Hello,

My husband and I are planning a trip in April that includes 3 nights in
Vienna and 4 nights in Prague. We fly from Boston to Krakow where we
will be visiting our daughter who is teaching there for a year. From
there we will take the train to Vienna. Then travel by train to Prague
and fly home from there. We have hotel reservations already. I am
seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where to eat
traditional food in moderately priced restaurants. If a special meal
splurge is well worth it, I'd like to know that too. We enjoy the
sights, traditional and historic. We are good walkers and are
adventurous. We do not plan to rent a car. I'd would appreciate your
help and suggestions.

Laura

My top 5 for Vienna:

Schonbrunn Palace
The Schatzkammer (treasury)
The Kunsthistorisches (art) museum
St. Stephen's cathedral
A traditional Viennese cafe.

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:31:44 -0500, Laura Billmers wrote:

    > Hello,
    >
    > My husband and I are planning a trip in April that includes 3 nights in
    > Vienna and 4 nights in Prague. We fly from Boston to Krakow where we
    > will be visiting our daughter who is teaching there for a year. From
    > there we will take the train to Vienna. Then travel by train to Prague
    > and fly home from there. We have hotel reservations already. I am
    > seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where to eat
    > traditional food in moderately priced restaurants. If a special meal
    > splurge is well worth it, I'd like to know that too. We enjoy the
    > sights, traditional and historic. We are good walkers and are
    > adventurous. We do not plan to rent a car. I'd would appreciate your
    > help and suggestions.
    >
    > Laura

That's Boston, USA, I take it?

I don't know Prague but the public transport system in Vienna is excellent.
Buy a ticket and you can use all public transport to get to your
destination, bus, tram, U-Bahn(subway), and S-Bahn - taxis aren't included.
If you want to visit out of the way places and come home late (after
midnight) then there are some night busses. There are a number of ticket
options: single, 24-hour, 72 hour, 72-hour + reduced museum entry etc ...
they're good because you can hop on and off wherever you feel like it.

For some touristy ideas you can try here:
http://info.wien.at/article.asp?IDArticle=9010

The Prater, a Buschenschank/Heurige (rustic wine bar) in Grinzing, the
Treasure Chamber, just wandering around the city centre is worth while,
you're unlikely to be able to get tickets to the Staatsoper or Volksoper
but it's worth a try. I think someone here is an opera fan - is it Barbara?

--
Tim C.

    > I am seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where
    > to eat traditional food in moderately priced restaurants.

Can you still get it in Prague? Haven't been there for a few years,
but my favourite places where what we called "pig and stodge" joints.
The main thing on offer was pork in gravy with great big dumplings
and beer, served at stand-up counters. Nobody's idea of health food
(and the clientele mostly looked like the illustrations in "The Good
Soldier Schweik") but they did it very well. Czechoslovakia claims
to have invented the dumpling.

I also liked deep-fried eel from a similar place. That maybe is more
likely to have survived the last few years of rabid capitalism.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

I don't have a map in front of me, but wouldn't it make more sense to
train to Prague from Poland, then onto Vienna?

Anyway, both Vienna and Prague are a delight for walkers, and there is
no need to rent a car. Personally, I'd consider spending four days in
Vienna and three in Prague, as there are a lot of day trip
possibilities from Vienna (Prague, too, but not as easily done as
Vienna). Take the Badener Bahn streetcar/tram from downtown Vienna
(boards right near the Opera house) to the outlying villages including
Guntramsdorf, Traiskirchen and Baden. You'll find Heuriger wine
restaurants in these towns. Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods). Even
take a day train trip to the Wachau and Melk along the Danube. Ride the
Risenrad (Ferris wheel) at sunset in Vienna's Prater Park. My favorite
activity in Vienna is simply hanging out and taking in the streetside
ambiance.

Prague is also great, and you could easily spend all your time just
wandering around and taking in the atmosphere. The castle is, of
course, a must-see. Day trips are possible outlying towns. You can
visit Cesky Budweis in less than two hours by train. Cesky Krumlov
takes a bit more time, as you must change trains in Budweis, but is
highly worth visiting.

On 14 Mar 2005 07:16:45 -0800, BrianW wrote:

    > Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods).

Not to be confused with the chicken restaurant of the same name. ;-)
--
Tim C.

