56 days in Central Europe Itinerary

You might consider the city of Budapest, divided by the Danube River into two distinctive cities--Buda and Pest--to be essentially one large World Heritage Site.

Head to Central Market Hall and Herend Porcelain - Hadik Shopfor some retail therapy. Escape the urban bustle at City Park Városliget and Danube River. There's lots more to do: take a stroll through Andrassy Avenue, hunt for treasures at Ecseri Flea Market (Ecseri bolhapiac), shop like a local with Koller Gallery, and contemplate the long history of Halaszbastya.

To see traveler tips, ratings, and other tourist information, you can read our Budapest trip site .

Dunedin, New Zealand to Budapest is an approximately 32-hour flight. You can also do a combination of flight and train; or do a combination of bus and flight. The time zone difference moving from New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) to Central European Time (CET) is minus 11 hours. December in Budapest sees daily highs of 5°C and lows of -1°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 14th (Sat) so you can take a train to Vienna.

The cultural, economic, and political center of the country, Vienna has developed from its early Celtic and Roman roots into a medieval and Baroque city, with an old town that was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Do your shopping at Vienna Naschmarkt and Altmann & Kühne. Visiting Hohe Wand Wiese and Donauinsel will get you outdoors. There's much more to do: wander the streets of Graben and Kohlmarkt, shop like a local with Mariahilfer Strasse, explore the wide array of goods at Meinl am Graben, and see the interesting displays at Imperial Palace (Hofburg).

To see where to stay, other places to visit, maps, and other tourist information, read Vienna road trip planner .

Traveling by train from Budapest to Vienna takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. In December, plan for daily highs up to 5°C, and evening lows to 0°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 20th (Fri) so you can travel to Salzburg.

Surrounded by mountain ranges and boasting a well-preserved city center, Salzburg melds culture and history.

Shop till you drop at Getreidegasse and EUROPARK. Get outdoors at Buchensteinwand Ski Area and Obertauern Ski Resort. Explore Salzburg's surroundings by going to Sommerrodelbahn Walchsee (in Walchsee) and Gollinger Wasserfall (in Golling an der Salzach). The adventure continues: explore the galleries of Fortress Hohensalzburg, take in the awesome beauty at Grossglockner, take in the exciting artwork at Atelier Thomas Selinger, and get a taste of the local shopping with Residenzgalerie Salzburg.

To see where to stay, photos, traveler tips, and tourist information, refer to the Salzburg holiday maker .

Fly from Vienna to Salzburg in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or drive. In December, plan for daily highs up to 6°C, and evening lows to -1°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 24th (Tue) so you can go by car to Munich.

Often described as the city of laptops and lederhosen, Munich is an international center of business, engineering, research, and medicine that still maintains a rich cultural heritage and age-old traditions.

For shopping fun, head to Viktualienmarkt or Ingo Maurer Showroom. Get outdoors at English Garden and Nature & Wildlife Tours. There's still lots to do: don't miss a visit to Marienplatz, get into the urban bustle at Cultural Center (Kulturzentrum Gasteig), buy something for everyone on your list at Lodenfrey Muenchen am Dom, and take in the exciting artwork at Gallerie Thomas.

To find more things to do, photos, and other tourist information, read our Munich trip itinerary maker site .

You can drive from Salzburg to Munich in 1.5 hours. Other options are to take a train; or take a bus. In December, daytime highs in Munich are 5°C, while nighttime lows are -1°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 29th (Sun) early enough to take a train to Innsbruck.

Nestled in a valley between snowcapped peaks, Innsbruck evokes visions of a winter wonderland.

Get outdoors at Rodelbahn Krinnenalpe and Hintertuxer Glecier. Venture out of the city with trips to Skischaukel Bergwang (in Berwang), Skigebiet Kappl (in Kappl) and Skischule Pertisau (in Pertisau). It doesn't end there: look for gifts at BierWelt.Tirol and take an in-depth tour of The Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl).

For more things to do, reviews, and tourist information, you can read our Innsbruck day trip planner .

You can take a train from Munich to Innsbruck in 2 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. In December in Innsbruck, expect temperatures between 6°C during the day and -3°C at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 2nd (Thu) early enough to drive to Zurich.

The financial hub of Switzerland, Zurich is most often associated with money and banks.

