Last fall, we stayed at the Renaissance Wien. It is a little ways out but only a 5 minute subway ride to the center. It was about $100 and included one of the best breakfast buffets I have seen. Lunch was not needed. The concierge was helpful in ghetting tickets to the Opera and other concerts. In Budapest we stayed with a friend. Very inexpensive city. The Opera was only a few dollars. Both Budapest and Vienna have some good day trips available.

Prague: Hoffmeister, definitely. Adolf Hoffmeister was an artist that worked with Picasso, Miro and others. The hotel is small and comfortable, and loaded with Hoffmeister's art work. It is minutes (walking) from the castle and the heart of the city. Beautiful!

You'll have a great trip, Vienna, Budapest and Praha are the most beautiful cities in Europe. I'll be in Budapest again next week.

These are three great cities, as all the above posts indicate. Here are a couple more things you might not want to miss.

In Prague, visit one of the beer halls. U Fleku (I think the name's right) is one of the great ones. And if you get a chance, drink Budweiser... the REAL Budweiser, for which our pale variety is named.

Buadapest: Have dinner one evening at the outdoor terrace of the Gellert Hotel, overlooking the Danube. A bottle of wine, a great meal and the small orchestra playing a charadash will leave an enduring impression.

Budapest: Don't miss the LaHar theatre, not far from the Marriott. Great pop-operetta, wonderful Hungarian music... a rollicking, lively evening with mostly European tourists.

The baths are such an important part of Budapest life that you should experience them. Try the baths at the Gellert Hotel, even if you're not staying there. You'll see old men playing chess in the water, young women... well,it's a great experience.

Slight modification re: changing currencies. Don't bother with travelers checks and don't go to a bank (or, worse, a "Change Bureau"). Do what you do here: put your ATM card in the machine, punch in your PIN and how much local currency you want, and the machine spits it out! Far more convenient, and you'll get a much better rate than any of the alternatives. At most a ~$3 fee (as opposed to substantial "commissions"); some US banks don't charge a cent for foreign withdrawals (I opened an internet account for just that reason; it saves me maybe $50/year).

Best of all is that this can also solve the problem of converting from eastern European currencies back into dollars: if your bank doesn't charge for the withdrawal, just remove minimal amounts as you get to the end of the trip. Who cares if you might need an additional withdrawal (or two) - no cost!

Alternatively, I use the leftover currency to pay down my hotel bill, keeping just enough to get to the train station or airport. Then the remainder goes on my credit card. This also avoids having to change currency back.