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Planning stages for a 2 week trip to Vienna and Budapest

Posted by (Desert Southwest) on

As the titles states, we are starting to research a trip, likely next spring, to Budapest. We want to do one other European city, and are considering Vienna, but open to suggestions, especially if the two cities are easily connected via train. I have a 2024 copy of the Central Europe Travel Guide and will obviously be reading it, and watching YouTube videos. We did that prior to our three week swing through the UK and had a great time.

So, I’m open to suggestions. I am of Hungarian descent, my grandmother came over when she was 12, and we have a good friend who is from Budapest. His daughter still lives there, and he’s willing to put us in contact with her, and said she and her friends would be happy to show us around and help with translating.

Which other European city would be a good choice? We are likely to fly into that one, then home through Budapest, so I need information on flights as well. We would most likely fly United.

Posted by
2649 posts

I think your instinct is good. Vienna and Budapest make a great pairing - and what a bonus to have people you "know" in Budapest.

Posted by
615 posts

Which other European city would be a good choice? We are likely to fly into that one, then home through Budapest

Prague would be a good choice. I flew into Prague and out of Budapest, and went to Vienna in between.

Posted by
26801 posts

Depending on yiur interests and travel style and budget 2 weeks can be enough time for more than 2 stops. You said train so that narrows it down s lot.

If you just wanted to make it about Hungary then two weeks could include 1 night in Györ, 2 or 3 nights in Eger, 2 or 3 nights in Pecs. Then day trips to Szentendre, Esztergom and Visegrad. If you are interested in wineries that makes for a good day trip or a 1 or 2 night trip.

As a part of a larger tour the classic Imperial Tour is:

Prague 3 to 4 nights
Vienna 4 to 5 nights
Budapest 4 to 5 nights, although with your connection you might want to do longer in Budapest.

A second version makes a stop for a night or two in Cesky Krumlov between Prague and Vienna and/or you can add a night in Györ/Pannonhalma between Vienna and Budapest.

Then again if your ancestry comes from outside of Budapest or a part of Hungary that was lost after the Treaty of Trianon you might want to visit the region they were from instead of Vienna or Prague.

In Budapest language wont be an issue, but outside the city it can be a bit more challenging but I survive.

Posted by
13 posts

Mr E - that sounds wonderful, and yes, my ancestors are not from Budapest, with the exception of one of them. My husband really prefers to stay put and do day trips, are there places that are easy day trips, using public transportation?

Posted by
26801 posts

Everyone’s idea of a day trip is a bit different. A commonly sold one is called the Danube Bend Tour. Don’t do it. It’s just too much for a day and you spend all your time traveling and little seeing. But the three stops (Szentendre, Esztergom and Visegrad) if done independently are good choices.

These are all by train or bus (but the return from Szentendre on the boat is very nice). If you are 65 or older all the public transportation is free, so you can see these for nothing. But with public transportation you miss some sweet places along the way.

So, from shortest to longest:

There is so much to see in Eger, Pecs and Gyor that I would spend the night.

Posted by
125 posts

Prague to Vienna to Budapest is an ideal trip.

We just returned from a 5-week trip to the region, starting in Prague, going to Cesky Krumlov, then to Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Warsaw. We enjoyed the trip but felt that we could’ve ended our trip after Budapest. In 2 weeks, I would not include Cesky Krumlov because I do think each of those 3 cities has a lot to see and do in a 2 week period. In that amount of time, you could get a nice taste of each of those 3 cities.

Posted by
26801 posts

And the OP asked for day trips. I answered for Budapest but given the family connection I would be inclined to keep the day trips down to Szentendre and maybe one other if there was some particular interest, or if it corresponded to a festival or special event and if the OP had 4, preferably 5 full days in Budapest not counting the day trip days.

My travel calendar shows two weeks is 16 days. Use it all.

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