# Prague and Budapest?



## ValHam (Sep 13, 2014)

I am going to be one week in Prague and one week in Budapest - this is my first trip to these cities - how can I avoid tourist traps? - Would the Prague Welcome Card save me time and money - Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


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## Passepartout (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll make a stab at all 3 cities you mention. You say you want to avoid 'tourist traps' but you want to use tourist cards that grant access to the castles and museums and transport. THAT'S why you go to these places. Be a tourist! Go to performances of Baroque music where they wear costumes and powdered wigs. Look at the work of the artists below Prague Castle and on the bridge. Walk across the Chain Bridge in Buda and go to a REAL spa in Pest. Play chess with the old guys in the pool. Go upstairs in the old market and haggle over the lacquer boxes from Russia. In Vienna, ride the #1 tram thet makes laps of the Ringstrasse. Drink new wine in Heurlingen. Take a tram there. Go to the Saturday flea market.

If you are not going to do touristy stuff, the tourist cards are not a deal. Buying metro tickets and passess and paying admissions individuallly is cheaper. I would buy and use the heck out of them.

There is a reason tourists have gone to these cities  for centuries. Go experience them yourselves.

Check out a guidebook or two before you go. Rick Steves',  and Lonely Planet, and DK are all good. English is widely spoken there, but a little German wouldn't hurt.  Don't bother with Czech. Too many consonants.

Jim


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## Conan (Sep 13, 2014)

Two scams we encountered, one in Prague and the other I think was in Barcelona:

Try to avoid taking a taxi (unless prearranged by your hotel)--you may discover too late there was time already on the meter at the start so it shows the equivalent of 20 or 30 euros due when you reach your destination.

Keep walking if someone wants to stop you on the street seemingly for help or advice. It's the start of a mini-drama where a second person pretending to be a cop appears and accuses you of engaging in something illegal.

[These are all wonderful cities. It's good to be alert against petty crime but don't hesitate to go and enjoy your visit.]


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## Quiet Pine (Sep 13, 2014)

My favorite time in Budapest was spent at Széchenyi (SAY-chehn-yee)Thermal Baths, near Heroes' Square at the end of Andrássy Avenue. Very popular, so it can be crowded. Bring your own swimsuit, towel, flip-flops. Check Rick Steves' Budapest page 88 for detailed info.


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## cotraveller (Sep 13, 2014)

We were in Prague on a tour several years ago.  The tour guide warned us to watch out for pickpockets.  In spite of that one of our friends had his wallet stolen on the subway.  Another friend on a different trip and different year had a camera which was in a zipper closed pants pocket stolen.  I realize it could happen anywhere and you always need to be careful, but Prague was the only place we have been that we have received the specific warning about pickpockets.

I'd go back again though, I find all of Europe very interesting.  I'd just be very careful about carrying anything of value.  We keep our passports in the hotel safe and I carry only a small amount of cash and a single credit card when we are out and about.


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## falmouth3 (Sep 13, 2014)

cotraveller said:


> I realize it could happen anywhere and you always need to be careful, but Prague was the only place we have been that we have received the specific warning about pickpockets.



You hear that advice for Paris and Rome too.  Probably any big city.  My father worked in NYC for 40 years.  Got pick pocketed after he retired and was in NYC for a parade or something.


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## Pompey Family (Sep 14, 2014)

Where there's Roma there's pick pocketing and pretty much all of metropolitan Europe is tainted with this scourge. There's a big problem at the moment with card cloning at ATM's in the UK and it's no coincidence that all the gangs arrested, without exception, have been Romanian.


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## DebBrown (Sep 18, 2014)

We've only been to Prague but had a wonderful trip.  Stay in the historic area and walk everywhere.  You definitely don't want to avoid the tourism.  The castle, the old clock tower, the Jewish quarter - it's all fascinating and easy to get to if you stay close.  We used tripadvisor for restaurant recommendations and ate some very nice meals very cheaply.  We also stayed in the small 3 unit "hotel" with a spa in the basement.  We got massages every other day for about $20.  We felt very pampered.  

Deb


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## Aviator621 (Sep 21, 2014)

Would recommend a local tour guide for at least a half day; sets you on the right path.  We used PragueWalker in Prague and Gabriella's Private Tours in Budapest (both highly recommended on TripAdvisor). Besides the wonderful information they provide that you would not get otherwise, they were great for helping us get oriented to the cities, and pointing out some basics (how to use local transportation, cheapest exchange rate and best shopping locations, etc.) Gabriella even helped us avoid some problems on the Budapest subways (need to get tickets validated each time). It was a great way to start in each city, and made the rest of the trip much easier.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 21, 2014)

Aviator621 said:


> ..... *helped us avoid some problems on the Budapest subways (need to get tickets validated each time). *....



Was travelling with "cheap" person who did NOT buy a transit ticket the 2nd or 3 day in Budapest. I decided saving a couple of dollars was NOT WORTH the downside. He was chased down and escorted out ... to places unknown ... as I returned to the hotel. The gals working the lobby desk were friendly and informed them, to find out how and what I had to do to get him free from the police if and when they called.  He showed up 4 or 5 hours later ... never would tell me what happened, but he always brought the subway ticket from then on. And the 2nd visit the following year, he refused to stay at the prior hotel (I stayed there anyways) because he was shamed by the front desk staff on his late return. And he spent time telling me how NICE our original place was ... 

Buy the subway tickets when a country uses mostly the HONOR system!


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