Eastern Europe is one of my favorite European vacation spots of all time -- giving the "Old World" charm with cobblestone streets, castles, cathedrals and original architecture. Depending on the amount of time allowed, I recommend 3 nights in each city, just enough to comfortably explore each city without feeling rushed. Choose from Prague, Vienna and/or Budapest.

I first explored Prague and Vienna during my annual Thanksgiving trip in 2000 with my partner, Bob and our friend Charlene. This was Bob's first trip to Europe while Charlene traveled with me the prior year to Ireland, so she was seasoned. Our hearts belonged to Prague and Vienna as compared to the more industrial Munich, Germany and we never thought we'd return so quickly to stroll the cobblestone streets with our mulled wines while shopping the Christmas markets.

After review a few tour operators and trying to decide on my 2002 Thanksgiving trip, I came across one that specialized in Eastern Europe and had prices that just couldn't be true -- $900 for a week including airfare from NYC, 3 nights accommodations, transfers, breakfast and 1/2 day cities tours in both Prague and Budapest! It was decided then and there that I had to go and evaluate this tour operator before we began selling it to our clients.

What was previously a small group of travelers for this trip ballooned into 7 with an 8th person adding on just days prior to our departure!

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Prague is the capital city of the relatively small Czech Republic which lies in the heart of Europe, neighbouring with Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland. There is a number of non-stop border crossings available with an excellent connection by car, bus, train or plane. A valid passport, which does not expire at least for six months, is required in order to enter the Czech Republic. There is no need of an entry visa for most European countries and USA.

The official language is Czech, Slovak language being understandable. Most local people have basic or possibly intermediate knowledge of English or German language. In majority of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, historical monuments, shops and services the communication is possible in English, German or perhaps French.

Prague is my hands-down favorite Eastern European city due to the fact that it was untouched by World War II, leaving original architecture without being overrun by modern buildings. St. Charles Bridge is the central focus with Prague Castle looming overhead. Dine in the underground wine cellars of a monastary at Restaurant Peklo, sit in outside cafes and sip a cafe or hot chocolate (literally chocolate melted into hot milk!) and shop for all the Bohemian Crystal you can carry back into the States!

Hotel

Our hotel was the 3-star Ibis located near the National Museum, just a short walk to the Metro for our ride into the heart of Old Towne. Due to the floods during August 2002, a few of the Metro stops were out therefore we had to walk a bit but the weather was wonderful so we didn't mind. The hotel was extremely clean and quite European -- small by American standards but it was perfect for the price and our needs -- a place to store our luggage and sleep! The one "problem" we found with this hotel was that it only offered double beds throughout ... no twin rooms.

You'll find brochures in the airport and at most hotels offering walking tours of the city and although we didn't take them, I'm going to sign up for at least one when I return. All are well priced and include English guides.

Our packages include a 1/2 day city tour by bus, giving a good view of the city from a professional tour guide. These tours aren't mandatory but they usually give a good history of the city and show you the major sites allowing you to go back and visit at your leisure. Don't forget a small tip of a few dollars is appreciated by your guide... and don't forget to ask questions or recommedations from the guides!

St. Charles Bridge is a beautiful, pedestrial-only stone bridge connecting the Malestrana and Old Towne, giving breath-taking views of both sides of the river. No matter what you do you'll cross this bridge many times, stopping for photos and bargaining with the artists selling their paintings. Everyone who has been to Prague remembers the St. Charles Bridge!

Prague's Christmas Markets open just after Thanksgiving, offering every imaginable trinket and Christmas ornament for locals and tourists alike. Food abounds, including grilled corn on the cob, roasted chestnuts, mulled wines and more.

When it comes to restaurants, it's best to move away from the high-traffic areas around Old Towne's Clock, giving better prices and quality of food. Of course the outdoor cafes are great for a quick coffee or hot chocolate but the food tends to be expensive and, in my opinion, lesser quality.

Two favorites come to mind: The Red Wheel and Petklo. The Red Wheel is located just behind the Jewish Cemetery and the Convent, offering traditional Czech cuisine at very reasonable prices. It's off-the-beaten path therefore you might have trouble finding it but the search is worht it. We dined there as a group of 8 for about $28.00 U.S. per person -- including appetizers, dinners, dessert and a few bottles of wine and water for the table. Petklo is located at the top of the hill just past Prague Castle, nestled in the underground wine cellars of the monastary. Although much more expensive, the wine cellar atmosphere, trickling water and top-notch service makes it a great treat for any traveler.

Czech is famous for their Bohemian Crystal, with shops around every corner hawking crystal of every color, shape and quality. My sentiment is always, "If you like it, buy it!" Of course we spend the first day or two getting the lay of the land and mapping out our shopping purchases and comparing prices so we get the best quality for the price. One store to check out is Rott's located near Old Town's Clock -- a department store of crystal! Best of all they offer tax-free shopping, a convenience for those making large purchases. Just to give an idea, I purchased two small crystal bud vases at Rott's, totalling $36.00 U.S. -- a steal for the quality!

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Budapest is a big larger than Prague and was a bit overwhelming for me at the beginning due to it's size... still giving the Eastern European charm but with newer, more modern buildings.

Again we stayed at the 3-star Ibis Hotel located near the central market -- a large building where the lower floor is filled with meat/vegetable purveyors while the top is stuffed with artisans selling everything from lace and leather to food and trinkets. The hotel was, of course, located just a few blocks from the Metro, giving us easy access to just about every part of the city we needed.

Separating Buda from Pest is the Danube, cut by many bridges joining the two sections. Surprisingly, Budapest is the location of many natural hot springs, feeding the spas with medicinal sulfer baths, the most famous being The Gellert.

We were all excited about the spas and medicinal baths in Budapest and the Gellert was to be the best of them all. Fortunately my friends Elysia and Carl decided to split from the group and head over for a spa treatment on their own. Their experience made us think twice... they were separated and although they were wearing their bathing suits, they didn't feel too comfortable as no one else was! Yes, the prudish American comes out in all of us at one time or another and this was it. The massage lasted about 15 minutes and they soaked in the different pools, each with their own temperature before rejoining in the unisex pool to share their stories. Quite different from American Spas however they were glad they experienced it ... and we were too! I think the entire experience cost about $16.00 U.S.

Food in Budapest is similar to Prague in that there are many meat dishes offered however Budapest is the home to paprika and just about every sauce had some amount of it in there. Overall we were happy with the food, with prices being slightly higher than Prague but something to fit every budget.

Budapest is known for their lace and linens, the best place being the large market with artisans on the second floor. Keep in mind that these are handmade laces and the prices reflect that -- a bargain by our standards but still expensive. Bargaining is expected throughout this market so don't be afraid to ask for their "best price."

Again, the Christmas Markets open just after Thanksgiving, offering smaller, lower-priced souvenirs and handmade crafts. Everything from handpainted goose eggs for the tree to handsewn wine bags, perfect for Christmas gifts.

All Photos © 2002 Carl Cox, Incite http://www.Incite.com Vienna, Austria

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Although we didn't visit Vienna on this particular trip, we have traveled there before in a different group. I will be updating this section as time permits to talk about that particular trip.