How many days in each: Berlin, Budapest and Vienna

You got too few days for these three cities. Between Berlin and Budapest there is no direct overnight train. The fastest train leaves Berlin at 6:46 and arrives in Budapest at 18:35 which is almost 12 hours and one day gone. That's the only direct train otherwise you have to change. Try flying. Two nights in each city? That gives you just one full day. Or you can eliminate one city which logistically would be Budapest because you are flying into Berlin and from Vienna. That would be unfortunate. If it was me I would add days to my trip or make it logistically more sensible like either drop one city or choose some which are closer to each other like Berlin, Prague, Vienna or Prague, Vienna, Budapest. With three cities in your short time you will certainly bop around a lot and you will not stay too long in one place.

Heavily Edited to correct mistakes pointed out in the following posts.

April 9 Arrive
April 10 Berlin
April 11 Transfer to Berlin-Tegel Airport and take afternoon German Wings flight to Budapest. Cost about $150 each; about a 5 hour trip with one change.
April 12 Budapest
April 13 Budapest
April 14 Afternoon train, Budapest to Vienna (about 30 euro and 3 hours)
April 15 Vienna
April 16 Depart for Home

Too much traveling. Not enough fun or time in Budapest or Vienna or Berlin. I guess since you already have the tickets, cut out BUDAPEST and spend the time with day trips out of Vienna.

James, they would have to clone themselves to be at the same time in Berlin and also in Budapest: April 10th.

Oh no - Are you sure?? Bahn is showing a train leaving Berlin at 18:23 and arriving Budapest 8:35 the next day.

Now I am freaking out!

EN 477 -- EuroNight Direction: Budapest-Keleti
Special offer Spar-Night , Subject to compulsory reservation , 2nd class only seated accommodation , Global price or ticket plus supplement , Sleeping-car , Couchettes , snacks and beverages available from sleeper/couchette attendant

Mea culpa, bronwen. There is a direct night train exactly as you say and there are several direct trains during a day, not just one as I wrongly mentioned. You want to go in April but the timetable is only till December. So once they get the new one it would be wise to recheck it.

I also see the night train still operating between Berlin and Budapest. Just two comments: 1. night trains are disappearing quicker than ice in the Sahara, no guarantee that it will be operating next April so make sure you have contingency plans if it goes away; 2. although there are no train changes there are about 15 stops and you can expect lots of stopping and starting and noises all through the night - bring earplugs and sleep aids if you intend to get any kind of decent sleep.

I personally would skip Budapest with such a short time for your trip. Do Berlin and Vienna and one place in between to reduce the amount of travel time that eats up sightseeing time. In my opinion Berlin needs 3 nights (2 full days) at a minimum, same for Vienna. Why shortchange such wonderful places just to say you went to another city/country.

Oh - yes - I am all logged on to Bahn and will be checking for when April trains come available (the new schedule is out in December). Should the night train not be running then we will figure out a plan (though I don't know what that would be as i don't want to skip Budapest (it was the whole point of the trip). So - I won't stress about that (yet)!

James' remark makes me think he does not love Berlin ... How about this? I would spend Saturday afternoon, all day Sunday and all day Monday in Berlin. Train at 6:30 PM to Budapest. Arrive Budapest 8:30 and spend all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Budapest. Wake up early Friday and take train to Vienna - day in Vienna and fly home Saturday morning. We really do enjoy buzzing around - in the past we have gotten up and taken very early trains to our next city and enjoyed full days there.

So what do you think - three nights in Berlin or 3 nights in Budapest (above itinerary) OR take boat to Bratslava and stay there for a night before out last night in Vienna (my parents love Bratslava but i haven't hear rave reviews from anyone else)?

I fixed my remarks above. I cant make it work for you if you include Budapest. You will just regret that you tried to cram too much in. Of the three locations I have not been to Berlin because it doesn't interest me. I have been to Vienna and it bored me but I can see why others enjoy it; and I could spend a life time in Budapest. Trying to be objective I think you skip Budapest this trip.

