Prague, Vienna, Budapest: the best itinerary

Vienna, Prague and Budapest are three cities that you can visit on the same trip. Do you know where to start? I'll tell you everything you need to know about this popular circuit.

María Cano

María Cano

8 min read

Prague, Vienna, Budapest: the best itinerary

View of Prague | ©Matthew Hutchinson

You've heard dozens of times about the famous Vienna - Prague - Budapest tour and you've finally decided to do it. Congratulations! I assure you that you will enjoy this trip to the fullest, but do you know the best route, how much a tour of these cities costs, the best way to travel between the different places, how many days you should spend in each city or the best time of the year to do this itinerary? Here's everything you need to know for your trip.

Excursions between Prague-Vienna-Budapest

In Prague| ©Alicia Julián
In Prague| ©Alicia Julián

There are many options for discovering these three beautiful Eastern European cities. Because the full tour is usually more expensive due to the planning involved, most organised tours tend to take you from one city to the other in a round trip. Depending on where you stay, you can choose one destination or the other. Here are the most popular tours:

Which is the best route Prague-Vienna-Budapest

Czech Republic| ©Thomas Depenbusch
Czech Republic| ©Thomas Depenbusch

If you're unsure where to start your trip, don't hesitate - start your itinerary in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. From there, head to Vienna, and round off a perfect itinerary in Hungary's capital, Budapest. Prague and Budapest are the farthest apart, so ideally start with one or the other and visit Vienna in between.

As for why to start with Prague and then go to Vienna and finally to Budapest and not the other way around, it is a decision made after analysing the price of the means of transport, since the train, the most recommended means of transport, has better prices from Vienna to Budapest than from Budapest to Vienna. It is curious as only the direction and not the route changes, but it does. Even so, the price difference is no more than €10-20.

  • Distance from Prague to Vienna 333 kilometres.
  • Distancefrom Vienna to Budapest 242 kilometres.

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What is the best way to travel between the cities?

Prague Metro| ©El Gran Dee
Prague Metro| ©El Gran Dee

When travelling between the cities, don't hesitate to choose the train as a means of transport. It's the cheapest and most comfortable way. However, you can also opt for other options such as the bus, which is a bit more uncomfortable but cheaper.

Train

The direct train from Prague to Vienna takes about four hours and the fare depends on how far in advance you buy your ticket, but is around 15 - 25 euros. There is a high frequency from the first train in the morning, which leaves at around 4.30am, to the last train, which leaves at around 7pm.

You can check the timetables online on the Omio website. You can also look them up on the official websites of the different companies that provide this service: OBB Railjet, RegioJet and České dráhy.

Also, to get from Vienna to Budapest, the best option is to take the train, which takes about two and a half hours and costs between €20-30 depending on how far in advance you buy it. Check all timetables and prices on the OBB Railjet website.

  • Prague Central Station... Praha hlavní nádrazí.
  • Vienna Central Station... Wien Hauptbahnhof.
  • Budapest Central Station... Budapest-Keleti pályaudvar.

Bus

The bus route from Prague to Vienna is also very frequent, departing every hour from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. and lasts approximately four hours. The fare is between €10 - €20 per ticket. The companies operating this route are Eurolines, RegioJet and Flixbus.

The companies operating from Vienna to Budapest are also Eurolines, RegioJet and Flixbus and the ticket price is between 10 - 15 €. Buses run from 5am until after 11pm and there are also some early morning services.

  • Train from Prague to Vienna
  • Four hours
  • 15 - 25€
  • First train at 4.30am
  • Last train around 7 p.m.
  • Train from Vienna to Budapest
  • Two and a half hours
  • 20 - 30€
  • First train at 5.00 am in the morning
  • Last train around 23:00 h.
  • Bus from Prague to Vienna
  • More than 4 h.
  • 10 - 20€
  • First bus at 4:00 am
  • Last bus around 20 h.
  • Bus from Vienna to Budapest
  • About 3 h.
  • 10 - 15€
  • First bus at 5.00 a.m. in the morning
  • Last bus around 23 h.

When is the best time to do the circuit?

Morning at Charles Bridge| ©R Boed
Morning at Charles Bridge| ©R Boed

The best time of the year to do the Prague - Vienna - Budapest tour is in spring and autumn, as the cold is not as extreme as in the winter months and the scenery and colours of these cities are more beautiful than ever. In addition, there are not many tourists, so you will be able to visit all the cities comfortably: their different monuments, parks and attractions.

Winter, on the other hand, is an option as long as the cold is not something that conditions you, as temperatures are quite extreme during these months of the year. Even so, Christmas is a time of great festivities, with markets, trees and all kinds of decorations. So if your trip coincides with Christmas, it could be an option

As for the summer, there are a lot of tourists, so I don't recommend these months of the year for your visit. However, the temperatures are more ideal than at other times of the year. Check the temperatures in Prague, Vienna and Budapest before you travel.

Book an excursion to Prague from Vienna

How many days should I spend in each city?

