ssnyc88

Hello,
planning a last minute trip in late March to Prague for 5 nights...possibly Budapest, as well. A few questions:
1. How many days would you spend in Prague?
2. I’m thinking of two hotels: Josef or Vintage Sax—which would be better? The difference in total price is 200$—Josef being more $.
3. Is it “worth” going to Budapest as well in such a short time? How many days would you allow in Budapest?
4. I’m vegetarian; can anyone recommend some restaurants? (I eat egg, milk, dairy).
Any help/suggestions would be appreciated and thanks in advance!

Fodorite018

I would allow at a minimum 3 days in Prague, and 4 would be better, IMO.

Try Mistral for a meal. It is very good and has a lot of vegetarian options.

I would opt for the Josef based on location alone.

jpie

Just FYI-we much preferred Budapest to Prague on the last trip we made 2 years ago. I know this will always come down to personal preference of individual travelers but we found Budapest to feel less skewed towards tourism. But to be fair the first time I visited Prague many years ago it was much less crowded and discovered so maybe I just didn't like it by comparison.

Christina

I'd also recommend 3-4 days in Prague. I don't believe in the "worth it" angle. Lots of things are worth it to some people and not others. Many people on Fodors tell posters never to do things I do all the time and have no problem with and enjoy. And some have told people never to do day trips to some city because you MUST spend more time there, as it's not "worth it" unless you can spend more time there (in other words, better to see nothing). You should know your own travel style and taste, hopefully, I think you must decide that for yourself about day trips and how much you want to see a place and how likely you are to ever have a chance to spend longer, etc. Personally, I did a day trip to Budapest and enjoyed it but didn't really like the city that well and wasn't sorry I did a day trip instead of spending longer. However, I did that from Vienna which is a lot closer.

If it were my trip, no, I would not do both Prague and Budapest in a 5 day trip because they are too far apart, that's why. It would take too much time to travel between them. In 5 days, you could just consider day trips from Prague, there are several good ones. That's what I would do.

I would definitely choose the location of the Hotel Josef over Vintage Sax, which is in an area I do not find particularly convenient for a tourist (up a hill and away from the main center). It isn't near a metro stop, either. The closest tram stop is 500 m away. I would never choose a hotel that far from a metro stop in Prague.

You may have no interest, but Dresden would be easier to combine with Prague.

Fodorite018

I agree, Dresden is really easy to pair with Prague. That is what we did a few weeks ago and it was wonderful.

kja

For my interests (which may have nothing to do with yours), a stay of at least 3 days -- maybe more! -- makes sense for Prague, and I would NOT try to pair it with Budapest in the same 5 day trip. Dresden for a day or two would make MUCH more sense to me.

dreamon

We were recently in Prague and found it had more vegetarian and vegan offerings than most other places we visited. We had the Happy Cow app (which was helpful) and saw many places advertising vegetarian food.

Bellarosa70032

Dresden is a great day trip from Prague, and is easily accessible by train. I would save Budapest for another trip; you would lose almost a day getting there. Another great day trip would be to Cesky Krumlov, but I think you can find a lot of things to see in Prague itself. My personal favorite museum is the Mucha museum, and you can also check to see if there are any operas--we caught Carmen there about 3-4 years ago.

Leely2

I have stayed at the Vintage Sax and loved it. However, I am very into exercise, walking and running, and so for me the location was excellent as it was quiet and always required me to get some exercise and a good walk uphill after dinner! Also, I was there in the summer, so the weather was lovely and warm (hot, actually).

Have also stayed by--but not at--the Josef, and that is a great location too, much busier. We were across the street from Hotel Maximillian, which was a little quieter/calmer street than Josef.

Depends what you are looking for.