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Pre-Cruise in Budapest/Post-Cruise in Prague: How Many Days Did You Stay?


Caligirl58
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We have booked Uniworld's Delightful Danube & Prague for next summer and will be booking our airline reservations soon. So we need to decide how many extra days we might want to allow in Budapest and Prague for some sightseeing above and beyond what our cruise excursions include. In Budapest, we embark on the afternoon of Day 1 and then have a full day of excursions on Day 2 before sailing that night. Theoretically, we could do a half-day of sightseeing on our own on Day 1 before we embark. If we allow another full day for touring/sight-seeing in addition (so 1 1/2 days on our own plus 1 day with the cruise excursion) would that be about the right amount of time - or too much? And for Prague, we disembark and transfer by motorcoach from Nuremberg to Prague on one day (not sure how much 'free time' we'll have in Prague that day) then have the next full day of excursions with Uniworld. The 'cruise' ends the next morning. Would adding one more full day in Prague be enough? Or two? Obviously, we can't see everything worth seeing in either city, but we'd like to hit the major highlights while we're there. Thank you for any recommendations!

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Last August, we spent 3 nights in Prague, pre-cruise. We had a blast, and felt we had sufficient time to see everything. We toured on-our-own and stayed close to town. We were able to walk, take cable cars, and arranged a morning out in a private antique car tour. ;) It took us to places that were not easily accessible by foot.

 

We would enjoy going back to Prague if we are able. Would probably stay another 2-3 nights.

 

BTW- We ran into some people in Prague that were on a river cruise excursion (not sure which line.) They complained of their hotel being too far away from everything. They said they had wished to be on-their-own, like we were, and not with a guided tour.

 

Our cruise ended with an overnight in Budapest. We flew out the afternoon of the end of the cruise. Yes, we probably could have used one more day to see all of the sights, but we were tired. We had also spent 4 days in Paris before Prague.

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Last August, we spent 3 nights in Prague, pre-cruise. We had a blast, and felt we had sufficient time to see everything. We toured on-our-own and stayed close to town. We were able to walk, take cable cars, and arranged a morning out in a private antique car tour. ;) It took us to places that were not easily accessible by foot.

 

We would enjoy going back to Prague if we are able. Would probably stay another 2-3 nights.

 

BTW- We ran into some people in Prague that were on a river cruise excursion (not sure which line.) They complained of their hotel being too far away from everything. They said they had wished to be on-their-own, like we were, and not with a guided tour.

 

Our cruise ended with an overnight in Budapest. We flew out the afternoon of the end of the cruise. Yes, we probably could have used one more day to see all of the sights, but we were tired. We had also spent 4 days in Paris before Prague.

 

 

Thank you - it sounds like we should consider adding at least one more day in Prague. I do worry about being tired, as it will be at the end of our cruise. I checked with Uniworld, and they have booked everyone at the Hotel Cosmopolitan for the two nights that are part of the cruise. From what I can tell, it is not too far from things. I did notice that reviews are mixed, so we may want to switch hotels for our extra time in Prague.

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Can't speak to Prague, having never been there, but I'd definitely recommend some time in Budapest. The cruise excursion - at least ours - tends to be the typical bus tour around the city with a few stops along the way. Not the same as really getting out on your own and choosing what you want to see in more depth. I'd say you could easily fill that 1.5 days and more. Pick up the current Rick Steeves book and you'll see what I mean. We added 2 extra days there following an Amsterdam-Budapest cruise and were so glad we did. Lots of neat things to see - wouldn't hesitate to go back since there is so much more we didn't get to do. For me, I have always found the pre or post-days, when it's just the two of us, to often be more enjoyable (and relaxing) then when we're with the whole group.

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Agree with grets! Have you looked into doing the pre/post as a DYI? If you are of good health and able to walk around, you should think about it. :) You'll save $$$, as well.

 

Thank you - it sounds like we should consider adding at least one more day in Prague. I do worry about being tired, as it will be at the end of our cruise. I checked with Uniworld, and they have booked everyone at the Hotel Cosmopolitan for the two nights that are part of the cruise. From what I can tell, it is not too far from things. I did notice that reviews are mixed, so we may want to switch hotels for our extra time in Prague.

