Review of Czech Republic, Germany, Austria Trip!

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I hope you don't mind. I have a few quick questions.........

My dd is a total horse girl. She lives and breathes horses and we recently bought her a gorgeous white warm blood (he's gorgeous....but I digress). When you mentioned that you went to the riding school the day before the ABD tour to get souvenirs, did you do this on your own? Is there no time to get anything with the Disney tour? What types of things can you buy?! Is the riding school close to the hotel?

Thanks for the private tour recommendation in Prague. I have been in touch with Jana to arrange an in-depth tour of St. Vitus, Old Town and the Jewish Quarter on one of our pre-days (her prices are extremely reasonable).

 

[Calfan]

We are in the Frankfurt airport on our way to SFO after completing the July 5 trip. I hope to do my own trip report after getting caught up at work and getting all of my pictures organized, but there were several differences between our trip and PixiePrincess's that I wanted to point out (see posts below). Just to give my overall impression now, this was a great trip. We absolutely loved Prague, and I would encourage anyone taking this trip to spend time in Prague before the ABD. We had 4 full days and could easily have filled up another 2 or 3. I think you will be disappointed if you expect the ABD to show you Prague. We felt the same way as PixiePrincess in being less enthralled with Vienna. CousinOrville, we also stayed at the Ritz in Vienna, and it was great, except that there was no free wifi, which we had at the Marriott in Prague and the Intercontinental in Berchtesgaden. The Intercontinental was definitely our favorite hotel. Our guides were Jennae and Betti, and they were fantastic. Betti is from Berlin, which really added to the Germany/Austria experience. We had 42 on our trip.

 

[Calfan]

Ok. Folks, you asked for it so here is a day by day rundown of our trip. We traveled with Stephanie and Dean, our Adventure Tour Guides on the first week of this new itinerary.

Day -02 - We arrived in Prague 2 days early so we could see everything and stayed at the House at the Big Boot (Dum u velke boty at Vlasska 333/30) in the Little Quarter. I've left comments about this property earlier - very well recommended by Trip Advisor. Our room was lovely, had a phone, faced the front of the property, just across the street from the German Embassy and up the street from the US Embassy (plenty of security) on a quiet street. There is heat for the winter but no AC. This was not an issue for us since the rooms stayed fairly cool during the days and were perfect at night. This could be more of an issue in say, August. I couldn't get over how quiet the property is. The building, and the entire street is several hundred years old.

We definitely suggest you go early since you will spend very little time at most sights. Keep in mind that all churches/cathedrals are closed on Sundays for mass and most businesses close around 6pm for the day.

Day 1 - We got to the Marriott at 2:30 and everyone in our group (other than 2 families) had already checked in with Dean and Steph. If you plan to leave the city to see other sites, this day is not a good option b/c you may not make it back in time to meet them by 3pm. The Marriott is east of the Old City by a few blocks and is a manageable walk past the Opera House and the original entrance gate to the city (10 minutes max unless you are with older guests.) There is a pharmacy just before the hotel and a Billa (grocery just around the corner.) You will have time to go out after the meet-n-greet and dinner if you wish. A good time to get night photos on the Charles Bridge.

Day 2 - coming soon.

Our group did not meet at 3pm. We actually did not find our guides when we arrived at the Marriott around noon after moving over from the Sheraton where we spent our pre-nights. We left a note for the guides at their desk asking them to text us the time we should be back for the welcome reception and dinner and then headed out for more sightseeing. Jennae texted a while later that we should be back at 5pm to meet the group for the reception, and we started dinner around 6pm. Looks like we are starting to board, so I will finish posting about the differences in our trip after we arrive home.

 

[mgsquared]

We were not enthralled with Vienna - other than the palaces and historic sites that we toured. Is just a huge city and we didn't feel as in-touch/connected with it. I private historical tour would have helped with that to some extent.

