“This is spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The subject was St. Vitus’ Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece that had me wandering around, craning my neck, my mouth hanging open in awe. The speaker was a tourist from England, a country awash in Gothic masterpieces, which added weight to his views.
Outside, the sky was overcast, and the early December temps mimicked Chicago–30 to 40 degrees. Not exactly the kind of weather that lures vacationers to Europe. But that’s good, if you love a bargain, because winter’s cold weather brings cool deals to some terrific destinations.
Take our trip (please). My wife, Bonnie, and I spent three days in Prague and three days in equally splendid Budapest, Hungary. Our package included six nights of hotels, round-trip airfare from Chicago to Prague, round-trip air between Prague and Budapest, transfers between hotel and airport in both cities, a half-day tour in each city and continental breakfast each morning for–drum roll, please–just a smidge over $1,000 each.
The same trip next summer would be $1,403 apiece (and an extra $371 traveling singly).
Of course, it’s all of Europe that’s on sale every year from roughly November through March, though prices usually bump up a bit around Christmas and New Year’s.
So how do you find the deals and how do you know if you’re really getting a deal? That’s what we’re here to tell you.
Where to look
For starters, head over to www.smartertravel.com (formerly www.smarterliving.com) and www.frommers.com, and sign up for their e-mail newsletters, a good source of deals.
I also found tour companies specializing in the Czech Republic by visiting www.czechtourism.com. That’s where I discovered Summit International Travel (800-247-1142; www.summittours.com), which booked our trip.
Looking for tour companies on a country’s official tourism site can be a good approach because firms listed often have received special training on that country. And chances are a country’s official tourism site won’t be listing any shady tour operators. For contact info on other countries’ tourism offices, check out bancodeprofissionais.com/tourismoffices.
Through country tourism sites, you also can find links to city-specific sites, like www.pragueexperience.com and www.budapestinfo.hu/en.
For help in researching hotels, try www.tripadvisor.com, which has reviews of lots of hotels from tourists who have stayed there. And, there are links to other reviews and some hotel Web sites.
No Internet? Budget Travel magazine is packed with budget trips every issue. And even if you don’t see quite the trip you want, it will give you an idea of tour operators to check out.
Of course the ads in your friendly local newspaper’s Travel section should get a gander, and a travel agent may turn up some hot deals.
What’s the deal?
“Five-Day London From $299.” Wow! “Five-Day Paris From $389.” Let’s go!
But settle down. You need to read the details.
For example, in many foreign packages that list a “five-day” trip, Days 1 and 5 are transit days. And on Day 2, of course, you’re going to be semi-brain dead from jet lag.
Also, a New York departure is common for many deals, so you’ll probably have to pay an air add-on from Chicago. And taxes and fees. And, oh, by the way, do you want a hotel upgrade?
And are transfers included? (This isn’t necessarily an issue somewhere like London, where it’s simple to take the Underground from the airport to the city. Though Prague and Budapest have great public transit systems, you may not want to wrestle your luggage on the bus.)
Our package, which, to the credit of Summit International, was listed as three nights each in Prague and Budapest rather than a bogus “eight-day” package, started out at $752 a person. The air add-on from Chicago was a modest $96 (including an extra $14 well spent to avoid flying to New York’s JFK by way of Atlanta), and the $165 in taxes and security fees pushed it to $1,013. Single supplement would add $277.
Is it a deal?
No doubt about it. Particularly for a trip of this complexity.
Sure, if you just want to hop over to London for a few days or a week on the cheap, you might be able to do it yourself cheaper than a tour company that has deals with airlines and hotels at prices you’ll probably never see. But our trip included getting between Prague and Budapest, so a separate flight booking was involved. Or a train trip that, while no doubt interesting, would have eaten up the better part of a day.
The day I booked our packages, I went online to price the individual pieces. Just round-trip air, on the exact same Delta and Czech Airlines flights we flew from Chicago to JFK to Prague, was $800 each. Add on the Prague to Budapest flights and the hotels, and the total would have been just more than $1,500 each. (You can buy a whole lot of goulash with that extra $500.) And that was with no tours and no transfers.
