Eastern Europe itinerary: 10 days and 4 destinations!

Want to plan a trip through several cities in Europe but worried about the travel expenses? Know that traveling through Europe can be cheaper than you think, you just need to choose more affordable destinations to visit! With that in mind, I’m going to share with you my itinerary through Eastern Europe!

First of all, it’s worth mentioning that any trip can be very expensive, moderately priced, or super cheap, the cost will depend on you, your travel style, and your planning. If your budget is tight, go for cheaper destinations, like the ones I’ll mention in this Eastern Europe itinerary, and save the more cliché spots, like Paris and London, for when you’ve got more money.

Countries that are part of Eastern Europe

The main countries considered part of Eastern Europe are Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia. My itinerary through Eastern Europe won’t include all of them, but just 4. If you like it and want a more complete post talking about all of these destinations, just leave a comment below!

Eastern Europe itinerary

The first piece of advice I give when people ask me about planning a trip to Europe is: don’t try to explore the whole continent in a single vacation!

 Take your time planning, it’s not a race, and you’ll be able to come back again.

 With that in mind, the itinerary through Eastern Europe I’ll share in the next few lines will be 10 days long and include 4 destinations, deal?

Bratislava Castle, one of Slovakia’s iconic landmarks.

Budapest

The suggestion is to start your Eastern Europe itinerary in Budapest, Hungary. Without a doubt, it's one of the most fascinating cities on the continent! There, you’ll have the chance to admire the architecture, savor the local cuisine, and if you enjoy history, dive deep into interesting facts and stories from the past.

How many days to stay: At least 3 days! If you're going in July or August and can stay one or two more days, even better! In summer, the Hungarian capital really comes to life!

What to do: The city has countless tourist attractions and interesting activities! But you absolutely must visit the Parliament, walk along the banks of the Danube River, cross the Chain Bridge on foot, enjoy the view from the top of the Buda side, and try a lángos at the Central Market. If you're there in the summer, go for a picnic on Margaret Island.

Bratislava

From Budapest, you can take a bus to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The distance is short, only 200 km, and in less than 2 hours you can make the journey.

How many days to stay: 1 day is enough, but if that seems too little, stay 2, though I don’t recommend more than that. The city is small and doesn’t offer as many cool activities as Budapest or Prague.

What to do: The main attraction is Bratislava Castle. Besides that, it’s worth visiting The Blue Church (which, as the name suggests, is a blue church), St. Martin’s Cathedral, passing through St. Michael’s Gate, and snapping a photo with the statue of the worker coming out of the manhole (the most famous statue in the capital!).

Statue of the Worker Coming Out of the Manhole

Vienna

Continuing with the itinerary through Eastern Europe, you can leave Bratislava and head to Vienna. The cities are neighbors, and in just 1 hour you cover the 66 km journey between them. Technically, Austria is not part of Eastern Europe, but it will be “on your way,” so my suggestion is to explore the capital!

Before deciding whether or not to include it in your Eastern Europe itinerary, it’s worth knowing that, of all the cities mentioned in this post, Vienna has the highest cost of living. Nothing exorbitant like Norway or England, but more expensive compared to Prague, Bratislava, or Budapest.

How many days to stay: Just like Budapest, Vienna has many cool places to explore! If you enjoy museums and want to visit the main ones, set aside 4 days to stay in the Austrian capital. If you don’t want to visit all of them, 3 days are enough.

What to do: guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace (about 2 hours); Vienna Zoo (it’s located near the Palace and is one of the oldest in Europe); explore the Museumsquartier (the museum quarter); Belvedere Palace; Vienna State Opera.

Schönbrunn Palace, the most interesting tourist attraction in the Austrian capital.

If you have two extra days, I suggest spending a night in Salzburg, which is 300km from the capital. A day trip is not advisable due to the distance and also because the city offers a range of attractions that require more time to be properly enjoyed.

Prague

The capital of the Czech Republic enchants travelers not only for its architecture and history but also for its low cost of living and delicious cuisine!

To wrap up your Eastern Europe itinerary, you’ll travel the longest distance of the trip, 300km. The journey from Vienna to Prague can be done by bus, train, or car.

How many days to stay: At least 2 full days. But ideally, 3 or 4 days. If you’re interested, you can also take a day trip to Český Krumlov.

Old Town Square – that’s where the famous Astronomical Clock is located.

What to do: visit Prague Castle and admire the view from the top; wander aimlessly around the Old Town Square; admire the Astronomical Clock; cross Charles Bridge (Karlův Most); explore the New Town (Malá Strana); and if you’re a fan of Franz Kafka, visit the Kafka Museum.

That was my itinerary through Eastern Europe, what did you think of it? You can always add more days and visit other cities like Krakow (Poland) and Kyiv (Ukraine). It all depends on your planning and budget! Since you’ve made it to the end of this post, go ahead and check out the others I’ve written, there are tons of great and free tips around here!

See you around the world!