Originally Posted by
beltway
For an upcoming trip, we're flying into BUD & out of PRG. Apart from several days in each city (& some possible day trips outside of them), we have 3-4 days in between.
Right now I'm thinking about taking the train to Brno; spending a day or two there; and then visiting Cesky Krumlov (again, for 1-2 days) before the onward trip to Prague. I'd appreciate any insights on
- recommended methods of travel (I get the sense from guidebooks that buses are a better bet than rail when one isn't traveling directly between major cities)
- the wisdom/folly of this itinerary (vs. a less indirect path to Prague) & whether Cesky Krumlov is worth the detour
- anything else I'm overlooking, which is probably a lot
(FWIW, I considered stopping in Bratislava & have decided to skip it in favor of the Czech towns.)
I was in Prague, Brno, Vienna and Bratislava (among others) a couple of months ago so address what you are overlooking:
Vienna
This was my second time to Budapest but first time I've spent time there (cheapest flights for some reason) and was most impressed. Prague, well that speaks for itself.
Brno is OK and you can do some great day trips from there as well.
Bratislava, well, I like it but after last visit was a little let down as the historic part of town isn't all that big. But there are day trips from there. There is also the boat to Vienna - OK, IIRC there's one between Vienna and Budapest but probably takes too long. Bratislava-Vienna is probably just right, though my journey was by train and in reverse (to be clear, trip was in reverse, not the train).
Originally Posted by
yurtripper
I don't think you can really shoehorn Cesky Krumlov into that itinerary and do it justice. The whole point of going there is to explore the surrounding area also and use it as a base for day hikes
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For travel I would definitely use a bus service like RegioJet (Student Agency) - very convenient and cost-effective. Good service and you can cancel up to 30 mins before free of charge (I used this last week and got the refund to my credit card promptly).
RegioJet has not only buses, but within old Czechoslovakia trains as well. THAT would be my FIRST choice, followed by train - it's just that much more comfortable.
As for Cesky Krumlov, I made it a day trip on previous visit with train to Ceske Budejovice and early morning RegioJet bus to Cesky Krumlov. The place is VERY compact, though you certainly could do day trips from there, it can be done in a LOOOONG day (just looked, 3 hours by RegioJet bus from Prague).
So, looks like a good plan, think about Vienna and do go to Cesky Krumlov. If you want to do a quick boat trip up or down the Danube, a half day in Bratislava would probably be about right.