Looking for an awesome 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids? Don’t know where to start?
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Eastern Europe has so many beautiful countries full of culture, history and magnificent architecture. It’s hard to choose the best places to squeeze into a 2 week itinerary.
This 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary is a perfect one to start with and great for kids. It ticks off some of the most iconic, must-see capital cities including Bratislava, Kosice, Budapest and Vienna. As well as escaping to the beautiful mountains in the High Tatras, Slovakia.
Pulling together an itinerary like this is a HUGE task in itself. We’ve already done the hard work, done the trip and absolutely loved it!
And now we’re sharing it with you so that you can replicate our incredible Eastern Europe itinerary for yourself, without having to spend hours and hours of research.
We use train to travel around because it’s cheap, easy and a fun way to travel with kids.
If you love the idea of travelling around Eastern Europe to see and experience more but don’t feel like you have the information or knowledge to do it, then look no further.
In this article, you’ll find all of the information you need to help you get from place to place confidently and easily.
You’ll find step by step guidance on how to travel to each destination, how much it will cost, where to stay and what to do whilst you’re there.
Grab a drink, sit back and learn how to plan this awesome 2 week Eastern Europe adventure for yourself.
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Summary of our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids
Here’s the 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary in more detail (ok, so it may be just a little over 2 weeks but here goes):
Our itinerary starts off in Slovakia’s capital city Bratislava, with its 18th-century old town, lively bars and cafes.
- Day 1 – Fly to Bratislava, Slovakia 🇸🇰
- Day 2 – Bratislava 🇸🇰
On day 3, we swap the city life for fresh air and stunning mountain scenery in the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia where you can simply relax or explore as much as you like.
- Day 3 – Travel to the High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia 🇸🇰
- Day 4-7 – High Tatras Mountains, Slovakia 🇸🇰
On day 8, we travel to Slovakia’s second-largest and very much underrated city, Košice. Here you’ll find a real cosmopolitan hub with amazing gothic architecture and a wide range of delicious cuisine.
- Day 8 – Travel to Košice, Slovakia 🇸🇰
- Accomodation - Apartment Kováčska 9
On day 9, we leave Slovakia and head for Hungary’s capital, Budapest. This vast city has plenty to offer from stunning architecture, healing thermal baths, dramatic history and diverse nightlife.
- Day 9 – Travel to Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺
- Day 10-13 – Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺
On day 14, we head to our final destination, leaving Hungary and heading to Austria’s capital, Vienna. Quite the contrast to Budapest, this beautiful city is packed full of imperial buildings making the whole city a complete architectural masterpiece. Embrace Vienna’s laid back culture and enjoy its music, art and dining experiences.
- Day 14 – Travel to Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹
- Day 15-16 – Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹
- Day 17 – Travel to Bratislava & fly home
Map of our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids
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Cost of our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids
The cost of travelling anywhere can range massively depending on when you travel, how you travel, where you stay, what you eat and drink and the activities you do.
This is where following our itinerary can help you. We’ve already done the extensive research, been there and learned the best and most cost effective way to do it.
Our total cost including flights, accommodation, travel, food and drink and activities/attractions came in at just under £3200 for our family of 4!
And that was during summer school holidays!
Here’s our costs broken down…
- £362.06 - Flights
- £210.85 - Travel
- £1703 - Accommodation
- £718.44 - Food and Drink
- £176 - Activities/Attraction fees
I’ll break down the travel costs in more detail as we work through the itinerary. It’s also worthwhile considering that our prices are based on travelling during school summer holidays when prices may be higher.
Please note: prices accurate at the time of writing and are listed in pound sterling (£/GBP) for accommodation booked from the UK, euro (€/EUR) for prices in Austria and Slovakia, and the Hungarian forint (ft/HUF) for prices in Budapest. We have used the exchange rate of 1 GBP (British Pound) = HUF 350 (Hungarian Forint) – August 2019
Planning your 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids
This 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary is actually a little over 2 weeks at 16 nights and follows our adventure exactly as we did it. You may choose to follow it exactly or adjust it by skipping parts or staying for more or fewer nights in each destination.
