Jewish Heritage trip Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna and Prague

For those of you who have been on this trip, do you remember how much free time you had and what sites if any you had time for during these breaks from the tour. We are trying to figure out what we are able to do.

And any restaurants you suggest (including kosher) in any of these cities.

Thanks!

Comments

  • Ramah, call Tauck and ask them what the day to day schedule is. Anyone can look at the day to day schedule and let you know start and stop times. Things can change, so be aware the TD may have to vary the schedule to make the day work. I call for this information as a matter of planning, so I know what my free time looks like.

  • Will do. Thanks so much for the suggestion.

  • edited May 2023

    The best time to add extra major touring is at the beginning or the end. We went to Cesky Krumlov and had a guided tour of Prague before the start of the tour. Once the tour starts, there are some free afternoons to make short visits to other sites. Remember, except in Prague and Budapest, you really don't have the luxury of skipping dinner at a hotel and staying in town later- you'll be on the boat likely heading to the next port.

    That being said, as Fran suggested look at the website itinerary to see where it states, "you will have the morning, "afternoon," of "evening" free to explore on your own," then figure out what you might want to do during that time, before calling Tauck to get better times. A "morning" etc. may not truly be a full morning. As Fran said, schedules change. Be careful not to book a private activity that you may not have time to complete, especially if the fee is non-refundable. There is always the option to forego a Tauck activity and do something on your own, but that is wasting money, in my opinion.

    We did Blue Danube, Eastbound in 2018 so some things may have changed.

    • On Day 3 we had the choice of visiting Regensburg or remaining in Prague "for a morning spent exploring as you please."
    • On Day 4 you have a choice of activities but no free time.
    • On Day 5 there were a few options: excursion to Salzburg (we did this), excursion to Cesky Krumlov (we did it on our own pre-tour), or remain in Linz for time to explore as you please before returning to the riverboat for dinner.
    • On Day 6 there were options but no time for anything else beyond what Tauck offered in the little tiny town of Dürnstein.
    • On Day 7 in Vienna we left the morning walking tour a few minutes early as we passed the Hofburg to see the Lipizzaner's morning workout. The afternoon was free, so we stayed in town instead of returning to the boat for lunch. We walked around a little, took a carriage ride, had lunch at the historic Café Central, then took a guided tour (booked months earlier) of the Spanish Riding School stables. Some folks visited the Belvedere Palace. Dinner was with Tauck - "a private Imperial evening in the Palais Pallavicini"
    • On Day 8 we had a choice of a visit to Schönbrunn Palace or the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg. The boat departed for Bratislava as we ate lunch aboard.
    • On Day 9 there was no free time in Bratislava.
    • On Day 10 we had a walking tour of Buda- Castel Hill, Fisherman's Bastion, Mathias Church. "After lunch at a local café, spend the rest of the day pursuing what interests you most in Budapest."
    • On Day 11 we had a bus and walking tour of the Pest side of the city- (exterior) views of the Dohány Street Synagogue, Heroes’ Square, Parliament building, and tree-lined Andrassy Avenue. We had a special visit to the opulent State Opera House with mini performance of Don Giovani. We were able to spend the afternoon exploring what interests you most in Budapest.

    p.s. I just realized you are not taking the Blue Danube!

  • A caveat - sometimes activity times/days are moved around due to weather or other circumstances. Suggest you not make a timed reservation that requires payment in advance for anything without checking with the TD within a day or two of that day.

  • Yes, I don’t know why the post came up Blue Danube. I didn’t put it in. Thanks for all the suggestions. Your post was very helpful.

  • Ramah, you might want to repost your questions in the correct part of the forum, but as several people have mentioned, it’s risky booking any big excursion once the tour has begun
    We really enjoyed this tour, we took the regular version

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