 

According to Google maps, the Hotel Cosmopolitan is a 21 minute walk from The Charles Bridge. And a 32 minute walk from the Prague Castle. Of course, the Prague Castle is better reached by tram or car, rather than walking. ;) But walking back down from the castle into town is very nice and great exercise. Lots of nooks, shops, restaurants, and interesting buildings to see along the way. The Charles Bridge, however, is the happy place to be! Our hotel was at the foot of the bridge. Right in the thick of things, yet quiet at night. Lots going on there with beautiful views all around.

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We visited Prague a couple of years ago (not connected to a river cruise) and we stayed three nights. This was just enough, although if I had my time again I would have stayed for four.

 

I totally agree about being in the centre. We stayed at Hotel Leonardo which we loved and it was only a few minutes walk from the Charles Bridge. It was in a lovely quiet street yet so close to everything, especially the amazing cocktail bar The Hemingway, which was directly opposite.

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Just came back from the Enchanting Danube. WE did 2 nights in Budapest pre-cruse (on our own) and 4 nights in Prague I loved both cities and could have stayed in each longer. So much to see and do and EAT!

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We have booked Uniworld's Delightful Danube & Prague for next summer and will be booking our airline reservations soon. So we need to decide how many extra days we might want to allow in Budapest and Prague for some sightseeing above and beyond what our cruise excursions include. In Budapest, we embark on the afternoon of Day 1 and then have a full day of excursions on Day 2 before sailing that night. Theoretically, we could do a half-day of sightseeing on our own on Day 1 before we embark. If we allow another full day for touring/sight-seeing in addition (so 1 1/2 days on our own plus 1 day with the cruise excursion) would that be about the right amount of time - or too much? And for Prague, we disembark and transfer by motorcoach from Nuremberg to Prague on one day (not sure how much 'free time' we'll have in Prague that day) then have the next full day of excursions with Uniworld. The 'cruise' ends the next morning. Would adding one more full day in Prague be enough? Or two? Obviously, we can't see everything worth seeing in either city, but we'd like to hit the major highlights while we're there. Thank you for any recommendations!

 

RE: Budapest, we did exactly what you propose before our cruise in April 2016. We arrived Friday evening, had a little time then, spend Saturday on our own and Sunday morning, then embarked the ship mid-afternoon. We went out again Sunday afternoon, and we skipped the ship's tours on Monday to spend the whole day out on our own. It was pretty busy and we didn't get to everything we would have wanted to - but we did pretty well. If you want more details you can look at my trip report (link in signature). We could easily spend a few more days in Budapest - there is/was that much to see.

 

That said, 3 days isn't a bad amount of time and you won't feel like you missed everything. Just make sure you don't spend less time, as I think you'd feel too rushed and you'd miss too much. I would not have been satisfied to arrive on Sunday, do the bus tour on Monday, and then leave.

 

RE: Prague, we visited independently last May, not as part of a river cruise trip. We flew in direct from Kennedy, arriving on a Saturday morning, and we left on Tuesday morning. So we had the better part of 3 days. We needed that much time, and probably could finish our hit list with one more day there, though I'd happily go back to visit for more time.

 

They are both great cities and well worth the time and effort to visit. Both are easy to get around on your own and both have very useful public transport systems that can get you anywhere with ease. I won't get into which one is better because we enjoyed our time in each. If you are worried that you'll be too tired to enjoy Prague at the end of your river cruise, consider going there at another time.

 

PS - Four Seasons Gresham Palace in Budapest, and the Savic Hotel in Prague, were centrally located and served as great bases for us while we were there.

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Caligirl,

Assuming water levels will not be an issue next year, and you disembark in Nuremberg, it will be a 31/2 to 4 hour bus ride to Prague, with a 20 minute potty stop along the way. Arrive time in Prague will be between 12 and 1. So, yes, you will have all afternoon to explore on your own.