Or I guess skip Berlin and just board German Wings to Budapest when you arrive in Berlin. Or you could do the overnight train that first night. The only way I can sleep on an overnight train is when I am completely wiped out from a crossing of the Atlantic. So that sort of works in a warped way.

We are going to stick to this plan and if the night train is cancelled we will take a 8:35 am Air Berlin flight to Budapest on the 11th. Giving us three nights in Berlin, three nights in Budapest and a night in Vienna. This may be a smarter plan than the night train - I just don't know. For us either would work well (except for the possibility of not sleeping on the night train - I would get pass out drunk or take an Ambien). It is weird, I know, but we have previously erred in spending too much time in the same place and our best vacation ever was Wurzburg-Bamberg-Nuremberg-Salzburg-Munich in 7 nights. We also went Munich-Verona-Venice-Bologna-Milan in 8 nights one year.

At some point we will have a family discussion about this. I really have no interest in Vienna at all other than an afternoon there and a dinner with a friend. I really want to see Budapest and am unsure whether I will like Berlin but would like to see the historical stuff.

Thank for all your input - you gave me a lot to think (worry) about!

All that having been said, your plan seems solid. I have acquaintances who take the morning train to Vienna and then go straight to the airport. Recently I had a guest that took the bus to Vienna. Apparently there is one direct to the airport in Vienna. If you need help with the Budapest side of the trip, just switch to the Hungary forum.

Hi,

A good itinerary here if you want that pace, very doable but I myself would prefer two weeks minimum.

You have 2 different routes for the night train option: Berlin to Budapest Keleti direct that goes through CR or Berlin to Munich on the CNL , then transfer to Budapest. I prefer this second choice and have done it going the other direction..mostly, ie Vienna to Munich, then changed to Munich to Berlin on the CNL....very satisfactory since the CNL route offers the reclining seat option, which is preferable to sitting in a six seat compartment and sleeping that way. The Berlin-Budapest via Munich takes longer but if you have more flexibility once you arrive in Munich a bit after 0700 hrs. Budapest is a main night train route junction point in Central Europe (very handy): Berlin-Budapest, Munich-Budapest, Prague-Budapest, Warsaw-Budapest, Krakow-Budapest.

We have been to Berlin twice, and only touched the surface of what there is to see/do there. It is a fascinating city. My tip is to take a walking tour on your first full day. We did Terry's Tours, and I see that there is a new company carrying on his tradition. http://www.brewersberlintours.com
I recommend this not only because it is a comprehensive exposure to Berlin, but because the nature/philosophy of the guides is so unique. You will see/hear about things that truly are "off the beaten track" as well as the usual suspects of historical sites. We did this tour first and suggested it to our college age son and his tribe. They did the tour and liked it even more than we did. With a teenager along you will be happy you picked this company, as the guides are young, well-educated and hip. (We on the other hand, are only ONE of those things and we still enjoyed it.)
We have done long train trips and consider them an enjoyable part of the trip experience, so I understand your itinerary. We once flew into Copenhagen for a Germany-based trip, and got to ride on a train that actually boards a ferry for part of the journey.

There was a time when the night train was about the only option. But the world has changed and Aeroflot has competition. Here is how a night train works.

Thursday 8 am; wake shower, eat and head out sightseeing. Return at noon to pack your bags and check out. Ask desk clerk to watch your bags while you go sightseeing until 7 pm. 7pm return to hotel and retrieve bags then head to the train station. Your train leaves at 8:45. Damn, a/c isn’t worth a &^%$&. Did I mention it was August? Flop around till about midnight and fall asleep thanks to the fatigue. Wake at 3 am because they are changing cars. Wake at 4 am, dang!!! Hey, what’s that running across the sheet! Did I miss our stop??

Friday 5 am Train pulsl into the station. What’s that smell? Ohhhh, that’s me. Cra$$! Head to hotel. No check in until 2pm. But I stink!!! Sorry. Leave bags with clerk and go sightseeing. Noon, eat lunch. Waiter wants you to leave because you are stinking up the place. 2 pm return to hotel and check in. Shower and fall asleep until 9pm. Yup, I saved a day by taking the night train!!!