This makes me sad. Reading what the itinerary was and how quick y'all were taken from spot to spot I am not surprised though.
A bit sad with how Salzburg was done too but at least some highlights were covered.

The thing is, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg... all are gorgeous with little narrow streets and quaint shops that are so fun to explore. The best part is being in these places and wandering around and you guys didn't get to do that.
There are also lovely non American hotels with tons of charm and restaurants/cafes brimming with culture and history.

Should anyone plan to stay in Vienna longer- I am happy to provide suggestions! At least suggestions for meals or sights during the breaks.

 

[hilarys]

This makes me sad. Reading what the itinerary was and how quick y'all were taken from spot to spot I am not surprised though.
A bit sad with how Salzburg was done too but at least some highlights were covered.

The thing is, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg... all are gorgeous with little narrow streets and quaint shops that are so fun to explore. The best part is being in these places and wandering around and you guys didn't get to do that.
There are also lovely non American hotels with tons of charm and restaurants/cafes brimming with culture and history.

Should anyone plan to stay in Vienna longer- I am happy to provide suggestions! At least suggestions for meals or sights during the breaks.

We really liked Vienna. Unfortunately the weather was pouring rain on Friday and so many of us were exhausted that we spent the Friday afternoon free time hanging around the hotel.

Salzburg was my favorite and I would have loved more time there.

It is funny how the weather can impact the group. The castle after the ice cave (HOFENWERFEN) did not seem to be a huge hit with our group. We were all exhausted from the ice cave (weather was cool but not rainy or windy for that part of the day which was perfect) but then became nasty once we reached the castle. The wind was so strong we could barely walk down the hill to the falconry show and then the rain was so strong (and sideways) that they cut our castle tour short.

Hilary

 

[carpenta]

This makes me sad. Reading what the itinerary was and how quick y'all were taken from spot to spot I am not surprised though.
A bit sad with how Salzburg was done too but at least some highlights were covered.

The thing is, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg... all are gorgeous with little narrow streets and quaint shops that are so fun to explore. The best part is being in these places and wandering around and you guys didn't get to do that.
There are also lovely non American hotels with tons of charm and restaurants/cafes brimming with culture and history.

Should anyone plan to stay in Vienna longer- I am happy to provide suggestions! At least suggestions for meals or sights during the breaks.

We loved Vienna on our previous trip. We visited the summer palace and took a trolley out to the winter palace. Wonderful art work....world class. Ate in historic restaurants and enjoyed the cuisine immensely. A street kiosk sausage can compete with NYC anytime for a taste of Vienna. A trip to the Prada at night was one of our highlights. So much to do and wander around.....yes your city is so full of history you need multiple days to enjoy. Hopefully ABD will adjust their tour to take in other aspects of your wonderful city. Sorry to hear of the heavy rain Hilary on your trip. That can have a definite negative aspect to your days.

 

[tufbuf]

Very helpful input on the trip!

Does the Czech Republic accept euros? Or they only accept CZ korunas?

 

[Calfan]

Very helpful input on the trip!

Does the Czech Republic accept euros? Or they only accept CZ korunas?

We ran into some restaurants and shops that accepted only cash. They seemed willing to take Euros but by our calculations the exchange rate was not very favorable. We opted to run to the ATM to get more CZK than to pay with Euros at one restaurant that did not take credit cards.

 

[Calfan]

Sunday - We departed the hotel at 8:15 and went to Prague Castle via bus. Met our local guide, Katarina, and saw the changing of the guard. Definitely visit the castle on your own before visiting with the group (yes, you will have to purchase another ticket.) Since it's Sunday, you won't be able to visit St. Vitus Cathedral (not even look inside.) Your ticket with the group also includes St. George's Basilica which you will also NOT be able to go into on Sunday. What a shame since these two sites are really great! Additionally, on the tour, you will not go upstairs in the Old Royal Palace. You will, however, be given about 25 minutes on Golden Lane. If you have little boys interested in knights, this is definitely NOT enough. There is a huge display on the upper level of several of the houses (they are connected by a long hallway) of armor, swords, daggers, etc. The 25 minutes also includes checking out the old jail (really like a dungeon) at the end of the lane, complete with evil devices. Your tour will not include the Royal Treasury. Just a note, your ticket will be scanned at every site that you enter so you will not be able to use it again to re-enter and re-tour.