Karlovy Vary| ©R Boed
Karlovy Vary| ©R Boed

On your trip to Prague - Vienna - Budapest I recommend that you spend a total of 4-5 days visiting the city of Prague. The city has plenty of places to visit. You can also take a trip to nearby places such as Karlovy Vary or Tezerín and, most importantly, it is a city to experience and soak up the atmosphere, so this number of days is ideal.

On the other hand, there are many monuments, palaces and sites to visit in Vienna. Therefore, I recommend a minimum of 3 days and up to a maximum of 5 days.

Finally, I would opt for between 3 and 5 days to get to know the city of Budapest, depending on the plans you want to make in the Hungarian capital: if you want to visit the best spas in Budapest, take a cruise on the Danube...

In my opinion, this is the ideal and essential time to discover all the corners of these magical cities in peace and quiet and make the most of your stay in the different imperial capitals.

  • How many days to visit Prague... 4 - 5 days.
  • How many days to visit Vienna... 3 - 5 days.
  • How many days to visit Budapest... 3 - 5 days.

Book a tour to Budapest from Vienna

How much does a trip to these cities cost?

Buda Castle, Budapest| ©Dimitris Kamaras
Buda Castle, Budapest| ©Dimitris Kamaras

A trip to the city of Prague can be very economical depending on how you think about it, both in the case of accommodation and day-to-day life: meals, attractions... From €25 - €70 you can cover all your daily expenses. In fact, you can stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel for as little as €40 per night. For meals, it's easy to find dining options for less than €10 per person.

As for Vienna, it is a city with very high prices. In my case, I opted to stay in a flat to save on the price of some meals and I was glad I did. Staying in a flat usually costs more than 50€ per night. As for meals, it depends on how you think about it, but they will cost from around €15 per person per meal.

Budapest also has very cheap prices, not quite as cheap as Prague but similar. When it comes to finding a hotel, there are several options and prices are cheap, ranging from €40 to €60 per person, as in Prague. For meals, you can eat from €10 per person.

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What to see in Prague, Vienna and Budapest

Prague's Jewish Quarter| ©Ryan Hyde
Prague's Jewish Quarter| ©Ryan Hyde

Prague, Vienna and Budapest have a large number of sights, monuments and places to discover. So, don't hesitate to plan your itinerary well before starting your trip so that you can make the most of your stay in each of these cities.

In Prague, you must visit Prague Castle, stroll through Prague's Jewish quarter and see Charles Bridge. But you have to start by visiting the Old Town Square, a unique place that will surprise you. You can also take a cruise on the Vltava River.

Vienna has many places to visit. On your itinerary through the city do not hesitate to visit Schönbrunn Palace, Beldevere Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna. On the other hand, in the Hofburg Palace you will find the Austrian National Library, which left me totally amazed. You can also take the opportunity to go to the Vienna State Opera, which offers guided tours on certain days of the week and you can even queue to see a show. On my trip, after queuing for about an hour and a half I managed to see 'The Barber of Seville' at a price of 4€. It was a treat I will never forget. Also, if you are an architecture lover, don't hesitate to go to Mozart's House, as well as wander around the Naschmarkt Market.

Regarding Budapest, you should not miss one of its spas but you also have to visit the Buda Castle, visit the Gödöllo Palace, see the Hungarian Parliament or St. Matthias Church. You can also take a cruise on the Danube. If you're not sure where to start, start your trip with a tour.

  • Prague
  • Visit Prague Castle
  • Stroll through the Jewish Quarter
  • Visit the Charles Bridge
  • Stroll around the Old Town Square and wait for the rush hour in front of the astronomical clock
  • Take a cruise on the Vltava River
  • Vienna
  • Schönbrunn Palace
  • Beldevere Palace
  • St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna
  • Hofburg Palace
  • Austrian National Library
  • Vienna Opera House
  • Mozart House
  • Naschmarkt
  • Budapest
  • Go to a Spa
  • Be dazzled by the Buda Castle
  • See the Gödöllo Palace
  • Visit the Hungarian Parliament
  • Enter the Church of St. Matthias
  • Take a cruise on the Danube

Tips for this tour

Train| ©THE STEPHEN J MASON
Train| ©THE STEPHEN J MASON

When making the Vienna - Prague - Budapest tour, I recommend that you take into account a series of tips that I will give you below so that you can make the most of your experience:

  • Make the journey between the different cities by train.
  • Don't forget your camera at any time. The best snapshots will be taken where you least expect them.
  • Take a backpack and not too much luggage, as it's a trip where you'll have to move around, change rooms several times, take different forms of transport and it's always more comfortable to carry a backpack.
  • If you have the opportunity, choose the spring and autumn seasons to travel, as there will be fewer tourists and the temperatures will not yet be too extreme.
  • Define your travel itinerary well before you start your trip.
  • All three are cities with a lot of history, so I recommend that you make sure you take the different sightseeing tours to get to know all the details.

Book an excursion to Vienna from Budapest