We're taking a trip to Munich & Prague in mid-September for about 10 days. We're flying either in to or out of Prague or Munich (in one, out the other).
Any advice on which city to fly into from Chicago? Recommendations on airlines? Would you recommend taking the train between the two, flying or driving?
Thanks so much! I'm new to the Wall, and looking forward to getting advice for our first Europe trip!
Airlines: the cheapest one. From Chicago you shouldn't pay more than $600 unless you're flying in the dead of summer. Even then you might find something for cheaper.
City: it depends on where you want to go. I've done Munich. You fly into the airport in the outskirts and then take the tram/subway/train into the main train station. It's one of the easier airports to downtown trips in all of Europe.
Where do you want to go besides Prague/Munich? Germany? Austria? Switzerland? Czech Republic? Italy?
Good to know about the $600 - so far the lowest I've seen through Kayak & Expedia are $800. I guess I'll wait a little, set up some fair alerts.
It looks like we're just going to split the trip between Munich and Prague, probably with a couple day trips from either to nearby towns or the country.
For our first trip we want to take it a bit easy, not try to fit too much in.
Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it!
Hi Diana,
Living in Milwaukee, we most often fly abroad out of Chicago. I would say about $800 is average for a flight to a European capital. Sometimes it can be a little less, or a little more, but $800 sounds about right.
I, too, would say take whichever flight is cheapest! Although, you may want to consider if one flight is more direct or not (I'm guessing you'll have some type of layover flying from Chicago to Prague).
The last time we flew to Europe (from Chicago to Greece) we flew Air France, because it was the cheapest. We had a good experience on Air France, and I found the plane to be pretty comfortable. I'm not sure Air France will get you to Munich or Prague.
And I agree--Munich will be expensive in September and pretty crowded, too. I was in Munich with my parents not too long ago around Fest time, and we ended up finding a random hotel, just by showing up. It wasn't cheap, though. If you haven't booked a hotel already, do it soon!
If I can get a better deal one way than the other, I take it. All other things being equal, in Fall I start North and work South to take advantage of the best possible weather. In Spring, I start South and head North for the same reason. I try to be North closer to the warm months and South closer to the cold months.
Best time to be at Octoberfest in Munich is opening day. There is a parade of people in traditional Bavarian costume in the city center that is a lot of fun. That may be worth factoring in. I was able to find a room in Munich on opening day without reservations for the going rate. For peace of mind, it's probably a good time to have your lodging booked before you arrive.
Diana,
I'd hate to be giving you just awful advice. I guess with the cost of fuel and recession worries, it could be a lot harder to predict the price. All I know is that I almost moved to Chicago from MSP several times just because airfare to Europe can be 20-50% less expensive. So I am a little biased about what kinds of deals are available. I tend to overestimate on the low side when I think of Chicago airfare.
A better resource would be Fare Compare. You can research historical airfare information for flights. And when you get quotes they typically include the final cost after taxes and fees.
You're smart with your approach of doing 2 major cities with day trips from each. 5 days in each city is too long to not do some day trips, but just perfect with the day trips. You'll have a great time.
One other note, the middle to end of September is by far the most expensive time of year to go to Munich. Just be prepared.
I don't believe in September the aifare will be $600. $800 sounds about right, if you buy it ahead of time. Check Delta and onetravel.com for good fares.
Thanks for the great advice! I really appreciate it!