Upon leaving the Castle you will go down to the Charles Bridge via the rear of the castle grounds. The walk over the bridge is very short. The guide speaks about 1 or 2 of the statues that adorn the bridge. For a more in depth look, you will need to come back with a guide book. We were then given time in the Old City to eat lunch on our own and check out a few things (about 2 hours.)

We then went to the National Marionette Theatre. My husband and I originally wanted to skip this entirely in order to see more of the sites but were convinced by Dean to give it a try. I think it was here that it dawned on me that Disney really has tried to keep each activity to about an hour or two. This makes sense since the group is comprised of both young and old. The marionette experience took perhaps an hour-which was perfect for everyone. A woman and her daughter at the theater hand makes all of the costumes that you will use to make your puppet. Let me tell you...Barbie should be so lucky. These outfits are custom made and gorgeous. Additionally, they paint each doll. You will learn how the marionettes are built and then fit yours together and put clothes on it. Boys can choose boy puppets and of course, the girls get princesses!

We did not have the free time noted in the guide during this afternoon (other than the lunch time.) We were treated to a surprise river boat cruise that took us to our bus before dinner. The cruise is guided so sit away from your junior adventurers if you want to hear about what you are passing.

You will return to the hotel around 9pm after dinner at the Folklore Gardens which is a family run cultural site that serves dinners and entertains with traditional songs and dances (group participation is light and easy.) There is a little village around the restaurant (that fits into the side of a hill) for children to explore and a gift shop that sells glassware and wine. Enjoy the complementary honey wine when you first arrive for dinner. Yum!

Totally agree with PixiePrincess that if you are on a trip that has you at Prague Castle on a Sunday you should definitely try to schedule time to see more of the castle complex on your own during a pre-day. I would have been really bummed to leave Prague without seeing St. Vitus Cathedral. It is really spectacular. Since we had done Prague Castle on our own prior to the ABD, we did not go into St. George's Basillica with the ABD, but I do believe it was open on that Sunday. Also, I think the afternoon river cruise after the marionette making has become a standard part of the itinerary. It was very relaxing.

 

[Calfan]

Before starting my day 3 review, I just want to note that my DH and I were on the first booking of this tour. Disney tweaks daily itineraries and makes time adjustments as tours go along as they see things working...or not. Your tour may be a bit different than ours due to what they have found to be best.

Ok. Day 3 Czech It Out
Day 3 started with luggage out by 7am and the bus leaving for Cesky Krumlov by 8am. Cesky is small with a huge castle (which you will NOT tour). The local guide is simply wonderful - a local guy with a great sense of humor. Your tour with him is very quick and then you are only given 1 1/2 hours of free time at lunch. This isn't enough time to do anything other than grab a quick bite of street food (if you can find it.) Knowing what I do now, I would have preferred to skip the leisurely lunch my DH and I had at a restaurant next to the river that surrounds the town and spend our time exploring. If you are arriving a few days early, this is a place you may want to take the bus too, spend the night and then come back to Prague the next day. I easily could have spent several days here. Imagine an undeveloped Prague...but smaller.
I very much would have liked to tour the huge castle and town but there simply was no time for anything in Cesky. What a bummer. Disney was focused on getting us to the InterContinental in Berchtesgaden (pre-arranged dinner and junior adventurer experience - playing outside and roasting marshmellows, etc,) which granted, is a nice hotel with a great view but I would much rather have spent time in Cesky.

