Prague is so well laid out it’s hard to miss anything great. With that said, I wouldn’t miss the Old Jewish Cemetery. It’s just off the main square in New Town.

I live two hours from Prague so I wouldn’t let the cold weather get in your way, I actually enjoy it.

I can contribute more about Budapest after I go there for Thanksgiving. I don’t know much about Vienna, but have not heard raving reviews from fellow travelers. Not sure if that is because they didn’t really explore the city or it didn’t compare with the others.

If you decide you’d like an alternate place I’d suggest Krakow. Really love that city!

Prague is great, haven’t visited the other two cities yet I’m afraid, but I have heard good things about both. Apparently you can take a boat from Vienna to Budapest (or the other way around) which is supposedly very good.

Prague would be magical anytime, be it cold or warm or new years eve. I would generally prefer spring because it has a lot of parks that are great to lounge in and in the winter you won’t really get to do that. What not to miss in Prague would be the Royal Palace (for the roof) and St. John’s basilica at the castle. Charles’ Bridge obviously. If you go in spring there’s a great little teras on kampa Island with excellent views off the bridge. You can also just wind down the little streets of Mala Strana to the water’s edge and just sit there for a while, especially at night with the lights it’s gorgeous. Off the beaten track, go to the Miniature Museum. They have stuff like a flee with golden horseshoes or microscopical trains that can go through the eye of a needle. It’s brilliant. Sedlec is a very good day trip.

Krakow is excellent, so I’d second that suggestion. As far as sights go it’s no Prague though, but it has a nice atmosphere and is far less touuristy.

I was in Prague end January last year, and was surprised that it was not cold at all. The weather was pretty good. Maybe when you walk so much u dont get cold. The city is amazing, very beautiful and the atmosphere is very pleasant as well.

havent been to the other cities unfortunately.

overall, the winter time did not at all annoy me in prague.

have fun!

I visited both Prague and Budapest in December (different years) and in my opinion it is the best time in the year to visit.

Both cities are charming, but for an outsider, quite similar: both share that same central-European architecture, mentality, and general atmosphere.

I recommed a visit in December since both cities hold a most intriguing christmas fairs in the city center. these include many merchants offering their things, such as art pieces, clothing, general souveniers etc. most are your ordinary “tourist traps” but some are very nice. food stalls are a MUST. In culinary terms, Prague’s fair was better.

Photos from our trip to Budapest 2 years ago can be found in my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/itayba/sets/1556028/

Prague is great, and I would think winter wouldn’t be too bad there though I was there in the summer. Havent been to the other 2 cities yet but while in Austria I would stop by Salzburg, very cool city.

I also recommend Bratislava it’s near Wien. And it’s very popular for New Years Eve celebration, it’s also called Partyslava. Well anyway it’s about an hour from Wien, so you might try it.

Concerning Praha and Wien, they are both beautiful cities, I think you can fully explore their narrow streets and old churches only during winter, when the atmosphere there is absolutely great.

Sara,

I would say Prague or Vienna if you are going to do the holidays…Vienna has more festivals and organized Winter holiday events, and balls and such but is considerably more expensive and could easily cost you twice as much as Prague…

Spring would be an excellent time, especially if travelling solo…late March thru mid-May have always been very good for me (maybe I got lucky), in terms of weather…and the prices are good but there is a lot more to do than in Winter.

As for Budapest…it is a beautiful city (almost as nice as Prague and Vienna)…but i find it boring in terms of nightlife, and such compared to Prague…and it is not as cheap either…two things to consider hitting in Budapest (which is also a “spa town”), are the nice spa/baths, and possibly go on a “caving” trip…there are organized ones everyday, and everyone physically able…seems to have fun on them. If the weather is nice when in Budapest…enjoy a stroll across the Chain Bridge, trek around Margit Island, and if possible…the best views of Budapest come from up on the “Citadella”…if you go up there, daytime is nice but try going about 10 PM…the city lights mostly go off about 11 or 12 PM and you can see Budapest beautifully lit at about 10. There is a wonderful restaurant up there with great food and prices for dinner…but skip the bar and the disco located next to it lol

Big crime problems in Budapest, don’t carry a purse or cell phone, and avoid ATM’s…please read my posting on Budapest.

enjoy :-)

ChicagoDB

P.S. You may also want to consider Bratislava (Slovakia), located about about 1/2 way between Prague and Budapest and about 35 minutes from Vienna…lovely “Old Town” area, and a great travel deal. I would give thought to Salzburg also…lovely.

