Both Budapest and Prague are known to be wonderful European cities, and if you can visit them both, go ahead and skip this guide.
That said, you will want to compare them side by side, if you find yourself having to choose between the two cities due to time constraints or a limited travel budget.
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I have set up a table so that you can visualize how Prague and Budapest compare in terms of attractions, general offerings, culture, food, and drink and more.
Look up the current cost of visiting Budapest in 2025. I will be adding a similar cost comparison post for Prague soon.
Comparing Budapest and Prague Side by Side
Here are the pros and cons of visiting either Prague or Budapest, side by side.
| Budapest | Prague | |
| Location | Capital of Hungary | Capital of Czechia |
| Getting There | Fly into the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. From there, take a taxi into town or hop on the 200E or 100E bus line and transfer to the Kőbánya-Kispest metro line to continue your journey to your hotel downtown (takes 30 minutes). Other nearby international airports include the M. R. Štefánik Airport Bratislava and the Vienna International Airport. | Head to Václav Havel international Airport in Prague. Take the 59 bus from the airport and transfer at Nádra Veleslavn, where you can take the green metro line A to go downtown. This takes about 1 hour, a taxi gets you there within 30 minutes. Alternatively, Nuremberg in Germany has a nifty budget-friendly airport, which is known for cheaper flights into Europe. |
| Top Reason to Visit | The Belle Époque empirical vibe of Budapest will enthrall all those searching for an alternative or similar feel to Vienna. People visit Budapest for its sights, thermal baths, Jewish heritage, museums and for the food. | Prague is similar to both Budapest and Vienna in terms of its old world charm, but it has a darker medieval vibe to it, which is due to the architecture style and history. People predominantly visit Prague to see the Charles bridge, the castle, the astronomical clock on the main city square. |
| Other Notable Places Nearby | Most visitors don't venture out of Budapest because Hungary is mostly defined by its capital. But if you can spare a day or two, I'd highly recommend visiting either the charming town of Szentendre, Győr or Gödöllő. | Travelers come to see Prague and they stop there. Czechia has so much more to offer! If you intend to do a major Prague trip with day trips included, you might want to add the city of Pilsen (where Pilsen beer was created), the Konopiste castle, and the world-famous Sedlec ossuary to your bucket list. |
| Museums | You may develop a preference for Budapest if you enjoy museums, culture, and art in general. Some of the most renowned museums to add to your list include the Hungarian National Gallery, the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. | The grandest museum in Prague is undoubtedly the National Museum, followed by the Technical Museum. Seekers of the Kafkaesque movement should definitely flock to the Kafka Museum. |
| Budapest | Prague | |
| Gardens and Palaces | The Buda castle overlooking the city is incidentally the National museum. The castle district with the iconic turreted fairy tale-like towers, aka the Fisherman's Bastion, is mostly freely accessible. On the Pest side of Budapest, is the Vajdahunyad Castle, which is surrounded by a wonderful garden area. Not to be missed! All in all, Budapest's castles and palaces are just more aesthetically pleasing. | Prague is known for the Prague castle, which is also located on a castle hill. The ticket for the small indoor area of the castle provides you with access to the charming golden lane and the St. Vitus cathedral. The inner main courtyard can be accessed freely without a ticket. Just behind the ascending castle area is a larger garden area where you will find the age-old Strahov Monastery and the Petrin Lookout Tower. Most people seem to appreciate the city view that they capture on the castle hill, rather than the castle itself. |
| Public Thermal Baths | Budapest is known for its public thermal bath culture and healing hot springs. The biggest of them all is Széchenyi, the prettiest is Gellért, the oldest is Rudas and the locals head to Lukacs. | Non, only scammy beer spas. |
| Shopping | A visit to Budapest isn't complete without a stop at the Central Market Hall. It's a bit of a Tourist trap, but the ambiance is rather cool. You will find a good choice of upscale boutiques near the state opera along the historic Andrássy Avenue. | The equivalent to the Budapest market hall in Prague is the open air Havel's Market and yes, it's a little tourist magnet, but that shouldn't stop you from wanting to take a stroll there. Satisfy your luxury shopping needs along the Pařížská Boulevard in the old town of Prague. |
