Central Europe Itinerary Overview Review - May/June

[u/jewelszoey]

Hi! We are in the early planning stages of our honeymoon - trying to get a rough plan together of where we will be/for how long.

We originally were thinking we would do Switzerland + Central Europe but after consideration, we’ve decided to remove Switzerland and spend more time in Austria to optimize the amount of time on a train between places. We were looking for the dramatic alps and lakes scenery and relaxation and spa days with Switzerland (Lucerne) but think that Austria can achieve what we were looking for. This itinerary doesn’t have dramatic alps like Innsbruck but this is ok with us.

One thing I’m hesitant about with this itinerary is maybe being a day short in Vienna and Prague. If we added a day, should it be to Prague or Vienna? Considering removing a Salzkammergut day, but not sure. We love that Salzkammergut will be very different/a reset compared to our time exploring the cities. Please let us know thoughts on if time in any of the countries is too short/long, if we are over doing it, or any tips on this.

We are in our late-20s from the US, and are looking for both a mix of beautiful landscape and exploring the cities. Ideally we have a mix of slower days and busier days, allowing for some relaxation and slower exploration in all the busyness! I think this itinerary gives the best of both with time in Salzkammergut region and bigger cities. Any recommendations on where to stay in Salzkammergut? It sounds like Hallstatt is very populated, so considering Bad Ischl. Wolfgangsee looks beautiful. Looking for somewhere that allows us to go between the various areas without too much train/bus time so a more central location.

_______

Overview: May/June
• Prague, Czechia
• Vienna, Austria
• Salzkammergut, Austria
• End in Budapest, Hungary (spending a bit longer here as I have a best friend living here, likely do some day trips)

_______

Day 1 (Wed May 24): Travel
US → Prague

Day 2 (Thu May 25): Travel / Prague
• Arrival in Prague

Day 3 (Fri May 26): Prague

Day 4 (Sat May 27): Prague

Day 5 (Sun May 28): Travel
Prague → train (~4hrs) → Vienna
* Stores closed in Vienna on Sunday

Day 6 (Mon May 29): Vienna

Day 7 (Tue May 30): Vienna

Day 8 (Wed May 31): Travel
Vienna → train (~3.5hrs) → Salzkammergut

Day 9 (Thu Jun 1): Salzkammergut

Day 10 (Fri Jun 2): Salzkammergut
• Spa day

Day 11 (Sat Jun 3): Salzkammergut

Day 12 (Sun Jun 4): Travel
Salzkammergut → 3 legs of train (~8hrs) → Budapest

Day 13 (Mon Jun 5): Budapest

Day 14 (Tue Jun 6): Budapest

Day 15 (Wed Jun 7): Budapest

Day 16 (Thu Jun 8): Budapest

Day 17 (Fri Jun 9): Travel
Budapest → US

[u/TrampAbroad2000]

IMO 4 locations in (in reality) 2 weeks is a bit much, esp. for a honeymoon, and 2 full days in Vienna is very little. Save Prague for another trip, add the time to Vienna, do a day trip to the Wachau Valley/Melk Abbey, done.

ETA: If you weren't already planning on it, Salzburg is an obvious stop since you're going to the Salzkammergut. In some ways it gives similar vibes as Prague.

It sounds like Hallstatt is very populated, 

Well the problem isn't that it's very populated, in fact it has almost no population (we're talking hundreds). It's that it gets totally overwhelmed by mass tourism.

[u/jewelszoey → u/TrampAbroad2000]

If we extended the trip by two days to put us to 19 (+1 to both Vienna and Prague), would your opinion still be the same that it’s too much or would a couple days right it? We wouldn’t be able to add on more time than that

[u/TrampAbroad2000 → u/jewelszoey]

It's still a lot of big cities IMO. See my ETA re: Salzburg.

There's no one answer, a lot of this comes down to preference. On a honeymoon, I'd 100% go for a bit slower pace, but I'm not you.

