A Base City or Move Around in Eastern Europe

It depends on what you want out of the trip and how much time you have. I don't think it would end up being much cost savings if you have to double pay for accommodations, and I know many of the places on your list are far enough apart that they would only make sense as overnights.

I feel that you could divide your trip into two groups: Mediterranean ( Dubrovnik) and Danube (Budapest). These may not be the cheapest Base cities; but they have a great variety of things to see and do and are in Beautiful Locations with boat rides to islands or along rivers to other places.

Presuming you are also spending a month in Europe, you mention 10 places, which equates to only 3 days in each place, so much of your time is going to be spent in transit, rather than actually seeing places, as you will lose at least half a day each time you move. I would suggest that you prioritise where you want to visit and either visit for longer or cut some of the destinations, otherwise the trip will be a blur. Venice, Budapest and Vienna would be rushed in 4 full days each. Dubrovnik, Ljubljana and Split could be seen in 2 full days each plus travel time.

The places are all too far apart for day trips unless you want very long days - Split to Dubrovnik is the best part of 6 hours door to door each way. Why pay double for accommodation?

If I was going to use one city as a base it would probably be in Slovakia since it is probably the least expensive. Maybe even find something near the border of Hungary, Slovakia and Austria, say Gyor in Hungary. From there I would research train or bus connections between the cities I want to visit and how many nights at each destination - which would depend upon arrival and departure times. But you have to factor in getting to Gyor from the airport. Are there connections to the city you choose to base in or would it be better to base in a large city, like Budapest. Look at a map and start researching. Maybe two base cities would be better, one for Poland, Slovakia and a Hungary, one for Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Venice. A lot goes into planning these multi city trips, that’s why many people on this forum start planning upwards of a year in advance. I’ve planned trips after researching plane routes and fares, almost always in one city, out of another. Travel time and mode of transportation have knocked places out and added others in. For this kind of trip, personally, I would move around, not base in one place.

it's a matter of travel philosophies, isn't it? Some people want to stay on the move, perhaps going in a big circle, others only want to unpack JUST ONCE and do day trips.

I seem to recall that Rick's feelings on the subject may have changed over the years.

Too spread out for just one or two base cities. Europe consists of many cultures and languages in relatively near proximity. But, it's a common misconception that countries are closer together than reality. And, a lot of the train connections between these cities aren't as easy as you might think.

What you described is like wanting to visit Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Richmond, Charlotte and Pittsburgh on the same trip. Would it really make sense to do that trip from one or two base cities?...even if you could fly or train everywhere from New York and DC? Lots of back-tracking and tough travel.

But, with that said, Vienna provides easy access to Bratislava and long-day distance to Brno and Budapest...though, I would want more time in Budapest than just a day trip. May be Zagreb-Llubljana in a long day trip.

Budapest has good, inexpensive flight connections, if you're looking for quick trips from a base. I could see you utilize Vienna and Budapest as primary bases. Work in separate, quick trips to Krakow and Venice from Budapest? Then, use Vienna (Bratislava, Brno) as a base, and finish off touring Slovenia and Croatia - 2 or 3 nights in each of Llubljana, Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik....

The geogprahic span of your cities (and the obvious "outliers" - Dubrovnik, Split, and Venice, which are not in Eastern Europe) make having one base totally unfeasible. I would either redraw your geographic travel span or pick multiple bases based on travel time between clusters of cities/ towns you want to see.

I am not a fan of day trips. So many places...particularly those knownfor daytrippers, are so much better once they leave. That's when the locals come out..
However, you are covering a number of countries and no one knows if all will be open with no border requirements.

I agree with the others: The transportation links just aren't going to support a single-base itinerary or even a two-base itinerary. You might start by looking at your Slovenia/Croatia stops and checking transportation options between them. Except for Ljubljana/Zagreb, there's no reasonably-fast ground transportation, and you know what it's like if you have to fly. Even those two cities are over two hours apart, and both are worth more than a single-day visit in any case. Your original idea is much more practical, but I also agree that you have a few too many places for the time available.

Brno is a very attractive city with comparatively few tourists. I think it's a good choice for a place that isn't Prague. Poland and Hungary also both have lots of options in addition to Krakow and Budapest. (I'm sure Austria does as well, but I haven't been there recently.) I'd very much recommend reining in the geographical extent of your trip and planning more time in each of the countries you do visit. That will give you a lot more sightseeing time and a lot less time sitting on trains and buses.

thanks for all the replies. Confirmed what I thought originally.