In Hungary for work.

[paindonthurt]

Working 5 days a week and have a couple of long weekends before I return to the US.

Looks like I can take some direct flights to Rome, Athens, maybe a few other cool places for cheap.

Vienna is a 3 hr drive.

Someone give me an itinerary.

Like the outdoors and great views. Would love to do some partying IF I was with a group but I’m not.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I spent three weeks mostly in Vienna 20+ years ago (and that's partly the reason why Harry Lime from The Third Man) is my icon.

The city center and the Ringstrasse area was cool.

You can do a lot of exploring-- the Ringstrasse area, Schoenbrunn, the Hofburg, and the Prater would be some recommendations.

If you want additional culture, check out their opera houses for performances. The Vienna State Opera is on the Ringstrasse.

Food and drink wise: Vienna is known for their coffee shops, schnitzels, and outdoor wine gardens.

Link to Rick Steves article: Link.

 

[MagicDawg]

I like historical sites, artistic venues, and majestic scenery. Outside of admiring the large cathedrals in all the major cities:

- Budapest: the opera house if you like that, definitely the Hungarian Parliament building, Castle Hill (great views from there), and believe it or not there's a tiny little park named for Elvis Presley in Budapest. It's nothing to look at, but it's nice to know about. Elvis donated money to support the Hungarians in the 1957 resistance to the Communists. A narrated cruise on the river is nice. (There's also a museum dedicated to Houdini's life -- House of Houdini -- where you might find a plaque on the wall commemorating my pre-opening visit in 2016 when I was president of the largest magicians' society in the world.) If you're a nerd like me, the National Széchényi Library is impressive.

Added: https://www.travelyesplease.com/travel-blog-budapest-castle-hill/

- Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace. The Hofburg if you have time. Just walking around there in the city center -- you'll see interesting stuff around every corner. It's a nice train ride from Budapest - you can go to Vienna for a few hours, walk around the city center, then come back to Budapest the same day.

- Rome: one of the great cities of the world. Take a Vatican Tour, take a narrated/guided tour of the Colosseum and the Forum, and if you need hotel recommendations I can provide some but it's pre-covid.
- If you have the option, I highly recommend a visit to Venice, even though you didn't mention it above. Tour the main sites, coffee or drinks in St. Mark's Square, and if you have time, visit Murano (glass) and/or Burano (lace).

Tip of the iceberg. So much to absorb in all these cities...

 

[Duke Humphrey]

Prauge is a great city and very underrated.

 

[The Peeper]

Like the outdoors and great views

You need to check the train itineraries then, cheap, clean, and reliable. Depending on where you are in Hungary you could hop one to Austria or Germany, I think those would be most friendly or maybe the sea coast of NE Italy.

 

[22yardpunt]

Ukraine and Belarus are supposed to beautiful this time of year.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Ukraine and Belarus are supposed to beautiful this time of year.

Carry plenty of Rubles

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Ukraine and Belarus are supposed to beautiful this time of year.

Nyet.

 

[Go Budaw]

Working 5 days a week and have a couple of long weekends before I return to the US.

Looks like I can take some direct flights to Rome, Athens, maybe a few other cool places for cheap.

Vienna is a 3 hr drive.

Someone give me an itinerary.

Like the outdoors and great views. Would love to do some partying IF I was with a group but I’m not.

If you are considering flying, you are much closer to Equitorial Guinea than you may ever be again in your life. Could get there in half a day….don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity***

Seriously though, I’d focus on where you can get by car or train. With such a short time window of weekend travel, dealing with the unpredictability of air travel is not something I’d want to do. It may change things if you are flying back after one of the weekends and can change your itinerary to depart from whatever place you choose to visit.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

If you see this guy on a dating app, swipe left.


View attachment 23886

 

[AlSwearengen]

Rome is a must do.

You couldn’t drag me back to Athens. With so many great cities in europe and limited time, don’t waste any of it going to Athens.

 

[paindonthurt]

Must watch tv
Unfortunately the girls I run into aren’t as gullible as his girls. Or maybe it’s just me.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Give us a shout out if your enemies get after you... Would consider sending you 17 Hungarian forint.*

 

[paindonthurt]

17 your nickel

 

[Mjoelner]

If you go to Rome and do the Vatican, buy a pass to skip the huge line that will be outside. Don't forget the Pantheon. It's incredible. Besides the other usual spots, I also did the catacombs of San Callisto and spent the rest of the afternoon walking down the Appian Way. Not the more modern cobblestone road but way down along the ancient paving stones. Everywhere you turn there you will recognize something from a movie, a history book or a documentary. The people there are nice too. Spent 4 days in Rome and 4 days in Paris about 7 years ago while working in Southern France. Rome is awesome. **** on Paris.

 

[DerHntr]

I’d go to Rome for sure. Great recommendations already here for Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Coliseum, etc. The food is insane of course. Rule of thumb is don’t eat there if they have English on the menu. The Trastevere neighborhood S of the Vatican has a ton small restaurants, pubs, shops, etc. it’s considered one of the best places to stay. We were in the heart of it in 2019 and couldn’t have been happier about that choice. It really does feel like a neighborhood. It’s not difficult to Uber from there over to the coliseum area and it’s walkable to the Vatican.

