Prague → Vienna → Budapest
In 60 seconds
The route in 60 seconds
The classic Central European run, and still the best one: three former imperial capitals linked by comfortable direct trains. Prague is the medieval city, Vienna the Habsburg one, Budapest the grand river city of baths and bridges. A week gives each two nights and leaves the trains as a pleasure rather than a chore.
Stops
Where you sleep
Day by day
How the days fall
The order we would follow, with the transfers already in the right place.
Day 1
PragueCastle and Malá Strana.
- Morning
Prague Castle
At opening, St Vitus first.
- Evening
A tank-beer pub
Lokál Dlouhááá in the Old Town.
Day 2
PragueBridge, Old Town and Vyšehrad.
- Morning
Charles Bridge and the Old Town
Early, before ten.
- Afternoon
Vyšehrad
The cemetery and the river view.
Day 3
Prague → ViennaRailjet south.
- Morning
Train to Vienna
About four hours, direct.
- Evening
The opera or a Heuriger
Standing tickets, or a wine tavern on the edge of town.
Day 4
ViennaPalaces and museums.
- Morning
Schönbrunn
State rooms early, then up to the Gloriette.
- Afternoon
Café Sperl
A Melange and the newspapers.
Day 5
ViennaOld Masters and the Ring.
- Morning
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Bruegel room.
- Evening
Loos American Bar
A classic cocktail in a 1908 interior.
Day 6
Vienna → BudapestDown the Danube by rail.
- Morning
Train to Budapest
About two hours forty, direct.
- Evening
Széchenyi Baths
The outdoor pools after dark.
Day 7
BudapestBuda and the river.
- Morning
The Castle District
Walk up early for the Bastion.
- Afternoon
Great Market Hall
Lángos upstairs, paprika downstairs.
- Evening
Szimpla Kert
The original ruin bar.
Transport
Between destinations
- Prague → ViennaTrainAbout 4 h
Direct ČD and ÖBB Railjet trains from Praha hlavní nádraží to Wien Hauptbahnhof, roughly every two hours.
- Vienna → BudapestTrainAbout 2 h 40
Direct Railjet and EuroCity trains from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Budapest Keleti, roughly hourly.
Highlights
Key experiences
If the trip is cut short, these are the four to protect.
Charles Bridge at dawn
The only hour you will see the statues rather than the crowd.
An afternoon in a Viennese Kaffeehaus
One coffee buys the table for as long as you like.
Széchenyi Baths in the evening
Outdoor thermal pools steaming in front of a yellow palace.
The view up the Danube
From Budapest's Castle District across to the Parliament.
Stay
Where to stay
- Prague
- Malá Strana for atmosphere, Vinohrady for value.
- Vienna
- Neubau or Mariahilf, just outside the Ring, for value and good evenings.
- Budapest
- District V for calm, District VII for nightlife.