Lots of people ask me how I plan our trips and ensure we get from place to place smoothly.
The answer is lots of research and planning before we go. Once our flights are booked, I look at all of the places we could go, find out what there is to do and how we get from place to place.
I want to share our Eastern Europe itinerary and enough detail so that you can confidently go ahead and do the same or adapt it to suit without having to do endless amounts of research upfront.
Use the information in this post to book your own 2 week Eastern Europe trip in 3 simple steps.
- Book your flights – click here or follow the guidance under ‘Getting to Bratislava with kids’
2. Book your accommodation – click on the links below or when you get to each accommodation in the itinerary
3. Book your travel between each destination – do this whilst you are there by following the guidance in the itinerary below. All of the train journeys can be booked at each train station before you travel
- Bratislava – LOFT Hotel Bratislava
- High Tatras Mountains – Penzion Reitmayer
- Košice – Apartment Kováčska 9
- Budapest – Sun Resort Apartments
- Vienna – Theaterhotel Vienna
Please note that we stayed in mid-range accommodation and provide honest opinions of everywhere we stayed.
The purpose of this itinerary is to help you plan and book your own amazing 2 week Eastern Europe trip. We summarise the things we did in each destination but don’t go into too much detail (if I put everything into this post, it would end up being the longest post in the world!).
I do provide separate posts with more information on what to do in each destination – follow the links when prompted.
How to travel around Eastern Europe with kids
You could choose to hire a car to complete the whole or part of this itinerary but you would need to consider cross border charges and parking. For us, it wasn’t cost efficient and the kids wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.
If you want to check out car hire prices, click on the banner below.
You could travel by bus which is probably the cheapest way to travel but you are a little more restricted on a bus and it’s a less comfortable journey.
Of course, you could fly and each of the destinations has an airport close by, but this is a very expensive way to travel and not very environmentally friendly.
We would highly recommend trains to travel around Eastern Europe!
The train network in Eastern Europe is very extensive, reliable and reasonably priced. You can relax and enjoy some family time, playing games or simply enjoying the scenery.
Our eldest daughter often gets travel sick in the car, so train travel avoids this completely. It also means you don’t have to contend with driving in a foreign country. And another bonus is having access to toilets, a godsend when you have kids!
Buying train tickets in Eastern Europe
All train tickets can be paid for by card or cash. We try and use card as much as possible when travelling and would always recommend the Halifax Clarity card.
You get the best exchange rate and no charges.
Just remember to always choose to be charged in local currency if the option is given. This way the card does the exchange and gives you a better rate. If you choose your home currency, the establishment you are paying at will do the exchange, which will almost certainly be much worse.
Resources to help you travel around Eastern Europe
I honestly feel like I can easily travel anywhere with Google Maps – it’s brilliant!!
Right! Now we’ve covered off the essentials, let’s dig deeper into the 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary…
Day 1 – Fly to Bratislava
Getting to Bratislava with kids
For many families, flights are a big cost which is why flight availability and price often determine where our travels take us. On this occasion, we managed to get really good return flights to Bratislava. So our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids starts and ends here.
As always, we use Skyscanner to book our flights because I love the ‘Explore Everywhere’ search function and the way it shows you which dates are the cheapest to fly.
Our return flights from Manchester to Bratislava for all 4 of us including 1 x 20kg checked luggage and 1 x 10kg cabin bag cost £362.06
Click on the banner below to find your flights…
Find out more…
Click here to read our step by step guide to using Skyscanner to help book the cheapest flights – even during school holidays.
From Bratislava Airport, the city centre is approximately 8km and can be reached in several ways including private transfer, Uber/taxi, private car hire or bus.
Our flight arrived late at night, so we initially decided to book an Uber using the app on my phone and it would have cost about €12.
