Perfectly Planned Week in Prague, Vienna & Budapest

It depends on your passport, but if you’re coming from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore, the short answer is: no visa needed right now. You’re granted a 90-day stay on arrival within the Schengen Area, which covers all three countries. There’s also a new system called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) that’s planned for the future. It will work a bit like the U.S. ESTA program—an online registration before travel. As of now, it hasn’t been implemented yet, but if you’re reading this in 2026 or later, check before you travel since the rules may have changed. For most travelers today, it’s straightforward: make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, and you’re set for a week in Central Europe.

You’re getting a nice mix: a private walking tour of Prague Castle and the Royal Route, a half-day guided walk of Budapest’s highlights, and a guided walk through Vienna’s historic center. These aren’t giant umbrella-following group tours—your guide is there just for you, which makes it flexible and personal.

The Go Real Travel Mobile App (or your printed itinerary if you prefer) You'll get detailed commentary, including suggested plans, points of interest, practical advice, history, maps, and tips. In other words, you don’t just get “wander around the old town”—it’s much more like having a full guidebook in your pocket exactly matching your trip plan. With regards to navigation, you're itinerary is linked to Google Maps and you'll also get step-by-step directions, including details like which tram numbers to take or even which U-Bahn entrance to use in Vienna.

It comes down to stress. You’re not juggling train timetables, wondering if you bought the right tram ticket, or showing up at Schönbrunn Palace only to find it sold out. Hotels are central, guides are private, and the Mobile App feeds you the right info at the right time. You’re free to explore without the “did we miss something?” anxiety, as if a local was traveling along with you.

It’s all by train—super easy. You’ll take an overnight train from Prague to Budapest, then a day train from Budapest to Vienna. The tickets are arranged ahead of time, so all you do is show up and board. No airport hassle, no rental car stress. Plus as always with Go Real Travel, you'll get detailed directions in your itinerary that make the journey easy and stress-free.

That’s smoothed out for you: a private driver meets you at Prague airport when you land, and another driver picks you up at Budapest’s train station when you arrive there. In Vienna, it’s simple—you just grab a local taxi from the main station to your hotel (we give you the directions and fare estimate in the App so you don’t get overcharged).

Both Prague’s main station and Budapest’s Keleti station work in a similar way. Look for the big departures board—“Odjezdy” in Prague or “Induló vonatok” in Budapest. Trains are always listed by their original scheduled departure time. If there’s a delay, you won’t see a new time posted; instead, the board shows the number of minutes late. Match your train by departure time, train code (like EC or IC), and train number, then check which track it’s leaving from. Platforms are usually announced about 15–30 minutes before departure, so keep an eye on the board and be ready to head down once your track number appears.

Overnight trains sound intimidating if you’ve never done one, but they’re surprisingly straightforward. You’ll board in Prague’s main station in the evening, settle into your reserved sleeper, and wake up rolling into Budapest. Compartment options include single sleepers, double sleepers, triple sleepers, and 6-bunk couchettes. Your tickets are handled in advance, so you just check the big departure board for the right track and hop on. Compartments have bunks with bedding, and there’s space for your luggage in the compartment with you. The detailed itinerary walks you through what to expect, including how early to arrive and how to identify your train. It turns a potentially stressful night into an adventure. You should keep in mind, however, that it's not the level of luxury you might expect from the movies. It can also be fairly noisy, and there are a lot of starts and stops through the night. So if you are a light sleeper, we can adjust your itinerary to include only day trains, and adjust your route to travel from Prague to Vienna to Budapest, or vice versa.

Right now, the overnight train from Prague usually arrives at Budapest Nyugati station, but Budapest actually has several major train stations (Nyugati, Keleti, and Déli). Schedules and routes can change over time, so by the time you travel, your train might arrive at a different one. Don’t worry—we’ll confirm your exact station in advance, and your driver pickup is always arranged for the correct arrival point. Nyugati itself is a busy but straightforward station. Instead of trying to figure out taxis or public transit with your luggage, you’ll just follow the itinerary instructions to a designated meeting point inside the station, where your driver will be waiting with your name. From there, you’ll be taken straight to your hotel—no stress about navigating the station or city transport on your own with your bags.

Vienna’s main station is modern and well-organized. You’ll just follow signs to “Sonnwendgasse” and grab a taxi from the official stand. Normal fare into the city center is about €20–30, and there are ATMs right in the station if you need cash.

All three of these cities are highly walkable with pedestrian-friendly historic centers. Many visitors find that they do most of their exploring on their feet. Prague, Vienna, and Budapest also boast excellent, affordable, clean, and easy-to-use public transport networks. With Go Real Travel's custom itineraries, getting around with public transit becomes even easier, as our detailed travel directions take the guesswork out of navigation, incorporating guides on each city's public transit network and step-by-step guidance on public transit. We provide public transit tickets for Vienna. When you get there, you’ll have tickets ready to go for trams and the metro, so you can hop around town without thinking about it. In Prague and Budapest, you’ll just grab your own tickets as you go—our Mobile App points you to the easiest way (like the Prague PID app).

