Prague and Budapest in 7 days

Seems OK to me. On your last day I would play it safe and would not go for day trip (Karlstejn, Kutna Hora). Not enough time. Besides Prague is infamous for its traffic.

Remember that this is all about personal taste. I would have done your exact same trip a few years back. Today I savor things at a different paces. The only thing I would change is to fly directly into Budapest and spend more time there. Oh, and i guess in a perfect world i would go to Prague first and finish in Budapest as Budapest is more laid back and relaxing (when I think of Prague I think of Disney Land -- environment and crowds). For my personal taste, Budapest is A much better way to end a trip.

Check the car rental prices. Often there is a considerable drop-off fee in another country. You may be better off by train, leaving your luggage at the station while you tour Bratislava. Make sure the night train from Budapest to Prague doesn't involve changing trains along the way. Have you in fact looked at the train schedules and do you have a time in mind? I just took a quick look, and found a train that leaves at 8 pm and arrives at 4 am without changes and a train that leaves at 9 pm and arrives at 10 am with TWO changes, including a 5-hour wait in Vienna from midnight to 5 am. Perhaps you get to stay on the train and sleep, but maybe you have to sit in the station?? If those were my options, I'd look into getting either an early morning or an evening flight on a budget airline instead. OR just stay in Budapest.

I am looking at a train which leaves at 8pm and arrives early morning at 6:20. There are apparently 2 trains leaving at 8pm and one of those is the faster one reaching at 03:59 in the morning and the other at 06:20. I was actually interested in a train at 2200 after dinner but there are no options. Would be difficult to get a check-in in the morning in prague? I feel like adding one more day to the trip.

If memory serves, the "two" trains leaving just after 8:00 pm to Prague are actually the same train to start. However, at one of the stops along the way part of the train will be detached and carry on to Berlin (via Prague around 4:00 am), while the rest of the train is left along the tracks for a few hours before continuing on (hence the later arrival). I'd personally take the later arrival to get a little more sleep. I would imagine that you might not be able to check into your hotel room when you arrive that early but there is a good chance your hotel will store your luggage for you while you do a bit of sightseeing. By the way, if you decide to take the earlier arrival to Prague (arriving around 4:00 am) then price out the tickets between Budapest-Prague and Budapest-Berlin. I've read that sometimes the tickets to Berlin are less expensive and all you would do is just get off in Prague instead of taking the train all the way to Berlin.

Thanks for the replies. I would like some help regarding hotels in Prague (200-250USD) and Budapest (150 USD). We would prefer to stay in the town centre close to attractions, shopping and restaurants. Prague options shrotlisted (please suggest others if you liked them) 1. Mamaison Suites Pachtuv Palace 2. Ramada Prague City Centre 3. Jalta Hotel 4. Palace Praha 5. Adria Hotel 6. Leonardo Hotel In Budapest, we would like to stay near Andrassy / Opera. 1. Mamaison Izabella Residence 2. K+K Hotel Opera 3. Marriott 4. Sofitel Chain Bridge
5. Le Meridian I really liked the Mamaison where we could also take the 2 bedroom apartments in both cities. Raghav

Generally I try not to comment on a hotel I haven't stayed in. I have stayed in the K&K and it is one of the hotels I recommend to my friends that visit Budapest. But I can comment on reputation and location and make some suggestions for your own research. Also I would have thought the Meridian and the Sofitel to be in a different price bracket than the others. The K&K is probably the least expensive (not knowing anything about the Mamaison). If you are going to look at the Meridian then check out the Four Seasons (arguably one of the best hotels in Europe). K&K: Location A+ Charm B- Cleanliness and Service A+++ Breakfast A+ Mamaison Izabella Residence: Location C+ I love Andrassy ut and always encourage people to stay close to as it's a great tourist location but this location is just a little too far out. Marriott: Location A+ My impression is that this is going to provide an experience similar to staying at a Marriott in Chicago but with better views. That's my impression. Check it out and see if I am correct. Sofitel: Location A- A bit of a walk to the start of anything worth visiting. But not bad. Never stayed here but I have stayed in a number of Sofitel hotels and they have all be excellent experiences. Le Meridian: Location A++ You cannot do much better for location. I have been in this hotel on a couple of occasions. Outstanding!!