After finishing our Viking Passage to Eastern Europe journey in Budapest, it was time for the next stage of our European adventure. You can read about our Eastern Europe cruise HERE
Rather than flying between cities, we'd decided to travel by train from Budapest to Vienna and then continue on to Prague. I've always enjoyed train travel in Europe. It's generally an easy and comfortable way to get between destinations, and there's something lovely about watching the countryside pass by without having to deal with airports and all the associated formalities.
We had two nights planned in Vienna, followed by four nights in Prague, giving us time to explore both cities independently and at our own pace.
And, as usual, we managed to fit quite a lot into our days!
We left Budapest on the morning of 19 September and caught the train through to Vienna.
The journey was straightforward and comfortable, and before too long we'd arrived in another country and another beautiful European city.
We'd been incredibly lucky with the weather throughout our travels, and Vienna was no exception. Another beautiful sunny day greeted us on arrival.
A short Uber ride took us to our hotel, Hotel Motto, which was located just outside the main tourist centre.
Unfortunately, our room wasn't quite ready when we arrived, so we left our luggage and headed off to start exploring.
One of the things I really enjoy about staying a little outside the main tourist areas is discovering the local neighbourhood. Hotel Motto was in a great location, with plenty of restaurants nearby and an easy walk into the heart of Vienna along a largely pedestrian shopping street.
Our walk took us through the Museums Quartier and into the historic centre, where we visited St Peter's Church and stopped for a drink at a nearby café.
We then made our way towards the Spanish Riding School and the Sisi Museum, before gradually wandering back towards the hotel.
It was a lovely introduction to Vienna, and by the time we'd finished exploring, we were ready for dinner.
And, of course, when in Vienna, you really do need to have a schnitzel!
We found a local restaurant close to our hotel and enjoyed a traditional Austrian dinner before calling it a night.
I have to give Hotel Motto a mention because we really enjoyed our stay there.
It's a boutique-style hotel with quite a funky, individual feel, rather than your typical large international hotel.
The rooms were a good size, the location was convenient, and there was a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant.
We were approximately a kilometre from the Museums Quartier and perhaps another 500 walk into the heart of the city. The pedestrian shopping street made it very easy to get around on foot, and there were plenty of local restaurants and cafés to choose from.
It was a nice change to stay in a more residential part of the city rather than right in the middle of the main tourist area.
I'd certainly be happy to stay there again.
Our second day in Vienna was one I'd been particularly looking forward to.
We'd booked tickets to see a performance by the famous Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School.
What an amazing experience!
The horses are so beautifully trained, and watching the precision and control of their movements was fascinating. The performance takes place in the magnificent Winter Riding School, which is an attraction in itself.
It's certainly something I'd recommend including if you're visiting Vienna, particularly if you have an interest in horses or traditional European culture.
After the performance, we made our way back towards the hotel and enjoyed lunch at a lovely little bistro downstairs.
We'd deliberately planned our sightseeing around the fact that it was Sunday, when most of Vienna's shops are closed. As neither the Spanish Riding School nor Schönbrunn Palace relied on shops being open, it worked out perfectly.
After lunch, we headed out by train to Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburg rulers.
Schönbrunn is one of Vienna's major attractions, and with good reason.
The palace itself is magnificent, although I have to admit we moved through the interior rooms reasonably quickly.
For me, the real highlight was spending time exploring the beautiful gardens and grounds surrounding the palace.
The gardens are enormous, with formal landscaped areas, fountains, impressive statues and lovely views back towards the palace.
We spent quite some time wandering around and simply enjoying the beautiful weather.
And naturally, no visit to Vienna would be complete without sampling some apple strudel!
By the time we made our way back into the city, we'd enjoyed another full day of sightseeing.
We had a little downtime back at the hotel, which gave me the opportunity to catch up on some emails while Lisa headed off to find a gym.
That's the reality of being a business owner, even when you're travelling. There's usually the occasional email that needs attention!
