Help narrowing down Budapest/Prague/Vienna vs. Amsterdam and a combo of those

Go to Amsterdam. A week is a good time to explore the city and have a few day trips around.
Do Vienna, Prague and/or Budapest when you've got more time. For decades I resisted going to Vienna, thinking it was an destination for old ladies. I found it a very interesting city. About everything of importance around 1900 happened in Vienna. I'm not such a fan of Budapest, but I don't know the city very well. Prague is worth four or five days.

So much (for me) would depend on the bit up to 20th, and the bit after 27th. Please embellish.

I've only changed planes in Amsterdam so no help there.

Not really sure if your 20 - 27 is on the ground in Europe or includes travel to and from. If it includes the travel then you have 21 through 26 and I would think that would be more rewarding in no more than 2 cities and two cities close together at that. So I would suggest Budapest and Vienna. Even if the dates don't include travel, I would still keep it to two, but add some day trip options.

If you are interested in the history of music and empires and enjoy the architecture and the museums that reflect those interests then Vienna is a great place. Best of all for me is that its only a couple of hours from Budapest. In Budapest check out the Liszt Academy of Music.

David in Brisbane, so true! And thanks for asking. I will arrive in Paris (coming from The US), early morning June 18th, and plan to be there through the evening of the 20th. This is when my loose portion of the trip begins, that is in question here. From the 27th, I fly from Prague to Athens, Greece (so I HAVE to be in Prague)! We'll be footing it hard through Athens all of the28th. The 29th we drive out to Nafplio and Mycenae for an overnight, then back to Athens the very next day to catch an evening flight to santorini, the 30th. We will be in the island until morning of July 3, when I get on a plane back to Paris, where I will be until the 7th.

Well if you have to be in Prague, just do Vienna and Prague. Don't try to squeeze in Budapest.

Prague is a very comfortable four hour train journey from Vienna. Also, if you book it ahead, you can get it for as little as 18 euro.

Prague/Vienna would be good for a week. Or Prague/Budapest. Maybe not all 3... you could squeeze them in, but why? :) We daytripped to Bratislava and it seemed a great place for young people! We took a segway tour in the sub-freezing weather, which the kids loved, but I swore my fingers were going to fall off - and that was with gloves!

We went to Prague for the 1st time over Christmas and truly loved it. Beautiful, good food, cheap beer. Really cool place. We liked Vienna too but really only hit Christmas Markets, which were my favorite ones of the trip - we aren't too into museums and palaces and such anyway, but it seemed to me that if you do not like those things a lot, then don't go to Vienna. If you do like those, then Vienna is your place.

We were in Amsterdam a couple summers ago and really loved that as well. Neat place, can't go wrong there either.

Decision, decisions....

On June 21st you can fly from Paris to either Budapest or Vienna for under $75 non stop and about the same time.

After that……

You can take the train from Vienna to Prague in 4:10 and about $33 with advance purchase. Figure leaving for the train station 40 minutes prior to scheduled time (less if you know your way around the station and you have tickets in hand) then 20 minutes to the next room and That works out to about 5:10 hours door to door.

You can fly from Budapest to Prague in 1:20 for about $115. Figure leaving for the airport 2 hours in advance and an hour to get off the plane in Prague and get to your hotel and it works out to about 4:30 door to door.

Toss in all the variables and statistically it probably takes the same amount of time either way.

Because I am not a big fan of long train rides, if I wanted to do all three, I would do Paris to Vienna to Budapest to Prague.

Gotcha. Take the opportunity to catch up with friends in Amsterdam, an interesting and stimulating environment. Then drop in to Prague, leaving Vienna and Budapest as partners for a future adventure.

June
18. Arrive Paris
20. Train to Amsterdam
24. Fly to Prague
27. Fly to Athens

I have been to all 4 cities, numerous times. All are great in their own way. twice we did Prague/Vienna/Budapest but for 2 weeks each time. You will not be disappointed with Amsterdam.
Our last trip there was for 9 days in the summer of 2014. We were never at a loss for things to do and see. We took 4 days trips to Haarlem, Delft, the Countryside by localbus.nl and Brugges. We would go early in the morning and still had time in the early evening to walk around the city. We would definately go back again.

@ tomfromleiden...an accurate perception. Vienna seemed like a "destination for old ladies." That exactly what I saw on my first visit to Vienna in that stifling heat in early Sept 1971, old ladies dressed in black, buildings such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, etc were in black, as well as statues, all of which gave me a depressing view of Vienna. Of course, if one knows its 20th century history well, you can understand why. True, the famous and infamous figures of the 20th century were in Vienna from 1900-14...Hitler, Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, K. Lueger, G. Mahler, Freud, Lehar, E. Strauss, etc

@ rode...Stick with Vienna, Budapest and, maybe, Prague, drop Amsterdam and your friends...I would focus on the first two, Vienna (for the music of Beethoven, Schubert, Lanner, J. Strauss, Mahler, Mozart, Haydn), and Budapest, all the more so for the cultural interests you indicate....definitely, Liszt Academy. Better food too in Vienna and Budapest.

Like most here I sort of shudder when someone limits a stop to 2 days. But, you know, if you have done some research and still none of the list just jumps out and screams for you, then maybe 2 in each place is a way to learn what you like. Odds are you can always return if something really speaks to you. I found my favorite place on a 2 day trip; so I shouldn't be so quick to judge. Do what feels good. How good a time you have is ultimately up to you and your attitude and expectations.....