Day 4 Bavarian Bounty - Very active day - be ready for it!
Today you will visit the ice cave - a short drive from the hotel. This is a very strenuous activity including a series of gondolas and vertical pathways (lots of loose gravel) before finally reaching the entrance to the cave. The views while hiking up are great but let me tell you, the hike isn't for the faint of heart. The site guide is met at the mouth of the cave, gives you some info and then off you go. He stops 3-4 times inside and provides more information. You will be inside the mountain for about 1 1/2 hours. The space is HUGE so claustrophobia shouldn't be an issue.

I was completely sweated hiking up the hill and then FROZE inside the cave. The temp outside was probably around 65 degrees but the cave is below 30. There are another 1400+ steps inside the cave and you will climb from top to bottom up and down the steps. Basically you are walking next to a drip that starts at the top of the mountain and froze and grew into a huge ice flow. The cave is completely dark so every 3rd or 4th person will carry a lantern (adults only). No photos are allowed and you will get busted if you try it. I was wearing a thick fleece jacket over a regular shirt, scarf and gloves - not enough for me. There was another lady in our group who is a firefighter and she was sweating the entire time inside the cave while another was a really fit runner and she was absolutely frozen. You will need to use your best judgement on this one. After leaving the cave, you have lunch family stye at the restaurant on the mountain (very nice). Many in our group started their meal outside on the patio but moved indoors after 20 minutes or so because they were freezing. Wear very sturdy shoes with socks.

After lunch travel to Hohenwerfen Castle which is a very nice visit and our guide was so cute! It was his first tour in English and he was so nervous but he did a GREAT job! There is a museum collection in the castle which you will not view but honestly, you are too tired and sore from the ice cave to care. At the end of the castle tour you will attend a Falconry show and WOW do they get close! These birds are HUGE. The crowd was just thrilled!

Upon leaving the castle you will go on a short tour of a schnaps factory (JA's spend time with guides outside in kid area.) Guide shows you how schnaps is made and then you visit the store (which has lots of things.) I don't drink but the chocolate schnaps that are served in tiny chocolate covered wafer cones is yummie! We brought back a variety of tiny bottles to give away and some candy.

As this point you have the option to stay in town (and be picked up later via taxi or bus) or go back to the hotel. Steph and Dean told us that everything pretty much closes at 6pm anyway so we opted for the hotel. The spa is nice and one of the masseurs stayed a 1/2 hour late to work on me. Talk about strong German hands! Note that there is no jacuzzi in the pool or spa area.

In retrospect, I suggest that Disney give folks (particularly those not in such great shape) the option to skip the ice cave and either a) spend the day at the castle - just be dropped off and picked up or b) spend the day at the hotel. The ice cave was great and very interesting but I could have been out of there in 20 minutes. I much rather would have spent the entire day wondering a medieval castle and grounds. Spending time at the hotel wouldn't have been an option (didn't come to Europe to mope in a hotel!) but some folks may have needed the break.

On the July 5 trip, we did not spend any time in Berchtesgaden itself. Rather than touring a schnapps factory, adults were given the option of tasting some schnapps in the hotel bar after we returned from Hohenwerfen Castle. The bartender did provide a little info about the schnapps, but it was very informal, and since most who attended were wet from the heavy rain at the castle, the schnapps tasting was pretty short. I recommend the chili chocolate schnapps for anyone who participates.

 

[Calfan]

Day 5 - Sound of Mozart
Today was a bit different than what you see in your planner. Berchtesgaden is located next to Hitler's Eagle's Next (you will see it from your hotel room.) Disney altered our itinerary so that those who wanted to visit could do so AND DISNEY PAID THE ENTRY FEE. We were out the door by 8am and could take a nice short walk to the bus staging area (only 1 company with specially trained drivers is permitted to take groups up.) Be ready for a hair-raising drive!