Take a break from the city and head to Mt Pilatus and Lake Zurich. Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Bahnhofstrasse and Alpschaukaeserei Schwaegalp. Explore Zurich's surroundings by going to Santis der Berg (in Urnaesch), Lucerne (Rigi, Lake Lucerne, & more) and UNESCO-Altstadt von Bern (in Bern). The adventure continues: take in the exciting artwork at Foundation E. G. Buhrle Collection, fly like a bird with a parasailing or paragliding tour, buy something for everyone on your list at Letzipark, and shop like a local with Hauptbahnhof.

To see where to stay, other places to visit, maps, and tourist information, refer to the Zurich attractions site .

Traveling by car from Innsbruck to Zurich takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. Expect a bit warmer evenings in Zurich when traveling from Innsbruck in January, with lows around -1°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 8th (Wed) early enough to go by car to Grindelwald.

As one of the country's oldest ski resorts, Grindewald serves as a prime example of a cozy Swiss ski town.

Get in touch with nature at Jungfraujoch and The Eiger Trail. Step out of Grindelwald to go to Wengen and see Central Sport, which is approximately 1h 10 min away. Next up on the itinerary: take in the dramatic natural features at Aletsch Glacier, take in the dramatic scenery at Murrenbach Waterfalls, take in the awesome beauty at Maennlichen, and hit the slopes at Grindelwald-First.

For maps, reviews, traveler tips, and tourist information, you can read our Grindelwald vacation planner.

Drive from Zurich to Grindelwald in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train. Finish your sightseeing early on the 11th (Sat) to allow enough time to travel to Ljubljana.

Sitting astride the Ljubljanica River, Ljubljana is marked with picturesque bridges and a marketplace, designed by the famous architect Jože Plečnik.

Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Extreme Angler - Sportni ribic and Galerija Hest. Step out of the city life by going to Nature & Wildlife Tours and Vintgar Gorge. Go for a jaunt from Ljubljana to Ratece to see Planica Nordic Centre about 1h 20 min away. There's lots more to do: take in the exciting artwork at Galerija Fotografija, shop like a local with Skuc Gallery, and explore the activities along River Ljubljanica Kanal.

For other places to visit, maps, and other tourist information, use the Ljubljana trip planner .

The Route module can help you plan travel from Grindelwald to Ljubljana. In January, plan for daily highs up to 5°C, and evening lows to -3°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 14th (Tue) so you can travel to Prague.

Prague lures millions of tourists each year with its World Heritage-listed medieval city center--a labyrinth of narrow lanes, bridges, cathedrals, and palaces overlooked by a thousand-year-old castle.

Head to Artel and A|X Praha Palladiumfor some retail therapy. There's much more to do: wander the streets of StaromEstske namEsti, surround yourself with nature on a nature and wildlife tour, get a taste of the local shopping with Lobkowicz Palace, and take in the views from Charles Bridge.

To find where to stay, traveler tips, photos, and tourist information, read Prague trip itinerary maker tool .

Fly from Ljubljana to Prague in 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle; or drive. Expect a daytime high around 2°C in January, and nighttime lows around -3°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 20th (Mon) so you can drive to Berlin.

The country's capital and largest city, Berlin is a diverse urban center boasting a lively nightlife and countless things to do.

Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Korsettmanufaktur TO.mTO Berlin and Kurfurstendamm (Kurfurstendam). Take a break from Berlin with a short trip to Kulturpalast Dresden in Dresden, about 1h 55 min away. There's still lots to do: pause for some photo ops at Brandenburg Gate, take in the local highlights with Walking tours, explore the galleries of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preussicher Kulturbesitz, and take a stroll through Potsdamer Platz.

For where to stay, more things to do, other places to visit, and more tourist information, use the Berlin online holiday planner .

Traveling by car from Prague to Berlin takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a train; or take a bus. Finish your sightseeing early on the 26th (Sun) to allow enough time to travel to Krakow.

One of Poland's oldest cities, Krakow sits at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, its historical town center nestled on the left bank of the Vistula River.

Head to Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) and Villa Deciusfor some retail therapy. There's much more to do: get a dose of the wild on a nature and wildlife tour, don't miss a visit to St. Mary's Basilica, look for gifts at Maria's Hat Shop, and take a stroll through Ulica Florianska.

To find where to stay, maps, ratings, and more tourist information, use the Krakow trip planner .

Traveling by flight from Berlin to Krakow takes 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a train. Expect a daytime high around 1°C in January, and nighttime lows around -5°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 29th (Wed) early enough to travel back home.