However, when it arrived they wouldn’t take us because they didn’t have car seats for the kids. I knew we should have just taken the bus in the first place, so we headed over to the bus stop.
Getting the bus from Bratislava Airport to the city centre
The bus from Bratislava Airport to the city centre is the cheapest and in our opinion, the best way to experience and see Bratislava like a local.
Bus no. 61 runs frequently from Bratislava Airport to the city centre throughout the day and night and takes approximately 30 minutes.
There is a timetable at the airport bus station or you can use your Google Maps to check the route and time (I can’t survive without this app).
When you exit arrivals at Bratislava Airport, cross the road and walk to the right to the bus stop. You will need to buy your bus tickets from the machine using cash euros.
Tickets are purchased based on the duration of your journey so you will need to buy a 30 minute ticket. 30 minute adult tickets are €0.90, children between 6 and 15 years are half price at €0.45 and children under 6 are free.
When you get on the bus you will need to validate your tickets by inserting them into the machines on the bus.
The screens on the bus show you the upcoming stops so it’s easy to know when to get off. Use Google Maps to find out which stop you need to get off.
Where to stay in Bratislava with kids
We chose to stay at the LOFT Hotel Bratislava because it is located perfectly between the city centre and train station – just a 10 minute walk to both. It’s also located right next to Presidential Palace Park & Gardens, which has a lovely play area for the kids.
The LOFT Hotel Bratislava was the most luxurious accommodation we stayed in during our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary and we would highly recommend it.
The rooms are extremely modern, tastefully decorated and the beds, really comfy. You also get a complimentary mini-bar which is topped up every day (a very welcome touch to help us celebrate the start of our holiday)!
The best thing about the LOFT Hotel Bratislava is the outstanding and extensive breakfast buffet!! You can literally get anything you want and it’s all delicious – you can even make your own ham and cheese paninis!
Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here.
Our 2 night stay at the LOFT Hotel Bratislava for the 4 of us cost £226 including breakfast and city tax.
Day 2 – Bratislava
Things to do in Bratislava with kids
Here is a list of the sights we saw and things we did. If you want to find out more about Bratislava click here to read our guide on ‘How to spend one day in Bratisava with kids‘.
- Bratislava Castle
- Bratislava Old Town
- St Michael’s Gate
- The Blue Church
- UFO Bridge
- River Danube walk
- Bratislava’s lively nightlife
- Presidential Palace Park & Gardens
Day 3 – Travel from Bratislava to the High Tatras
Getting the train from Bratislava to Poprad
Poprad is a city at the foot of the High Tatras Mountains and main train station for onward transfer to the surrounding mountain resorts.
You may choose to spend more time in Bratislava and catch a later train, or set off earlier on your journey to the High Tatras. We chose to have a leisurely morning, taking our time at breakfast and caught a lunchtime train.
Use Google Maps or Rome2Rio to check the train times.
Bratislava train station (Bratislava hlavná stanica or abbreviated Bratislava hl.st.) is just a 10 minute walk from the LOFT Hotel so we actually bought our tickets the day before. However, this isn’t necessary as this journey runs frequently throughout the day. You can just turn up and buy your tickets before you travel. I would recommend arriving at the station 45 minutes before to allow for queues and finding the right platform.
When you enter the station, you’ll see a short set of steps in front of you. To buy your train tickets, go up the steps to the ticket counters on the left. You will need to ask for tickets to Poprad-Tatry and the journey will take between 3 ½ and 4 ½ hours depending on which train you take.
Train tickets for all 4 of us cost €39,29, which included a seat reservation fee.
You can save some money by not reserving seats (I think seat reservation was €8) but be prepared to move if you are sat in someone’s seat.
Staff on the ticket desks will be able to tell you which platform you need or you can easily check the boards.
Once at the platform, the screens will display your train details when it is there. If you’re anything like me, I always like to double-check by asking someone who is boarding the train to make sure.
Once you’ve boarded the train, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride and beautiful scenery.
