An Imperial Escape - Budapest, Vienna & Prague (Plus a day in Helsinki)
- Ali Lucas-Chee
- Nov 16, 2017
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 1, 2022
This familiarisation (experience so you can sell) trip put together by Finnair and Globus, was a perk from my time working at a travel agency! My travel companions for this trip were travel agents from around Australia and I was lucky enough to be paired with Maddy, an awesome chick originally from Estonia who now lives in Sydney.
Day 1 - Flying Business Class!
My flight from Brisbane to Singapore was in economy, however from Singapore to Helsinki I was lucky enough to experience the comfort of Finnair's business class.
This made me truly believe that all airlines should rip out their current seating and replace them with these business class pods! Not only can you lie down completely to ensure a decent sleep (minimising jet lag), you also get a toiletry pack, slippers, pillow, blanket and noise cancelling headphones. AND the food is just delicious, one meal was served with a side of crackers and blue cheese, plus chocolate truffles - now that's fancy! Beverages are free pouring and before you even settle into your seat, you are offered a champagne or Finland's famous blueberry juice. The juice is a must try! It is incredible and made me think about how many blueberries it would take to make and how much that would actually cost to get in Australia...the answer: A LOT!
Day 2 - A day in Helsinki
See my separate blog about Helsinki here.
Day 3 - Budapest, Hungary
After a wonderful day and night in Helsinki, it was off to start our Imperial Escape with Globus. But first a stopover in the Finnair lounge where, despite already having a buffet breakfast at our hotel, we indulged in some tasty treats...when it comes to free food...Who can so no!
With nothing on the agenda for the day except meeting the rest of our group at 6pm, we set off exploring Budapest. Our first stop: Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok). We left the hotel around 1pm and despite our cheeky snacks at the Finnair lounge, our stomachs were ready for lunch! Unfortunately, we were given the wrong information and the 10 minute walk from our hotel actually took an hour and when we got there, we only had an hour to eat and explore before it closed for the day.
Being built in 1897, it is truly a beautiful piece of architecture and as you step into the markets, there is a fantastic vibe and it is beaming with fresh produce, hand made goods, souvenirs and delicious smells! Our tummies now growling, we bee lined for the food section and scoffed down a Toltott Kaposzta (Hungarian stuffed cabbage). It was delicious but be warned that the portions are huge. We then looked around the markets at high speed and were there until they were ushering us out the doors.
I recommend that you allow at least 2 hours to enjoy a good wonder around and have something to eat, also check out the opening hours as they vary, and it doesn't open at all on Sundays.
We then took a leisurely walk back to our hotel along the main shopping street and through a few Christmas markets before we meet your Tour Director and other traveling companions for a welcome dinner at our hotel.
Day 4 - Budapest Continued...
This morning was an organised bus/walking tour with a local guide and was a great way to get around to many of the main attractions of Budapest in a short amount of time. On this tour we visited Heroes' Square, Andrassy Avenue, the Thermal Baths, and the world's second-largest Jewish synagogue.​​
Our last stop on the tour was up to the lookout towers of Fishermen's Bastion where we enjoyed the fantastic panoramic view of the city. This is definitely a spot you want to visit while in Budapest! While there, wonder around and admire the Matthias Coronation Church (built in the 13th-century). It is truly a remarkable site and if you think the exterior is a masterpiece, wait till you step inside!
With the afternoon at leisure, we decided to have a walk around and explore. This took us past a few small Christmas markets, inside the Jewish synagogue and to Rétesház - the first strudel house in Budapest. Here we treated ourselves to some Goulash and of course some delicious strudel!!!
I had a sneaky look around the shopping centre attached to our hotel before getting ready for the evening's river cruise dinner. If you are going to Budapest, a night time river cruise has to be on your list of things to do! The city lite up at night is truly mesmerising and although it was freezing, and I thought I might get frost bit on my cheeks and finger tips, I stayed up on deck nearly the whole time (besides when I was eating) to take photos. The Hungarian Parliament Building, was magnificently intimidating as you can see in the photo below.
Day 5 - Vienna, Austria
Today we bid farewell to Hungary and crossed over the nearby Austrian border to Vienna. I have to admit, having visited there before and having had an amazing time, I did have high
expectations. Thankfully, Vienna delivered, and this is why it is mentioned in my 'favourite places' blog.
Once the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Vienna is described as having Baroque streetscapes and was once home to the very talented Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. It is a very beautiful and extravagant city, with a touch of magic in the winter as the smell of cinnamon fills the air.
