Hi Rick, I'm planning a vacation for April 2013. We are a family of 4 - our kids will be 20 & 18 years old. We could only get a return flight to Munich on points and will have a total of 7 nights (8 days counting the morning we arrive. Budapest is a must as my wife's mom is from there. I was also thinking Prague. With that general route in mind - what do you recommend as an itinerary? I was thinking of renting a car. I really appreciate your insight. Best, Craig
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
Each of those cities deserve at least 3 days. Obviously you don't have enough. So Munich and Budapest only. Either overnight train or fly.
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3050 posts
I really liked Budapest (and plan to return) but I was only there for 2 nights, 2 1/2 days, and my travel companions were perfectly happy with that amount of time. That said, squeezing Prague in there would be fairly difficult as it deserves a lot more time from what I've heard. I would consider 3 nights Munich, train to Salzburg, 1 night Salzburg, train to Budapest, and either 2-3 nights Budapest depending on the time of your return flight. If it's in the morning, fly from Buapdest to Munich on a cheap european carrier (you'll need to pack light for this!!!) and spend your last night in Munich, but if you have an afternoon flight, you could potentially fly from Budapest to Munich then on home on the same day giving you 3 nights in Budapest. Driving time from Munich to Budapest is the same as taking the train, but on the train you don't have to stop for gas or get stuck in a stau. Advance purchase tickets are as little as 39 euro per person. I think the train has the advantage. If you do decide to try to squeeze in Prague, driving might be a lot more difficult, as some rental companies will not allow you to take your rental into the Czech Republic. Plus you'd either have to drive all the way back or face huge extra fees for dropping off your car in another country and flying back.