Central Europe Itinerary help

but there are no direct flights from Dublin to Salzburg.

But there are direct flights from Dublin to Munich, which is very close to Salzburg.

Do you really have to fly out of Prague? Otherwise I'd suggest Salzburg-Hallstatt-Bled/Ljubljana (if you have time, add Maribor)-Budapest-Bratislava-Vienna-Prague-Poland.

But you have chosen a bunch of places in roughly the same area and there will be many other options.

You have a lot of destinations that would result in a lot of travel time. One main issue is, that Ljubljana does not have many direct flights since the bankruptcy of Adria Air.
By skipping Slovenia the schedule would get more relaxed.

Possible route by train:
Dublin – Krakow by flight (Ryanair not every day)
Krakau – Bratislava by train (about 6 hours)
Bratislava - Budapest by train (2:30 hours)
Budapest – Ljubljana by train (7:30 hour)
Ljubljana - Salzburg by train (4:30 hours)
Salzburg – Vienna by train (2:30 hours)
Vienna – Prague by train (4:30 hours)

Optimized by flights
Dublin – Krakow by flight (Ryanair not every day)
Krakau – Vienna by flight (Austrian or Ryanair)
Bratislava as daytrip from Vienna
Vienna – Salzburg by train (2:30 hours)
Salzburg – Ljubljana by train (4:30 hours)
Ljubljana - Budapest by train (7:30 hour)
Budapest – Prague by flight (Ryanair)

How many nights will you be in each city? If traveling by air and train during the day it takes a full day to get there and settle in. Do not consider your travel days as a sightseeing days.
What month(s) are you going? Skyscanner shows Ryanair flies from Dublin to Krakow seven days a week during the month of May for as little as $65. Furthermore, there are luggage restrictions so pack light or you’ll need to pay to check bag(s). Plan on doing laundry because you’re going to be hauling luggage a lot on this trip with the number of stops, you’re making.
When traveling by train you need to carry bags up and down stairs. If you’re struggling you may attract the wrong person who’ll offer to help. I had this happen to me once but fortunately I got away.
Here’s an idea of how many nights you need in each place that takes a total of 23 nights and then you need to add a night each time you change a location which is six. You need a minimum of 29 nights:
Krakow – four nights and includes a day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Vienna – six nights and includes a day trip to Bratislava.
Salzburg – three nights and includes a day trip to Hallstatt.
Ljubljana – three nights and includes a day trip to Lake Bled.
Budapest – four nights.
Prague – three nights.

But there are direct flights from Dublin to Munich, which is very close to Salzburg.

Do you really have to fly out of Prague? Otherwise I'd suggest Salzburg-Hallstatt-Bled/Ljubljana (if you have time, add Maribor)-Budapest-Bratislava-Vienna-Prague-Poland

Prague is my big flight back home to Aus. Oh the benefit of hindsight!

I didn't even consider Munich but that is very helpful to enable to me to start towards the bottom of my loop. I'd just have to swap Vienna-Poland to Poland-Prague to fly out from. Thank you

I'd be inclined to consolidate all my Slovenian nights in Ljubljana. Although Lake Bled is very picturesque, it is quite small; it's less than 4 miles around the whole thing (and the walk is basically flat). Ljubljana is larger and livelier; it's a very nice city to spend your evenings in.

I'd be inclined to consolidate all my Slovenian nights in Ljubljana. Although Lake Bled is very picturesque, it is quite small; it's less than 4 miles around the whole thing (and the walk is basically flat). Ljubljana is larger and livelier; it's a very nice city to spend your evenings in.

Thank you for your suggestion as I am conflicted about that too. Someone said Ljubljana is very tiny that 2 days is enough and that Bled deserves more than just a day trip (of course all these beautiful places deserve more time!). And I thought if starting my loop in Salzburg it would be natural to stay a night or two there in Bled on the way to the capital..

But if trying to be more efficient I think you might be right - to base myself in Ljubljana.

How many nights will you be in each city? If traveling by air and train during the day it takes a full day to get there and settle in. Do not consider your travel days as a sightseeing days.

I haven't worked out exact numbers yet as I'm trying to settle on the order still. But was thinking (regardless of order at this stage):
Vienna - 4 nights
Salzburg - 2 nights
Budapest - 4 nights
Bled - 2 nights
Ljubljana - 2 nights
Krakow - 3 nights
Prague - 3 with a possible day trip to Pilsen

What month(s) are you going? Skyscanner shows Ryanair flies from Dublin to Krakow seven days a week during the month of May for as little as $65.

