Day 1 - Prague arrival
Arrive in Prague and walk the Old Town Square and the astronomical clock. Cross Charles Bridge at dusk. Evening a beer hall for goulash and a local pilsner. Sleep in a hostel or budget hotel near the center. Buy a transit pass and walk the hills tomorrow. The city is cheap if you avoid the tourist trap restaurants on the square.
Day 2 - Prague castles
Morning at Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral. Walk the Lesser Town and the Lennon Wall. Afternoon the Jewish Quarter and a riverside park. Evening a basement pub for svickova and dumplings. Sleep central. Use trams to save legs. A concert in a church is a cheap, beautiful evening if the weather turns.
Day 3 - Train to Krakow
Morning train to Krakow. Drop bags near the old town. Walk the Rynek Glowny square and the cloth hall. Afternoon Wawel Castle hill. Evening a milk bar for pierogi and schnitzel at low prices. Sleep in Krakow. The train is cheap and scenic; book seats ahead. A night walk of the lit square is free and lovely.
Day 4 - Krakow history
Day trip to the Wieliczka salt mine or the Auschwitz memorial by bus. Afternoon back in the old town for a slow coffee. Evening a zapiekanka stall on a street corner for the local toast. Sleep in Krakow again. Keep one day lighter to save money. Markets and bakeries cover cheap breakfasts and snacks all week.
Day 5 - Train to Budapest
Morning train to Budapest. Walk the Chain Bridge and the Parliament outside. Afternoon the thermal baths for a soak. Evening a ruin bar in the Jewish Quarter with cheap drinks and street food. Sleep in Pest near the center. The baths are the splurge worth it; everything else here stays friendly to a tight budget.
Day 6 - Budapest sights
Morning at Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion for the view. Afternoon the Great Market Hall for langos and paprika. Evening a river cruise or a wine bar with Hungarian reds. Sleep in Pest. Trams and the metro are cheap and fast. A free walking tour on day one would have saved you this planning; book one next time.
Day 7 - Train to Vienna
Morning train to Vienna. Walk the Ringstrasse past the opera and the Hofburg. Afternoon a coffee house for sachertorte and a melange. Evening a sausage stand or a budget canteen for dinner. Sleep in a hostel near the center. Vienna costs more, so lean on markets and bakeries here to balance the week's spending.
Day 8 - Vienna culture
Morning at a museum quarter or the Belvedere gardens. Afternoon Schonbrunn Palace park, free to roam the grounds. Evening a heuriger wine tavern on the edge with a plate of cold cuts. Sleep in Vienna. The city's parks and churches are free; pay only for the headline palaces. A picnic by the canal saves a meal.
Day 9 - Day trip or slow
Take a cheap regional train to a nearby town like Bratislava for a half day, or slow down in Vienna. Afternoon a second coffee house or a bike along the Danube. Evening a final budget dinner of goulash. Sleep in Vienna. Keep this day light to recover before the journey home and to stretch the money further.
Day 10 - Departure
Morning at a bakery for a last kipferl and coffee. Last-minute market shopping for paprika and chocolates. A final walk of the old center before your flight or train. Keep the afternoon open for transit. A last sausage stand sends you off full. Pack lightly; you will have bought souvenirs at every stop along the route.
Daily food picks
Eat cheap and hearty: Prague goulash and pilsner, Krakow pierogi and zapiekanka, Budapest langos and paprika stew, Vienna sachertorte and sausages. Milk bars and market halls are the best value. A coffee house is a cheap afternoon. Bakeries cover breakfast. Buy paprika, chocolate, and wine as edible souvenirs everywhere you go.
Getting around & budget
Trains link all four cities cheaply; book seats ahead for savings. Budget 70 to 120 euros daily with hostels, milk bars, and market meals. City transit passes are cheap and essential. Free walking tours and church concerts save cash. Skip the tourist-square restaurants. A refillable bottle and good shoes keep costs and comfort in check.
