Prague in September - Peb7

To Peb7.

Planning trip begining September, approximately 18 days. Would like to begin trip in Prague. Any suggestions what to do and how much time needed for this leg of the trip? Also, is the weather warm that month as we don%26#39;t want to bring heavy clothes. We would like to visit Budapest in this trip, but not sure how and where else. Is there any easy way to get to St. Petersburg afterwards, and if by car, where should we stop to visit along the way, or is it just advisable by plane. How much time should we plan to end this part of our trip. Arriving from Canada (Quebec); should we rent a car once in Prague or better to hire a guide? Don%26#39;t want to cram everything in just because we%26#39;re in that part of the world. We%26#39;re experinced European and Mediterranean travelers so this is not a first trip for us. Would much appreciate your recommendations

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you can do most of Prague in 3 or 4 days or so. There are othger places to visit such as Cesky Krumlov, Karlstejn, Konopiste which can keep you occupied for the rest of a week and you can reach by public transport or hire car.

Prague to Budapest is easily reached by train or bus. Takes 6 to 7 hours, but then it takes almost 6 hours by car. Budapest traffic is notorious and so I would not suggest driving. you can also fly as well if you wish. I am not a fan of Budapest and think you can see everything in two days. Better still, I think it is more worthwhile leaving Budapest off your list and going to Vienna, Salzburg, Dresden and /or Berlin.

You can get by train from Prague to St Petersburg but it will take you the good part of 2 days. If you do, avoid any train which goes through belarus as you need a visa and even if you have one the border guards will not let you in without paying bribes. No car hire company will hire you a car to take to Russia.

You can also fly from Prague to St Petersburg (direct flights every day) but you cannot fly direct from Budapest.

One alternative route is to take the train via the Baltic states which are good to visit.

Allow at least 4 days for St Petersburg and more if you want to see the imperial palaces outside the city - then you can easily spend a week there and Novgorod half way between St Petersburg and Moscow makes a great trip. You obviously need to have a visa for Russia, but it is not as difficult as it first appears (you may need a visa soon for the Czech Republic, as the Czechs are upset about still needing a visa to enter canada and are threatening to reimpose visas for canadians here).

Weather at the start of September is normally still summer - lower 20 degrees, but it does get a little colder in the evening - will be 15 degrees or so in St.P, but it is a good time to visit

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Thanks Peb7.

I%26#39;m now reconsidering my trip. Maybe St. Petersberg isn%26#39;t such a good idea if I%26#39;m losing 2 days of travel getting there. Ok, so here I%26#39;ll be in Eastern Europe; What to do, what to do. Would like to do something special as this is our wedding anniversary. We%26#39;re in excellent shape so can walk for miles if need be to see what is necessary. I%26#39;ll read over the advice in these columns, and we shall see. Thanks.

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St Petersburg is still worth doing, as it is really beautiful and it gets more and more touristy every year, so now is a good time to go and September is especially beautiful to visit. But you need to fly. Flights are not too expensive if you book early enough