Prague 3-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa

Budapest --> Prague

Taking the overnight train from Budapest to Prague, we arrived at Hlvani nadrazi at 6:45am. Only a few stores were open at the train station and we waited until the transit office was open to buy our transit passes for the next three days which cost Kc 330 each.

Prague

Taking the metro we alighted at Andel station and walked for five minutes to Aparthotel City 5. This was my favourite accommodation during our Europe trip from the cleaniness to the convenience to the friendliness of the owner. When the door opened we were greeted by the energetic and warm owner, Kristina, and the sight of all her flowers and plants. She had a beautiful backyard and everything was clean inside with many brochures, guidebooks and maps for guests. It felt like she was welcoming you home.

She sat us down outside in the garden and carefully marked down on a map the places that we must see in Prague. She also took our laundry and when we were back in the evening, it was already all done and folded for us (for free I might add!)

Our first stop was to the Dancing House which was a modern building by the river that resembled a man and a woman dancing. Afterward we took the metro and then a funicular to the Petrin tower which was a 55 metre rendition of the Eiffel Tower. We paid to go up in the lift instead of walking. 

Dancing House

Petrin Tower

The view was pretty nice although a bit hazy, possibly from the humidity. There were many red roofs and a river down the centre of the city like Budapest. 

View from Petrin Tower

After coming back down we walked for a while (maybe 20-30 minutes) to the Prague castle where changing guards was happening at 12pm. 

Changing guards

In the evening we walked to the Vysehrad church for a higher up view of the city and then back down to the river. 

Vysehrad church

Vysehrad church

Many people were sat along the river basking in the golden hour waiting for the sunset. There were medium sized boats and speed boats selling snacks and drinks to the people walking by. I suppose it was like a floating night market.

Waiting for sunset

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa 

Prague 3-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa

We started off the day with a tour of the Staropramen Brewery which was a short walk from Aparthotel City 5. There were videos showing its production process and then a beer each at the end.

There was a Saturday market along the river filled with stalls of delicious food, fresh produce, baked goods and more. It was pretty enjoyable to walk around and take in the sights.

Saturday market

Next we went to the Old Town of Prague and browsed around such as at the famous Charles Bridge. The bridge crosses the Vltava river and construction began in 1357. When we went, there were many artists selling their paintings, photographs and jewelry on the bridge as tourists swarmed past.

Leaving Charles Bridge

View from Old Town

The Old Town Square goes back to the 12th century and used to be a marketplace for Prague. Many of the major sights surround the square and there are a variety of food stalls here if you don't want to opt for a restaurant.

Old Town Square

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa

Prague 3-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa

In the morning we went to Wenceslas Square, one of two important squares in Prague. The other is Old Town Square. Wenceslas Square is known for the demonstrations that have taken place there such as in the Prague Spring. Nowadays, the two sides of the square are lined with hotels and international brands making it a busy tourist spot.

Looking out to Wenceslas Square

From Wenceslas Square it was a short walk to Old Town. We walked from Old Town and across Charles Bridge to Kampa, which was supposedly the most romantic spot in Prague. It was an urban park that honestly did not seem particularly romantic to me.

Walking to Old Town

Charles Bridge

Baby statue at Kampa

Read Day 1 here - Prague Castle
Read Day 2 here - Staropramen Tour and Old Town
Read Day 3 here - Wenceslas Square and Kampa

Budapest 3-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

Vienna --> Budapest

Our train from Vienna to Budapest was scheduled for 8:12am and it departed the station by 8:15am. So make sure to be at the station on time! The train arrived in Budapest by 11am and we went to buy tickets for the metro. The cheaper option for three of us was to buy a group ticket for each day we were there (Ft 3300 per day) as opposed to buying one 72-hour ticket per person. The group ticket can be used for up to five adults travelling together.

Train to Budapest

Budapest train station

In Budapest we booked an apartment with Aventura Hostel and Apartment. The hostel is in a different location than the apartment itself so we first had to go to the hostel to get our keys and then take one metro stop to the apartment. I recommend trying this option out! We booked the retro apartment and there was plenty of space for three of us and a kitchen with the basic necessities. A grocery store is nearby for buying ingredients.

Retro apartment

The apartment was across from the Budapest St Stephens Basilica and in a convenient part of town. The famous gelato place that scoops gelato in a rose shape is directly in front of the basilica. I got a large cone with four flavours for Ft 750.

St Stephens Basilica

Rose gelato

We took the metro to Vorosmarty Utca station to go to the House of Terror which was about the Soviet occupation in Hungary. We were inside for less than 10 minutes when it started hailing hard! It was shocking to see this in the summer.

Metro station

The House of Terror cost Ft 2000 for adults and Ft 1000 for EU students or students with an international student card. Despite its name, the display inside did an excellent job of emphasizing the history and happenings rather than the fear and bloody acts committed. It makes for a worthwhile visit.