Getting the Tatra Electric Railway from Poprad to the High Tatras
Once you arrive at Poprad-Tatry station, you’ll need to buy further tickets to wherever you are staying in the High Tatras Mountains.
Some people choose to stay in Poprad itself but I wouldn’t recommend this. Staying in the mountain resort locations is much nicer.
The Tatra Electric Railway is a fun and easy way to get around the High Tatras Mountains (known locally as Vysoké Tatry).
Ticket fares are based on distance and there are plenty of leaflets around showing the Tatra Electric Railway Map and fares. You can also find the map online here and fares online here.
Children aged 6-16 pay the discounted fare and children under 6 travel for free.
Our accommodation was in Nový Smokovec so using the map below, we could calculate the distance from Poprad-Tatry to Nový Smokovec at 14km. The fare for 7-19km is €1,50 for adults and €0,75 for children aged 6-16.
The total cost of the tickets was €3,75.
You can buy the tickets from the ticket desk at the station, which may be the best option if you need help. Or you can use the self-service ticket machines which are really simple to use and guidance is available in English.
The platform (and only departure point) for the Tatra Electric Railway is on the upper floor of Poprad-Tatry railway station.
Head towards the back of the station and out through the doors. There is also a self-service ticket machine just before you go out through the doors onto the platform.
The trains run really frequently throughout the day and the schedules are available in the leaflets. You can also check the schedules using Rome2Rio or Google Maps. You’ll know you are getting on the right train because the end destination will be displayed on the front of the train.
You will need to validate your ticket as soon as you board the electric train by inserting it into the machine, arrow-end first.
You’ll know when it’s your stop because, the screens in the train will display the next stop as well as voice announcement. There are maps displayed on the train similar to what you get on an underground train.
Top Tip
Ask at your accommodation if they offer the Tatry Card. It costs just €3 and gives you unlimited fares on the Tatry Electric Railway for up to 4 days.
Where to stay in the High Tatras Mountains with kids
We stayed at a lovely guest house called Penzion Reitmayer and would definitely recommend it for families.
The High Tatras Mountains is a popular destination for skiing in winter so many of its accommodation is typical mountain chalet style. There are more modern style accommodation options but you’ll pay a lot more money.
I honestly think I looked at every accommodation available in the High Tatras and Penzion Reitmayer was the best value with fantastic reviews (check out the TripAdvisor reviews here).
We stayed in a spacious apartment with 2 bedrooms, bathroom, living area and kitchen and it was spotlessly clean every day. The breakfast was delicious and the lovely owner gave us lots of advice on things to do. The location was also perfect being central to the main sights and attractions and the mountain views out of our Velux windows and balcony were to die for.
Our 5 night stay at Penzion Reitmayer for the 4 of us including breakfast cost £410.
Day 4 – 7 - High Tatras Mountains
Things to do in the High Tatras Mountains with kids
Here is a list of the activities we did and sights we saw but if you want to find out more, read our full post on Hiking in the Tatra Mountains (High Tatras) Slovakia with kids.
All of the sights and attractions are just a few kilometres from Penzion Reitmayer and the Tatra Electric Train is the easiest method of transport.
Once you’ve bought your first tickets to get you from Poprad-Tatry station to your accommodation, you should find using the Tatra Electric Railway really straightforward.
You can buy tickets from the larger stops such as Starý Smokovec, Štrbské Pleso and Tatranská Lomnica or your accommodation may be able to provide them too.
- Explore Štrbské Pleso (mountain lake resort)
- Hike up to Skok Waterfall
- Explore Starý Smokovec (central mountain resort)
- Take the funicular up to Hrebienok (mountain resort at 1285m)
- Hike to Cold Creek Waterfalls
- Visit Tricklandia (trick art gallery)
- Explore Poprad (city at the foot of the High Tatras Mountains)
- Explore Tatranská Lomnica (popular mountain resort)
- Take the cable car up to Skalnaté Pleso (popular tourist spot and tarn at 1751m)
- Hike to Veľká Svišťovka (mountain peak at 2038m)
Day 8 - Travel to from the High Tatras Mountains to Košice
Getting the train from Poprad to Košice
The train to Košice departs from Poprad-Tatry train station, so you will need to get the Tatra Electric Railway train from your accommodation to Poprad-Tatry train station.