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I may actually rethink the night train. No joke - I've planned three trips with "night train intentions" and then switched my plans. The aforementioned Air Berlin flight arrives Budapest at 10 am and looks like a nicer option than 14 hours on a night train. We will see. Obviously I have time to think and re-think. Anyone know how o get from Budapest airport to the city? I'm gonna research that now and look at the able link to Berlin tour guides.

Budapest Airport to town center: You have three options. Smart, Cheap or Cheaper.

Smart is you get off the plane and follow the line on the floor in the baggage claim area until you reach the taxi kiosk outside the terminal (about a 200 foot walk). There a nice individual will ask for your address. In return they give you a piece of paper with the address printed on it and a car number. You take that piece of paper about 30 feet to the curb where another nice individual will help you get into the correct cab, load your luggage and wish you a nice day. The driver will speak enough English to be “functional” at a minimum. The car will be clean and fairly new. Note on the way to the kiosk you will be approached by a lot of private cab drivers. Don’t fall for it. Keep heading to the kiosk. You want FOTAXI company; the one with the airport contract. Good folks. In 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic and your exact address you will be at your destination. Cost is something less than 8,000 Hungarian Forints including a tip. They will take Forints or Credit Cards or at a not to pleasant exchange rate Dollars and Euros. No matter how you pay, should be less than $30.

Cheap: There is a shuttle service. With this for a couple you will save maybe $10 and you will ride in a small bus. If you are the first drop; great! If you are the last drop……..not so great. Could take an hour or more including wait time at the airport while they try and fill the bus before departing. Still, well done, clean, efficient for what it is.

Cheaper: Public transport. Will cost a couple less than $10, take an hour easy, a couple of changes. Just not worth it.

Budapest is worth every minute you can spend there.

.

Thanks - I don't see Berlin on Czech Airlines website.

I'll add a vote for the night train. I LOVE them, but I always get a compartment. I sleep well, particularly on the European NT that I've taken as the bed faces across. On my last trip, Umeä to Stockholm, 21:30-6:30, I had my own bathroom and shower. Didn't use shower. No negative response from waiters. I'll take a night train over flight anytime I can get it. Much more fun. Wray

bronwen; I actually crossed your post with another post. No, no Czech Airlines flights but check all the discount carriers. They all fly into Budapest.

As for my aversion to sleeper trains. I just don't enjoy them the way some do. I can understand the interest and romance, but it just doesn't work for me at my point in life. 25 years ago it was different for me. In cool weather under the best of circumstances "I might" but otherwise there is always a better way for me personally. Of course there is always an exception to the rule and this would be that: http://www.danube-express.com/

Hi,

True...Air Berlin flies to BP. I used to take the intra-Europe flights, the one from Hannover to (West)Berlin in the '70s and '80s, the last one was in July 1989. What I remember clearly is the amount of time wasted either at the train station or at the airports Hannover-Langenhagen or at Tegel waiting for the flight, which was fine (35 mins). With the CNL night train option I much prefer that over a flight, always include one or two night trains per trip. But some routes offer a greater frequency of flights. Check with Air Berlin on going to BP.

I do notice that riders on the night train are overwhemingly/exclusively Europeans/Germans, even on supposedly popular routes say to Munich to Berlin or Hamburg to Munich. You hardly ever see any Americans on the train or the platform waiting/arriving.

Like Budapest Munich is also the main junction point for the night train routes with the terminus in Berlin, Budapest, Hamburg, Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the Munich Hbf -Paris Est night route has been dropped. Still, very convenient.

Given that you are not really interested in Vienna, a topic we will leave aside, I think your original plan was the best. If you book a sleeper compartment I think you will enjoy a comfortable and restful night sleep.
A ninety minute day time flight would probably end up taking 6 hours out of your daylight hours when you consider travel and airport time.

That "night" train leaves at about 6:30pm so you loose (by my life style) 4 hours of activity in Berlin. It arrives about 8:30 which for my lifestyle is pretty darn good so maybe its a fair trade off. Still would rather fly, but thats just me. Either way is good.

