Avalon: Budapest to Prague Questions

[MSEm]

I will be on the Avalon Budapest to Prague itiniary in late June 2008.

 

I have several questions:

1. ATM's Were ATM's easy to find. Was there an ATM in the hotel?

2. How full are the buses for the tours? How many people to each bus?

3. I need suggest optional tours for Budapest.

4. I need suggestion for optional tours in Prague.

5. Any good places to eat near the Budapest and Prague hotels?

 

Any other information or hints for this River cruises.

 

Thanks,

Emily

[gas]

We did this trip 2 years ago. There is an ATM at the Budapest airport as well as the hotel. The only option we did in Budapest was the Horse Show and honestly it wasn't worth it. We used it as a time filler after check out. We found many places to eat around the hotel, many on the river. In Prague, we used the ATM at the hotel, and found a great place to eat 2 blocks away. It's called Lion something. We ate there twice it was so good. As far as options in Prague, we did the Jewish Cemetary and Terezin Camp, both well worth it. We did not do Salzburg, having been there before. It was great to relax on the ship and walk around the town. The longest bus trip was from Nuremberg to Prague. It was not at all crowed. They had several busses at all stops, color coded so you were with the same group on every bus ride. We loved this trip and Avalon. Enjoy!!!

[MSEm]

GAS- Thanks for the reply,

 

I will be planning to get currancy from the ATM's.

We though about skipping to the trip to Salzberg and staying in Lentz for the day. We have been to Salzberg. I remember we toured but me best memory is touring the salt mine near Salzberg. Hopefully I can plan a trip with several day stay in Salzberg.

 

MSEm

[agabbymama]

I will be on the Avalon Budapest to Prague itiniary in late June 2008.

 

I have several questions:

1. ATM's Were ATM's easy to find. Was there an ATM in the hotel?

2. How full are the buses for the tours? How many people to each bus?

3. I need suggest optional tours for Budapest.

4. I need suggestion for optional tours in Prague.

5. Any good places to eat near the Budapest and Prague hotels?

 

Any other information or hints for this River cruises.

 

Thanks,

Emily

 

Emily,

 

I've been to Hungary twice, not on a cruise, just a land tour. This is the link to the English speaking tour guide I hired. Her website has so much info. Gives you photos as well.

 

http://www.tourguide.hu/review.htm

 

I ended up spending some part of every day I was there with Agnes.

 

Have a great trip!

[WIT]

I will be on the Avalon Budapest to Prague itiniary in late June 2008.

 

I have several questions:

1. ATM's Were ATM's easy to find. Was there an ATM in the hotel?

2. How full are the buses for the tours? How many people to each bus?

3. I need suggest optional tours for Budapest.

4. I need suggestion for optional tours in Prague.

5. Any good places to eat near the Budapest and Prague hotels?

 

Any other information or hints for this River cruises.

 

Thanks,

Emily

Emily - Which hotel in Budapest? The commercial/shopping areas in both towns have plenty of ATMs - your concierge will direct you.

 

Arriving a day early for our '06 Budapest->Prague Christmas Markets cruise, about 20 of us did a bus tour of Danube Bend area towns North of Budapest. Magyar culture is different than the rest of Europe - this day tour helped us appreciate those differences.

 

We also started in Budapest last October to cruise the rest of the Danube East to the Black Sea. We enjoyed or second visit - you can read the entire posting in my Budapest -> Istanbul a bit farther down the first page of the River Cruise Forum. Photos of both cruises starting Budapest are at:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/billwitowski

 

Cieske Krumlov outside Prague is the best preserved medieval town in all of Europe. We toured it for 1/2 day on our way into Prague (you debark in Nuremberg and bus or train the rest of the way).

 

WIT

[MSEm]

I know my cell phone will work in Germany.

Will my cell phone work in Budapest and Prague and along the rivers?

 

Tipping: Did you tip the river vessel crew, tour escort, and/or bus drivers?

 

Thanks,

Emily

[MSEm]

I know we will plan to arrive in Budapest 1 day early. Should I make it 2 days early?