Q&A
You have read something about the country you want to visit, haven’t you? No? Shame on you. Get down to the bookstore and buy a decent guidebook with a map of the sights. It’ll help when you ask the questions you need to ask before you book your trip? Like:
How far is the hotel from major attractions, like Old Town Square in Prague and Vorosmarty Square in Budapest? When I was researching trips, I found one package whose cheapest option included a Prague hotel that was in the suburbs, not the city proper.
Do hotels have elevators? Schlepping your own luggage (very possible in budget hotels) is a consideration here, as well as mobility issues for some travelers. Our Budapest hotel, the Ibis Centrum, is relatively new and has two large elevators. By contrast, our Prague digs, the City Centre, provided a decent, basic accommodation, but the typically European tiny elevator made stops only at landings between floors, so you have to go up or down 14 steps to get to your floor.
If city tours are part of the package, can you choose their scheduling? Both of our city tours were on the morning of our second day in each city. In retrospect, a tour sometime during the first day would have been better because it helps you learn the lay of the land and gives you an idea of which sights you’d like to explore in depth later. (Three days, by the way, aren’t enough to do justice to either of these cities.)
If transfers aren’t part of the package, can the tour operator arrange them or give suggestions? Some tour operators employ reservationists who are little more than order takers, with no deep knowledge of a given destination. On the other hand, Peter Dytrych, who handled our booking through Summit International, was very knowledgeable about both Prague and Budapest, the hotels and getting around. And, as an added bonus, he didn’t try to talk me into upgrading to more expensive accommodations.
The good and the (sorta) bad
The words cheap and shoddy often go hand-in-hand. But they don’t have to. Our Prague-Budapest package was indeed cheap, but by no means shoddy. Accommodations were modest, but certainly quite satisfactory and well located. Transfers (four in all) were always where and when they were scheduled.
For our morning tour in Prague, we had been told by the tour rep at Prague Airport that we were to meet our tour guide at Republiky Square, a block from our hotel. We had trouble finding our tour, and by the time we found the right kiosk across the street, the tour had left. But we were quickly switched to a later tour.
Our Budapest to Prague trip on the return was delayed by fog, which meant we missed our flight to JFK, and had to stay an extra day in Prague. But Czech Airlines, with no pressure from us, put us and others up at a very, very nice hotel, and gave us dinner and breakfast.
So, a couple minor inconveniences, but hardly a trip spoiler. Nothing to ruin memories of a grand trip, to two grand cities, at a grand price.
IF YOU GO
A guide to Prague and Budapest
Temperatures may be colder and skies may be grayer, but a winter visit to Prague and Budapest has no fewer WOW moments than a visit during more climate-friendly times.
The view of Prague’s ancient St. Vitus’ Cathedral, whether seen from the inside or outside, is guaranteed to stop you in your tracks. Ditto for Budapest’s only slightly less spectacular Matthias Church.
These are cities, both situated on major rivers, whose history dates back centuries before Columbus ever set foot in the New World. The years have been kinder to Prague than Budaest. Despite World War II and Communist occupation, the capital of the Czech Republic is awash in buildings dating from as far back as the 11th or 12th Century.
A variety of wars and invasions over the centuries reduced the number of ancient structures in Budapest. But reconstructions and the building frenzy linked to the Hungarian Millennium celebration of 1896 mean fans of architectural gems won’t be disappointed.
Want something more than ancient buildings and history? Ethnic dining, upscale and downscale shopping, highbrow and lowbrow culture, and tons of crafts can fill your days and nights in both cities.
GETTING AROUND
Both cities are very walkable, though be prepared for lots of picturesque cobbestone streets. And be prepared for getting lost (or maybe disoriented is a better word). Even though I usually have a decent sense of direction and was carrying a good map, I still found myself getting turned around in the meandering streets of Prague’s Old Town. You’ll also find that most signs identifying major tourist sites aren’t in English, in either city.
Prague
The Vltava River divides the city of about 1.2 million people, with the major tourist areas of the Old Town (Stare Mesto), Jewish Quarter (Josefov) and New Town (Nove Mesto) on the east side, and the Castle District (Hradcany) and Lesser Quarter (Mala Strana) on the west.
Walking is the best way to sample the city, but a good, clean public transit system of buses, trams and subways is cheap and efficient. A single trip ticket is about 35 cents, with a ticket good for transfers, too, being about 50 cents.
To navigate, we used “Streetwise Prague,” a good laminated map that identifies some sights in English, and some in English and Czech. Shows transit routes.