That evening we ventured out again for dinner at another local restaurant.
We also decided to try a rather spectacular-looking passionfruit mousse for dessert. It was Lisa's suggestion, and I certainly wasn't going to argue!
It was a lovely way to finish our stay in Vienna.
The following morning, 21 September, it was time to pack up and head to the railway station for our journey to Prague.
Once again, travelling by train was easy and efficient, and we arrived in Prague during the afternoon.
Our hotel, K+K Hotel Central, was in a terrific location on the edge of the Old Town, just a short walk from the station and many of the city's major attractions.
We checked in, settled ourselves into our room and then headed straight out to get our bearings.
I always enjoy that first walk around a new city, when you're not necessarily following a particular sightseeing itinerary but simply exploring the streets, discovering the layout and seeing what catches your eye.
Prague certainly made a lovely first impression.
The architecture is beautiful, with its historic buildings, cobblestone streets, towers and squares.
We wandered through the Old Town, enjoyed dinner and made our way back to the hotel to plan the following day's adventures.
One thing we did notice immediately was the change in temperature!
After weeks of travelling in mostly warm weather, we suddenly needed our jackets. The forecast for the following day was only around 16 degrees, so it was definitely a reminder that autumn was arriving in Europe.
For our first full day in Prague, we decided to use the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus to get a good overview of the city.
We completed both the blue and red routes, which gave us a chance to see quite a bit of Prague and work out which areas we wanted to explore further.
After finishing the bus circuits, we got off near the Charles Bridge and spent time wandering along the streets on the opposite side of the river.
Coffee and a muffin were our first priorities, although that was very quickly followed by some local gingerbread!
We continued exploring the narrow streets and eventually made our way back towards the Old Town.
Prague is a fabulous city for walking, although you do need to be prepared for plenty of cobblestones.
The weather was noticeably cooler, and for the first time on the trip, we were definitely making good use of our lightweight jumpers and jackets.
We did a little shopping along the way and explored one of the local shopping centres.
There was also a rather amusing photo opportunity when Lisa managed to have her photograph taken with some of the local police!
By late afternoon we'd covered quite a bit of ground and decided on an early dinner.
And what did we choose in the Czech Republic?
An Argentinian steak restaurant, of course!
It was a beautiful meal, and afterwards we headed back towards Charles Bridge to enjoy the sunset.
Seeing the bridge and the city in that lovely late-afternoon light was a wonderful way to finish the day.
One of the places I'd wanted to visit for many years was Český Krumlov, so I was determined to include a day trip while we were staying in Prague.
We'd pre-booked an organised tour, and conveniently, the departure point was just around the corner from our hotel.
The journey took around two and a half hours, including a stop along the way.
Český Krumlov is a beautiful medieval town in southern Bohemia, with a wonderfully preserved historic centre nestled in a bend of the Vltava River.
It's one of those places that looks almost like something out of a storybook.
We began our visit with the organised group, exploring part of the castle complex and learning a little about the history of the town.
After the initial guided portion, we decided to head off independently and explore at our own pace.
And that's really how I prefer to sightsee when possible.
We wandered through the castle grounds, taking in the views across the rooftops and river, before making our way down into the Old Town.
There are so many lovely little laneways, shops and historic buildings to explore.
We found a beautiful spot beside the river for lunch and then continued wandering through the streets, soaking up the atmosphere.
It really is a delightful town, and I can certainly understand why it's such a popular destination.
We didn't arrive back in Prague until almost 7pm, so it had been a long day, but I was so pleased we'd made the effort.
After wanting to visit for so many years, Český Krumlov certainly lived up to my expectations.
For our final full day in Prague, the weather was a little overcast, with some drizzle and cooler temperatures.
But that certainly wasn't going to stop us getting out and exploring.
We began by walking through the Old Town and across Charles Bridge once again, before heading off to find the famous John Lennon Wall.