Understood! I am not going to rush into making a decision whether to fly or train. As we have a limited time for vacation due to school break I am always inclined to maximize our time. So either we forgo a night in Berlin or we risk flying cutting into our time in Budapest. In the past we have had great luck with German trains - thus my thought of the night train. I like going from city center to city center.. We use miles for our plane tickets - that is why we have the weird into Berlin and out of Vienna itinerary. I'm fine with just one night in Vienna - if we love it we will return.

I love traveling off season and / or to destinations with no Americans (we loved Guimeraes Portugal (discovered partially thru this forum) and don't have much interest in big cities (I work in midtown NYC and commute by train from NJ 5 days a week). I am nervous about whether we will love Berlin and while we don't usually like having a guide I think the suggestion of getting a guide for a morning in Berlin may be a good one. I would really love more info on Budapest. We all like being places completely different. We are social so we like meeting people and staying at guesthouse a bit frequented by Americans. We do move fast and have definitely had times where we tired of cities after a day (I wasn't impressed with Paris but love Lisbon). So - long story short I totally understand my pace isn't for everyone!

One more thing - any suggestion of B&Bs or cool small hotels where we can get a single room (no bathroom needed) and a double with bathroom as it is nice for our kid to have his own room and we don't break the bank.

Hi,

"We like being in places completely different" There are small hotels and Pensionen in Berlin-Charlottenburg (the western part) that fit that description , which is where I stay. ..WC out in the hallway, no AC, no elevator, no Wifi access, no English TV programming, etc. What's there is the feeling of the old fashion Berliner Milieu. Staying in Berlin Köpenick or Karlshorst (both in the east) will give a totally different feeling, very interesting, since you can bet no North Americans will be seen there. You'll be on the S-3 (S-Bahn) line, which connects to Berlin Hbf.

By definition what is a night train (EN or CNL) starts at 19:00 hrs. Half an hour earlier won't make much difference. The cheapest way is a seat in a six seat compartment, the most expensive is the sleeper. To do a Berlin to Budapest or Vienna night route I take the longer way, ie, Berlin to Munich since that CNL train offers the sleeperette (Ruhesessel), arrives ca 0700, have a relaxed hotel breakfast, then transfer to Vienna or Budapest. Because I break up the route. it takes another 3 -4 hours.

Well, you have given more to work with than the average post here. Since time is short, for logistical purposes you will want to stay in Pest. Budapest is divided into Districts. If you didn’t like Paris and you don’t want to be around too many tourists then you will not want to stay in District V. I suggest VI or VII; but not too far out. The Central point you will want to be near is a metro station / square called Deak Ferenc ter. It’s pretty much the heart of the city. For accommodations you might want to look at apartments. You should be able to get a nice one bedroom with pullout in the living room for about 55 euro or a two bedroom for 65 or 70 euro. Anything much cheaper than that will be cheaper for a reason, either repair or location.

You will want to do a walking tour of District VII. You can do this on your own with a good map or hire a guide. The hired guides will give you a lot of insight. District VII housed the old WWII Deportation Ghetto and is now thriving again. The architecture is great, the history profound and sights amazing if you love history. You will also want to do a tour of District VIII. This does require a guide. I don’t usually suggest this tour but you seem well suited for it. District VIII is a pretty poor part of town now inhabited by a few Jews and a lot of Gypsies. But the history is fascinating and you will see Eastern Europe as it existed 30 years ago before The Change. Three is the most excellent Cemetery with magnificent monuments and mausoleums in the area as well.

You will also be in Budapest at the time of the Spring Festival.

Thanks so much James - that is so helpful! I am always hesitant of guides - we had a very nice guide years ago in in Prague and while we liked him, he was more focused on art and architecture and we were more interested in history - now we know. I definitely think we will hire a guide for our first morning in Berlin. In Budapest we should have a little more time to explore on our on. In Vienna I hope to hook up with a high school friend iat least for dinner - like I said if we feel we have short changed the city we will return. sometimes one night is enough (that's my feeling about Munich - we have had trips where we either arrive or depart from there but have never stayed more than one night).

Great to know I about districts and all that. This is totally going to be too short a vacation but whatever - we always have fun. Someday when the restraints of school vacation aren't there we will take longer vacations - we actually could think about summer but I hate heat and tourists!