YouTube has a series of blogs called Honest guide to Prague. A young local guides you through hidden gems to places to avoid to scams to best beer, etc. Entertaining and educational.

If you have the time spend extra time in both Prague and Budapest !

Have a great trip!

RB

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Agree with grets! Have you looked into doing the pre/post as a DYI? If you are of good health and able to walk around, you should think about it. :) You'll save $$$, as well.

 

 

 

According to Google maps, the Hotel Cosmopolitan is a 21 minute walk from The Charles Bridge. And a 32 minute walk from the Prague Castle. Of course, the Prague Castle is better reached by tram or car, rather than walking. ;) But walking back down from the castle into town is very nice and great exercise. Lots of nooks, shops, restaurants, and interesting buildings to see along the way. The Charles Bridge, however, is the happy place to be! Our hotel was at the foot of the bridge. Right in the thick of things, yet quiet at night. Lots going on there with beautiful views all around.

 

Sorry I wasn't more clear. We are doing the pre/post extensions DIY - not thru Uniworld. But the cruise itself includes 2 nights in Prague with one full day of excursions. The cruising portion is from Budapest to Nuremberg - then we take a motorcoach to Prague. So our Uniworld fare includes two nights at the Hotel Cosmopolitan. (I assume that they would not refund that portion of our fare if we preferred to stay at a different hotel?) But we are open to switching hotels to something nicer, closer, etc. for our extension. Hope that makes more sense.

Thank you for mapping out the walking distances! We enjoy walking, so those don't bother us at all. And we will likely be trying to walk off a few pounds gained on the cruise!

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Sorry I wasn't more clear. We are doing the pre/post extensions DIY - not thru Uniworld. But the cruise itself includes 2 nights in Prague with one full day of excursions. The cruising portion is from Budapest to Nuremberg - then we take a motorcoach to Prague. So our Uniworld fare includes two nights at the Hotel Cosmopolitan. (I assume that they would not refund that portion of our fare if we preferred to stay at a different hotel?) But we are open to switching hotels to something nicer, closer, etc. for our extension. Hope that makes more sense.

Thank you for mapping out the walking distances! We enjoy walking, so those don't bother us at all. And we will likely be trying to walk off a few pounds gained on the cruise!

 

We stayed at the Intercontinental prior to shifting to our cruise line hotel.

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I would suggest a couple of days pre-cruise in Budapest. Make sure you get tickets for a tour of the Parliament building online before you go. It is amazing. In Budapest we stayed at the Sofitel, which was nice and located near the Chain Bridge.

In Prague, we stayed at the Old Town Hilton. The rooms were huge and the location could not have been better. Enjoy your cruise. We were on AmaWaterways and it was one of our favorites.

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We loved the Hotel Cosmopoltian. Great locations, rooms and staff (we upgraded our room). We also booked 2 extra nights there on our own through their website and got a great deal. I would also highly recommended the Taste of Prague food tour. It was fabulous. We did Uniworld's Jewish tour and the guide was fantastic

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We loved the Hotel Cosmopoltian. Great locations, rooms and staff (we upgraded our room). We also booked 2 extra nights there on our own through their website and got a great deal. I would also highly recommended the Taste of Prague food tour. It was fabulous. We did Uniworld's Jewish tour and the guide was fantastic

 

I'm so glad to know that your experience at the Cosmopolitan was good. I was a bit worried based on some of the reviews I read on Trip Advisor. We were considering a room upgrade, too. How did you arrange that?

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I would suggest a couple of days pre-cruise in Budapest. Make sure you get tickets for a tour of the Parliament building online before you go. It is amazing. In Budapest we stayed at the Sofitel, which was nice and located near the Chain Bridge.

In Prague, we stayed at the Old Town Hilton. The rooms were huge and the location could not have been better. Enjoy your cruise. We were on AmaWaterways and it was one of our favorites.

 

Thank you! I just received our Rick Steve's guidebooks for Budapest and Prague but haven't had time to start researching what we might want to see and do. I did not know that you could get Parliament tour tickets ahead of time - we will definitely do that.

