A note for family & friends

A 50th birthday, on trains through a European winter

Mid-December 2026 through mid-January 2027 — Christmas markets, opera and ballet, snow, and a slow hop from Berlin to Vienna. The route, the trains, and the booked nights out.

50th in Prague · 21 Dec Booked rail legs Concerts & day trips

The map

Berlin → Prague → Kraków → Budapest → Brașov → Munich → Salzburg → Vienna. Gold line = booked day trains.

Overnight cities Booked train hops

The route

Rough dates only — apartments and street details stay offline. Open a country page for currency, weather, and time vs Sydney.

  1. 13–18 Dec
    Berlin Arrive from Sydney · Christmas markets · Deutsche Oper
    Germany Germany notes →
  2. 18–23 Dec
    Prague 50th birthday week · 21 December
    Czechia Czechia notes →
  3. 23–29 Dec
    Kraków Christmas Day in Poland · a day trip out of town
    Poland Poland notes →
  4. 29 Dec – 2 Jan
    Budapest Opera, New Year’s Eve dinner, thermal baths
    Hungary Hungary notes →
  5. 3–6 Jan
    Transylvania Brașov and a few quiet days in the hills
    Romania Romania notes →
  6. 6–11 Jan
    Munich Bavaria · castle day in Schwangau
    Germany Germany notes →
  7. 11–13 Jan
    Salzburg region Mozart country · lakes and mountains
    Austria Austria notes →
  8. 13–16 Jan
    Vienna Musikverein · then home
    Austria Austria notes →
🇩🇪 Germany 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇵🇱 Poland 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇷🇴 Romania 🇦🇹 Austria

Booked trains

Day trains already locked in. Overnight Romania and Kraków → Budapest still to buy.

Prague → Kraków

LE1257-PL · Leo Express Premium

23 Dec · 12:23 → 18:37 · Praha hl.n. → Kraków Główny

Booked 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇵🇱 Poland
Salzburg → Vienna

ÖBB Sparschiene 1st

13 Jan · departs Salzburg Hbf 12:07 → Wien Hbf

Booked 🇦🇹 Austria

Booked nights out & day trips

Shows, dinners, and one Bavarian castle day — cities and times only.

  1. 14 Dec · 19:30
    Der Nussknacker Deutsche Oper Berlin · ballet Berlin
  2. 25 Dec · 13:00
    Christmas lunch at Ed Red Kraków old town Kraków
  3. 27 Dec · 07:30
    Auschwitz-Birkenau guided day trip From Kraków with transfer Kraków
  4. 30 Dec · 18:30
    La Bohème Hungarian State Opera · Budapest Budapest
  5. 31 Dec · 19:30
    New Year’s Eve dinner at SIMALIBA Belvárosi Csárda · Budapest Budapest
  6. 8 Jan
    Hohenschwangau & Neuschwanstein Kings-Ticket day trip from Munich · castle entries 11:05 & 14:15 Bavaria
  7. 15 Jan · 20:00
    Die SchlossCapelle Wiener Musikverein · Großer Saal Vienna

How we’re travelling

  1. Stay
    Apartments, not hotels Longer stays in each city
  2. Move
    Day trains between capitals Short flight out of Romania toward Munich
  3. Days
    Walkable centres Christmas markets, food, booked concerts
  4. Kit
    Winter layers Snow, short days, warm coats