Once you get to Poprad-Tatry train station, head back down to the lower level and purchase your tickets from the ticket desk. You don’t need to book your tickets in advance as trains run regularly throughout the day.
Train tickets for all 4 of us cost €13,24.
This time we chose not to purchase seat reservation because it’s just a short journey. There were plenty of free seats available and we didn’t get asked to move. The journey takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.
We only had the one day in Košice so we chose to have our final breakfast in the High Tatras and then make our way to Košice straight after, arriving in Košice for lunchtime.
We valued the time we had on the trains to sit and play games or plan what we wanted to do at our next destination (as well as admire the beautiful scenery).
Top Tip
When you arrive at Košice train station, book your tickets for Budapest (see more further down)
Where to stay in Košice with kids
We stayed in Apartment Kováčska 9 and chose this because of its convenient location and price. The apartment is located right in the centre of the old town but on the side closest to the train station.
As we’d chosen to take the 6 am train to Budapest the following day, we wanted somewhere close to the train station and this was just a 10 minute (700 metres) walk.
Getting to Apartment Kováčska 9 is a simply straight walk. Exit the train station and walk directly ahead through Mestský park and into the town past Jakab’s Palace. Turn right onto Kováčska and the apartment is on the right-hand side.
The apartment was clean, spacious and exactly what we needed for our 1 night stay (although parts of its interior are slightly… random, with its bed linen that doesn’t really match the apartment and pink swirly wallpapered ceiling).
If we visited Košice again we would choose to stay 2 nights. It is such a beautiful and vibrant city with the most amazing cathedral and packed with lovely cafes and restaurants. It’s certainly a very underrated city and we weren’t expecting to love it so much.
Our 1 night stay at Apartment Kováčska 9 for the 4 of us excluding breakfast cost €56,35.
Things to do in Košice with kids
By the time we arrived, we only really had half a day in Košice and wish we’d had longer but here are some of the things we did.
- The fairy tale Jakab Palace
- St Elisabeth’s Cathedral
- Watch the Singing Fountains
- Sample the street food at Kino Usmev
- Wander the beautiful historical centre
Day 9 - Travel from Košice to Budapest
Getting the train from Košice to Budapest
The next part of our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids takes us out of Slovakia and into another country – Hungary.
As mentioned already, you should book your train tickets from Košice to Budapest when you arrive at Košice train station from Poprad.
There are normally only 2 trains per day, one at 6 am and one at 6 pm. We were meeting family in Budapest, so we chose to get the 6 am train. Obviously, it meant an early start but we were glad to arrive in Budapest early.
To buy your tickets, you’ll need to go to the ticket office which is on the left hand side after you enter the main station from the train platforms. Ask for tickets to Budapest Keleti Train Station (main train station).
Train tickets for all 4 of us cost €30,50 and this time we chose to reserve our seats given it is a 4 hour journey.
Where to stay in Budapest with kids
Budapest is huge, covering over 525 square kilometres and divided into two halves (Buda and Pest) by the River Danube. Choosing accommodation can be an overwhelming task given its size and the vast choice of accommodation.
If you want to find out more about the different neighbourhoods to stay in Budapest, read this guide.
We stayed in District 8 Józsefváros, a lively and social neighbourhood with plenty of shopping, bars and restaurants.
We met up with family and there were 14 of us in total so we wanted somewhere suitable for families with separate apartments for each family.
We chose the Sun Resort Apartments and they were clean, bright, spacious and a great location for families with kids. Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here.
Top Tip
If you book to stay at Sun Resort Apartments, make sure you specify that you want a balcony. Even though all 4 of our apartments stated that they had balconies, only 2 of them actually did.
Our 5 night stay at Sun Resort Apartments for the 4 of us excluding breakfast cost €585.
