You'll see some wonderful places!

I think we need to know more about your interests if we are to help you fine tune your plans.

The amount of time in Budapest seems about right, as well as Prague. We spent 5 days in Vienna on a trip similar to yours, and instead of going to Bratislava, we rented a car and drove west to the Wachau Valley - wine region and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was a lovely day trip - we started in Krems and drove along the Danube River, ending up at Melk and the famous Melk Abbey. What made is especially nice is that we'd been in cities the whole trip, so we enjoyed being out in the countryside. We also saw the excavation site for the Venus of Willendorf fertility figurine (she's on display in Vienna's natural history museum in a special pavilion). Just a thought.

If you want to get out of the city into the Czech countryside while in Prague, consider a day trip to Cesky Krumlov (another UNESCO World Heritage site). Quaint town surrounded on 3 sides by the Vltava River (same one that runs through Prague). It's 2.5 hours one way. We hired a private car service for the day ($200 approx. USD, 9-10 hours total)and also stopped in Cesky Budejovice where the Budweiser plant is located. Car service was through Mike at www.mike-chauffeur.cz. You can arrange for a private tour guide upon arrival but we didn't use one and thought our Eyewitness Travel guidebook was perfectly fine for seeing the main sites.

Here is where we ended up staying and what we thought:
- Budapest: Hotel Palazzo Zichy (http://www.hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu/): Located outside the main heart of the city, we loved this hotel nonetheless. Was a short walk from the metro station so easy to get to from the airport (airport->bus->metro). And we left on the railroad which was also easy to reach by walking from the hotel. Meant a good walk every morning/evening but we like that a lot so was not an issue for us. Was only 10 minutes or so from the Grand Market. Hotel overlooks a quaint little plaza and there are a number of cafes close by that are not tourist-targeted and are mainly inhabited by locals. Room was spacious (we were on the 0th floor, overlooking the plaza) and clean. Loved the unlimited free bottles of water available during the day -- we stocked up on those in the morning since we needed them all day during the walks outside in the Budapest heat. Breakfast was fairly standard but had a good selection. Definitely recommend.

- Vienna: Hotel Beethoven Wien (http://www.hotel-beethoven.at/home.php?lang=en): Another hotel where loved the location. Right next to the Naschmarkt with all of its food and restaurants. A short (10 minute) walk from the opera house and the museum ring. Room was again clean and spacious. Best breakfast we had on the trip (although they were all pretty similar). Short walk to the metro station. Definitely recommend.

- Bratislava: Mercure Centrum Bratislava (http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-6840-mercure-bratislava-centrum-hotel/index.shtml): Our least favorite hotel on this trip. Location was ok. Located at the bottom of the hill from the train station so easy to reach. A little bit away from the center of old town and the castle but again a nice walk that we enjoyed. Main issue with the hotel was the somewhat odd room set-up. The shower is basically in the center of the room and is completely visible throughout the room. You can draw a blind to cover one side from the beds but while you are showering you are still visible to people walking around the room and are looking at yourself in the mirror too. Additionally, the height of the tub caused us problems as there is no handle to grab a hold off and so it is a little problematic to get out. I was ok but my wife slipped getting out one day leaving a deep bruise. Breakfast was ok. Probably would not return here.

- Prague: Hilton Prague Old Town (http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/czech-republic/hilton-prague-old-town-PRGOTHI/index.html): We ended by using some points for a free stay. Nothing surprising, which is a good thing, for a Hilton. Was upgraded to the executive floor, so had a very spacious room. The executive lounge was well stocked (especially with liquor...) although the breakfast selection was fairly limited on warm foods. Easy walk from the rail station and to the walking streets in town. Did need a shuttle to get to the airport. Good choice.

thanks for posting your reviews, I'm looking at the exact same trip but during the winter holiday. We'll be in apartments with friends in Prague and Vienna but in hotels in Budapest and Bratislava. I was just looking at Zichy today. How far is the walk? We don't mind walking but in the cold of winter we need to take weather into consideration.

15-20 minutes walking to St. Stephen's.
10 minutes to the market.
But we had to deal with heat not cold.

Thoughts on some of the food experiences we had on the trip:

- Best meal: zum schwarzen kameel (http://www.kameel.at/) -- Vienna. Had lunch in the main restaurant here (and we didn't have reservations as it was a spur of the moment choice). I had the prix fixe lunch (3 courses -- salad, main course, dessert). She had a main course + dessert. Food was unbelievable fresh, light, and perfectly cooked. Was a great alternative to the typical heavy fare but also was just plain awesome. One of the three best meals we have had anywhere in the world in the past year (the other two were Sage in Las Vegas and Castagna in Portland, Oregon).

- Most interesting experience: Faust Wine Cellar (Budapest). My wife booked us a visit as she thought I would enjoy it. I was skeptical that it would be interesting. I was wrong and she was right. Located in the cellar of the Hilton by the castle, this was a very positive experience. The sommelier is both very knowledgable and extremely engaging. They provided a great mix of Hungarian white and red wines. The red wines in particular were eye-opening to me in how good they were. Definitely recommend (much to my surprise).

- Most unexpected: The prevalence of interesting flavors of lemonades across the trip was not something I had read about. But they tended to be excellent refreshers for the hot days. Favorite was at a place in Bratislava that had a basil ginger lemonade.

thanks for this pittsburg!

Bratislava: Mercure Centrum Bratislava (http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-6840-mercure-bratislava-centrum-hotel/index.shtml): Our least favorite hotel on this trip. >>

try the Hotel Marols' . [yes, weird apostrophe, i know, but don't hold that against it!]

we stayed a night there after landing at Ryanair's Vienna airport - that's right, Bratislava. we weren't really expecting much, but we were really pleased with it. lovely room, free computer in the room and free minibar, welcome drink, great breakfast, bathrobes and slippers [I've still got mine! - the slippers that it, not the bathrobe] , great breakfast, all for €100 for a double room.

it's down by the river so not exactly central but only 5-10 mins walk to the centre.

if you're interested, Bratislava is full of sushi restaurants, and has a renouned opera house.

They mix beer with lemonade. It's called a "Radler" - a marvelous drink, odd as the mixture sounds.

Speaking of opera, we caught Carmen at the Prague State Opera. Wonderful place to see an opera. Was surprised that it was not filled to capacity. But a great experience and much easier than catching one in Vienna.

just booked Zichy and am checking out Marols'. Looks like you had a special deal with your free slippers and all (listed on the site) but the hotel looks lovely. thanks again for the help!

stormy - i had originally booked through expedia [did you see that they have made it their top hotel in the world for 2012? !!!] but about 2 weeks before i checked the prices and got a better deal through the hotel website. i just booked B&B in a standard room!

if you are interested in using the hydrofoil to get to Bratislava rather than the train, it stops about 5 mins walk from the Marols' [and leaves from a quay near the Schwedenplatz in Vienna, if I remember rightly]. takes about an hour.

Dear Fodorites, As usual you give the best information! my husband and I are wrapping land travel around a river cruise next May so now researching where to go, how to get there and where to stay/dine. These responses are very helpful to us too.

Booked at Marols' also - thru their site for a great price. And will be taking the hydrofoil to Vienna. This has been a great thread for info!

investigate the European East Railpass that would cover all the trains outlined and allow you to just show up and hop on - go first class IMO as there are always IME empty seats and wider seats, more room for luggage, etc. and the pass is not that much more in 1st class than 2nd class. Full flexibility - no need to book unchangeable tickets far in advance, etc.

Sources for great info on trains in those countries and passes as well - http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id6.html; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com.