Going for two weeks this summer and am just starting the planning which is always pretty overwhelming. Will fly to Budapest, train to Prague and fly to Paris to end the trip in the Loire Valley. If anyone’s been to any of the locales and is up for sharing any recommendations, dos, don’ts, etc, I’d love to hear. We’re seasoned travelers so I’m most interested in places to stay, things to see, tips to make the trip easier, etc.
Will you rent car for the Loire? I need an automatic, so I rent from bigger US agencies (Avis, etc) , not the Euro discount places, even though their prices sound great. I know that even the bigger, US places can sometimes not have the automatic I’ve reserved available, but I’ve heard more stories of unavailability from the European consolidators. Sounds like a great trip to me.
We rented an apartment in Prague. Very centrally located and with 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths and a living room/full kitchen area it was perfect for me, H and the 2 kids.
We visited the home of Franz Ferdinand but not by way of a tour bus (not with my kids!). We took the train, then got out in the nearby village, walked several km along a road, then through a woods to get there. Very cool.
I can recommend the K & K Hotel, Central… I really enjoyed our stay there- comfortable room,. Lovely breakfast, very helpful. We had travelled there on the train from Vienna and the hotel arranged for a shuttle van to pick us up for the airport the day we left. Good location, right by the Powder Tower, easy walk to the large square and yet a little more removed. Had outstanding dinner in the renovated art deco Hotel Imperial very close by which had been recommended by our outstanding tour guide for the Jewish Quarter and our day trip to Theriesenstadt.
Above post is about Prague; sadly have not yet made it to Budapest. On my to do list
If you rent a car pay attention to what kind of gas it needs! I lived in Tours for a year eons ago. It’s a good base for travels. When I was in my teens my family rented bikes and we went from one town to the next seeing one chateau each day. My favorites were Chenonceaux which is built on a bridge, Azay-le-Ridaux which is small and perfect and also in a river, and Chambord which has a double helix staircase. Villandry has wonderful gardens.
I’ve been to Prague, when it was still behind the Iron Curtain, and it made very little impression on me, except for the grilling I got at the border and the terrible food. Everyone loves it though and I am sure the food is better too. I know I should give it a second chance.
My advice regarding Prague is that 3 days in Prague is plenty, IMO. Pretty place but not tons to do.
I liked the food in Prague. We ate twice at a little pizza place back in sort of an alley off of the main square (can’t remember the name but it’s where the famous clock is). One of the best pizza places I have eaten in my life. S had been in Prague the summer before with a friend and his friend’s mom and they found it. Trust me - those are three picky foodies :). I don’t remember eating any bad food there.
Thanks for all the suggestions thus far! Without researching it, we (2 couples) are inclined to think we’d rather not rent a car in the Loire Valley. We are likely going to hire a car.
Fallgirl, I’m intrigued by the idea of renting an apartment rather than two hotel rooms. Can you tell me how you obtained the apartment in Prague? Bookmama, I will check out the K&K Hotel.
Mathmom, you describe the Loire Valley as I vaguely recall it when I was there last at the age of 22. We were on bikes as well but I don’t think that’s ideal for our group (all mid50s). I’ve made a note of the places you mention.
Again, thank you. Please keep the suggestions coming!
We had a spectacular two bedroom Airbnb in Prague for four nights. Nicest neighborhood in Prague and centrally located: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4254059?checkin=01%2F10%2F2017&checkout=01%2F14%2F2017&guests=4&s=h7FT4MnU We thought that four nights was not quite enough but that’s just us.I like the food there as well. Especially convivial places like Lokal. http://lokal-dlouha.ambi.cz/en/ Fantastic beer and MEAT. If you are so inclined I recommend getting box seats at the Estates Theatre. The 18th century theatre there is quite lovely and they frequently mount very good productions of Don Giovanni since Mozart debuted it there.www.estatestheatre.cz Prague is a very musical city there are many venues where you can hear inexpensive first class performances in historical settings. I remember that our box seats at the Estate were $80 total for all four of us.
On a previous trip we spent five days traveling around the Loire. We stayed at a BnB near Tours but apparently it’s no longer there. The Loire is small enough that you might want to find a centralized town or village and use that as your base to visit spots like Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, and Villandry. (to name just a few)
Do you need somewhere to stay in Paris? We stayed at the Marriott in Boulogne-Billancourt. Adorable for a Marriott. The only negative is that Boulogne-Billancourt is not super near the heart of Paris (i.e., the big-name tourist spots), but you can take the metro everywhere easily. We liked that it had breakfast (like American hotels) and some of the comforts of home, but still authentic French feeling.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/parbb-courtyard-paris-boulogne/
We used Halldis apartment rentals in Rome, and I think they have vacation apartments throughout Europe. It was fun to not be in a hotel, and to have a washer (we were on our 2nd week by that point).
Your trip sounds wonderful. Loire Valley is high on my list - can’t wait to see Chenonceaux. Hope you have a great time. Good luck with your planning.
http://www.bohemia-apartments.com/
Here is the link. The picture labeled Prague apartments looks just like the unit we rented. Living space and 1/2 bath on lower level, 2 bedrooms and full bath upstairs.
BTW —since it is a bit of a walk from the center lots of people miss the National Gallery Narodni.(aka the Trade Fair Palace) It will continue to house Mucha’s Slav Epic just until the end of 2016. The Slav Epic is spectacular as is the collection of 19th century and modern paintings. Http://www.ngprague.cz/en/
I would absolutely rent a car in the Loire Valley. I think you are not going to want to be bound by a driver, but you’re going to want the freedom to go down small country roads or wherever the spirit moves you.
I’m not sure how much I have to add, but you should check out Seat61 for advice on getting your train ticket. Also, right now there are some very cheap flights from Prague to Paris. I’ve flown on Vueling and it’s not bad. If you want a Coke or water you have to pay, which is great, because most people don’t get anything, which means those of us who are willing to buy a Coke can get one quickly.
Paris has lots of great places to stay. I hate the Arc de Triomphe area and would not want to stay near the Eiffel Tower. Likewise, you should avoid Gare du Nord or le Est.
Also, if the weather is good you might consider renting bikes for a day or two on the Loire. Have fun!
Yes^ driving around the Loire is easy and a car is essential. I suggest taking the TGV from Paris to Tours and renting the car there. (that’s what we did) The car rental spot is a 500 ft walk from the station. We ultimately returned the car at CDG.
Partly it depends on what you are planning to do in the Loire Valley. If you plan to do a lot of wine tasting – which is a very good plan – then it is nice to have a driver (but it is quite an extravagance!)
Also, I woukd definitely look into Relais & Chateaux properties in the Loire Valley. There are lots of them at various price points.
The thing to do in the Loire valley is see the castles.
We did a Loire Valley castles tour once. It was fabulous. We ended it by taking a hot air balloon over some of the chateaux. Heavenly.
We rented a car from Hertz in Paris and drove to Amboise where we stayed at this lovely Inn: https://le-vieux-manoir.com/
I highly recommend the Inn and driving. With GPS it is easy and the best way to explore.