Breakfast can be added on when booking but we decided to go self-catering and do a combination of eating in our apartment (there is a Lidl on the same street) and one morning we ate at the café that Sun Resort Apartments partners with.
Getting from Budapest Keleti train station to your accommodation
Sun Resort Apartments is just 2.1km from Budapest Keleti train station.
If you don’t mind walking and want the opportunity to see some of the city, then walking takes around 30 minutes. If you’d rather not walk with your luggage then you can grab a taxi or take local transport, which will take around 20 minutes.
There are several transport routes and the trams and metro (subway system) on popular routes run every few minutes. It’s best to use Rome2Rio or Google Maps to find the recommended route at the time you want to travel.
A common route would be to ride the metro (M4 line) from Keleti Pályaudvar, 2 stops to Rákóczi tér. From here, you can walk the remaining 1.1km to Sun Resort Apartments or ride tram number 4-6, 2 stops to Corvin-negyed M and walk the remaining 800 metres.
Guidance on using public transport in Budapest
Public transport tickets cost 350 HUF (approx. £1) for a single ticket and it is valid on all public transport vehicles (trams, metro, buses) for one uninterrupted trip.
So, for example, one ticket would cover a tram, bus or metro ride without stopping and getting off. If you changed from the metro to the tram, you would need to use another ticket.
Where to buy tickets from
Tickets can be bought from most stations from ticket vending machines and are in English so easy to use. Children up to the age of 6 travel for free.
You can buy travel cards which may save you money if you intend to use the public transport system a lot. But you will need to make at least 6 journeys within a 24 hour period for it to be worthwhile.
We enjoy exploring by foot and only made 2-4 journeys per day so we bought tickets in blocks of 10 for 3000 HUF (approx. £8.50).
Don’t forget to validate your tickets!
You must remember to validate your ticket before or at the start of your journey.
For the metro, tickets should be validated in the machines located at the entrance to the metro stations. On trams and buses, the validating machines are by the doors onboard the vehicle.
Validate your ticket by inserting it into the machine, number grid end first.
Reading all of this beforehand can make it feel quite daunting but it’s really simple. Once you’ve done it, you’ll find using the Budapest public transport network easy. It’s also a fun experience for the kids.
I know I keep harping on about it but I really can’t stress enough how useful the Google Maps app is for providing explicit details on where to walk, which train to get, for how many stops etc. to get to a given destination. Be sure to try it out to make your travelling so much easier.
Day 10 – 13 – Budapest
Things to do in Budapest with kids
We spent 5 days in Budapest (including 1 day at the Sziget Festival) and there is still loads that we didn’t see.
We have listed the main sights and attractions below that we did. For more detail on what to do and in what order, look out for our full guide on things to do in Budapest with kids.
- Buda Castle and Castle Hill
- Chain Bridge
- Matthias Church
- Fisherman’s Bastion
- Labyrinth of Buda Castle
- Hospital in the Rock
- Platinus Thermal Baths
- Sziget Festival (August)
- Margaret Island
- The National Holocaust Centre & Museum
- Dohány Street Synagogue
- Jewish Quarter and Street Art
- Szimpla Kert Ruin Pub
- Great Market Hall
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Shoes on the Danube Bank
- Stephen’s Basilica
- Gellért Hill to the Citadella
Day 14 - Travel from Budapest to Vienna
Getting from your accommodation to Budapest Keleti train station
At this point in our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary, we travel to our third and final country – Austria.
Trains to Vienna depart from Budapest Keleti train tation, so on the day of your departure, you will need to make your way back to the train station you arrived at (if you are following this itinerary, by this point you should be familiar with the Budapest public transport system).
From Sun Resort Apartments, it’s simply the reverse of the information detailed under Day 9 of the itinerary.
You can either walk 2.1km from Sun Resort Apartments to Budapest Keleti train station or walk 700m to Corvin-negyed M and ride the tram 2 stops to Rákóczi tér. From here, ride the metro (M4 line), 2 stop to Keleti Pályaudvar.