From Mid May

I think Paul636 has the best idea

Optimized by flights
Dublin – Krakow by flight (Ryanair not every day)
Krakau – Vienna by flight (Austrian or Ryanair)
Bratislava as daytrip from Vienna
Vienna – Salzburg by train (2:30 hours)
Salzburg – Ljubljana by train (4:30 hours)
Ljubljana - Budapest by train (7:30 hour)
Budapest – Prague by flight (Ryanair)

BUT, while i have had friends whose whirlwind trips were their best and most memorable .... let me suggest you think hard about Ljubljana. Ljubljana because its off course and its a lot of travel time for so little time there.

But of course that depends on the intent of the trip and I have no idea what that is.

But then I would do

Optimized by flights
1 Dublin – Krakow by flight (Ryanair not every day) - 1N
2 Krakow - 2N
3 Krakow - 3N
4 Krakow – Vienna by flight (Austrian or Ryanair) - 1N
5 Vienna - 2N
6 Vienna - 3N
7 Vienna to Salzburg (morning train) - 1N
8 Salzburg - 2N
9 Salzburg to Vienna (afternoon train) - 4N
10 Vienna - 5N
11 Vienna to Bratislava (morning train) - 1N
12 Bratislava to Budapest (late afternoon train) - 1N
13 Budapest - 2N
14 Budapest - 3N
15 Budapest - 4N
16 Budapest to Prague (afternoon flight) - 1N
17 Prague - 2N
18 Prague - 3N - trip to Pilsen
19 Prague - 4N
20 Prague - 5N
21 Home

Thanks everyone you have all been so generous with your suggestions. I shuffled some things and have found 6 more days for this itinerary.

So I had two more thoughts overnight. Hopefully you won't judge too harshly (this is my first europe trip) ...but the Ljubljana to Budapest leg makes me a bit nervous (7.5hr on a train that gets in at nighttime (solo female). So I'd do Budapest from Vienna.

So what about hiring a car from Salzburg onto Bled and Ljubljana. Then after Ljubjana fly out to Warsaw for a night or two? then to Krakow..then Krakow to Prague train/bus.

Alternatively...drive back to Salzburg after Slovenia and fly to Krakow from Vienna. I know it's a small amount of backtracking but with the extra days I have now I am wouldn't be totally opposed to it if I will feel safer. (Plus we drive for hours in huge Australia so I'm used to 4-5hr trips!)

Unless you plan on doing a lot of hiking, Bled does not warrant 2 nights, not even an overnight. We were just there this past June. We stayed 4 nights in Ljubljana with a day trip to Bled. 3 would have been sufficient as Ljubljana is very, very small. Bratislava can be a day trip, the old town is really small. We stayed one night just to break up our travel time from Vienna to Budapest. I would add a day to Krakow, one of our favorite cities.

I got lost in the plan, but if it matters - unlike Barbara (you know we’re all different ha!), I DID like Bled and enjoyed 3 nights there. However I had a car and also drove over to see Lake Bohinj. Gorgeous countryside! So some of the “what’s worthwhile” depends on what you like.

Yes, Bled's not a bad base at all for countryside explorations. A car helps, but you can get to Vintgar Gorge and Lake Bohinj by bus (or perhaps share a moderate-cost taxi with others you encounter at the Bled bus station). The town of Bled itself really doesn't take long to see, nor is it particularly attractive (unless I missed the best parts). Ljubljana is 35 times the size of Bled in terms of population.

If you can add additional days, do it! But I think 3 nights in Prague is very short even if you don't go to Plzen, and you may (like many of use) love Budapest and be sorry to have only 4 nights there.

If you rent a car in Austria and drop it off in Slovenia, there is likely to be a very high international drop charge, so that is probably not a practical alternative.

If you go to Warsaw, allow more than a night or two. It has only a small (rebuilt) medieval center, because the Nazis flattened the city late in the war, but it has a lot of excellent museums (Warsaw Rising, Jewish history, art, etc.) and it has a real-world feel in the sense that most of the people you'll see out and about are residents rather than tourists. I walked around quite a lot, and I found Warsaw quite attractive even if the architecture isn't very old.

I'd have no concern about arriving in Budapest in the evening. I'm a 71-year-old female and felt very comfortable alone in Budapest (9 nights in 2018).

but the Ljubljana to Budapest leg makes me a bit nervous (7.5hr on a train that gets in at nighttime (solo female).

Where are you looking at train times? There is a train that leaves at 9:35 and arrives in Budapest at 16:59. So not a nighttime arrival. And there are also buses on that route (which are actually faster).

So what about hiring a car from Salzburg onto Bled and Ljubljana. Then after Ljubjana fly out to Warsaw for a night or two?

Be aware that cross border rentals are expensive, as you have to pay for someone to repatriate the car...

When are you traveling?

I liked Lake Bohinj better than Bled.

Old thread that popped up again….

Hi sorry for the delay in my response I didn't realise it popped up again.

Mister E I have been and gone! I got back last week. I had the best time. I appreciated the input from all of you.