Did I mention the food? Get a bistecca alla fiorentina while there (steak). Trust me. The people who rule the world in high end leather goods know how to cook a damn steak. It’s expensive and gigantic.

 

[Drebin]

Working 5 days a week and have a couple of long weekends before I return to the US.

Looks like I can take some direct flights to Rome, Athens, maybe a few other cool places for cheap.

Vienna is a 3 hr drive.

Someone give me an itinerary.

Like the outdoors and great views. Would love to do some partying IF I was with a group but I’m not.

Legal whores.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

If you’re under 30, you could still probably stay in a hostel and meet up with people to rage without freaking them out. If you’re over 30 but under 40, you’d probably freak them out but who cares.

I’ve only been to Rome. Vatican is fantastic. I like all the Roman history stuff, and I’m pretty heavy into Classics, but the Vatican blew it all away

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Lots of good recs, but I will add in. I was stationed in Italy and did a lot of solo traveling. If you are looking for outdoors, great views I have you covered.

Rome is awesome for history and architecture.

Venice is neat, but it gets old quickly.

Pompeii is awesome.

Milan is okay..

The best city for going solo for a long weekend is Florence. Everyone there speaks english. As DrHuntr says, treat yourself to steak florentine , but do it at Buca Lapi in Florence, the city that invented it. Hit the gold bridge and duomo if you have time. One day/night in Florence and then hop on the Eurail over to Cinque Terre.

5 cities cut into the cliffs on the Mediterranean. There's a 7-8 mile trail that connects the little cities and it's the most beautiful place on earth. I went in March and wore shorts and a windbreaker. I cannot tell you how amazing it was. I worked my way from North to South to end in Riomagiorre.

There's a little bar on the cliff where you hang over the bay in Riomagiorre. I sat there after the long day hiking and exploring the city and drank wine with 2 women from Chicago for hours. Snagged a hotel room with a view over the water and just sat on the balcony all night enjoying the most beautiful place on earth. I hope you have the chance.

Hawaii, the Caribbean, Iceland, Yellowstone... Been some beautiful places, but Cinque Terre tops the list.



ETA. The bar I hung out at is at the 35 second mark.

 

[DerHntr]

JoeLee’sSocks you did almost the exact same trip as us from Florence and you’re right about the steak being best there. I had to try it in two cities of course. Cinque Terre was the most unexpected part of our trip to Italy. We thought it would be cool but had no idea how cool. We even had a drink at that same bar. On the hike from village 3 to 4 there is a another bar on the side of a cliff right off the rocky path. I enjoyed the hell out of a few beers there and some limoncello. The seafood in that area is tremendous as well.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Touche' brother. I was there in 04' before it really got busy apparently. Nobody can understand the colors. The water, the buildings, everything. No cars is what makes it so special.

Headed to the storage unit next weekend to dig out the old pics. In a weird irony, my wife was studying abroad in Italy the same time I was there and she missed Cinque Terre. They went Positano instead and were disappointed with crowds and vehicle traffic.

 

[39762]

If you’re in Hungary, be sure to check out the coastal cities of Croatia (enjoyed Dubrovnik, Hvar, Split, etc) and Ljubljana in Slovenia.

 

[PBDog]

I would go Rome athens Tel Aviv or istanbul. Just returned from Turkey where the dollar will buy you a ton.

 

[fedxdog]

Wizz Air is good.
Flew to Macedonia from Budapest. Fun week.
Vienna only ok but Prague was great.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Check out Hamburg, Germany. Really interesting city. For out-of-the-ordinary, drive to Buxtehude and Stade and see the towns. Don't forget to go by the Reeperbahn in Hamburg. Not recommended with the wife/girlfriend unless they are open minded, but you could just "window shop". Also, anywhere in Italy would be cool. Spend some time in London if you can it's a great city.

 

[WrapItDog]

Pro Tip: If you don't recognize anything on the restaurant menu. Ask if they have the Hungary man salisbury steak with gravy tv dinner

 

[paindonthurt]

More alike than i thought.

 

[paindonthurt]

Excellent feedback. Thank you sir.

 

[paindonthurt]

Sincere question, but is it safe to go it alone? Might be perfectly safe but want to ask before I dive in face first!

 

[paindonthurt]

Any more suggestions on airlines?

The good ones and the bad ones?

For instance, on https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search, i find a 60 euro flight round trip to Rome from Thursday to Monday, but its on Ryanair operated by Ryanair Sun?

No idea if that is legit or not.

 

[paindonthurt]

Airline Feedback

Appreciate the replies.

Any suggestions on airlines to use and ones NOT TO USE?

 

[paindonthurt]

I'll eat almost anything, but not sure about the man salisbury steak.

 

[paindonthurt]

Airline Feedback

Appreciate the replies.

