The first thing that comes to mind when someone says “central Europe in winter” is freezing weather. But it also means relatively few crowds, great winter sports & attractions, cheap hotel rates and a different kind of romantic. I bravely took this trip from 29^th December 2011 to the 11^th of January 2012. I had just about enough time to get a feel of the region and so it was an action-packed itinerary. I covered all the highlights of the cities I visited. Here is our city list:

Complete Itinerary:

1. Berlin- 3 nights (flight to Krakow)
2. Krakow- 2 nights (over night train to Prague)
3. Prague- 3 nights (train to Bratislava)
4. Bratislava- 1 night (train to Budapest)
5. Budapest- 2 nights (flight to Geneva)
6. Geneva- 3 nights

Practicalities

• Transport between cities and countries here is very easy. With regular trains, flights and buses between most cities makes getting around fairly simple.
• International passport holders need only a singular Schengen visa.
• Unfortunately currencies differ from place to place, so changing money constantly becomes a hassle. Although some larger establishments accept euros, most others don’t. Credit cards and ATMs are widely available and utilized.
• Languages differ from place to place but English is widely spoken.
• Although Central Europe is much cheaper to get by in, than western Europe, it is also a lot poorer. So beware of scams and petty theft.
• If your going in the winter, dress warm its cold.
• If you plan on moving around fairly quickly packing light is key!
• Check the events calendar, make sure your not trapped in these relatively small cities with large crowds!