Budapest
The Danube River divides the ancient cities of Buda and Pest, which make up the city of about 2 million. The Castle Hill (Varhegy) dominates the Buda side, on the west, while Pest on the east side is home to tourist sites like the Central Market Hall (Vasarcsarnok), St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika) and the City Park (Varosliget).
Walking also is the best way to sample the sights, sounds and smells of this city, but good buses, trams and subways will get you where you want to go for about 80 cents for a single ride or about $1.35 for a ride with transfers.
Lonely Planet’s Budapest city map is laminated and identifies more sights than you’ll ever have time to visit, though most are listed only in English.
DON’T MISS
Way too much to see in either of these cities in just three days. Here are some highlights, but you’ll cheat yourself if you become a slave to a guidebook and list. Reserve some time for just wandering.
Prague
Old Town Square (Staromestke Namesti): This is the big kahuna of Prague sights, so it’s no surprise that it’s overrun by tourists, even in the winter. Despite temps in the 30s when we were there, people were chowing down and tossing back Czech beers in heated outdoor dining pavilions. The massive Church of the Virgin Mary Before Tyn (Kostel Panny Marie pred Tynem), with its twin black towers that were added in the 15th Century, dominates. Adding flavor are the likes of the pastel Kinsky Palace (Palac Kinskych), built in 1765, and Old Town Hall (Staromestka Radnice), which draws hordes of tourists as each new hour approaches to view the amazing mechanical figures of the astronomical clock.
Charles Bridge (Karluv Most): The city’s most famous bridge is only a 10-minute walk from Old Town Square. Once across it, you’re in the Lesser Quarter, and within (uphill) walking distance of the Castle Area. The pedestrian-only span, from the 14th Century, is lined with statues that, as daylight fades, are silhouetted against the golden glow of the hilltop palace and St. Vitus’ Cathedral on the west side. Below, tour boats cruise the river as artists pack up their paintings, photos and woodcuts, and call it a day.
Church of St. Nicholas (Chram Svateho Mikulase): Not to be confused with the church of the same name on Old Town Square, this gem from the 18th Century will get you warmed up for St. Vitus’ Cathedral up on the hill. Soaring spaces, arresting statuary and brightly colored paintings are everywhere. Stunning.
St. Vitus’ Cathedral (Chram Svateho Vita): Even if you know nothing about architecture, the word Gothic will smack you in the face when you step from a passageway into the daylight and first see this massive building. Even a non-churchgoing heathen will get religion just by stepping inside. Arches everywhere. An incredible vaulted ceiling that seems to stretch forever. Stained glass and stained glass and stained glass. And more arches. Dazzlingly wonderful.
Jewish Quarter: Much to see here, some of it sobering: In one section of the Pinkas Synagogue (Pinkasova Synagoga), the walls are covered with the names of nearly 80,000 Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. In the Old Jewish Cemetery (Stary Zidovsky Hrbitov) roughly 12,000 gravestones litter the ground, jutting out every which way, as a result of graves having to be layered in the confined space over the centuries. Signs in the cemetery and some synagogues ask you to not take photos, and for men to cover their heads out of respect (paper yarmulkes are supplied). Don’t be a jerk, as far too many tourists of many nationalities are.
St. Jacob Church (Kostel Svateho Jakuba): Just a few blocks off Old Town Square, we shared this stately old church with just one man. Our footsteps echoed off the distant domed ceiling as we peered through the muted light at wonderful old statuary and paintings.
BUDAPEST
Central City Market: Cauliflower, mandarin oranges, huge heads of cabbage, huge carrots, yellow peppers, sweet and hot paprika, paprika peppers, sausages galore, suckling pigs hanging up, suckling pigs lying down, pig’s feet. And there was more here at our first outing in Budapest. This is where the people of the city come to shop, at stalls that sprawl across the ground floor of a huge old building near the river, and just a few blocks from our hotel on the Pest side. It’s a fun place to just wander around. On the second floor, there are stalls selling the kinds of things tourists like: embroidered clothing, painted ceramics, T-shirts, Matrushka dolls–from the traditional to those of Michael Jordan and Elvis. And if you’re hungry from what you saw downstairs, pop into the Fakanal Etterem restaurant, get a huge bowl of goulash soup and sit on a picnic bench while you listen to the violinist serenade the room. (Don’t forget to leave him 100 forints or so.)