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I would suggest a couple of days pre-cruise in Budapest. Make sure you get tickets for a tour of the Parliament building online before you go. It is amazing. In Budapest we stayed at the Sofitel, which was nice and located near the Chain Bridge.

In Prague, we stayed at the Old Town Hilton. The rooms were huge and the location could not have been better. Enjoy your cruise. We were on AmaWaterways and it was one of our favorites.

 

My first river cruise was on Uniworld, Budapest to Passau. My TA put together a pre-cruise pkg. for me in Budapest. Like Texasstar, I stayed at the Sofitel Chain Bridge, and highly recommend it. Nice breakfast buffet so you fill up before setting out on foot. The day I arrived my TA arranged a tour for me which was helpful in terms of getting the lay of the city and hitting the highlights. The next day I went back to some of the places that interested me, then headed to the ship later in the afternoon. We overnighted in Budapest, and the next day I took a walking tour of Budapest thru Uniworld. I felt I got a good feel for the city. My TA's pre-cruise pkg. was much less than Uniworld's.

 

To the OP, are you booking your flights thru the cruise line? I know the conventional wisdom here at Cruise Critic is to avoid cruise air, but I've found Uniworld's airfare to be so competitive I can't come close on my own. For example, this fall I'm flying Nashville to Basel and then Amsterdam back to Nashville - $661. Quelle bargain!

 

Roz

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My first river cruise was on Uniworld, Budapest to Passau. My TA put together a pre-cruise pkg. for me in Budapest. Like Texasstar, I stayed at the Sofitel Chain Bridge, and highly recommend it. Nice breakfast buffet so you fill up before setting out on foot. The day I arrived my TA arranged a tour for me which was helpful in terms of getting the lay of the city and hitting the highlights. The next day I went back to some of the places that interested me, then headed to the ship later in the afternoon. We overnighted in Budapest, and the next day I took a walking tour of Budapest thru Uniworld. I felt I got a good feel for the city. My TA's pre-cruise pkg. was much less than Uniworld's.

 

To the OP, are you booking your flights thru the cruise line? I know the conventional wisdom here at Cruise Critic is to avoid cruise air, but I've found Uniworld's airfare to be so competitive I can't come close on my own. For example, this fall I'm flying Nashville to Basel and then Amsterdam back to Nashville - $661. Quelle bargain!

 

Roz

 

Thank you for sharing your pre-cruise itinerary. The time you spent there and the touring you did are very similar to what we had in mind. We will also look at the Sofitel - a nice breakfast is always a bonus.

 

We have not yet booked our flights. The airlines just released their tickets this week for our travel dates, so we have just started to look at fares/schedules. We had just assumed that we would do better by booking ourselves, but based on your experience, we will first find out what Uniworld might be able to offer us. Thank you for that suggestion!

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Once you have researched the schedules and fares, and know exactly what suits you, do call up the cruise company and see if they can do better. They don't always have the same flights available from their discounters (or whatever you call their sources), but sometimes they can help.

Have fun planning!

RB

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Once you have researched the schedules and fares, and know exactly what suits you, do call up the cruise company and see if they can do better. They don't always have the same flights available from their discounters (or whatever you call their sources), but sometimes they can help.

Have fun planning!

RB

 

Thank you. I looked on Uniworld's website, and they have something called Custom Air Service. But it costs $95/person to have them book your reservations. I'm not sure if that is the same thing as Roz was talking about. I'm sure our TA would know - but she is out of town for the next week. So I'll probably call Uniworld myself and see what I can find out.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Random question .. maybe someone has some experience

debating between ending in Bucharest or Budapest. Opinions on preference?

 

thanks!

 

I debated on doing the entire journey (Amsterdam to Bucharest) but the dates / times just didn't suit me as well for the longer trip. Still, sometime I'd love to go the rest of the way. I communicated with several people who have gone all the way to the Black Sea. They said that part of the journey (Budapest to Bucharest) is somewhat different since you're really seeing ares that have not come along as far with regards to having emerged and developed following the fall of Communism...can't speak to the accuracy of this but I heard it more than once. So a bit more somber, less picturesque experience I imagine.

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