12 Days in Central Europe: What to Add?

Slovenia is lovely but doesn't make sense for you on this trip - it's a detour in and out of this itinerary, and you need more than a few days to see it properly.

You could do Prague, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, if you can work out the best way place to place. But you're adding a lot of extra time detouring between Krakow and back to Vienna. You're going to have two long travel days (unless you can find direct flights between Prague - Krakow and then Krakow Vienna) vs. the easy train connections between Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. (But Krakow is lovely.)

You might rent a car as you are leaving Prague and drive to Cesky Krumlov and stop in a number of towns in southern Bohemia and Moravia (like Jindřichův Hradec, Trebon, Slavonice, and Telč) and return the car in Brno and train from there on to Vienna and Budapest. I did something similar a few years ago in the other direction.

Thanks, Andrew-- I think you're right about Slovenia. And, while I'd love to see Krakow, I think it makes sense to pair it with Warsaw and another country for another trip.

So, that leaves smaller towns for the Prague, Vienna, Budapest circuit. You gave some great suggestions for the Czech Republic. I'm also toying around with Salzburg, Tyrol area, and Hallstatt for Austria. Perhaps we could rent a car out of Prague to check out the smaller towns, drop it off and take the train to Austria and pick up another car? So many decisions!

you really do not hve enuf days to add another city. Stay with the 3 u stated. There is alot to see in just those cityiesit will be wonderful for sure.
I have visited them and they are wonderful

Unless you're adding days, you shouldn't add destinations. Three to four days each is a good start for Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. You can take a day trip to a smaller town if you want a change from the city, but you don't have time in 12 days for detours.

From Budapest, the classic daytrip is to Szentendre, but I preferred Vac. It's actually a faster ride (if you don't make my mistake and take the wrong train), it's far less crowded, and only Vac has mummies (really - they were found under the main square when they did renovations, and they're fascinating).

SOME IDEAS

1 arrive Prague

2 Prague

3 Prague

4 Prague to Cesky Krumlov (train)

5 Cesky Krumlov to Vienna (CK Shuttle)

6 Vienna

7 Vienna

8 Vienna to Budapest (train)

9 Budapest

10 Budapest

11 Budapest

12 Home
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1 1 arrive Prague

2 Prague

3 Prague

4 Prague to Vienna (train)

5 Vienna

6 Vienna

7 Vienna to Budapest (train)

8 Budapest

9 Budapest to Szentendre Day Trip

10 Budapest

11 Budapest

12 Home
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1 arrive Prague

2 Prague

3 Prague

4 Prague to Vienna (train)

5 Vienna

6 Vienna

7 Vienna to Gyor/Pannonhalma (train)

8 Gyor to Budapest (train)

9 Budapest

10 Budapest

11 Budapest

12 Home
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MY FAVORITEs (but 13 days)

1 arrive Prague

2 Prague

3 Prague

4 Prague to Vienna (early morning train)

5 Vienna

6 Vienna

7 Vienna to Kyiv (UIA 5:30am departure, nonstop, 2 hours, $158)

8 Kyiv

9 Kyiv to Budapest (UIA or Wizz, leaves between 1:00pm and 2:00pm, nonstop, 2 hours, <$65)

10 Budapest

11 Budapest

12 Budapest

13 Home
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1 arrive Prague

2 Prague

3 Prague

4 Prague to Kyiv (CSA 11:40am departure, nonstop, 2 hours, $123)

5 Kyiv

6 Kyiv to Vienna (UIA 9:25am departure, nonstop, 2 hours, $100)

7 Vienna

8 Vienna

9 Vienna to Budapest (early morning train)

10 Budapest

11 Budapest

12 Budapest

13 Home

I agree with others and also wouldn't add anymore overnight destinations. If you want to see more of Austria outside Vienna, I would limit it to daytrips, but would think carefully about where you want to go. I loved Hallstatt, but it's a 3-4 hour train ride from Vienna, and my understanding is from the train station you have to then take a ferry across the lake, adding to your total travel time (when I went, we took the bus from Salzburg, which dropped us off in town). Salzburg is 2.5 hours by train, and it seems like there are frequent departures. I'll be honest - I haven't had the greatest experiences in Salzburg, but I DID enjoy the Sound of Music Tour that took us up into the hills. You could spend the morning in Salzburg, take the 2pm SOE Tour (Bob's Tours), and take an evening train back. That's a long day, though.

You mention you like wine - so why not head to the Wachau Valley? Melk has an amazing Abbey and is only an hour (or less) train ride from Vienna (just make sure you leave from the Westbahnhof; the trains from the Hauptbahnhof have a connection). You could go on your own and bike along the Danube (which my boyfriend-now-husband did and I did). I haven't done an group wine tour, but a quick search found a wine-tasting bike tour by Vienna City Tours, which seems to include transportation to the valley and several tastings. Enjoy your trip!

With 12 days Prague, Vienna, Budapest is enough.

Thanks, everyone! I think everyone has a point about doing day trips, but I'm a big Mozart fan, which is what is making me really want to check out Salzburg. Perhaps I can do some more thinking on this and figure out what is doable.

Hi Sarah — in June we flew into Vienna and spent 5 days there, then spent 24 hrs in Cesky Krumlov, then 3 days in Prague before embarking on the RS Eastern Europe tour (2 additional days in Prague and a stop in Budapest for 2 full days). I honestly cannot imagine spending less than 3-4 days in each of the big cities. Five days in Vienna was perfect for us, and I certainly could have stayed longer. If you are a music lover, look into your many options for attending a performance while in Vienna. I did not see half of the sights I would have liked to see in Budapest in 2 days/3 nights, and didn’t feel like I got to know the city in the same way I got to know Vienna and Prague. I’d recommend 4 days there.

If you choose to go to Cesky Krumlov, I would strongly encourage you to spend time night. In the daytime it is completely overrun by Asian tour groups, but in the morning and evening it is lovely and much much less crowded. We stayed at villa beatika in a room with a balcony overlooking the town and castle, and it was fantastic— also the best breakfast we had on our entire trip.

Long way of saying I’d encourage you NOT to add any additional destinations but to enjoy the ones you already planned to see!

@ SarahW....Keep in mind that there are two Mozart Houses/museums in Salzburg, both of which are not far from each each other. If you are walking from Salzburg Hbf., you'll see the far less crowded "Mozart Wohnhaus" first and its museum.

Cross the bridge on to Getreidegasse amidst a ton of people, you will see the famous birth house, Mozarts Geburtshaus." Both buildings are identified by their respective names by big conspicuous letters. I heartily suggest seeing both if you're not pressed for time. The "Geburtshaus" is more detailed.

Not sure if you understand German (or if it's easy to figure out). Gebursthaus - house he was born in. Wohnhaus - house he lived in.

Salzburg is a beautiful city but I think it fits into a trip with Munich better than Vienna, Prague and Budapest. I've always liked the idea of adding Berlin and Dresden to the three. In 12 days, however, focusing on the three is a good idea (maybe adding Cesky Krumlov or Bratislava?).

I would consider adding Bratislava since it is very close to Vienna, and not far from Prague and Budapest.