Grad Trip - EU Help

where will you be coming from?

Do you like outdoors activities or scenery more?

Why did you choose Budapest? What relationship is there between Budapest and Spain, Italy, or Slovenia?

Did your undergrad studies lead you to Spain or Italy?

Where have you been in Europe before?

If you help us see what you think we can help lots more - otherwise we are just throwing darts.

Apparently you are considered one of two itineraries? Budapest - Barcelona - Palma - Rome - Vienna or
Budapest - Slovenia - West Austria - Vienna.

You have three weeks and could do either choice with that time, although the first option includes places that would eat up a lot of travel time. Consider eliminating at least one stop (Palma--I assume you are referring to the island of Mallorca) to simplify somewhat your plans. Barcelona is still some distance from the other places, but you could snare a budget flight (however, budget flights usually have strict limits on luggage). Budapest and Vienna match up nicely, you can train between those two cities or go by the river. Rome you can also manage via a train. Rome is wonderful, but allot at least 5 days to see that city.

The second option is great, it avoids unnecessary travel. So many people plan on visiting Europe and trying to cover too many places. You will probably be back to Europe, so plan to enjoy to places that you visit. By West Austria, I assume you want to visit Innsbruck, which is a nice place to see. Don't forget Salzburg. Ljubljana is likely one of your cities, since you want to go to Slovenia. The small country is beautiful and not so overrun with tourists. Again, you can manage getting their by train.

Check out TripAdvisor and input the places you want to visit as well as "things to do." This will show you some options.

Why don't you start in Munich before going to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest? The transportation between the cities is very easy, and you'll get a good mixture of great cities. They're all very pleasurable places to visit.

Great trip, but including "Barcelona - Palma - Rome" takes you far afield from the other desired stops and will require air flights that really eat travel days and are not much fun.. Maybe think about trains Munich to Salzburg to Innsbruck, Drive over the Brenner Pass into Northern Italy to the Dolomite Alps around Val Gardena-Santa Cristina through Cortina D'Ampezzo and on to Triglav National Park through Kobarid (Caporetto made famous by Hemingway in a Farewell to Arms) - to Lake Bled and drive on back into Austria - to Vienna - to Budapest and back to Vienna. Austria to Austria car rental should not be too expensive and no drop off fees.

I will be a whirlwind but you could do two nights in each place before your week in Vienna. Two nights is really useful since it gives you one full day in each place (which is, of curse, never enough). Each travel day should be about a half day of traveling and half day of looking around/making one major tourist stop.

Adventure?

Fly to Istanbul (3 days), then to Lviv (3 days), fly to Kyiv (3 days), fly to Sofia (4 days), fly to Budapest (5 days), train to Vienna (what ever time you have left)

All the flights begining in Istanbul are 1 to 1.5 hours and under 100 dollars, but they are day of the week specific so you have plan it well. There are dozens of options like this. Think out of the box. Look at Google Flights for non-stop flights from town to town.

Which part of "West Austria?" Tirol, Vorarlberg, or even Upper Austria?

If you don't plan on going out to the villages, then take the train or bus from A to B, eg. there is a bus connection from Salzburg to Bad Ischl.

I think I've narrowed it down a bit.

20-24 June Budapest - Walking around the city, staying in a party hostel.

24-26 - Maribor - Lent Festival

26-27 - Dolenjske Toplice or any other spa town. (Just one day for the experience) - recommendations?

27-30 - ljubljana/Lake Bed (Suggestions on what to do around - ideally adventurous)

30-3 - A town to Ski in (where I can learn a bit too, I've quite average at it). I don't know where to go for this though. Somewhere near Slazburg or within Slovenia itself? What places will have skiing in the summer.

3-12 July Vienna.

Please help me out b/w 26 June - 3 July in narrowing down activities and places. Also, how do I travel between the places (I can only drive 2wheelers, not cars).

I wish you luck finding snowballs in July - and skiing. I think you will find that difficult in the Alps.