The wall has long been associated with peace, freedom and artistic expression, and it's certainly an interesting part of Prague's more recent history.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed to see that some of the more recent graffiti hadn't really respected the original spirit of the wall, but it was still worthwhile visiting.
From there we continued walking towards the Petřín area, where we caught the funicular up to the gardens.
The funicular had only recently reopened with new carriages, so our timing worked out well. A quirky bit of information about the new funicular is that when the carriages pass each other one winks and the other blushes – look out for it when you visit.
We had a wander around the gardens before making our way back down into the city.
After a coffee stop, I decided there was something else I really wanted to do.
Ride one of Prague's old-fashioned retro looking trams!
There's something quite charming about these older trams, and they're a lovely way to experience the city.
We managed to catch one of the retro trams and then changed onto another tram that took us up towards Prague Castle.
Rather than approaching from the more traditional tourist route, we entered the castle area from the upper side.
We spent quite some time exploring the castle grounds, admiring the architecture and enjoying the views over the city.
We were also fortunate to see the changing of the guards.
From there we gradually made our way back down the hill through the narrow streets and laneways, enjoying another side of Prague along the way.
It was a lovely final day in the city, despite the cooler weather.
One of the things that made this part of our journey so enjoyable was the ease of travelling between the cities.
Both train journeys — Budapest to Vienna and Vienna to Prague — were comfortable, straightforward and relatively stress-free.
There's no need to arrive at an airport hours before departure, navigate security and baggage collection or arrange lengthy transfers at the other end.
You simply arrive at the station, board your train and enjoy the journey.
Of course, you still need to manage your own luggage, but for this type of European itinerary, I think travelling by rail is a fantastic option.
It's also a wonderful way to combine several cities into one holiday without feeling that you're constantly rushing between airports.
Although Vienna and Prague are relatively close geographically, they have quite different personalities.
Vienna has a sense of grandeur and elegance, with its magnificent palaces, museums, classical music traditions and beautiful architecture.
Prague, on the other hand, has a wonderful medieval atmosphere, with winding cobblestone streets, historic squares, towers and the beautiful Charles Bridge.
I thoroughly enjoyed both cities, and I think they complement each other particularly well.
We were fortunate to have wonderful weather for most of our time in Vienna, while Prague was definitely a little cooler. But that didn't detract from our enjoyment.
We walked enormous distances, sampled plenty of local food, discovered some wonderful little cafés and restaurants, and managed to fit in a terrific range of sightseeing.
I particularly enjoyed the performance at the Spanish Riding School, exploring the gardens at Schönbrunn Palace, and finally getting to visit Český Krumlov.
Prague itself was also a highlight, and I loved the freedom of simply wandering through the historic streets and discovering things along the way.
Would I recommend combining Budapest, Vienna and Prague in one holiday?
Absolutely!
They're three fascinating cities, each offering something quite different, and train travel makes it easy to connect them.
For anyone considering a European holiday, it's a combination I'd certainly suggest looking at.
After four wonderful nights in Prague, it was time to pack our bags once again.
Our European adventure wasn't over just yet.
The following morning, 25 September, we were heading to the airport for our flight to Split in Croatia, where a completely different style of travelling awaited us.
After exploring cities, historic buildings, castles and palaces, we were looking forward to swapping the trains and cobblestone streets for the beautiful Adriatic coastline and a week aboard a small Croatian cruise ship.
But that's a story for another blog which you can read here:
Julie O'Grady Exclusively Cruising CLIA Cruise Master
Whether you're looking to combine a river cruise with a few independent city stays, explore Europe's beautiful rail routes or put together a more extensive European holiday, I'd be delighted to help you plan an itinerary that suits your interests and travel style. Just give me a call on 03 9762 2799 or email cruise@exclusivelycruising.com.au
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About Julie O'Grady, CLIA Cruise Master, and Exclusively Cruising
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