Central/Eastern europe trip

Time in each city is excellent. But you are missing all the points in-between and that's where a lot of the flavor lies.

Budapest to Bucharest by train is a long miserable journey by most accounts. I would skip Bucharest this trip and put the time in Cesky Krumlov (1) Gyor/Pannanonhalma (1), Melk (1), Eger (1). But do make a trip to Romania and Bulgaria (maybe as one trip) some day as it is really worth the effort.

I would avoid June for the Central/Eastern European trip if you enjoy theater/opera/classical music as they good houses close for the summer; but the weather is a little dryer in the summer (june and onwards). Your call.

Time in each city is excellent. But you are missing all the points
in-between and that's where a lot of the flavor lies. Budapest to
Bucharest by train is a long miserable journey by most accounts. I
would skip Bucharest this trip and put the time in Cesky Krumlov (1)
Gyor/Pannanonhalma (1), Melk (1), Eger (1). But do make a trip to
Romania and Bulgaria (maybe as one trip) some day as it is really
worth the effort. I would avoid June for the Central/Eastern European
trip if you enjoy theater/opera/classical music as they good houses
close for the summer; but the weather is a little dryer in the summer
(june and onwards). Your call.

Hi James, thanks for answering my question!

If I skip Bucharest, where would I put in the recommended cities?

I thought Cesky Krumlov would be a good day trip from Prague annd hence included it (using Prague as a base). Although I think Prague seems like an amazing city, I have heard it is very touristy, I'm not sure if 5 days in it would be cutting out fun from the other cities, esp when Hungary & Poland are cheaper & less tourist-dense?

The architecture in Melk looks pretty amazing!
Would I be able to visit Melk, Eger & Gyor as (leisurely-paced) day trips with Budapest as a base?
I hope to stay in a single accommodation for as long as we can as we are petite girls who don't fancy dragging our stuff every few days! :)

We are more interested in seeing the architecture and the art inside (amazingly detailed stuff!)

Music would be of secondary importance and I feel that as non-connoisseurs (though we have learnt a few musical instruments between ourselves, piano & violin), we would enjoy the music no matter what, since it is our first time to Europe!

However, that aside, is April a rainy season for the cities above? We'd hate having to hold umbrellas everywhere and get soaked everyday!
This is also a reason why I'm considering going on the Mediterranean trip in April instead as we prefer to escape the cold in London to a (slightly) warmer region.

I would make the southern Europe trip in spring, before it gets hot.

You said your budget is $900 for everything except transport. 900/23=39. I wonder if you can manage in Europe on $39 a day? Right now, the dollar is strong, so that's €32. If you get hostel beds for around €15-18, that leaves you €14-17 for food, entrance fees, trams/buses, and incidentals.

I would without a doubt evacuate Bratislava and/or Zagreb. Those are the 2 most exhausting capitals in Europe. Have been to both of them commonly and never discover anything fascinating.

I propose Budapest - Ljubljana -Vienna.

United States Travel Guide

I would put your destinations in logistic order this way: Berlin, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Vienna, Budapest, Eger, High Tatras, Krakow. If you like architecture add some day(s) to Prague. Cesky Krumlov is better overnight. It takes 6 hours roundtrip. Visit Melk as a day trip from Vienna. Visit Gyor on your way from Vienna to Budapest. From Budapest go by train to Eger, stay overnight. Then continue to Poprad (gate to High Tatras mountains) with change of trains in Kosice. Stay overnight in High Tatras (I would recommend resort Strbske Pleso) then get to Stary Smokovec (another resort there) from there you can catch the bus to Krakow. Because of weather take this trip mid June onwards. Madrid - Athens 30 March -26 April.

