Prague, Vienna, Budapest: the best itinerary

You have heard dozens of times about the famous Vienna - Prague - Budapest tour and you have finally decided to do it. Congratulations!

I assure you that you will enjoy this trip to the fullest. But... Do you know which is the best route,how much does a tour of these citiescost, and the best way to move between the different places, how many days should you dedicate to each city, and the best time of the year to do this itinerary? Below, I will tell you everything you need to know for your trip.

There are many options to discover these three beautiful cities of Eastern Europe. Because the complete circuit is usually more expensive due to the planning involved, most organized tours usually take you from one city to another in a round trip. Depending on where you stay you can choose one or another destination. I show you the most requested excursions:

• Excursion to Budapest from Vienna, from $152.
• Excursion to Vienna from Budapest, from $191.

If you have doubts about where to start your trip, do not hesitate, start the itinerary in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. From there, head to Vienna, and put the finishing touch to a perfect itinerary in the capital of Hungary, Budapest. Prague and Budapest are the farthest apart, so ideally start with one or the other and visit Vienna in between.

As for why to start with Prague and then go to Vienna and finally to Budapest and not the other way around, it is because of the price of the means of transport: the train, the most recommended means of transport, has better prices from Vienna to Budapest than from Budapest to Vienna. It is curious since only the direction changes and not the route, but it is so. Even so, the price difference does not exceed 10-20 €.

• Distance from Prague to Vienna: 333 kilometers.
• Distancefrom Vienna to Budapest: 242 kilometers.

To move between the different cities, do not hesitate to opt for the train as a means of transport. It is the most economical and comfortable way. However, you can also opt for other possibilities such as the bus, which is more uncomfortable, but cheaper.

Train

The direct train from Prague to Vienna takes about four hours and the price depends on how far in advance you buy your ticket, although it ranges from 15 - 25 euros. There is a high frequency from the first train in the morning, which departs around 4:30 am, to the last one, which takes place around 7 pm.

You can check the timetables online from the Omio website. Although you can also look for them on the official website of the different companies that provide this service:

• OBB Railjet.
• RegioJet.
• České dráhy.

Similarly, to go from Vienna to Budapest, the best option is to opt for the train, whose duration is approximately two and a half hours and the price is between 20-30 € depending on how far in advance you buy it. Check all the schedules and prices on the OBB Railjet website

• Prague Central Station... Praha hlavní nádrazí.
• Vienna Central Station... Wien Hauptbahnhof.
• Budapest Central Station... Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar.

Bus

The bus route from Prague to Vienna is also very frequent, departing every hour from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. and lasts approximately four hours. Regarding the price, it is between 10 - 20 € per ticket.

Likewise, the price of the ticket from Vienna to Budapest is from 10 - 15 €. Buses depart from 5:00 am to after 11:00 pm and there are also some early morning trips.

The companies that make both routes are:

• Eurolines.
• RegioJet.
• Flixbus.

The best time of the year to make the circuit Prague - Vienna - Budapest is in spring and autumn, since the cold is not as extreme as in the winter months and they are times when the landscape and the colors of these cities are more beautiful than ever. In addition, there are not many tourists, so you can visit all the cities comfortably: their different monuments, parks and attractions.

On the other hand, winter is an option as long as the cold is not something that conditions you, since temperatures are quite extreme in these months of the year. Even so, Christmas is lived in style with markets, trees and all kinds of decorations. So if your trip coincides with Christmas can be an option

Regarding the summer, there are many tourists so I do not recommend these months of the year for your visit. However, the temperatures are more ideal than at other times of the year. Do not hesitate to check the temperatures in Prague, Vienna and Budapest before starting your trip.

In your trip to Prague - Vienna - Budapest I recommend you to dedicate a total of between 4 and 5 days to visit the city of Prague, since it has enough places to visit. In addition, you can take the opportunity to book an excursion to a nearby place like Karlovy Vary or Terezin and, most importantly, it is a city to live it and soak up its atmosphere, so that number of days is ideal.

On the other hand, in the city of Vienna you have many monuments, palaces and sites to visit. Therefore, I recommend a minimum of 3 days and up to a maximum of 5 days.

Finally, I would opt for between 3 and 5 days to visit the city of Budapest, depending on the plans you want to make in the capital of Hungary: if you want to visit the best spas in Budapest or book a cruise on the Danube.

• How many days to visit Prague... 4 - 5 days.
• How many days to visit Vienna... 3 - 5 days.
• How many days to visit Budapest... 3 - 5 days.

A trip to Prague can be very economical depending on how you plan it, both in accommodation and in the day to day: meals, attractions... Thus, from 25 - 70 € you can get to have covered all the expenses of the day. In fact, you can stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel from a price of 40 € per night. Regarding meals, it is easy to find dining options for less than 10 € per person.

Regarding Vienna, it is a city with very high prices. In my case, I opted to stay in an apartment to save on the price of some meals and I was glad. Staying in an apartment is usually more than 50 € per night. Regarding meals, it depends on how you think about it, but it will cost from 15 € per person approximately.

On the other hand, Budapest also has very cheap prices, I would say that not as much as Prague, but quite similar. When looking for a hotel there are several options and the prices are economical, approximately as in the case of Prague, from 40 - 60 € per person. Regarding meals, you can eat from 10 € per person.

Prague, Vienna and Budapest have an important number of places, monuments and corners to discover. On the one hand, in Prague you have to: book a visit to the Prague Castle, walk through the Jewish quarter of Prague, visit the Charles Bridge. But you have to start by going to the Old Square, a place that will surprise you. In addition, you can take a cruise on the Vltava River.

Vienna has many places to visit: Schönbrunn Palace, Beldevere Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna, the Hofburg Palace where the Austrian National Library is located, the Vienna State Opera where you can queue to see a show. On my trip, after an hour and a half queue I managed to see The Barber of Seville at a price of 4 €. An unforgettable treat. And if you are an architecture lover, don't miss the Mozart House and the Naschmarkt Market.

Regarding Budapest, you should not miss one of its spas, but you also have to visit the Buda Castle, visit the Gödöllo Palace, see the Hungarian Parliament or the St. Matthias Church. In addition, you can take a cruise on the Danube. If you have doubts about where to start, start your trip with a tour of Budapest.

When making the circuit Vienna - Prague - Budapest I recommend that you take into account a series of tips that, next, I indicate to you so that you take advantage of to the maximum of your experience:

• Make the journey between the different cities by train.
• Do not forget your camera at any time. The best snapshots will be taken where you least expect them.
• Take a backpack and not too much luggage, since it is a trip in which you have to move, change your stay several times, take different transports and it is always more comfortable to carry a backpack.
• If you have the opportunity, choose the spring and autumn seasons to travel, since there will be less tourism and the temperatures will not be too extreme.
• Define very well the itinerary of your trip before the beginning.
• All three are cities with a lot of history and, therefore, I recommend that you do not miss the different tourist tours so that you know all the details.