Help with Itinerary: 2 wks Munich/Vienna/Budapest/possibly Prague

Hi Melissa, looks like you have a great trip ahead of you no matter what! In your first itinerary, do you have two nights allocated to Budapest? If that is a city you're interested in, that might not be enough time. I'd personally go with itinerary #2 which gives you a little more time in each city. We went to both Budapest and Prague two years ago. Prague was nice but very crowded (mid-July). We both enjoyed Budapest much more, and wish we had spent more time there. I know it's all a matter of preference, but that's my two cents. (We are in our early thirties and have similar interests, if that helps at all). Cheers!

Thank you Meg for your advice. It is all very helpful. As much as I would LOVE to go to Prague, I think you're right...I may have to consider saving it for another time so that we can do more side trips and really enjoy Budapest and Vienna. However, I've always wanted to go to Prague, so I'm just a little bummed. Do you have any suggestions of possible sights/side trips if we decide to go with Itinerary #2? What were favorite things in Budapest? My husband originally wanted to visit Hallstatt, Austria for a day, between going to Munich and Vienna but traveling there seems very tricky.

My husband and I did a similar trip a few years ago and our favorite cities were Budapest, Salzburg and Prague, not necessarily in that order. We were a little underwhelmed by Vienna and my husband thought that would be his favorite prior to the trip. I would probably take itinerary #1 and drop Vienna for Salzburg and then spend some more time in either Budapest or Prague. Salzburg is also a smaller town so it feels a little different than Vienna, Prague or Budapest. Of course everyone enjoys different things and you won't know until you have been there which is best for you.

Recently visited Prague, Vienna and Budapest in that order. If it's the first time for either of you, either itinerary will leave you wanting more because there's plenty in each city to easily fill 2-3 days or more; it's the timeless travelers' debate of fast variety vs slow quality. You should also check the specific country travel forums as there's several recent threads that address the local appeal- in particular the why of going to Prague.

Of the two, I'd choose door #1. Or I'd suggest something different: focus on Prague and Budapest and fill in any extra time in Vienna, Salzburg or elsewhere if you feel the need (Bratislava, Cesky Krumlov, Eger). Vienna is very metropolitan, i.e. it feels like a big city and you'll get that in Munich already, and it left the least impression on me. It's still a good visit with lots to offer, but a decided third-place to Prague and Budapest in my book. Where I would give the nod to Vienna is art and music- I was more impressed with their collections than elsewhere and in addition to Mozart they've got all sorts of summertime concerts but note opera is on summer break. No matter what you do, all three are high on food/restaurants, art and architecture.

Prague is like a storybook that unfolds at each turn of its cobblestone streets. It's a kick just wandering around and can be very romantic. It's fairly compact, although the west side has a big hill. A surprise for me was the Mucha art museum. The beer there is inexpensive and very good- we enjoyed two places in particular. Biggest downer is the popular sights are packed with tourists during high season, and pick pockets are known to feed like mosquitos. We had 2 nights here and would have welcomed more.

Budapest feels like a smaller city than it actually is. If Prague is like a fairy tale, Budapest is like that roguish super-fun cousin who you always have a blast with with. Lots to see, but the notables are the nightlife (ruin pubs) and baths (more like a pool party). Choose wine over beer there- I enjoyed the ekri bikaver red blend. Being the former dual capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire, you still get a lot of Viennese influence (cafes, opera house) but at less cost. We had 3 nights here and left many sights unseen. James E is a monster on the Hungary travel boards and knows so much so check his posts- he had a tip about an overnight stay at a monastery on the way to Budapest that sounded so good.

Hi Melissa,

Having been to most of these, I would personally keep it to Munich, Budapest and Regensburg. I'm not really a "slow travel" person (I'm 31 now, but traveled multiple times since I was 25), but having spent four full days there, I would recommend staying at least that long if not a day or two longer. I also noticed you are leaving out travel days between Munich-Vienna and Vienna-Budapest in your itineraries. Also, I feel like how much time you spend in Munich depends on when you're going. I went in mid-late October and I felt one full day was enough in cold/rainy weather. I feel like if it were nice outside, I would stay another day for more outdoor activities (e.g. Englischer Garten). I will assume you are going during during a more pleasant time of year.

My suggested itinerary would be:

1. Arrive in Munich (incl. travel from airport, settling in, getting over jet lag)
2. Munich
3. Munich
4. Day trip to Neuschwanstein
5. Travel to Budapest
6. Budapest
7. Budapest
8. Budapest
9. Budapest
10. Budapest
11. Travel to Regensburg
12. Regensburg
13. Regensburg
14. Regensburg
15. Travel home

I know nothing about Regensburg, but if you really want to fit in a short visit to Vienna or Salzburg, you could cut a day from Budapest and from Regensburg and use those to make that stop (10. Travel to Vienna/Salzburg; 11. Vienna/Salzburg; 12. Travel to Regensburg). Whatever you end up doing, I'm sure it will be amazing :)