City Park: When was the last time you were in a city that had its own circus? Probably never. The Municipal Grand Circus (Fovarosi Nagycirkusz), one of the many attractions of the park, is a permanent building that has regular performances by local acts, as well as traveling acts. We (along with hundreds of enthusiastic kids) were delighted by an afternoon performance of a Chinese circus troupe. Our seats, the priciest in the house, cost us slightly more than $18 total. The park also is home to the recently reworked Budapest Zoo (Budapesti Allatkert), which is nicely done and includes one indoor exhibit populated by tiny, fist-size monkeys that are on the loose. The park area includes a wealth of other attractions too.
Mineral Baths: When in Budapest, do as the Budapestians. And that means, go take a soak. There are hundreds of hot springs bubbling up around this country. And Budapest alone has more than a dozen historic medicinal bath complexes. The Szechenyi Baths (Szechenyi Furdo), in the City Park, are Europe’s largest medicinal bathing complex and recently have been refurbished. Though Szechenyi is cheaper, we did our soak at the Gellert Hotel and Thermal Baths (Gellert Szalloda es Thermal Furdo), which was a less-than-15-minute walk across the river from our hotel. Though we had to pay an initial deposit of about $75 for the two electronic cards that got us into the baths, the money returned when we left brought the price of our soak down to about $27 total. At the Gellert, there is a large indoor pool whose waters aren’t heated, and at the end of the pool a smaller pool with hot water to soak in, populated mostly by old Hungarians. Various spa treatments are available for additional charges. The Gellert’s Art-Deco-looking adornments are worth the trip alone.
Matthias Church (Matyas Templom): How did they build all these huge, gorgeous churches so many years ago? On the Buda side of the Danube, on Castle Hill, is this spectacular survivor of the wars, invasions, etc. The steeple, highest point on the hill, was added in the 15th Century to a 13th Century chapel. And its history includes a stint as a mosque after the Turks came visiting. Another WOW spot.
Vaci Utca: This is where to satiate your inner shopper. The north sections of this street on the Pest side of town are lined with lots and lots of designer shops. And on a winter’s day (or night) Cafe Anna is a nice spot to stop in for coffee, tea or a hot mug of grog or mulled wine. For less upscale but, I thought, more interesting shopping, the southern area of Vaci Utca has lots of interesting antique and crafts shops.
Andrassy Utca: This mansion-lined street leads from the vicinity of St. Stephen’s Basilica (don’t miss it either) to the City Park and includes such sites as the Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Allami Operahaz), the Drechsler Palace (Drechsler Kastely) across the street, the Franz Liszt Memorial Museum (Liszt Ferenc Emlekmuzeum) and the Postal Museum (Postamuzeum). You can walk the entire 2 1/2-mile route to the park or get to specific sights using what was the first underground railway on the Continent, the funky little Foldalatti, which is probably as much a tourist attraction as anything else in the city.
LODGING
I don’t spend much time in my hotel room, especially in an exotic location. So spending big bucks for lodging isn’t high on my list. Location is. Our hotels, both rated three stars out of five, were close to major sights and to public transportation. They were basic lodging–no restaurants or crystal chandeliers–and inexpensive, as opposed to cheap. Both rooms were modest in size, but not tiny, like many cheaper European hotels. And they were well lighted and well-kept. At the Ibis Centrum in Budapest, we even had a choice of a smoking or non-smoking room. Our tour company–and most you’ll run across in the budget tour market–also offered 13 other hotels in Prague and six in Budapest, all the way up to five-star properties located the same places as the cheaper hotels, but with more amenities. So they’re there if you want them, but, then, there goes your budget trip.
DINING
Lots of goulashes, schnitzels and paprika-laden dishes among the good, but heavy, foods in both countries. But, there’s no lack of lighter or more inventive fare, too, as well as burgers and pizzas (I had one in Budapest with Hungarian sausages and hot paprika sauce on it). In both cities, it’s common to find menus (in the local language and English) posted outside restaurants. That’s how we picked the places we ate, and never lacked for a huge selection (and never had a terrible meal). Restaurant prices in Prague lean more toward what you might find in Chicago. In Budapest, expect to pay probably 25 percent less. You’ll also find that some Prague restaurants (and not fancy ones) like to slap a small cover charge on the bill.
