Vienna and Prague trip

After living for one week in Budapest, we were planning for first weekend in Europe. We all were very excited and everybody wanted to go to Austria first. Neighboring and nearest from Budapest. After our classes on Friday almost 40 people embarked on a evening train to Vienna from Budapest. There was lot of confusion over use of our Eurail Global Pass with which we can travel all around Europe. The rules were confusing, specially about night journey. So about 40 people reached Budapest Keleti rail station and validated our rail pass. Our train was Budapest to Zurich and we had to get down after 3hrs at Wien Westbf (Vienna). I noted a peculiar thing about trains in Europe, as very few people opt for train, here trains are small and generally very few coaches go to particular city. So in that train there was a coach for Vienna and remaining train was going further. The train was good for 3 hrs travel and our huge group really troubled some people out there.
We reached Vienna at around 10pm. Now comes the interesting part. Everybody had thought that some groups have some plans and we will follow them. A huge mistake made by budding managers. So after getting down at station everybody was asking about each other’s plans but as it turned out none of the group had concrete plan. Thus started the fanatic search for shelter in a new city in Europe at 11pm in night. we were standing clueless at some square in Vienna and asked some strangers for budget hotels around the area. A old policewoman also told us some hotel but it was full too. Then a man came towards us and started speaking some alien language. And was saying “you help, you help.” Then started sign language conversation. He was pointing to some direction and was saying something but we could not make out anything. He: “I Yugoslavian! Me only Dutch. My daughter French, English, german!!!” After some more cluless sign conversation he catched one of my friend’s hand and asked us to follow him. For some time we were afraid where he was taking us. Then he took us near station and pointed somewhere and said “Information! Talk English, French, all!” Then we understood he was asking us to go to tourist information centre.
We went to information centre at the station. The helpful lady over there gave us a map of Vienna and suggested some youth hostels around the area. We went to the first one, the nearest, and found that already our classmates have reached there. We found out that no rooms were available in that hostel and also its other branches. We persisted for some help. The beautiful and helpful girl over there phoned all the hostels around the city, but could not find any rooms. Then she phoned her head office and then through them booked beds for us in a hostel nearby. We felt blessed and thanked the girl.
Then we arrived at the said hostel and found out the rent and other things. Finally we got our rooms at 1am and none found any sleep. We all were cursing ourselves for lack of planning. Finally we dozed off sometime in night. In the morning we got up and ready. We found that the hostel provides unlimited breakfast for 4 euro. (Calculators in our mind started for conversion in Indian Rupees. And we have all the conversions at tip of our tongue. All shopping in rupees after conversion and then curse for such high prices) We in a true sense had unlimited breakfast and filled up our stomach for the whole day.
Then we went to nearest metro station and took 24hr Vienna ticket valid for all public transport in the city. We had got some idea about important places to visit at the reception of our hostel. We first went to Stephandom, a huge church with really beautiful architecture in heart of the city. The area surrounding it was very old with cobbled streets and exquisite old buildings. Then we went to Ferris wheel of Vienna which is over 100 yrs old in a amusement park. It is really huge and give picturesque view of Vienna from above. The amusement park is about 100 yrs old. We also saw a museum of old pictures of the park. By this time it had started raining in Vienna. So we cut short our park visit and then we took train and headed for Schloss Schonbrunn Palace of Vienna. By the time we reached the palace it was windy and too cold. The palace was very beautiful but we didn’t get chance to get inside the palace as it was Saturday. After long stroll in palace premises we took tram and headed for Westbf station to catch train to Prague.
After eating at a Turkish joint we reached the platform and asked for coach for Prague. The train also had some coaches heading towards Moscow! This train had coupes in it. We reached Prague at 5.15, 2 hrs behind schedule. The train was supposedly late because the Moscow coaches left our coach at some station and proceeded but another train supposed to carry our coach was late. We strolled in the station for some information but everything was closed at that hour. Then we went to waiting area and slept for some time. At around 7am one by one everyone got up and got fresh. So we were ready to explore Prague at 8am. The tourist information centre opened soon and we bought map of Prague. We had to catch return train at 2pm so we decided to cover only major attractions. We went to tourist help desk and asked them to help plan our sightseeing because we have only four hours. But the khadus lady there said that the important tourist destinations are given on the city map. Then we asked where can we get the Euro converted into local KC, she said go outside station and search there might be some there. Ah what a help from tourist desk. Then finally undecided we strolled out of station and looked for exchange centres. On our way we met a elderly lady and asked her for major attractions in the city. She suggested some must visit places and we planned accordingly.
We took a metro and went to Prague Castle. It’s a 800 yr old castle built over a hill. We went up there and got a magnificent view of Prague from above. Then we saw the castle and the main square in the castle. There was a astronomical clock too. The castle is still occupied by royal family and special castle guards were seen very often. Then we went to Charles Bridge built over the river some thousand yrs ago. The bridge has magnificent statues of various Christian saints and many incidents from Bible are depicted there. Then we went to town hall which is a big square in the city. After that we had to rush to station to catch our train to Vienna.
We reached Vienna around 6.30 and then took next train to Budapest and reached home around 11pm. Interestingly after exhaustive weekend we were happy to reach Budapest which by now we are feeling like at home.
After getting a feel of three big cities in Europe I found lot of similarities and differences in these cities. Budapest has become our home now. On return journey we were happy to reach Budapest and be at our flat. The people in Budapest are very good and always very helpful. They recognize that their native language is very tough and always help even if your language is different.
Vienna has a different kind of appeal to it. Bigger than Budapest, it is more cosmopolitan than Budapest. Obviously it is much more historic also. Though the language is German, almost everybody speak English and everybody is happy that you are visiting their country. People here are very warm and always help. A lady also suggested us some places not to miss in Vienna. So in a way Vienna is very warm and loving.
We got a very different experience in Prague. Maybe that’s the Czech language itself or Communist hangover, but people in general are very rude in Prague. They do not help the tourist in a easy way. Even people who are supposed to help like Railway Information Officer and Tourist Centre personnel are very rude. They just feel that we tourist should assimilate the information in one go and no questions should be asked. Though there were some exceptions like the old lady we met near museum, but people in general very not friendly starting from officer at rail station to lady in ice cream shop and others. I guess the beautiful city helps digest their arrogance!
After exhausting, exciting and awesome trip we were all happy to reach our home: Budapest...