The Eagle's Nest is interesting and it helps to do a little research on the topic before going otherwise you'll wish you had noticed things while you were there that you may walk right past. Knowing who was there and what went on felt a bit eery but the building is nicely re-purposed and being a student of history, it was an enjoyable quick trip. The gift shop has some good books, etc. By the way, the view at the top of the mountain is simply wow!
It needs to be because you'll be sore from yesterday's adventures!

Our own tour bus picked us up at the staging area and we were off to Salzburg. While on the bus, enjoy viewing the Sound of Music.
You will be dropped of in a central area (near a public restroom) and then walk a few blocks to board the Sound of Music tour buses. The bus stops on a street across the lake from the patio set of the Sound of Music for a photo opp. On the bus there is just enough time for a quick overview and a few sites (nunnery, etc.)

Lunch is simply wonderful (duck away to the gift shop for mementos of the area while the others finish eating) but don't miss the ice cream dessert!

Next you visit Hellbrunn castle but the group won't go inside. Only the gardens are toured and your amazing guide has come out of retirement to lead you. You won't even miss the castle! (ok, maybe a little.) The gardens and their secret fountains are a big hit with everyone. The area is huge and very relaxing. The gazebo from the Sound of Music has been moved to the castle grounds and your guide has been given a key (this is very special since it's locked for everyone else!) Everyone takes lots of photos here.

Dinner is with the group at a beautiful establishment and here you are treated to a private Mozart concert by a very gifted duo. This is the one time during the tour that I teared up. The other was saying goodbye to our wonderful guides. What a very special moment in time.

Our group was not give the option to tour the Eagles's Nest prior to the Salzburg day trip.

 

[Calfan]

I know. It really did look neat. You will only be there for 3 or so hours at the most and that includes the time it takes to eat. It's almost criminal. Your guide walks you through 2 or 3 streets and that's it. (There probably aren't many more in CK.) There are plenty of restaurants but most of them are sit-down. Knowing the leisurely way service is provided in Europe, you will be pushed for time if you sit.

FYI for future travelers. We found a great crepe place in Czesky Krumlov as an alternative to a sit-down restaurant. They weren't necessarily speedy in making the crepes, but you could take them to go to give you more time to wander around. Agree with PixiePrincess that it would have been nice to have a couple more hours in Czesky Krumlov. It is a town out of a storybook.

 

[Calfan]

Day 8 High Society

This morning you take the buss around the corner to the Spanish Riding School, home of the Lipizzaners. Wow. This is exactly what you've seen in all of the movies, etc. The tour and information is very interesting. This is probably the most in-depth tour of the entire trip. You will visit the stables (restricted to special guests), see the tack room and meet a Master Rider (the highest rank possible.) If there is a show that day, you may be able to purchase tickets which sell for 75 Euros each for seats or 25 Euros for standing. The show is at least an hour long.

After the riding school you will take a short walk (I can't even remember where) and then you're on your own for a bit. This is a great opportunity - and your LAST to do any shopping. We saw quite a few people walking on the street (and particularly on holidays) wearing traditional clothing. There are many shops where you can purchase these for both adults and children but again, they are not cheap but the quality is good. Also, don't forget holiday decorations and CHOCOLATE!

After lunch you will be picked up to go to Waltzing lessons. The formal ball circuit is a big deal in Vienna and you will see flyers and posters everywhere for different charity balls during the season. High school students here take formal dance lessons after classes the way we have band, cheer and football practices. You will attend classes at one of the oldest schools in Vienna and the grandson of the originator welcomes you and runs the practice. In attendance are 6-8 of his young students who take you through the steps and dance with anyone needing a partner. By the end of the lesson, we were all waltzing or quadrilling away. If you have a little JA who likes to dress up, this is the opportunity for her/him to wear her/his new Austrian outfit or a princess dress that she may have brought from home (as 2 or 3 little girls in our group did!)