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

Budapest 3-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

We took the metro to Szell Kalman ter and switched to bus 16 to go to Buda Castle. It boasted a view overlooking the Danube river at the Pest side of the city as the castle is on the Buda side. The area is pretty large with a palace, large garden and other buildings.

View from Buda Castle

Fisherman's Bastion

Sight at Buda Castle

After roaming the castle, we took bus 16 back to the metro station and had lunch at a mall called Mammut. Then we took tram 6 towards Margaret Island. The tram stopped at the perpendicular bridge that connected to the long skinny island. We rode bus 26 to almost the end of the island and walked back halfway. There were various school groups and photographers there but there was not much to do unless you were swimming, strolling or biking in the park.

Margaret Island

In the evening we walked from the apartment to Chain Bridge to cross the Danube River. The evening was pleasant as the sun was no longer scorching and there was a cool breeze accompanied by shades of the orange and purple sunset. We walked along the Buda side of the river towards the Parliament so that we could see its entirety at night. The building lit up beautifully against the navy night sky.

Parliament by day

Parliament by night

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

Budapest 3-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

Budapest --> Prague

We headed out for our last day in Budapest in what turned out to be a very pleasant day. We took the metro to Szent Gell�rt t�r and there was an old style Hungarian hotel famous for its thermal bath. Next to the hotel is Gell�rt Hill where the Citadel sits atop.

Gellert Hotel

It took about a 20 minute walk uphill to reach the Citadel and the view of Budapest was gorgeous. I recommend making the short trek! We took some of our favourite photos from this spot.

View from Gellert Hill

After walking back down the hill, we took tram 47 to Fovam and walked along the river toward the Parliament in search of tram 2. We ended up taking a river cruise called Dunayacht which was a tour on water of the city. It cost Ft 2100 for adults and Ft 1900 for students. The cruise went down the river, around Margaret Island and back. It's a great option to rest your feet in the middle of the hot summer day before proceeding to the next destinations.

River cruise

For our last day in Budapest we wanted to try a Hungarian restaurant and we were recommended Kiskkakukk. The food was delicious - especially the roast duck - and service was friendly.

In the evening we packed all our things and headed to Keleti palyaudvar, the main train station, for our 8:05pm departure on the overnight train to Prague. It cost Ft 45 570 for three tickets. The experience was great actually!

Metro connected to train station

We ordered a 3-person room which was small but had everything you needed and was clean. There was a small sink, three water bottles, three bars of soap, three face towels and three beds stacked on top of each other hanging from one wall. The other wall had a ladder for you to climb into the beds. The washroom at the end of the train cart had a shower. I slept soundly through the night and we arrived in Prague by 6:45am in the morning. We were served a croissant and choice of tea or coffee each before arriving in Prague.

Overnight train

Read Day 1 here - Rose Gelato and House of Terror
Read Day 2 here - Buda Castle
Read Day 3 here - Gell�rt Hill

Vienna 1-Day Itinerary

Salzburg --> Vienna

The night before we arrived in Vienna from Salzburg by train. With only one full day in Vienna, we set off fairly early in the morning and walked to the Schlachthausgasse U Bahn station which was 10 minutes walk from the hotel. We took U3 towards Ottakring, switched to U4 towards Hutteldorf at Landstrasse Wien Mitte station and alighted at Sch�nbrunn station. It was only a short walk to Sch�nbrunn Palace from the station.

Vienna train station

The palace was large with a grand garden, multiple water fountains and even a zoo. We spent an hour just walking around the garden and taking photos of the architecture from different angles. 

Schonnbrunn Palace

Looking back

Next we went to Old Town Vienna. We walked back to the Sch�nbrunn U Bahn station and took the U4 towards Heiligenstadt and alighted at Karlplatz station. Adjacent to the station was the Vienna State Opera.

Old Town

Karlplatz was a short walk to Old Town where building after building of grand architecture with huge statues of warriors on horses and carefully carved stone statues stood. Beauty was around every corner. I particularly liked that the skyline of the fantastic architecture was not distracted by any modern high rises behind it. Some of the places we walked past included Albertina, National Library, Theatre Museum, Parliament and Hofburg Palace.

National Library

Parliament

Thoughtful gardens filled with blooming roses of all shades were great resting spots for tourists and locals alike. Water spouts with fresh cold water could be found in the gardens of Old Town and across from the National Library. 

After exploring this area, we took tram 1 and alighted at Karlplatz station to walk to Naschmarkt. Naschmarkt was a street with stalls on each side selling spices, baked goods, seafood, meat, cheeses and an assortment of goodies.

I wish we had more time to explore Vienna with it's architecture, sophisticated old town, music and art inspired scenery and well-connected transit. The streets in the areas we visited were divided clearly into bike, pedestrian, car and tram lanes. The U Bahn was easy to navigate with magazines hanging on knobs for commuters to browse.