Best way to visit Vienna, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Krakow, Budapest

1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Hi, I think your site is great and hope you can help me out.

I intend flying into Vienna and would like to visit these cities, staying a couple of days in each and allowing a day in between each one for the train travel.  Could you please advise the best route from Vienna and returning to Vienna as I am not fussed which direction I go but would prefer not to backtrack.  Prices would also be a help but I can post on the other board referring to prices if you prefer - let me know.  Many thanks, 

Basically you have two major options here:

1) Start with Czech Republic:
a) purchase in advance discounted Spar type ticket Wien-Praha online from Austrian railways (https://ticket.oebb.at/bin/frame_ticket.pl?ticket=jticket.pl?ABBFSEL=8101865&ANBFSEL=5400201&LANG=EN - from 29 euro). And then take a side trip to C. Krumlov and back by bus or train.
b) use EURegio ticket (can be bought any type, stable fare) - such route explained here - http://europetrainsguide.com/forum/index.php/topic,15.0.html
From the new European timetable there is no more daytime train from Praha to Krakow, which probably means no more 19 euro discounted tickets (https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_cd-pkp.aspx). Regular tariff on the route is 36.8 euro, but you can save if you break your ticket via border - Praha-Bohumin Czech domestic ticket 445CZK (17 euro) + Bohumin-Krakow (15 euro).
If you stay in Krakow couple days you can "hunt" for same type - Spar discounted ticket Krakow-Budapest (25 euro), need to be purchased in advance and at the station. In case you are not able to purchase the one - get Krakow-Bratislava ticket (app. 45 euro)+ Bratislava-Budapest ticket purchase in Slovakia (12 euro one way)
Budapest-Wien starts from 13 euro (but again - such tickets need to be purchased at least three days in advance at the station) or 24 euro regular one way tariff.

2) Start with Hungary: Wien-Budapest (online and in advance from OEBB website - 19 euro).
Budapest-Krakow starts from 25 euro (at least three days in advance at the station) or regular tariff - app. 65 euro. Or as in previous paragraph - Budapest-Bratislava-Krakow with breaking your ticket via Slovakia.
Krakow-Praha - same as explained above, but vice versa. Then side trip to C.Krumlov +
Praha-Wien from 19 euro (some time in advance here - https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_cd-obb.aspx) or again via C.Budejovce.

In case both variants are too expensive for you, then we can propose even cheaper way to travel to all of the above places, but it will be rather complicated thing and require "tricky" ticket selection

And feel free to ask question (in case something isn't clear enough)

Thank you very much for your prompt reply.  It seems that the cheaper way to do the trip is by going to Budapest first and that's fine.  We will be flying from Australia into Vienna in late April 2010 and are thinking that as we want to visit Slovenia and Croatia as well we may fly on to Dubrovnik first and then do this trip to Prague etc. in late May (when it's a bit warmer) so we probably don't have to start the trip in Vienna as we could return from Croatia (by plane) to any of these cities.  Would it be better to fly back to say, Budapest and start from there?  Also, is the trip to Cesky Krumlov best taken by train or bus and approximately how much is the return trip from Prague?  Your advice would be appreciated as we are in the very early planning stages of this trip.  Thankyou.

We would say that Budapest is definitely cheaper point to start your trip, since Wien and Austrian railways tariffs are higher. Especially if you are able to stay in Budapest like 3-4 days, so you can purchase cheap discounted tickets to Krakow or Praha in advance.
For instance: Budapest-Krakow (from 25 euro), Krakow-Praha (depends, but let's say around 30 euro), Praha-Wien (19 euro)

Praha-C.Krumlov by train costs 250 CZK one way and 450 CZK return, but train ride requires change in Budejovice and takes more than three and a half hours, while bus is cheaper and faster. For instance, Student Agency bus for 150 CZK one way - http://www.studentagency.cz/express/vnitro/?&en

It is as well worth noting that train rides in the Balkans are rather cheap, so you might consider train option there too. As an example, Ljulbjana-Budapest costs 29 euro one (can be bought any time at the station) etc.