Alternatively, you can grab a taxi.
From here, you can enter the main station to buy tickets for your onward journey to Vienna.
Getting the train from Budapest to Vienna
Direct trains run from Budapest Keleti train station to Vienna (Wien Hauptbahnhof train station) every hour and take around 2 hours 40 minutes depending on which train you catch.
Top Tip
Sun Resort Apartments can provide you with a printed timetable of the trains departing for Vienna
On the day we travelled, we chose to spend most of the day sightseeing in Budapest and caught the 17:40 train to Vienna.
You don’t need to book your tickets in advance but I would recommend leaving plenty of time to allow for queues at the station.
We intended on catching the 16:40 train but by the time we queued at the ticket desk, all of the second class tickets had sold out. It wasn’t a problem though as there were plenty of tickets available for the next train.
We nipped over the road to an awesome little place to eat called Istanbul Kebab. They have great reviews and do amazing tortilla wraps and pittas.
To buy your train tickets, you will need to head to the international ticket office, down a passageway from platform 6. When you enter the room, you will need to take a ticket for the queuing system and wait for your number and relevant desk to come up on the screen. Then you can proceed to the desk to buy your tickets to Wien Hauptbahnhof.
Train tickets for all 4 of us cost HUF 21.450 (£61) including seat reservations.
This was our most expensive journey but the train did seem a higher standard than the rest of the trains we’d travelled on. I think the prices vary so you may be able to get a cheaper train than we got.
On all of the trains we travelled on, we found plenty of spare seats and the children ended up seat hopping throughout the journey for more space to do colouring etc.
Where to stay in Vienna with kids
Like Budapest (although not on quite as big a scale), Vienna covers just over 414 square kilometres and has 23 districts or neighbourhoods.
If you want to find out more about the different neighbourhoods to stay in Vienna, read this excellent guide.
We stayed at the Theaterhotel Vienna in the 8th district – Josefstadt.
This hotel was the perfect location for us bordering the Innere Stadt (the central neighbourhood where most of the main tourist sights are) and just a few minutes’ walk to the Rathaus (Vienna’s incredible town hall).
Theaterhotel Vienna is a grand hotel, although some might say it’s slightly dated. Its style reflects its position next to the Theater in der Josefstadt, the oldest performing theatre in Vienna.
We loved it because the rooms are extremely spacious with separate bedrooms, living area and kitchen area. The breakfast is also delicious with great coffee to start your day. Check out the TripAdisor reviews here.
Our 3 night stay at Theaterhotel Vienna for the 4 of us including breakfast cost £490
Getting from Vienna Train Station to your accommodation
Vienna also has an extensive public transport system which you can use to reach your accommodation.
Where to buy tickets from
A single ticket for one uninterrupted journey costs €2,40 and covers all 4 forms of transport – buses, trains, trams and underground lines. Children up to the age of 6 travel for free. You can buy tickets from the train station, most underground stations and many hotels.
Use your Rome2Rio or Google Maps app to find the best route to get you to your accommodation. If like us, you choose to stay at Theaterhotel Vienna , you can ride bus number 13A from the train station, 18 stops to Theater in der Josefstadt stop. The journey takes around 30 minutes but drops you off just around the corner from the hotel.
Catch the bus from the bus stop located directly in front of the train stations main entrance.
Don’t forget to validate your tickets!
You must remember to validate your ticket before or at the start of your journey.
On trams and buses, the validating machines are by the doors on board the vehicle. For the underground, tickets should be validated in the blue machines located at the entrance to the underground stations.
24 hour and 72 hour travel cards are available but the main sights are very close together so we only used public transport to get from and to the train station.
For more information on Vienna’s public transport and ticket prices, click here
Day 15 – 16 – Vienna
Things to do in Vienna with kids
We spent 2 full days in Vienna but would have loved to have stayed an extra couple of days.
We have listed the main sights and attractions below that we did and in the order we did them. For more information on how to see the best of Vienna, look out for our free self-guided walking tour of Vienna – coming soon.