 

Also should I plan on staying 1 extra day in Prague. We will have 2 full days and 1 evening.

 

WIT: Was the visit to the village part of the regular bus trip from Nurmeberg to Prague? How long was the bus trip?

 

Thanks,

Emily

[orchestrapal]

If you enjoy the arts, by all means arrive at least two days early in Budapest. It's worth it.

Three days in Prague should give you enough time as the city is not very large.:)

[WIT]

I know we will plan to arrive in Budapest 1 day early. Should I make it 2 days early?

 

Also should I plan on staying 1 extra day in Prague. We will have 2 full days and 1 evening.

 

WIT: Was the visit to the village part of the regular bus trip from Nurmeberg to Prague? How long was the bus trip?

 

Thanks,

Emily

Emily - Strolling Andrassy (upscale shopping) plus Vaci Utca (pedestrian only shopping and dining) all the way down to Great Market Hall could easily consume a day. Margaret Island in the Danube is a huge city park explorable by foot, bike, or golf cart. The hilly Buda side has catacombs with various tours. If you are considering 'taking the waters' as locals put it, the Szechenyi outdoor baths are much more fun than the touristy Gellert indoor baths. A half day will cost under $10US. The baths are one of the stops on the M1 line that runs under Andrassy.

 

The State Opera house is also a stop on the M1. A great bargain but one must book seats a few months early online as they always sell out.

 

Our Amadeus tour bussed for a half day into Prague. Cieske Krumlov was a planned stop.

WIT

[MSEm]

We will have 2 pre-days in Budapest.

WIT: We are plannng on the Danube Bend area tour and also the Market Hall.

I thnk is will be fun to check out the land side of the Danube that we will just be "sailing" by.

 

We have done a tour of Salzberg before so we may skip the trip to Salzberg and just check out the smaller towns. I think the Artistry will dock in Linz to off load guest for the Salzberg trip and then will travel to Passau where the group will rejoin the River vessel. Is that correct?

 

Luggage question. We often travel with 1 checked bag each, 1 roll-on carryon and then our backpackts. (That a total of 2 checked, 1 roll-on and 2 small day packs) We will have any problem getting out roll-on under the bus?

 

Budapest: On day we board. When do we check out of the hotel and when does the river vessel leave the dock?

 

Any other hints or suggestions?

 

We will depart Prague on the schuduled departure day. That will get us home on night of July 2 or during the day on July 3.

 

Thanks for all the great info.

Emily

[WIT]

We will have 2 pre-days in Budapest.

WIT: We are plannng on the Danube Bend area tour and also the Market Hall.

I thnk is will be fun to check out the land side of the Danube that we will just be "sailing" by.

 

We have done a tour of Salzberg before so we may skip the trip to Salzberg and just check out the smaller towns. I think the Artistry will dock in Linz to off load guest for the Salzberg trip and then will travel to Passau where the group will rejoin the River vessel. Is that correct?

 

Luggage question. We often travel with 1 checked bag each, 1 roll-on carryon and then our backpackts. (That a total of 2 checked, 1 roll-on and 2 small day packs) We will have any problem getting out roll-on under the bus?

 

Budapest: On day we board. When do we check out of the hotel and when does the river vessel leave the dock?

 

Any other hints or suggestions?

 

We will depart Prague on the schuduled departure day. That will get us home on night of July 2 or during the day on July 3.

 

Thanks for all the great info.

Emily

Emily - We have departed Budapest twice with Amadeus. On Christmas Markets '06 we checked out of the hotel after breakfast & bussed through part of the Danube Bend (but not Szentendre, the main attraction). The boat met us somewhere on the Danube Bend. On Black Sea Discovery '07 we also checked out after breakfast and then bussed into the Hungarian countryside for a Puszta horsemanship show, then returned to board the boat in Budapest which remained docked until after dinner to allow an illumination tour of Budapest.

 

Your carry-on must be able to fit in the (smaller-than-airline) bus storage overhead space. Our last cruise had a gal onboard who brought three checked suitcases. I'm not sure if there was any extra charge - I'd check with Amadeus on that.