Budapest, Krakow, Prague in 10 days - Tips anyone ?

We enjoyed the overnight trains (for the adventure, not the luxury:) ) but I've heard that some buses are more direct. Orangeways, I believe, is a company that runs inexpensive routes to those destinations, but someone with more knowledge than me can weigh in on that.

We did the same trip ( a little longer, but in the same order) last summer and had a blast. We bought the overnight train tickets the day before departure in each city and didn't run into any problems at all. Budapest is big and sprawling ... we were there for five days and I don't feel we saw a quarter of it, so plan your time wisely. Prague is amazing! Krakow is packed with history, but it's condensed and easy to get around.

The ticket prices depend on what type of seat you purchase. We got bunks in a six-person couchette, and they ranged from around $75 bucks to a little over $100. Obviously, the more private you go, the more money it will cost.

Thanks, Ashley!

I read too about buses being cheaper and faster. Anyone have thoughts / experience ?

For Budapest follow the recommendations of this link:
http://budapesting.com/best_of_budapest

Your itinerary is excellent. I would do 4-3-3 instead of 3-3-4 because Budapest is more spread out and takes longer to see. But if Prague is your imagined highlight, your way makes sense. A berth in a couchette should cost around $100 and is easily purchaseable a couple of days ahead. Even if the buses run at night, you won't sleep much, and with such a short trip, you don't want to travel during the day, so I would stick with the night trains.

If you are not leaving town to do Auschwitz, Krakow is so condensed you could see most everything in 2 days, so you might consider 4-2-4, otherwise your plan looks good to me.

Thanks, Randy. I actually would like to do Auschwitz in Krakow, and Kutna Hora in Prague. Is half-day for each one enough ? I could then walk around Krakow and Prague, respectively, after for some night life scenery (if not drained and ready to hit the bed...)

Oh, by the way, do they take credit card payments for the overnight train tickets ?

Yes, you can purchase the tickets with a standard credit card - no problem.

For Auschwitz/Birkenau you might want to read our blog at www.lee-reid2010.blogspot.com (look in the index on the right). Assuming you use public transport (bus station right behind the train station), it will take most of a day to see both. We found Birkenau to be more moving, even though Auschwitz is where there is more to see. If you can arrive before 10AM, you can avoid being part of a tour group and see things more quickly and cheaply since you don't have to pay for a tour either. Our tour took two hours. Then you take the free shuttle bus to Birkenau.

Even if you spend much of the day there, there is still plenty of time in the evening to enjoy Krakow.

There's some interesting nightlife in Krakow, especially in the streets radiating from the main square ... we found some very intriguing pubs below street level. After visiting the concentration camp, you'll almost definitely need to unwind and talk about your experience there. It's very moving.

Kutna Hora is interesting but would take at most a half-day, so you should be fine there.

Thanks all! It sure looks like I'm leaning towards a 4-3-3 for Budapest-Krakow-Prague. Kutna Hora is becoming more like, "if there's time only"... Nice blog, Randy! Wish I had time. But what I usually do is create a photobook for each of my trips, to the point where I get a headache the next day from staring at the computer monitor day and night :-)

We plan to visit Budapest, Prague and Krakow or Vienna at the beginning of next year and currently reading through the threads! If anyone can give us info on which is a better choice - Krakow or Vienna, that would be very helpful. We like history, but I guess both places have a lot of historical sights ;)

Adam, I just came back from my trip. Budapest's attractions were built mostly in 1896, with some rebuilt after WWII. Being part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, one can compare its architecture to Vienna's sites. They were mostly built under Franz Josef's rule. Now, Krakow was virtually untouched by the WWII bombs, and very walkable, with its own rich history. This gives you time to go the Auschwitz and the Salt Mines for a different experience. I originally planned on going to Vienna, when the Iceland volcano erupted. I re-planned it by replacing Vienna with Krakow. I'm glad I did. (But I have been to Vienna before.) So, another thing to consider for you would be between Budapest and Vienna.

btw, our best experience in Budapest was the Szechenyi baths. Nice to be in a warm pool in 30 F weather. Also, cheap opera prices!

I think the Szechenyi, Rudas and the Gellert also worth a visit, they are all different in a way.