Any suggestions on airlines to use and ones NOT TO USE?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Never flew Ryanair which has a lot of destinations out of Budapest — it’s pretty much Europe’s Southwest though.

BE SURE TO CHECK THEIR CARRYON REQUIREMENTS — pretty much goes for any low cost airline in Europe

My only low cost airline experience in Europe:

I flew Vueling - a Spanish low cost carrier from Barcelona to Granada - and their carryon requirements were smaller than US Airlines.

(carryon bag had to be smaller - in other words)

Vueling though has a great reputation and is owned by same corporation that owns British Airways and Iberia.

 

[HeCannotGo]

Spent four days each in Prague, Vienna and Budapest in 2019. All three are worth a visit. We were least excited about Budapest before going but it ended up being our favorite of the three.

Intercity trains in Europe are great. Low cost, easy to figure out, no TSA hassles, and more comfortable than an economy seat on a plane. We took the train from Prague to Vienna and then Vienna to Budapest.

Vienna has more tourist destinations than the other two (Schoenbrun, Hofburg, great art museums, famous cafes like Demel and Hotel Sacher for the original sacher torte). If you have 2-3 days there, consider a city pass for Vienna, which should include free access to the metro and trams in addition to several sites.

In Prague, Old Town and Wenceslaus Square are fun to explore. It sounds corny, but the astronomical clock in Old Town is quite the spectacle. Read up on it before you go.

In Budapest, visit at least one thermal bath. We did Szechenyi and really enjoyed it. A tour of Parliament is worthwhile. Fisherman's Bastion and Mathias Church on the Pest side are fun to visit and offer great views of the Danube and Buda on the other side. Check out the "shoes on the Danube" monument and the statue of Ronald Reagan near Parliament.

 

[archdog]

Go to Rome. Find any hotel, doesn't matter. Go see the following:
The Vatican - Take the tour, they have a **** ton of great religious artwork on the way to the sistine chapel. Climb to the Cupola at the top of the dome.
Piazza Navona
Pantheon
Coloseum and the Forum, take the tour
Trevi Fountain and spanish steps are awesome.
Leave time for one bad *** dinner that will start around 7 and end around 11. Walk around the city at night and just enjoy the city. It is great.

If you want to make a serious trip out of this, end your trip in Rome.
Do 1 day in Venice, take the evening train to Florence.
Do 1 day in Florence and see the Duomo, Michaelangelo's David, Brunnellschi's dome and Pallozzo Medici along with the bridge with all the building's on it. Maybe stay the night.
Go to Rome, spend 2-3 days there just to enjoy it.
Fly out of Rome to the US.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Avoid Ryanair... It's Europe's version of Spirit. I have flown KLM and Lufthansa and both were comparable to Delta in quality.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

Try Monster.com or any job posting site. Having a hunger for work is the first step**

 

[johnson86-1]

Working 5 days a week and have a couple of long weekends before I return to the US.

Looks like I can take some direct flights to Rome, Athens, maybe a few other cool places for cheap.

Vienna is a 3 hr drive.

Someone give me an itinerary.

Like the outdoors and great views. Would love to do some partying IF I was with a group but I’m not.

Don't have anything to add other than that Rome for my money is the greatest city in the world to visit. Only thing I would add that I don't think has been mentioned is you have to do some research on food close to the touristy places. Have some of the best restaurants in the world next to the shittiest tourist traps ever. When you get to the moderately priced and lower priced restaurants, I'd say the ****** ones outnumber the good ones by a significant margin.

If you like hiking and beautiful scenery, I'll also second Cinque Terra. It may be different going in the Spring, but I went in the summer and americans may have outnumbered Italians when I was there. That's been a while, so not sure if it's gotten more over run or if it's lost some of its popularity. I think when I went may have been within a few years of Rick Steve's pumping it up, so it may not be quite as popular for americans now. It was still great to go to, it just took away from some of the atmosphere I think. But it was also sort of cool to be able to go into pretty much any restaurant or bar and find americans to talk to and hang out with.

 

[Bill Shankly]

I've been to Rome and the stuff listed here is all good. The Vatican Musuem, St. Peters, the guided Colosseum tour, the Pantheon, the Fourm, and the Palatine Hill are my must dos. We stayed in this place, Rome Hotel La Residenza | Official website (laresidenzaroma.com). It was a quiet Old World hotel in a quiet neighborhood not too far from the US Embassy. I suited us, it might not you if that's not your thing. They can put you on to some really good non-tourist type restaurants if you ask. If you are looking for private guided tours this group is very good, Miles&Miles - Best guided tours & trips in Rome and Italy (milesandmiles.net). I'd highly recommend them for the Vatican, you get to skip the ticket line. We did a half day at the Vatican and a full day tour around Rome with them. I haven't seen much of Italy outside of Rome, but we did spend a day in the Tuscan countryside once. It was awesome.

PS: watch your wallet in Rome. You are always warned about pick pockets everywhere you go in Europe, take them seriously in Rome, esp on the subway.