planning on visiting Budapest and Vienna for first time- basic question

Are you flying into one city and out the other? Buy the cheaper fare meaning if it's less expensive to fly into Budapest or Vienna and out the other then do it.

Book MultiCity Tickets - I don't think it matters which order - I'd base it on cost of flight and train and go with the best price.

Check it both ways and go with the cheapest or cheapest best schedule. I guess if the price and schedule were the same I would rather leave out of Budapest as the airport is a bit easier than the Vienna airport. Minimum 4 full days in Budapest and 3 full days in Vienna then add one extra day to which ever city you land in to compensate for a little jet lag.

Additional days for a day trip to Szentendre / Gödöllő / Vac (Budapest); or Melk / Bratislava (Vienna) and 2 additional days for overnight trips to Eger or Pecs (Budapest). or hmmmmm (Vienna).

If you have at least the minimums, then think about where to stop between Budapest and Vienna. My choice would be a night in Gyor and a visit to the Archabbey at Pannonhalma. The train from Budapest to Vienna goes through Gyor so its not a diversion, you just have to get on a train that makes the stop. Other people like Bratislava, but it makes for a little longer trip. I have been to all in the last few weeks and Gyor still gets my first vote.

Thanks for the replies- do you think its easier to fly from JFK to Budapest instead of Vienna? I was thinking fly to Budapest stay 5 days- then train to Vienna for 5 days, then train back to Vienna for 1 day to fly home to JFK? what do you think?

Buy the cheaper fare meaning if it's less expensive to fly into Budapest or Vienna and out the other then do it.

But is cheaper better? I would rather pay an additional $200 - $300 for a 15 hour flight as opposed to a 19 or 20 hour flight which included an excessively long stopover. Your time has value, especially on an extra long travel day. This is why flying all the way to Istanbul to reach central Europe would be a non-starter for me.

I was thinking fly to Budapest stay 5 days- then train to Vienna for 5
days, then train back to Vienna for 1 day to fly home to JFK? what do
you think?

I think you meant return to Budapests. There would have to be some huge cost advantage for me to want to check out of my hotel, go to the train station, ride 2.5 hours, make my way to the next hotel, check in, unpack for a night .... etc.

Check the flights, costs and schedules and decide.

Go to Google Flights
Change Round Trip to Multi-City
Put in first flight JFK to Vienna and the date
Put in second flight Budapest to JFK and the date
Set the filters for 1 stop and the lay over to 2 hour minimum and 4 hour maximum.

Check the prices.

Go to Google Flights
Change Round Trip to Multi-City
Put in first flight JFK to Budapest and the date
Put in second flight Vienna to JFK and the date
Set the filters for 1 stop and the lay over to 2 hour minimum and 4 hour maximum.

Check the prices.

Go to Google Flights
Leave Round Trip
Put in JFK to Vienna and the dates
Set the filters for 1 stop and the lay over to 2 hour minimum and 4 hour maximum.

Check the prices.

Go to Google Flights
Leave Round Trip
Put in JFK to Budapest and the dates
Set the filters for 1 stop and the lay over to 2 hour minimum and 4 hour maximum.

Check the prices.

hi
i should clarify- I will be flying from JFK. I need to check the prices etc.. but for those that have visited Budapest and Vienna together, coming from JFK- is it easier to fly to Budapest? I was planning on possibly flying to Budapest then train to Vienna, then train back to Budapest to fly to JFK. Does that make sense or is it easier to just fly out of Vienna back home? I will be flying with an older traveler (senior) so I want to make it as easy as possible.

Which airport really doesnt matter. What does matter is schedule and cost. Pick the airport with the lowest cost for a schedule and a ticket class that you are comfortable with. A 2 hour layover is fine for Amsterdam and Frankfurt (2.5 is a lot better if you have someone that needs help or doesnt move too quickly). After about 3 hours sitting in an airport I wish I hand taken a different flight.

The other question is do you fly in and out of the same airport. No, not if you can help it. Its wasted time traveling and that can wear you out and take away some sightseeing time. So, again, fly into Budapest and fly home out of Vienna or the other way around if the price and the flight schedule is acceptable. If you cant find an open jaw ticke like that which works for you, then look at a round trip to either Budapest or Vienna.

You will know what to do when you go to google and research the options. Every day is different, so there is no blanket advice.

Or post yout dates and class preference and I will tell you what flights to take.

Does that make sense or is it easier to just fly out of Vienna back home? I will be flying with an older traveler (senior) so I want to make it as easy as possible.

I flew out of Vienna to LHR pre-Covid - as I recall the airport was easy to navigate, and the train to the airport may have been more of a bargain than the Piccadilly line in London. Plus flying from Vienna you can take the Austrian nonstop to JFK.

With a senior companion, the non-stop return makes a lot of sense, and Austrian appears to have a good connection in Vienna for the trip out - look on the Lufthansa website..

Ewŵwww, if Vienna has a non-stop to JFK and the cost is within $250 of a 1 stop 2.5 hour layover flight to Budapest, then I choose RT to Vienna. But really need to study all the choices.