10 days - Budapest to Prague

If one of the two Budapest nights is your arrival day from the States, then I'd suggest adding another night in Budapest. Cesky Krumlov is a popular choice for an overnight stop between Vienna and Prague, and a nice less-urban change of pace. Vienna is very compact, so easy to see a lot in a short time, if you need to drop a night somewhere.

Ten days is a good trip for Vienna and Budapest, but with Prague its a bit of a stretch. But I get it and its what I would do too. Downside is you dont have the time for the places inbetween like Cesky Krumlov and Gyor and Pannonhalma, Bratislava, etc. Stick to the cities.

1. Arrival day you get to Budapest about 2pm jet lagged. By the time you get to your hotel, unpack, clean up, its 4pm before you begin the tourism.
2. Budapest
3. Budapest
4. Budapest because it is the largest of the three cities you are visiting. If you are not discussing museums, it maybe has the most to see and do as well. If you are a museum hound, Vienna would be the one with the most to see and do. More about Budapest here https://community.ricksteves.com/users/50322 .
5. Morning train to Vienna. Takes about 2.5 hours. So arrive about 10:30am and be settled in your hotel by noon and out touring.
6. Second Day in Vienna
7. Third Day in Vienna and an evening train to Prague. Takes about 4 hours. Maybe arrive Prague about 10pm.
8. Day one in Prague
9. Day two in Prague. What must be seen on the first trip to Prague is the Old Town and the Castle Area. Combined the are about the same size as DisneyLand so figure you are doing DisneyLand in a day and a half.
10. Depart Prague

Since you mentioned Hallstatt, maybe you are interested in a lot more of Austria. The trouble is, assuming you already bought the tickets, you don’t have the time. So, save all or most of Vienna for the next trip when you can travel from Vienna to Salzburg and points along the way and maybe go on through Germany.

Here are two other ways to look at this:

One idea is splitting the days between Budapest and Prague and connecting the two with a flight. There are discount flights between the two that start under $100, non-stop and take about an hour. Then while in each you get a short-term apartment rental and use it as a base for some day trips and possibly even an overnight trip.

1. Budapest arrival day and Andrassy ut sightseeing
2. Half of Pest sightseeing
3. Szentendre day trip and sightseeing in the Buda Castle District
4. Other half of Pest sightseeing
5. Margrit Island, and then interest specific sightseeing (anything from architecture to communism, to Jewish culture …. You can spend a day on)
6. Morning flight to Prague. Different schedules on different days of the week so you would need to check that out.
7. Prague
8. Prague (I will let a Prague expert suggest)
9. Prague
10. Depart

Another idea is making it more of a road trip, with the points in between more important.

1. Arrival in Budapest. Andrassy ut sightseeing
2. Budapest. Quick run up to Buda Castle area, but mostly Pest sightseeing
3. Budapest. Pest sightseeing
4. Train from Budapest to Gyor and visit Pannonhalma Archabbey. Then a late train on into Vienna.
5. Vienna. Hire a guide for a whirlwind tour. You will be back for all of Austria and maybe on into Germany on the next trip
6. Shuttle from Vienna to Cesky Krumlov
7. Shuttle from Cesky Krumlov to Prague
8. Prague
9. Prague
10. Depart

Here is a little information on booking trains out of or into budapest if its helpful: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/vienna-to-budapest-or-budapes-to-vienna-train-tickets-or-budpaest-elsewhere

Three nights in Budapest, 3 in Vienna, and 3 in Prague. This gives you 2.5 days in each city. If you want to visit a smaller place take a day trip; although from my experience visiting Budapest and Prague, you have an enjoyable time staying put. Other than the airport I've never visited Vienna but understand it's quite the place.

Your original idea can include a one night in Salzburg as a stop between Vienna and Prague. Salzburg to Prague (via Linz) is doable on the train.

As already mentioned, you spend two half days on the train for your three city trip. Add a fourth, such as Salzburg, and you will add more time on the train. Is this additional time worth it to you?

Before you make any additional reservation I suggest you plan your days in each city. Are you seeing what you want in the time you have allocated?

Thank you all for your help! This has given my daughter and I a lot to discuss and I feel like we can now make a great schedule. I truly appreciate you taking the time to help us!!!!

The forum is good for things like this.

I post a lot on Hungary, not because its the end all destination, but because I enjoy it and its a place about which my responses will be the most accurate and probably useful. Some general information on Budapest that might be helpful. Information on what to see and do: https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ai7Zk-szxfTJi79Yd9F2yuKCVeZLYw Favorite Tourism Video of Budapest: https://youtu.be/1nd5AtZIrTk?feature=shared. (The same guy does a very good video for Vienna) Anthony Bourdain describing how visually pleasurable Budapest is: https://youtu.be/0nd9DuDGCz0?si=aa0c19KaJHEtabkX Favorite Guide Book because its small and does the essentials: DK Eyewitness Budapest Top 10