That evening you will visit a very special restaurant for the farewell dinner. Words cannot describe how eclectic and interesting this restaurant and its owner are. You will be mesmerized the entire evening. Once again, tears came to my eyes as each adventurer shared what was the most memorable moment of the trip for him or her. So many mentioned Steph and Dean as well as the other great members of our group (smaller - only about 23 guests.) Your adventure guides have worked hard during the trip to take hundreds of photos, several of which they present in a slideshow this evening. Wow, did we do all of that in a week. Now is also when a contact list is passed around (in case you want to share your info with the others in the group). Copies are distributed upon leaving in the morning. You will also be given a card on which your trip code is listed. You can use the code to access and download all of the photos that your Adventure Guides took during the trip. I really felt like I wouldn't have had to take any photos, Dean and Steph did such an awesome job. Additionally, your airport transfer and flight information is attached so you know exactly when to be ready the next day.

I'll include a few other thoughts on the trip in my next update - which will be soon.

On the July 5 trip, we did not have any group walking tour of Vienna, even though it was listed in our booklets. We did the Spanish Riding School and the waltz lessons and then were on our own for about 5 hours before meeting for the farewell dinner.

 

[RSM]

On the July 5 trip, we did not have any group walking tour of Vienna, even though it was listed in our booklets. We did the Spanish Riding School and the waltz lessons and then were on our own for about 5 hours before meeting for the farewell dinner.

Just an FYI for future travellers, ABD must change this up depending on schedules. On the last day of the 6/21 tour, we did the Spanish Riding School, then had about 5-6 hours of on your own time. We met at 4 or 4:30 for teh waltz lessons, followed immediately by the farewell dinner.

 

[mgsquared]

We loved Vienna on our previous trip. We visited the summer palace and took a trolley out to the winter palace. Wonderful art work....world class. Ate in historic restaurants and enjoyed the cuisine immensely. A street kiosk sausage can compete with NYC anytime for a taste of Vienna. A trip to the Prada at night was one of our highlights. So much to do and wander around.....yes your city is so full of history you need multiple days to enjoy. Hopefully ABD will adjust their tour to take in other aspects of your wonderful city. Sorry to hear of the heavy rain Hilary on your trip. That can have a definite negative aspect to your days.

 

[tufbuf]

I assume they have the same dress code when visiting churches in these countries?

 

[hilarys]

I assume they have the same dress code when visiting churches in these countries?

I was worried about that and on Saturday when we actually had sunshine my daughter and I both had sleeveless shirts on. I was prepared to put our light sweaters on before we went into the cathedral in Vienna, but saw tons of other people going in with bare and arms and so figured it must not be the same issue as in other European countries.

Hilary

 

[tufbuf]

I was worried about that and on Saturday when we actually had sunshine my daughter and I both had sleeveless shirts on. I was prepared to put our light sweaters on before we went into the cathedral in Vienna, but saw tons of other people going in with bare and arms and so figured it must not be the same issue as in other European countries. Hilary

I know they allow sleeveless shirts but were there people in tank tops or spaghetti straps that were allowed as well?

 

[hilarys]

FYI for future travelers. We found a great crepe place in Czesky Krumlov as an alternative to a sit-down restaurant. They weren't necessarily speedy in making the crepes, but you could take them to go to give you more time to wander around. Agree with PixiePrincess that it would have been nice to have a couple more hours in Czesky Krumlov. It is a town out of a storybook.

I so wish that we had more time there (and also that my daughter was not melting down that day ) We only had about an hour and 20 minutes of on your own time. We ate at a pleasant restaurant on the water (not the best of all the places we enjoyed on the trip, but the Czech beer and scenery made up for it). All we had time to do after the meal was dash into a great chocolate shop and the gingerbread shop.

Hilary

 

[hilarys]

I know they allow sleeveless shirts but were there people in tank tops or spaghetti straps that were allowed as well?

I was just paying attention to bare arms since that is what we had, but really I did not see notice anyone turned away (weather was not super warm though).

HS