| Christmas Markets | Christmas markets in Budapest are a more recent addition. The city has two major Christmas markets, at the St Stephens Basilica square and the Vörösmarty Square. A plus point is that they start mid-November and go on until the end of December. | Not a traditional Christmas Market city either, but the Prague Christmas market held on the old town square wins a 100% due to the unique city ambiance thanks to the surrounding buildings. |
| Food and Drink | Hungarian food is well-renowned, and I dare say food travelers should choose this city for a stellar food experience. Besides Hungarian Goulash, Pörkölt, and Chicken Paprikash add Lángos to your must-try food list. These are fried flat-ish yeast breads that are great with a savory cream topping. Head to Retro Lángos for the best experience. Don't forget to buy plenty of Paprika! | Fans of pastries will love all the nut and poppy seed filled sweet baked goods. You will find them mostly sold in local bakeries or at supermarket chains such as Tesco's. Prague is your city if you love beer because Czechia is the beer capital of Europe. Unfortunately, Prague is plagued by food scams and due to that, visitors rarely get to try real Czech food. Trdelník, a baked good sold with ice cream in Prague, isn't a Czech food. It's Hungarian/ Slovak. Absinthe is not Czech, and it's not supposed to be bright green, and the candy stores are overpriced in Prague. |
| Budapest | Prague | |
| Getting Around and Size of the City | Budapest consists of two major parts. The castle hill is in Buda on the western side of the Danube, and the Pest side covers the eastern area. The city is vast, and you won't be able to see both sides on one day. You can easily walk around, but take a bus or cable car up to the castle hill and for the pest side hop on the historic M1 station. Budapest has a sophisticated day and night subway and tram network. | Prague is very walkable and not all too overwhelming, compared to Budapest. You can walk from the Prague castle to the old town square within 30 minutes. Public transport in Prague can be at times daunting and confusing, and it's by far not as well-thought-through as Budapest. |
| Which city is more suitable for Families with Kids? | Both cities are more suited for mature visitors, that said, we saw more families with kids in Budapest. Especially the area around Vajdahunyad Castle is very family-friendly, as it's equipped with a fantastic playground adjacent to the house of music. | The zoo and the technical museum are the most kid-friendly things that you can do when in Prague. |
| Hotel Room Prices | You will find budget accommodations at $40, midrange at $60-100 and upscale rooms are priced at $100 onwards in Budapest. | Prague and Budapest have comparable room rates. |
| Scams and Pickpockets | Not that common. | Scams are common but pickpockets not so, yet. |
| Best Time to Visit | I recommend visiting in spring or in autumn, summer is the peak season and the weather is very hot. Winters are perfect if you are heading there for the thermal baths. | Summer and autumn are the peak seasons, but Prague comes to live in autumn. Winter is a great time to visit Prague due to the ambiance. |
Photos to compare
You need to see both cities to decide how to prioritize between the two cities.
Both are great destinations within Europe to explore, but if you have to settle for one, go for the one that inspires you the most!
Budapest Photos
Prague Photos
Videos to compare
We have done several walking tour videos in both cities. Use these videos to compare and make your own assessment of what to expect.
Tips and Thoughts
If you can make room to visit both, do that! You won't have that many opportunities in your life to see these stunning old-world cities.
You could also add Vienna, the capital of Austria, to this travel triangle or even Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, as it's a day trip away from Vienna.
Keep in mind that both, Prague and Budapest, are both very touristy destinations, and they have been advertised as budget-friendly cities in Europe, which attracts all the more visitors.
Know that Prague and Budapest are located in the Schengen area, but Czechia and Hungary still use a different currency than the Euro. You can use your credit card most of the time to pay for things.
Both cities are known for their Jewish heritage, but Budapest is probably the better choice for a Jewish heritage exploration, due to the synagogues.
If you want to see the Danube river, head to Budapest. If you would like to walk on the famed Charles bridge, go to Prague. It all boils down to what you would like to see at the end of the day.
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