TOURS
If your trip doesn’t come with a tour, or you want more, both cities have plenty, ranging from major sights to ghost tours. You’ll find lots of brochures at hotels, or ask at your hotel front desk. At Budapest’s Ibis Centrum, for example, I asked Albert at the front desk about the circus, and he called and found out who was performing, as well as performance times and costs, then showed our public transit options for getting there.
CITY CARDS–YAY OR NAY?
Both places have city cards that will give you three days of admissions to many major tourist attractions, with the option of adding on unlimited public transit use. We bought the full Prague Cards for about $35 each, but barely used them because we walked nearly everywhere and didn’t go many places that charged admission (and at the Church of St. Nicholas, where we tried to use them, they weren’t accepted). Also, the various sites in the Jewish Quarter aren’t covered by the Prague Card, so we paid about $45 for two passes that got us in to all of the sites there. As a result, we passed on a three-day Budapest Card covering transit and various admissions, which would have been about $30 each.
CONCERTS
No, not rock concerts. These are two cities that have deep roots in classical music. And you don’t have to look far to find it. Yes, there are fancy-schmancy concert halls. But you’ll also find lots of small-group performances at churches and other venues. For some cheap culture, look for notices on doorways or fliers being handed out at places where tourists gather.
PRACTICALITIES
Money: Both Hungary and the Czech Republic joined the European Union in 2004, but haven’t switched to the euro yet. The Hungarian forint is worth about a half-cent U.S., while the Czech koruna, or crown, is worth about 4 cents. ATMs are all over the place, and are the simplest way to exchange money as well as getting you probably the best exchange rate.
Language: English is widely spoken in the touristy areas of both cities, though our experience found people in Prague to have a better understanding of English speakers.
Time: Both cities are seven hours ahead of the Central time zone.
Passports: Yes, you need them for both countries. No, you don’t need any special visas.
Museums: Most museums in both countries are closed on Mondays.
TOURST INFO CENTERS
A tourist office is located on Old Town Square in Prague, and in Budapest there is one near the Deak Ferenc Square (Deak Ference Ter) Metro stop. Among brochures available are city transit maps.
REFERENCE BOOKS AND MAPS
In addition to the city maps already mentioned, we used Fodor’s “Prague and Budapest” as our main reference, but don’t forget to get your nose out of your guidebook and look around.
FAVORITE TOWN?
Tough call. Prague wins hands down in the number of existing historic buildings, and they’re terrific. But, I think I liked Budapest better because it felt less touristy. But why pick when you can have both?
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Hot winter deals to Europe
The Deal:
Prague-Budapest Package from Summit International Travel (800-247-1142; www.summittours.com): from $752*
Includes:
– Round-trip air New York/Prague
– Six nights hotel, City Centre (Prague), Ibis Centrum (Budapest)
– Round-trip air Prague/Budapest
– Airport/hotel/airport transfers both cities
– Daily buffet breakfast
– Half-day city tour each city
PRICE FROM CHICAGO W/ALL TAXES, FEES:
$1,013 double
$1,290 single
The Deal:
Best Buy London from OffPeakTraveler.com (www.offpeaktraveler.com): from $379, good through March
Includes:
– Round-trip air New York/London
– Six nights hotel, Mina House Hotel
– Daily continental breakfast
PRICE FROM CHICAGO W/ALL TAXES, FEES:
$740.50 double
$940.50 single
The Deal:
8-Day Paris Value Vacation from Gate1 Travel (800-682-3333; www.gate1travel.com): from $369 (cash discount price), good through Feb. 19
Includes:
– Round-trip air New York/Paris
– Six nights hotel, Kyriad Bercy Village
– Daily continental breakfast
PRICE FROM CHICAGO W/ALL TAXES, FEES:
$590 double (check); $608 (credit card)
$771 single (check); $789 (credit card)
The Deal:
Rome Special from Go-Today.com (800-227-3235; www.gotoday.com), from $499; good through March 8
Includes:
– Round-trip air New York/Rome
– Six nights hotel, Tempio di Pallade Hotel
– Daily continental breakfast
PRICE FROM CHICAGO W/ALL TAXES, FEES:
$818 double
$1,018 single
* This is the package detailed in story; all others based on hypothetital departure date in mid-February
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E-mail Phil Marty: pamarty@tribune.com