"Laura Billmers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hello,
    > My husband and I are planning a trip in April that includes 3 nights in
    > Vienna and 4 nights in Prague. We fly from Boston to Krakow where we
    > will be visiting our daughter who is teaching there for a year. From
    > there we will take the train to Vienna. Then travel by train to Prague
    > and fly home from there. We have hotel reservations already. I am
    > seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where to eat
    > traditional food in moderately priced restaurants. If a special meal
    > splurge is well worth it, I'd like to know that too. We enjoy the
    > sights, traditional and historic. We are good walkers and are
    > adventurous. We do not plan to rent a car. I'd would appreciate your
    > help and suggestions.
    > Laura

Take a look at this site. Has a lot of good suggestions>
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~s....homepage.html

Joe in Georgetown, Texas, USA
Return address is bogus.
Use [email protected]
to respond directly.

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:20:53 +0100, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On 14 Mar 2005 07:16:45 -0800, BrianW wrote:
    >> Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods).
    >Not to be confused with the chicken restaurant of the same name. ;-)

LOL Are they still going?

Wienerwald were one of the first catering groups to successfully use
real time computing for stock control/management. They had the sense
not to get carried away and make their own computers like Joe Lyons
did.
--
Martin

why don't you use the low cost airlines from Poland to vienna ?? It might
be cheaper..

In any case.. it is a little bit strange that you travel from
Krakow to vienna and then from vienna to prague
it would be more convenient to travel from Krakow to Prague via Ostrava and
then to vienna
Pls note that travelling by bus could result in saving time and money
have a look at
www.eurolines.com
for low cost airlines

have a look at

www.skyeurope.com

I guess they fly from Krakow to Bratislava ( it is about 50 kms from vienna
and offers shuttles.. )
"Laura Billmers" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email protected]...
    > Hello,
    > My husband and I are planning a trip in April that includes 3 nights in
    > Vienna and 4 nights in Prague. We fly from Boston to Krakow where we
    > will be visiting our daughter who is teaching there for a year. From
    > there we will take the train to Vienna. Then travel by train to Prague
    > and fly home from there. We have hotel reservations already. I am
    > seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where to eat
    > traditional food in moderately priced restaurants. If a special meal
    > splurge is well worth it, I'd like to know that too. We enjoy the
    > sights, traditional and historic. We are good walkers and are
    > adventurous. We do not plan to rent a car. I'd would appreciate your
    > help and suggestions.
    > Laura

Yes: Boston, Massachusetts.

Thank you all for your prompt replies. Keep them coming!!!

Tim Challenger wrote:
    > On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:31:44 -0500, Laura Billmers wrote:
    >
    >
    >>Hello,
    >>My husband and I are planning a trip in April that includes 3 nights in
    >>Vienna and 4 nights in Prague. We fly from Boston to Krakow where we
    >>will be visiting our daughter who is teaching there for a year. From
    >>there we will take the train to Vienna. Then travel by train to Prague
    >>and fly home from there. We have hotel reservations already. I am
    >>seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where to eat
    >>traditional food in moderately priced restaurants. If a special meal
    >>splurge is well worth it, I'd like to know that too. We enjoy the
    >>sights, traditional and historic. We are good walkers and are
    >>adventurous. We do not plan to rent a car. I'd would appreciate your
    >>help and suggestions.
    >>Laura
    >
    >
    > That's Boston, USA, I take it?
    >
    > I don't know Prague but the public transport system in Vienna is excellent.
    > Buy a ticket and you can use all public transport to get to your
    > destination, bus, tram, U-Bahn(subway), and S-Bahn - taxis aren't included.
    > If you want to visit out of the way places and come home late (after
    > midnight) then there are some night busses. There are a number of ticket
    > options: single, 24-hour, 72 hour, 72-hour + reduced museum entry etc ...
    > they're good because you can hop on and off wherever you feel like it.
    >
    > For some touristy ideas you can try here:
    > http://info.wien.at/article.asp?IDArticle=9010
    >
    > The Prater, a Buschenschank/Heurige (rustic wine bar) in Grinzing, the
    > Treasure Chamber, just wandering around the city centre is worth while,
    > you're unlikely to be able to get tickets to the Staatsoper or Volksoper
    > but it's worth a try. I think someone here is an opera fan - is it Barbara?
    >

BrianW wrote:

    > I don't have a map in front of me, but wouldn't it make more sense to
    > train to Prague from Poland, then onto Vienna?

