My wife and I are planning an 18 day trip to Europe in Aug/Sep. We already know we are going to start with a week in Paris and end with 5 nights in Prague and a final night in Paris. What we want advice on is how to spend the middle 5 days - we are considering Vienna and/or Budapest. Should we choose one (which?) or split our time between the two? We both enjoy museums, architecture, walking tours; we are ~60 years old and fit. My wife is a vegan, so that is a consideration. Thanks for any advice.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
I have been to both and would suggest Budapest. It is beautiful and one of my favorite big cities. I have been to Budapest twice now and would go back again and although I really did love Vienna I feel no need to go back again. There is a great cruise from Budapest that takes you to a little town near the Danube Bend and that was fun. Vegan? Don't know how that will work out... I loved the food in Budapest but it is so heavy on meats and I was having a hard time finding food without it...not as many salads as we are used to. Really the same issues at the places we ate in Vienna. Lots of goulash, schnitzel, but I am sure she is used to figuring out how to find things to eat... lots of potatoes in Budapest! If you split the time I would do 2 nites in Vienna and 3 in Budapest.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23290 posts
Unless it is too late you should do an open jaw ticket - into Paris and home from Prague - instead of a day lost and the expense of back tracking to Paris. Vienna would be a little more convenient (assuming you are flying) but both places have a lot to offer. I don't think one is substantially better than the other.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Budapest will keep you entertained a lot longer tham Vienna. It's also cheaper by a long shot.
Posted by
Columbia, SC
989 posts
I have to disagree with Terry and Ed -I enjoyed Budapest but I loved Vienna and think there is a lot more to do there. It is pricier.
You need to get a guide book for each city and read them to see which city has more that appeals to YOU. Travel is very subjective and everyone here has different interests.
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
As for your wife being vegan and travelling in Eastern Europe, I can only say that my friend is vegetarian and travels often on business to Eastern Europe and has said it is one of the most difficult areas for her to find a decent meal (and she eats eggs & dairy). She packs power bars from home in her suitcase. Often even the potato dishes are cooked in butter and on a few occasions she had to send the plate back because she tasted rendered animal fat in what was supposed to be a vegetarian option. I would imagine being a vegan will make it even harder to travel there. Check HappyCow.net to see if you can come up with enough dining options for your wife that are vegan, and of course in the big cities be on the lookout for ethnic options like Indian food as they will offer more than just a salad.
Posted by
Cary, NC
687 posts
I love both Vienna and Budapest, so it would be a hard choice to pick one. Vienna definitely has better museums, but Budapest features its river, while Vienna turns her back. I agree that both are more in the meat and potatoes camp, although both have very good markets where you could stock up - you might want to pick one city and look for an apartment so you could feed yourselves.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15591 posts
Lots to do in both Budapest and Vienna, perhaps more in Budapest, but I loved Vienna too. It is also easy to split the time, train from Prague to Vienna, then train to Budapest. The travel time between Vienna and Budapest is 2-3 hours. If you split, think about dropping a day from Prague and then doing 4-3-4 days. And as Frank said, it will give you more time if you can fly open-jaw and not return to Paris. Vegetarian food was easy for me to find, but vegan is a tuffy anywhere. Expect food in shops to be labeled only in the local language. You may have to buy food in Paris to take with you to the east.