Do you have enough money? Wellllllll....... you are cutting it thin. But that's a decision you have to make. I wouldn't let my kids go with so little money per day. Looks like you have more time than money. With that in mind maybe you would want to think about getting apartments in Budapest, Vienna and Prague. At 8 to 10 days each you should be able to get a pretty good deal on the apartments. Now you can grocery shop, cook, etc. and save more money. Get apartments with a washer/dryer and you can make the trip with nothing but back packs and now the luggage hassle is gone. Then run day trips within those three countries. That will save you a bundle and you will be trading a lot of traveling for a lot of living in three completely different environments. Also, there are no BAD places only people that didn't enjoy them and your experiences might be completely different. Ignore subjective absolutes. Pecs, Eger, Gyor (and google Pannonhalma) are all within 3 hours of Budapest by train, and if when you arrive you are having too great a time to leave just check into a hostel for the night and take the train back the next day. Worst case scenario is you rented the apartment and a hostel that night (cook more to make up the difference). You can do similar with places in Czech and Austria. And trains within a country are cheaper than the trains that cross borders, that will save too.

Hello Sienna. I recommend : go to the countries in southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, ...) in 30 March - 26 April. Those places have HOT weather in June and the Summer months. For the other trip in Europe, I like the suggestion from James. Rent an apartment for several nights in each city : Budapest, Vienna, Prague. You could buy food at grocery stores, and prepare your food in the kitchen in your apartment. That could cost much less money than buying prepared food at restaurants, cafes, ... Have overnight accommodation at those three cities, only. Go on day trips from those cities. Example : one day ride in a train from Vienna to Krems in Austria, bus from Krems to Melk. Walk through Melk (it is one of my favorite towns in Europe), boat on the Danube River from Melk to Krems, train from Krems to Vienna. If your total budget for the trip is 900 U.S. Dollars, not including transport, for each person, I think you could not afford to travel to the other cities.

Sienna

regading this trip? from Berlin to Bucharest, all i can say that it appears you have allocated enough time. I allocated 3 days in all but Berlin and Bucharest since i have not been to them, yet. Berlin will be this Sept and so far i have allocated 3 days, but I'm still planning.

I dont know about the logistics from getting to from since i know i would just plot them out and see what make since and how travel times to/from each and the ease and cost. what i found out is that sometimes saying you want to go somewhere is easier than getting there. Sometimes i found that it can take several stops/transfers and sometimes not, but thats up to you.

Just a comment/opinion. it appears that Bucharest is out outlier in your plan. Is there any reason you cant leave it out and add something in between the places you have?

Also you state that you're going to Spain and some other places. Is this on the same trip or some other time? I ask because you maybe better off adding Bucharest to when you are in Greece. also, I'm not sure why you left out Turkey since you will be in the area along with other places.

happy trails.

From experience: Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey work well together.

Seems like everyone is worried about my budget! I actually broke it down further in a spreadsheet but here is the rough outline:

I followed the index given by http://www.priceoftravel.com/1979/european-backpacker-index/
as a guide because I have no experience with the prices!

Inclusions:
A dorm bed at a good and cheap hostel
3 budget meals (we are going to make sandwiches, cook, or eat some street bites, we don't eat much between both of us!)
2 public transportation rides
1 paid cultural attraction
3 cheap beers (we don't drink beer so this will be extra money, or for more entertainment)

Budget per day (USD)
Berlin 70.55
Prague 50.81
Krakow 28.87
Budapest 33.12
Vienna 78.49
Bucharest 24.24

Actually, to be more exact, my budget is $930 in total for everything ex. transport.
I have done a lot of research and this part of Europe seems to be a cheap place for two girls, who aren't looking for a nightlife scene or absolute comfort! (Shopping is not included in the budget, all essentials only)

After all the discussions, I think I am leaving out Bucharest!
I picked it because it was cheap and on the map, it looked like a feasible place to go, based on our itinerary (guess not now, since it seems to be an outlier)

Also, I'm not doing Turkey on this leg! Partly because of limited time and budget, and partly because we find it a little intimidating to confront such a bustling place by the two of ourselves!

