I'm interested in this 8 day tour. Have taken other RS tours and enjoyed very much. I am a bit concerned about the activity level. Did you find the days too jammed packed? On the Italy tour and Scandinavia tour we had morning tours then the afternoon free. How was the pace?
Thanks!
Marcia,
I took this several years ago and a few things have been changed up, but the itinerary is essentially the same. It’s a fairly packed tour, but you’ll still get a couple free nights and some afternoon time in Prague and some free evening/afternoon time in Budapest. When I took the tour, we traveled by train to Budapest (now coach) and my biggest beef was that immediately after arriving in Hungary we were taken on an overview tour of Buda. I recall being tired from the trip between countries, and I think we hadn’t even checked into the hotel yet. So, I didn’t care for the timing of that. Looks like they now do an overview of Pest first instead of Buda. All in all, it’s a very interesting tour and you’ll experience a lot. I liked Prague better than Budapest, but everyone has their likes/dislikes. Of the RS tours I’ve taken, this was my least favorite, but some of that related to group dynamics and the fact that I picked up a cold rather than the locale & tour itinerary.
Thank you Rachel. This is just the kind of information I’m looking for!
Rachel do you think it is worthwhile to spend an extra day or two in Budapest after the tour. We will arrive early in Prague (to get over jet lag, we are traveling from the west coast)
We took this tour in the fall of 2015 which meant we didn’t have large crowds and enjoyed mild weather. We loved the tour and our Hungarian tour leader George who is a gentleman and a scholar. It did not feel fast paced, but it is packed with sights and experiences. There is certainly not enough time in either city. If you can add on extra days in Budapest you will be glad you did. Extra days in a Prague before the tour are a very good idea so you are rested and ready to digest the experience. We picked tour dates that would allow us to attend an opera at the Estates theater on one of our “ free” nights in Prague. Others in our group raved about the art museums in Prague and the thermal baths in Budapest.
Highlights for us were the day tour in Prague with Sharka and the Museum of Communism on our own before the tour started. Highlights for us in Budapest were the cooking class and tour of the Opera house. Weak links for us were the local guide in Prague who took us through the Jewish quarter and the long ( 6 hours) bus ride from Prague to Budapest. ( stuck in traffic jams) The tour should really take the train for that leg.
We love both of these cities and view our tour as a great introduction to both places. We will be returning to both of these cities soon spending several days in each exploring and attending the opera. PM me if you would like more detailed information about restaurants, hotels etc.
I think many people would add on a day in Budapest, particularly if you want to go to one of the thermal baths (and don't get a chance to on your free afternoon) or want to visit the Hospital in the Rock or go back to the Market Hall, etc.
In Prague I attended a classical concert one evening. There are tons of small concert options from which to choose. The tour has a mix of everything but definitely with an emphasis on music and architecture.
Can you tell me how long it takes to get from Prague to Budapest on train? How much is it? Do they off many different times to go?Are the train stations hard to get to from the cities?
It takes about 7 hours. There are many trains. Schedule is here: http://www.idos.cz . You can switch it to English. How much exactly is train ticket - I don't remember but it's very affordable. Much cheaper than in western Europe. Both train stations are in the city and it is very easy to get there by public transport or depending where you are in the city by walk.
Hi, it depends when you want to visit Prague. Usually the worst time is September and may be the summer. The later autumn or spring is fine. We took the tour for 4 hours for us but our guide offered also the whole day tour. We have visited the Jewish Quarter as she was recommended for us (and speaks Norwegian as well - her web is coolguide.cz) and she is doing outside tours. We preferred to start in the morning, as many people start to discover the city little bit later.