Hi Sara,

I think Winter is a good choice for Prague as during Spring and Summer a lot of stag (bachelor) and hen (bachelorette) parties go there from the UK to get drunk cheaply which has been spoiling the city a bit in the last few years. In Winter you are likely to see a lot less of them (not that I have anything against Brits as I’m British myself)! Don’t miss the Charles Bridge and the Royal Palace. Also, if you drink, the Czechs are famous for their beers.

Vienna is beautiful and close to Bratislava as mentioned above. However, the boat from Bratislava to Vienna only runs from April to October so you will have to take the bus (which is warm and comfortable). I visited both in February and it was freezing! There isn’t much to do in Bratislava itself but if you’re in the area and have time to call through it then why not? In Vienna you must go for coffee and Sachertorte (not sure about the spelling) – ditch the diet it’s fabulous. You should check out the schedule in advance on the net for tours of the Spanish Riding School as they weren’t available at the time we turned up.

I am off to Budapest myself for the first time in March so can’t comment much on it although I guess the boat to Vienna may also be a seasonal thing as in Bratislava.

Have fun!

I’ve never been to Budapest, but spent time in Vienna and a semester in Prague a few years ago. Prague is amazing. I thought winter was the most wonderful time – that’s when I’d recommend you go. if you’re not a huge fan of crowds.

In the spring, students on break and traveling families descend on the city and it can be so crowded that you literally can’t walk at a normal pace down any of the more popular streets in the older parts of the city. It can get really frustrating – especially as Prague, unlike say, Paris – is known more for it’s gorgeous architecture than anything else. The museums are ok, but nothing special. The food is getting better (apparently), but you’re not going to want to spend an entire day sitting in a cafe soaking in the Czech atmosphere. You’ll want to roam as soon as you see how gorgeous it is. So…go at a time when there are fewer people about and you’ll actually get to see how pretty it is. That’s my plug. Oh, and it also usually doesn’t get very cold there…

As for what not to miss… First I want to recommend a town about 3 hours by train away, called Cesky Krumlov. The entire town – medieval village, looming castle, etc – is a Unesco World Heritage site. It’s absolutely amazing and a nice break from the crowds.

IN Prague, I’d definitely recommend you take a day and walk from Staromestska metro stop, through Old Town Square, across the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge), and up to the castle (Prazky Hrad) before lunch. Take a castle tour, eat in Mala Strana, and then walk behind the castle through Hradcany (the name of the district behind the castle). It’s much less crowded than the rest of the city, and full of beautiful old lanes and houses. Two great old museums – the Loreta (a catholic shrine) and Strahov Klaster (a monastery) are within walking distance. Strahov has great views of the entire city and map room full of baroque paintings and ancient-looking books. It’s beautiful.

Also, for a flavor or real Czech life, take the number 9 tram from IP Pavlova metro stop all the way through Vinohrady (a district that was built mostly in the 1800s) to Zizkov, where you can see the old TV tower, parks and run-of-the-mill Czech apartment blocks. If you’re brave, get out and eat at one of the teensy weensy Czech restaurants around the Chmelnice stop – the food is down home and incredibly cheap. When I was in Prague, one of our favorite restaurants was Radost FX, a nightclub that serves great (by Prague standards) AND affordable food. Good and affordable don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand in CZ, at least that’s how it was three years ago.

I did this exact trip solo a couple years ago, but in the fall. I highly recommend it! I took the train from Prague to Vienna, and the hydrofoil on the Danube River to Budapest. I liked this order very much because finishing in Budapest (much less touristy) was lovely after the throngs of Prague and Vienna.

Vienna was my least favorite of the three. It’s possible that I didn’t go to the best places, but I really tried to do my research beforehand. If I were to do this trip again, I would skip Vienna and stay longer in the other two cities or visit Bratislava, which I’ve heard is wonderful.

If you have any specific questions about traveling in these cities, I might be able to help. Best of luck!