budapest/prague/vienna

[ThetaDancer]

I just went to all three cities in April! It was by far my favorite trip yet.

I took a little boat tour in each city and that helped to orient me. There are tours available pretty much anywhere near the rivers. They are inexpensive, fairly quick, and give you a sense of history and direction.

In Prague, definitely eat at Cafe Savoy. It is a delicious restaurant with a lot of historic significance. I'd recommend seeing Petrin Park (I think that's how it's spelled), Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, St. Nicholas Church, the Prague Castle, and the Museum of Communism.

In Vienna, I would stop by the Naschmarkt, a huge open air farmers market. Cafe Sacher is a wonderful place for coffee and dessert, and it, too, has historic significance. I'd also recommend Judenplatz, St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Central Cemetery (where they have the graves of a lot of composers and a WWI monument) and Schonbrunn palace. If you're interested in the Lippizzaner, I would stop by the museum but I wouldn't see the show. It is pretty expensive and it was by far my least favorite activity on the trip. And in terms of public transportation, avoid Karlsplatz, as that is really sketchy...the other stations are safe and convenient though.

And in Budapest, Heroe's Square, St. Stephen's Basilica and Parliament are worth seeing. I also took a walking tour about Hungary's communist history and I would highly recommend that.

If you have any questions, let me know and I can try to help you out. My sister is in Vienna right now and she's traveled extensively Prague and Budapest as well.