@Ilja
You clarified quite a few of my questions!
But may I know why you put it in that order?
Berlin,
Prague,
Cesky Krumlov,
Vienna,
Budapest,
Eger,
High Tatras,
Krakow

I actually planned to put Berlin & Krakow a little closer as they share similar cultures/languages (hope I'm not mistaken) & WW2 history (sorry, I didn't mention this earlier but it is a good part of why we are going there!)

Would there be a significant difference

@RAY
The Madrid-Athens trip is a separate one :) Perhaps, I will consider Bucharest then.

Are the cities in the trip (Madrid-Lisbon-Barcelona-Italy-Athens) expensive during April?

Sienna,
I put your destinations in that order because it make sense. There is a direct train from Berlin to Prague (about 5 hours). Then from Prague to Cesky Krumlov I would recommend Student Agency bus so called Yellow bus (yes, it's really yellow). It takes three hours. From Cesky Krumlov to Vienna: you can do it all by public transport - get to nearby Ceske Budejovice by train or bus (bus station is next to train station in C.B.). From C.B. to Linz by train and there change trains to get to Vienna. Faster would be to take one of plentiful shuttles from Cesky Krumlov to the train station in Linz. Or you can take shuttle all the way to Vienna. That's more expensive. But if you find more people to join you you can make it almost for train price. From Vienna to Budapest, on the way Gyor. Most people who go from Budapest to Krakow either fly or take very long and boring train ride via Bratislava, Breclav, where they have to change train, then again in Katowice. I wanted to spare you this and invented somewhat shorter but much more exciting and scenic route via High Tatras (Vysoke Tatry) to Krakow. Berlin and Krakow don't have similar culture and languages. In Berlin they speak German which is a germanic language (English is also Germanic language), in Krakow they speak Polish which is a slavic language (together with Czech and Slovak and others). Hungarian is completely different language from most of European languages. It belongs into group with Finnish and Estonian. WWII history: Germany attacked Poland - that's how WWII started. Nearby Krakow is the worst concentration camp out of all of them Auschwitz and Auschwitz II called also Birkenau. Those are German names. In Polish Oswiecim and Brzezinka. In WWII history Germany and Poland were on opposing sides. But it is your trip and you will do it as you like. Mine is just an advice which could save you time and money.

@ Sienna,

"Are the cities in the trip (Madrid-Lisbon-Barcelona-Italy-Athens) expensive during April?"

I have no idea. I was just curious as to if it made more since to you to add Bucharest to your Greece trip.

Im going to some of those listed this Sept and it appears that its sort of still during the tourist season. I may shift it a few weeks later, but will have to figure out the +/-

happy trails.

Portugal and Spain are generally cheaper than Italy. Maybe Greece is too. I don't think that your budget depends much on the time of year - food prices, bus/tram prices, entrance fees don't change. You can easily check hostel prices on-line and compare the prices in April with another month. Maybe Easter week would up the prices, but otherwise probably not.

Hi,

You have a great trip planned with the above listed cities and good logistics, expense wise too. Berlin is the cheapest in Germany. Vienna does not have to be pricey if you know where. Krakow is a great period. If your focus is on the capitals in Central and East Central Europe, I would do the same. My suggestion is that this trip should start in June,. I'll also be back in Vienna and Berlin, BP by early June

The trip makes sense, not too rushed. For Budapest, Vienna and Krakow, especially, I heartily suggest you stay in hostels. Krakow has one of the best hostels in Europe. Keep in mind that hostels do have laundry facilities, so no need to look for a laundry and dryer when they are on the hostel premises.. Berlin has tons of hostels to choose from, both HI and private, independent hostels. (The newer ones are in the eastern part). I assume you're under 26. The private, independent hostels usually add an extra 3 Euro to the price for those 26 and over. If you want to avoid school groups, then stay at the private, independent hostels

Hi all,

Thanks for all your advice! I have rearranged my trip as follows:

City/Days spent
Berlin 3
Prague 4
Cesky Krumlov 2
Vienna 3
Budapest 5
High Tatras 2 (Maybe including, or not)
Krakow 4