- Rathaus (Town Hall)
- Austrian Parliament Building
- The Hofburg Palace
- Burgatten Park
- Maria Theresia Garden (Natural History museum & Vienna’s Art History museum)
- Museum Quartier
- Naschmarkt Market
- Vienna’s Opera House
- Stephen’s Cathedral
- Jesuitenkirche Church
- Kunst House
- Walk along the Donaukanal
- Schönbrunn Palace & Children’s Museum
Day 17 – Travel from Vienna to Bratislava and fly home
Getting from your accommodation to Vienna train station (Wien Hauptbahnhof)
We made the choice to travel back to Bratislava and fly home from there instead of flying home from Vienna because the flights were much cheaper.
The train journey from Vienna to Bratislava is also just a little over an hour so it didn’t feel like a big journey to make for the flight savings.
If you are flying back from Vienna, then you should use the Rome2Rio or Google Maps app to help you find the best route.
From Theaterhotel Vienna, regardless of whether you are making your way to Vienna International Airport or heading back to Bratislava on the train, you’ll probably need to head back to the train station (Wien Hauptbahnhof).
From the hotel, it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk to the bus stop on Lederergasse. From here, ride the 13A bus, 14 stops to Wien Hauptbahnof.
Alternatively, you can grab a taxi.
To carry on to the Vienna International Airport, ride the train approximately 15 minutes to Flughafen Wien Bahnhof.
To return to Bratislava, you will also need to take the train.
Getting the train from Vienna to Bratislava
There are around 30 trains a day that travel from Vienna (Wien Hauptbahnhof) to Bratislava (Hlavná stanica or abbreviated Bratislava hl.st.) and the journey time is just over an hour, depending on which train you catch.
There is no need to book your train in advance, you can just turn up and book your train before you travel.
To buy tickets, you will need to enter Vienna train station through the main entrance and head to the ticket office on the right, beneath the red ÖBB sign.
If you need help buying your ticket, you can take a ticket for the queuing system and wait for your number and relevant desk to come up on the screen. Alternatively, you can use the self-service ticket machines which are available in English and are simple to use.
Train tickets for all 4 of us cost €26,10 and we didn’t need seat reservation as it’s only a short journey.
Use the screens to find out which platform your train departs from and if in doubt, there is no harm in double checking with someone boarding the train.
Getting the bus from Bratislava train station to Bratislava Airport
After arriving at Bratislava train station, you will need to take a bus to the airport.
If you have time to spare, there is a café just outside the station. Or you can put your luggage into the luggage lockers at the train station from just €2 and head to the Presidential Palace Gardens and Park (15 minute walk) or into Bratislava centre (25 minute walk).
To get tickets for the bus you will need to use cash to buy them from the ticket machines located at the bus stop just like the guidance for getting the bus from the airport under Day 1 of this itinerary.
The bus stops are located straight ahead as you walk out of the train station. The journey will take just under 30 minutes, so you will need a 30-minute ticket costing €0,90.
Ride bus no. 61, 17 stops to Bratislava Airport (Letisko). Don’t forget to validate your ticket when you get on the bus.
Once you arrive at the airport, that’s the end of the amazing 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary and you’re ready to board your flight home with lots of amazing memories!
Final thoughts on our 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids…
This extremely long article aims to help families who are looking for a 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary with kids.
Hopefully, I’ve shown that travelling from destination to destination is not that difficult (even with kids in tow).
I also hope that I have provided enough information to help you follow this itinerary either completely, or parts of it yourself without you having to do hours and hours of research.
There’s far too much information to share in this post so I’ve linked my other posts on what to do in each each destination. This article is purely aimed to inspire and explain how to do this itinerary.
I hope you have found the information helpful but please feel free to ask me any questions. And finally, if you go ahead and do any, or some of this 2 week Eastern Europe itinerary, don’t forget to come back and share your experience – I’d love to hear how you get on.
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