[u/Qwe5Cz]

Too many places in too little time. If you already have many stops in Austria and want to go to Budapest because of your friend then skip Prague. You won't have time to enjoy it properly and with just 2 full days you will end just in the worst overtouristed area while skipping the whole country around it so it makes sense to leave Prague/Czechia for next trip. Let alone this would just add a hussle of dealing with another culture, currency, customs that will just confuse you and that's not worth for 2 days.

[u/jewelszoey → u/Qwe5Cz]

If we extended the trip by two days (+1 to both Vienna and Prague), would your opinion still be the same that it’s too much or would a couple days right it? We wouldn’t be able to add on more than that, so if so, then removing Prague

[u/Qwe5Cz → u/jewelszoey]

Slightly better but still you will need to travel rather far and you won't see much from the country anyway so it makes sense to slow down. Let alone you plan mountains and I recommend you to be very flexible with spending time there simply because of weather you can never plan it ahead. Count with nice sunny days for some hiking and then rainy/stormy days with plan B to go sightseeing in valleys or pick indoor activities but generally good rule of thumb for planning a trip that includes mountains is to have about twice the time you think you need now to account for rainy days.

[u/RubNo8459]

I spent 4 full days in Vienna and still did not see every sight I wanted to see. I think 2 full days is barely enough for Vienna sights.

[u/Qwe5Cz → u/[deleted]]

Your tip about Prague is totally off.

The main season is december when the city is the most packed and expensive. Winter weather is miserable - snow is rare and if you experience it - it will romantic only for the first hour before it turns into ugly slippery dark slury. It's night time already around 4-5pm. If you want to see more than old town in Prague then nearly all sights outside of it are closed in winter Nov-Mar. It's generally the worst time you can pick for a visit but for some reason people started to come here in winter expecting Christmas fairytale wonderland.

If you were surrounded by tourists 15 deep in all directions you clearly never stepped off the main touristy route. Just one street next to it is usually empty. Also pay attention to weekends and big events.

[u/mindfluxx → u/Qwe5Cz]

I personally went in like 1994 but every friend photo or vlog I see there it just looks packed. I was thinking it would look pretty in dreary weather ( I never said December specifically ) but I live in a dreary climate.

[u/Qwe5Cz → u/mindfluxx]

Because nearly every tourist here does the same mistake and follows the exact same narrow path. The astronomical clock also helps to generate crowds when people gather there and all wait and then walk away at the same time.

Vienna, Budapest or other cities are crowded the same way. Paris, Rome, Amsterdam are even worse but people understand it's just a few streets and areas around famous landmarks but Prague is specific that those few "must see" places are in walking distance and we didn't demolish medieval old town like them so you still have narrow streets that a few of them can get packed at peak time. But it's mostly just single long path between the castle and the old town sq. and there are many alternative paths that will be free. Tourists here are extremely predictable so it's very easy to avoid any crowded place if you know how it works here.

Many things changed here since 1994 so even your observations are no longer up to date and giving bad advice based on photos from friends and vlogs? Please think twice about it next time that you really know enough about the place to post it for others.

[u/LetterheadClassic306]

Bad Ischl would be my base here, honestly, because it gives you the reset feeling without making every lake day depend on staying in the most crowded village. When I planned a similar train-heavy Austria stretch, being near the station mattered more than having the prettiest address on paper. I used a two-adult sample window in Bad Ischl and Sonnhof is the one I would benchmark, since it is central enough for trains and still keeps the Salzkammergut portion slower than Prague or Vienna. I would keep the full four nights there and trim only if you decide the spa day matters less than an extra city day.

[u/polishprocessors]

Truthfully, and this is almost never my opinion on here, but if you extend the 2 days you mentioned elsewhere i think you'll be fine. All these cities are 3-5h apart so, while it's still a travel day, it lets you leisurely check out, travel, and do dinner in a new location. You're young and American-you're going to want to see as much as you can and this isn't 4 cities in 6 days, this is a fairly well thought out trip finishing in a city where you have a close friend so it'll be more relaxed. It's on the rushed end for some, myself included, but i think for the average 20-something interested in balancing seeing lots with not overdoing it you've hit a decent balance