Vienna’s public transit system is one of the easiest in Europe—fast, clean, and reliable. Your passes are included in the trip, so you won’t need to stop at ticket machines or figure out the fare zones. Just validate them once and you’re free to hop on the metro, trams, or buses whenever you like. The Mobile App gives you step-by-step routes for getting to further out places like the Schönbrunn Palace or the wine village of Grinzing. Instead of stressing about whether you’re on the right line, you can just relax and ride like a local.

You won’t need one in Vienna, since your public transport tickets are already included—you’ll just validate them once and hop on trams, buses, or the metro whenever you like. In Prague, the PID Lítačka app is super handy for buying and activating tickets right on your phone in English, while in Budapest you can use their transport app if you prefer digital tickets. But don’t worry if you’re not an “apps person”—in both Prague and Budapest it’s easy to buy tickets from machines in metro stations or even directly on many trams.

Not at all—that’s the beauty of how the trip is designed. These cities can feel like mazes if you try to navigate blindly, but our Mobile App (or your printed itinerary if you prefer) gives you clear walking and transit directions. Want to soak in Széchenyi’s steaming outdoor pools? You’ll know exactly which metro line to take, which entrance to use, and even how to avoid the long ticket line. Heading up to Buda Castle? You’ll have detailed directions, plus background info that brings the walk to life. Instead of worrying about getting lost, you’ll feel free to wander and enjoy the experience. That’s the magic of travel when the logistics are already sorted.

Yes, both of those need to be reserved in advance. They’re two of the busiest attractions in Central Europe and can sell out. The Mobile App (or your printed itinerary) gives you the booking links and clear instructions on how to reserve, so you don’t have to hunt around on your own. We'll also send you an email reminder well in advance of your trip to book your Parliament tickets, and if you need help, you can always reach out to your travel consultant. Everything else on your trip is either pre-paid already or easy enough to purchase on site, although we will provide advice on booking ahead online to avoid lines.

That one’s optional. You’ll decide if you want to do it once you’re there—it’s super easy to buy tickets right at the dock or through the booking link we share in the Mobile App. Honestly, it’s one of the best ways to see the Hungarian Parliament lit up at night from the water.

The good news is that in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest you can pay by card almost everywhere—restaurants, shops, even some taxis. But you’ll occasionally run into spots that are cash only, like small cafés, pay-toilets, or market stalls. Keep some small change handy for the toilets and shopping carts (which require a deposit). Each country uses its own currency: Czech crowns (CZK) in Prague, euros (EUR) in Vienna, and Hungarian forints (HUF) in Budapest. So yes, you’ll want a little local cash in each city, but you don’t need to carry much. Before leaving home, be sure to let your bank know you will be traveling overseas so you can avoid your card getting declined.

Stick with ATMs from major banks once you’re in the city center. They’ll give you the fairest rates. Avoid changing cash on the street and skip the sketchy exchange shops. Airport ATMs can be okay if you’ve already exited into the arrivals hall, but don’t use the ones before security—they’re the worst for hidden fees. When the ATM asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of local currency, always choose local currency. The “special exchange rate” they offer is just a sneaky way for the bank to take a bigger cut. If you don't accept it, your money will be exchanged using that day's interbank exchange rate, which is the best rate you can get.

Tipping isn’t as big a deal here as it is in the U.S., but it’s still appreciated. In restaurants, it’s normal to round up the bill or add about 5–10% if you had good service. Don’t leave cash on the table, if your paying by cash, give money directly to the server and tell them the total you’d like to pay. If paying by card, tell them the total you'd like to pay including the tip. For instance, if your meal cost 92 euros, and you'd like to leave an 8 euro tip, just tell the server, "100 euros please". For taxis, rounding up a euro or two is fine. Hotel staff and café servers don’t expect much, but small change is always welcome. It’s not something to stress about—you’ll never offend by tipping a little extra, and locals won’t be shocked if you don’t.

Totally possible. Want to see Kutná Hora from Prague? Or Wachau Valley wine country from Vienna? You can tack it on—we’ll arrange transport and guides, or provide you with detailed directions so you can do the excursions on your own. With only 7 days you’d need to cut something else, but adding nights is easy.

No, Go Real Travel does not directly purchase flights for you. However, our team can assist by identifying the best flight options based on your itinerary, budget, and preferences. We'll provide personalized recommendations and send you a booking link to secure your flights directly.

Early check-in depends on the hotel and availability. Most hotels have a standard check-in time (typically 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM), but you can request it. Hotels may accommodate early arrivals if the rooms are available, but during the high season of travel, roughly April to September, this is often not possible. On the other hand, most hotels allow you to leave luggage before check-in or after check-out, typically at no extra cost. This is especially common in Europe, where hotels cater to travelers with flexible schedules.