Our guided sightseeing tour featured a drive along the Ringstrasse past the State Opera House, Hofburg Palace and Heldenplatz. We then hunted down a traditional schnitzel for lunch before continuing on a walking tour around St Stephen's Cathedral (built in the 12th century).
This evening we ventured out by ourselves to explore City Hall Square for the Vienna Christmas World on Rathausplatz. This place will set your sensors into overdrive with its smells, colours and tastes. Think fairy lights, mulled wine, bratwurst, pretzels, gingerbread, Christmas ornaments, snow and ice skating.
Make sure you rug up as the whole Christmas World is outside and trust me, you will spend a couple of hours here. If time allows, make sure you also go for a skate. The rink follows paths around the gardens and opens out to a big rink in front of City Hall and is an unforgettable experience. Check out this link for more information and the locations of other Christmas markets in Vienna.
Day 6 - Vienna Continued
Today we joined the optional tour out to Schönbrunn Palace. With its 1,441 rooms, 45 that can be visited, it is a very interesting place. Six year old musical prodigy, Mozart played music in the halls of this palace and Napoleon held conferences here. It is incredible to walk through it and imagine what happened there. I'm sure if the walls could talk, they would have plenty to say.
There is no photography allowed in the palace and they don't like you to have large bags, so try and pack light when you visit. Also make sure you allow time to visit the Schönbrunn Palace park which you actually can visit for free without going into the palace itself.
Tonight, we had dinner at Salm Bräu a restaurant that brews its own beers and prides itself on its hearty, home-style dishes. I ordered the Bauernschmaus (Farmer´s banquet), which included smoked meat, sausages, roast pork, bread dumpling and beer cabbage. This was very tasty and if you want to try a bit of everything, it is definitely the dish for you.
After dinner we met up with the rest of the tour group and headed out to see a Classical Concert which featured the works of Mozart and Johann Strauss. I would not consider myself a classical fan, however I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and it is surprising how many of the tunes you will recognise. No photography or video is allowed in the concert hall.
If you find yourself not on a tour in Vienna, make sure you pick up one of these 'City Maps for Young People' to see the city away from the well know tourist spots.
Day 7 - Prague, Czech Republic
It is Auf Wiedersehen to Vienna and Ahoj to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. After checking into our hotel, we took to the streets exploring the city, indulging in some hot chocolate and watching the magnificent sunset. Walking around the city makes it quite apparent why the city is commonly referred to as 'the City of a Hundred Spires'.
I have visited Prague a few times, so it was lovely to see changes to the city, but also a little bit sad to see how westernised it has become. I mean don't get me wrong, it is so much easier when people speak English while traveling, but when they don't it always enriches the cultural experience.
That night we joined the optional evening walking tour of Prague by night. This is a great way to see the city illuminated and feel the magic that this city holds as you cross over the Charles Bridge and watch the medieval Astronomical Clock.
Day 8 - Prague Continued
This morning we joined a local guide on a sightseeing tour, visiting the 1,000-year-old Prague Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage site), St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Town and the Jewish ghetto. All of which are must sees while in Prague.
In the afternoon we took off by ourselves and checked out the Lennon wall, a very colourful place both visually and the history it represents. We then walked past some modern art on our way to see Dancing House, there really is something around every corner in Prague. Later we took a short boat tour along the Vltava river, which gave us a great overview and history of the surrounding buildings and a very different perspective of the city.
This evening we said farewell to our group over one last schnitzel and talked about the wonderful time we had.
Day 9 - Homeward Bound
We flew out of Prague and into Helsinki where we got to experience the Finnair lounge and all of its treats again. Then it was off to Singapore in business class...did I mention how much I enjoyed business class? This was only reiterated when on the economy leg from Singapore to Brisbane, I was stuck in the middle of a middle row and the guy next to me spilt his whole glass of red wine down my leg ðŸ˜.
Tour Overview:
If you want to take the hassle out of navigating your way around European roads, I would definitely recommend this Imperial Escape Tour with Globus. It gives you the chance to see the best of all three cities, with a mixture of organised tours and free time.
The distances driven are quite short, so you will find you aren't stuck in the bus the whole time. However, when you are, the seats recline and have extra leg room for that bit of added comfort. And, because let's face it, this is very important....THE BUS HAS FREE WIFI!!!
The hotels are all centrally located and first class, with the likes of the Hilton in Budapest, the Mercure Grand Hotel in Vienna and Jurys Inn in Prague.
Travel Start Date: 16 Nov 2017
