Trip itinerary to Prague, Austria and Hungary

Being from San Antonio myself, pleasure to help.

For flights, best you figure that out to your taste. I would start with Google Flights. Try lots of days and combinations of open jaw.

For hotels and details of what to see and do, get a plan worked out first then post in the individual country forums for suggestions.

For a schedule I will toss out some ideas to get you started.

The Three-Week Tour (you can not arrive in Budapest before 18 November because of market schedules along the way)

1. Depart the US
2. Arrive in Budapest (Christmas markets open 16 or 17 November)
3. Budapest
4. Budapest
5. Budapest
6. Morning Train Overnight to Eger (Markets open on 18 November)
7. Mid-day train to Budapest
8. Budapest
9. Morning train to Gyor. Visit the old town and the archabbey at Pannonhalma (Markets open 24 November)
10. Gyor
11. Morning train to Vienna (Markets open 16 or 17 November)
12. Vienna
13. Vienna
14. Day Trip to Bratislava (markets open 24 November)
15. Vienna
16. Morning Shuttle to Cesky Krumlov (Christmas markets open 29 November)
17. Cesky Krumlov
18. Morning Shuttle to Prague (Markets open 30 November)
19. Prague
20. Prague
21. Prague
22. Return Home
    

If your arrival in Europe will be after 30 November, I would run the tour in reverse to end in Budapest (save the best for last).

The 2 Week Essentials Tour (Depart the US no earlier than 22 November to time with the markets opening in Prague)

1. Leave the US
2. Arrive in Vienna (Christmas markets open 16 or 17 November)
3. Vienna
4. Vienna
5. Vienna
6. Morning Train to Budapest (Christmas markets open 16 or 17 November)
7. Budapest
8. Budapest
9. Budapest
10. Budapest
11. Morning Flight to Prague (Christmas markets open 30 November)
12. Prague
13. Prague
14. Prague
15. Flight home from Prague
    

Thank You Mr E from Texas ,
I really like the second part itinerary you recommended and it’s one that I was contemplating on since I noticed that Christmas markets in Prague did not open til November 30.
I read on one of your topics about Hallstatt , Austria .
Would you recommend it during this time , or would it be too crowded and too touristy ?

Not sure what Hallstatt is like at Christmas. It is a breathtakingly beautiful place. It is also pure Disneyland tourism. If you go, then spend a night and return to Vienna and add two days to the trip. Because that 2 week trip is pretty much at the minimum stays for each stop.

If you do have more time, an overnight in Eger is worth the time and maybe a half day stop in Gyor which is on the rail line from Vienna to Budapest anyway, so why not.

And if you are one of those that loves the romance of the rails, then do it in the order of Budapest, Vienna then Prague. More time and absolutely nothing to see out the window but sound control walls and heavy vegitation sound control

Mr. E of Bandera, then Helotes then Stone Oak ...

Wow you lived all over San Antonio , bandera , helotes and stone oak .

I've said this elsewhere, but do yourself a favor of visiting Traunkirche instead of, or at least in addition to, Hallstatt.

jphbucks, I will help you: https://youtu.be/ThwBtsl8eM4?si=8I5FT5zRfsAdpy69 And from Vienna, no worse to get to than Hallstatt.

Some other stops to think about
Gyor https://youtu.be/NbH6u0J-Xos?si=mRtzgj02bboAAjKl
Pannonhalma https://youtu.be/fZagSs2gzf4?si=E1s72o2y_Rk8POqK
Szentendre https://youtu.be/BLnkAdy9Zxw?si=je7jvXD0xJWR41wG
Eger https://youtu.be/OUuA501Wpts?si=iPnynbp3Cxk-7FYy