20-24 June Budapest - Walking around the city, staying in a party hostel.
24-26 - Maribor - Lent Festival

Take Budapest - Ljubljana train and change in Pragersko or Celje to Maribor.

26-27 - Dolenjske Toplice or any other spa town. (Just one day for the experience) - recommendations?

Skip that, boring. Try instead the thermal baths in Budapest.

27-30 - ljubljana/Lake Bed (Suggestions on what to do around - ideally adventurous)

Lake Bled is pretty, but there isn't that much to do. If you're looking for adventure head to the western side of the Julian Alps. The Soca river valley is the adrenaline capital of Slovenia. You'll find outfitters in every large village and you could try white water rafting, hydrospeeding, canyoning, tandem paragliding, mountain biking, or just good old hiking for free which can be still as adventurous as you want to make it

30-3 - A town to Ski in (where I can learn a bit too, I've quite average at it). I don't know where to go for this though. Somewhere near Slazburg or within Slovenia itself? What places will have skiing in the summer.

Slovenia doesn't have summer skiing, but Austria has a few great spots: Stubaital, Hintertux, Kaprun

https://www.ski-austria.com/blog/summer-ski-resorts-in-austria/

Thanks mate.
If you recommend baths in Budapest, would you also suggest that I stay there for a few more days? Also, what's the scene on nudity in Budapest baths.

Budapest - Maribor, wouldn't it be easier to take a direct bus? Is taking the train faster/cheaper?

I was also looking at Soca river valley and it seems very exciting. If I decide to spend some time there, which area should I stay in?
Also, can I do Lake bled in Ljublana in one day each? (Doesn't need to be comprehensive) Or should I rather skip and just head to Soca river valley and the bohinj?

The problem with Stubaital, Hintertux, Kaprun is that they are very inaccessible. Would you recommend any convenient ways to get there? If not, do you know if there are glaciers near Salzburg ?

I don't know where you're coming from, but if you are accustomed to skiing in the US, my husband felt the skiing was more hazardous in Europe than in the US because the trails weren't groomed to the same standard as in the US.

"If you recommend baths in Budapest, would you also suggest that I stay there for a few more days? Also, what's the scene on nudity in Budapest baths."

I think 4 days is fine for Budapest and that's including a bath or two. Nudity is forbidden as far as I know. If you're looking for something other than only bathing you may check out the Kaiserbründl in Vienna. ;-)

https://www.wien.info/en/locations/kaiserbruendl

"Budapest - Maribor, wouldn't it be easier to take a direct bus? Is taking the train faster/cheaper?"

Great find! Sure the direct bus is the way to go, no doubt. I just wasn't aware of its existance, because I prefer to travel by trains.

"I was also looking at Soca river valley and it seems very exciting. If I decide to spend some time there, which area should I stay in?"

Bovec is the advanture hub of the Soca Valley, but Kobarid is also good and it has some historical interest(WWI) too.

"Also, can I do Lake bled in Ljublana in one day each? (Doesn't need to be comprehensive) Or should I rather skip and just head to Soca river valley and the bohinj?"

1 day each is OK.

"The problem with Stubaital, Hintertux, Kaprun is that they are very inaccessible. Would you recommend any convenient ways to get there? If not, do you know if there are glaciers near Salzburg ?"

I think Kaprun is the closest to Salzburg and it is quite easy to reach by train and bus.

OK, here is a plan for you:

Budapest - Maribor bus
Maribor - Ljubljana train https://www.slo-zeleznice.si/sl/
Ljubljana - Bovec bus https://hostelsocarocks.com/en/how-to-get-to-bovec-by-car/
Bovec - Bled bus

Bled - Kaprun:

Train from Lesce-Bled station(it's important because Bled has 2 train stations!) departing at 10:03 (to Frankfurt) change trains in Schwarzach-St.Veit arrive 12:48 depart 13:13 (to Zürich) and arrive at 13:42 to Zell am See.

Frequent buses(every 30 minutes) from front of Zell am See train station to Kaprun