I will be travelling from Prague to Salzburg to Vienna and onto Budapest during last two weeks of September. I thought of buying a 2nd class East European passs - think it is about $200 online?
OR would I be better getting point to point trains? I have tried looking on the internet but prices seem very high for these. Am I missing something?
Does the Train Pass allow you to cross the border of each country on the train? I am finding it very confusing. help!!
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Your route is quite a complicated one - Prague to Salzburg is not easy at all and takes a huge chunk out of your stay. I would consider another option - Salzburg is OK for an afternoon, but it is a bit kitschy and is swamped with Sound of Music, dirndl and lederhosen shops :)
Try not to use Rail Europe for individual tickets - it is a complete ripoff and charge way over the odds. Saying that, as the dollar has lost so much in value, the pass looks OK, but only just, and it is only for five days - within those countries trains are very cheap, though.
It is not usual in this part of Europe to buy tickets online.
As for crossing the borders, as it is Schengen you won%26#39;t even notice that you have done so in any of the countries you intend visiting (other than different languages!)
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Thank you GCEK . From what you and others have told me I am now inclined to skip Salzburg altogether.I do have to fly into Prague and leave from Budapest - so if you have other suggestions rather than do Salzburg I would be grateful ( I have 2 weeks to travel in the area) - I am open to all suggestions. Thanks Celine
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I did a two week trip from Krakow to Prague to Budapest to Vienna. All by train. Krakow and Vienna were very short jaunts. I think Krakow is a really nice city. Very charming and easygoing. Not a ton to see but definitely plenty for a 2 or 3 day itinerary. But its a bit further away.
Vienna is only 3 hours from Budapest. Might be worth adding that into your trip. Or Bratislava is on the train ride to Budapest from Prague. You could do a short visit there.
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And the same goes for Brno - see my %26#39;mini-review%26#39; here: tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g274707-i96-k18220… (you need to scroll down a bit)
You wil get a better idea of what the country is really like there, and the city has close affinities with Canada - the Professor of English and Canadian Studies, Don Sparling, is Canadian and has been there since 1968, and there are regular student exchanges.
There is plenty more to see in the Czech Republic and elsewhere, though - don%26#39;t just stick to the capitals or you will miss out on a lot. It depends what you want to see - you could spend a whole two weeks just looking at the UNESCO protected monuments in the Czech Republic, for example - there are 12 of them, which is more than twice the world average. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cz
Getting around is cheap and efficient by public transport - you can get almost anywhere by train or bus jizdnirady.idnes.cz/JRCis.asp?tt=c%26p=MF%26cl=E5
Have fun!
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thank you Tallulah and Gcek - you have been most helpful. I am now reconsidering - thinking of going Prague - Krakcow - Vienna - then Budapest. Definitely interested in the old cities architecture and world heritage sights. However we are also outdoorsy types and were hoping to do some cycling in and around the cities or away from them. Has any one any experience with short cycling trips ( 1-2 days) in or around any of these areas. Would you recommend on are over another? We would like to do them on our own. Thanks celine
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For cycling, I direct you back to South Moravia - it is perfect for cycling as it is quite flat, and there is plenty to see. Cycling is very popular in that part of the country.
A good little tour is Brno - Mikulov, which can be done in a day through the villages and vineyards. You can stay overnight in Mikulov - a beautiful little town with an imposing castle right on the Austrian border, which is the centre of the Czech wine industry. A good hotel is the %26#39;Rohaty krokodyl%26#39; (Horned Crocodile), which serves excellent food and, of course, excellent local wine. You can easily spend a few days in Mikulov itself as, although it is only a tiny place, there is quite a lot to do - the medieval Jewish cemetery, for example, or on the other side there is a hill dotted with the stations of the cross along which you can make your way to the top where there is a beautiful view across Austria and towards Vienna, or a tour of the castle - if you feel up to it you can make your way over to Lednice/Valtice (a UNESCO heritage site), either by bicycle or by train - just a few miles away.
I would contact this company http://www.topbicycle.com/BikeRental.htm - they are based in Mikulov and are the largest rental company in the country as it is perfect for cycling.
Otherwise Google %26#39;Cycling South Moravia%26#39; for more ideas.
Or you could go the other way to the north of the city to the Moravsky kras caves www.moravskykras.net/en/moravian-karst.html , which is perfect for walking - It is a bit more hilly that way, but I am lazy :)
A lot of people just cycle up to the Brno lake and around it to the Veveri castle - it is very beautiful and at that time of year it is just right as it should not be too hot. There are plenty of places to stop for refreshments around the lake and there are a couple of fish restaurants on its shores.
I am sure that others have cycling tours that they know of elsewhere, but this should give you something to think about.
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Thanks so much GCEK - just the kind of info I was looking for - will also check out the websites you gave me. Celine
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