Actually, no. You are correct if you look at a map that it appears that
Prague to Poland appears to make sense. But if you look at the train
schedules, you save time on the train if you do it in the order we
chose. Go figure.
    >
    > Anyway, both Vienna and Prague are a delight for walkers, and there is
    > no need to rent a car. Personally, I'd consider spending four days in
    > Vienna and three in Prague, as there are a lot of day trip
    > possibilities from Vienna (Prague, too, but not as easily done as
    > Vienna). Take the Badener Bahn streetcar/tram from downtown Vienna
    > (boards right near the Opera house) to the outlying villages including
    > Guntramsdorf, Traiskirchen and Baden. You'll find Heuriger wine
    > restaurants in these towns. Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods). Even
    > take a day train trip to the Wachau and Melk along the Danube. Ride the
    > Risenrad (Ferris wheel) at sunset in Vienna's Prater Park. My favorite
    > activity in Vienna is simply hanging out and taking in the streetside
    > ambiance.
    >
    > Prague is also great, and you could easily spend all your time just
    > wandering around and taking in the atmosphere. The castle is, of
    > course, a must-see. Day trips are possible outlying towns. You can
    > visit Cesky Budweis in less than two hours by train. Cesky Krumlov
    > takes a bit more time, as you must change trains in Budweis, but is
    > highly worth visiting.
    >

Jack Campin - bogus address <[email protected]> wrote:

    >> I am seeking suggestions on what to do, how to get around, where
    >> to eat traditional food in moderately priced restaurants.
    >Can you still get it in Prague? Haven't been there for a few years,
    >but my favourite places where what we called "pig and stodge" joints.
And cream with everything -- often sweetened and whipped, even with
savoury dishes. I particularly remember a ham cornetto filled with
whipped cream and topped with a glacé cherry.

    >The main thing on offer was pork in gravy with great big dumplings
    >and beer, served at stand-up counters.
With cabbage.

    >Nobody's idea of health food
    >(and the clientele mostly looked like the illustrations in "The Good
    >Soldier Schweik") but they did it very well. Czechoslovakia claims
    >to have invented the dumpling.
I think they are now embarrassed about that.

Mind you, they still do great pork dishes, but dumplings are less
evident.

And there are plenty of McDonald's and KFCs,

    >I also liked deep-fried eel from a similar place. That maybe is more
    >likely to have survived the last few years of rabid capitalism.
Didn't encounter that, But they have great sausages. Similar shape to
eels.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:50:08 +0100, nitram wrote:

    > On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:20:53 +0100, Tim Challenger
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >>On 14 Mar 2005 07:16:45 -0800, BrianW wrote:
    >>> Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods).
    >>Not to be confused with the chicken restaurant of the same name. ;-)
    >
    > LOL Are they still going?

Very much so. I eat there occasionally, or get a take-away for the kids.

    > Wienerwald were one of the first catering groups to successfully use
    > real time computing for stock control/management. They had the sense
    > not to get carried away and make their own computers like Joe Lyons
    > did.
Blimey, a first for Austria. Don't want that newfangled rubbish here.

--
Tim C.

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 17:45:07 +0100, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:50:08 +0100, nitram wrote:
    >> On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:20:53 +0100, Tim Challenger
    >> <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>
    >>>On 14 Mar 2005 07:16:45 -0800, BrianW wrote:
    >>>> Visit the Wienerwald (Vienna woods).
    >>>Not to be confused with the chicken restaurant of the same name. ;-)
    >>
    >> LOL Are they still going?
    >Very much so. I eat there occasionally, or get a take-away for the kids.

I think the last one in NL closed years ago. The building where the
Leiden Wienerwald used to be has changed hands since,
so ar without any sign of better food than the Wienerwald served 35
years ago.

" In het vroegere Wienerwald is Stadscafé van der Werff gevestigd.
Naast de gevarieerde kaart voor lunch en diner bieden zij diverse
arrangementen en een cateringservice. De site geeft een aardig beeld
van het restaurant en het culinair aanbod. U kunt online de kaart
bestuderen. http://www.stadscafevanderwerff.nl/"

Hanchen Hawaii anybody?
--
Martin

"BrianW" <[email protected]> writes:

    > I don't have a map in front of me, but wouldn't it make more sense
    > to train to Prague from Poland, then onto Vienna?

Well, not quite. Distances Krakow-Praha and Krakow-Wien are almost
identical, and there are more (and faster) trains from Cracow to
Vienna than to Prague.

MJ