...and then on to Budapest from Hallstatt.

Should I organize it differently? I planned go use bus shuttle from Prague go Cesky Krumlov. But the rest is causing me confusion. Someone suggested it would be easier to get to Budapest via direct train from Salzburg but I don't know that we want to eat 6 hours on a train.

How would we get from Hallstatt to Budapest? Should we take a night away from Salzburg and leave from Hallstatt to Vienna? Would that make it easier to get to Budapest?

I need help with the actual travel between points and organizing it all.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Posted by
16893 posts

If you want the fastest route, then the direct Salzburg-Budapest RailJet is it, at under 6 hours. Train travel won't get any faster by adding the stop in Hallstatt, since Hallstatt is not on the main train line and requires a connection in both directions; Hallstatt to Budapest takes 7.5 hours. It's a worthwhile stop, however. I think you could spend a day less in Salzburg, unless you are planning a daytrip from there.

How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online gives you the DB train schedule link and tips for using it. All schedules are published through June 13 and some through summer.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks Laura!
Sounds like going to Budapest from Hallstatt is not a good choice.

Is there a direct train from Salzburg to Vienna? If so perhaps I should plan to go Prague - CK - Hallstatt - Salzburg - Vienna and then on to Budapest.

Or would Prague - CK - Salzburg - Hallstatt - Vienna be better?

Is the direct train from Salzburg to Budapest a pleasant one? Scenic?

Posted by
4637 posts

Salzburg is a quite smaller town than Prague or Budapest. Because you are landing in Prague the first day you will be jet laggy and don't do much; I would take 2 nights from Salzburg, give one more night to Prague and one to Hallstatt. Hallstatt and surroundings are very beautiful and if the weather cooperates you would want to go to salt mines or to the caves and then take a cable car up to Dachstein. From Hallstatt to Budapest. Check Deutsche Bahn for schedule.

Posted by
4637 posts

Train from Salzburg to Budapest is nice. Scenery is beautiful in Austria. In Hungary less. Stop in Vienna is a good idea. If you stop in Vienna it does not really matter if you visit Salzburg first or Hallstatt.

Posted by
8141 posts

After you visit Prague, you can get a minivan shuttle down to Cesky Krumlov. They can also take you to Hallstadt and over to Salzburg for a very reasonable price. Salzburg is a small town, and you should cut your time two nights there.
I would suggest taking a train from Salzburg into Vienna for 2 nights as it's a great European city and has sights you don't want to miss.
You can take a train into Budapest from Vienna.

Checkout minivan companies serving Prague/C-K/Salzburg on http://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/kaktualita.xml

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