June 8, 2004 -- Prague is no longer the cutting edge for budget travel to Europe it once was. It's still very much worth a visit, mind you, but pricing on travel related items like lodgings and dining out have climbed steadily. To get that hipper-than-thou thrill, you'll have to go a little farther east.
Djoser (877/356-7376; www.djoserusa.com) that specialist in long-term travel, is now opening up its tours to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey to American travelers through its Pennsylvania offices. The journey lasts for 22 days and starts from $2,475 from New York City or $2,675 from Los Angeles, for mid-September departures and for next spring. You'll join a group of from eight to 20 people and take a flexible tour through these lands in a fairly leisurely manner, considering the distances covered. The prices include flights, transportation, hotels (tourist-class, but comfortable, they say) and tour guides. You should budget another $250 or so for your meals per week. Note that you'll pay an additional $200 for high season travel (June 25 -- August 13) and $75 for the September 3 departure in shoulder season.
The next departure is June 25, with other dates this year on July 9, 16, & 20; August 6 & 13; and September 3, 10 & 17. The land-only price is $1,795. You'll fly from your US gateway to Amsterdam, where you'll meet up with some fine Dutch people you'll be traveling with. From there you'll spend time in Budapest, Satu Mare, Campulung, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest, Veliko Turnovo, Apriltsi, Koprivshtitsa, Sofia, Plovdiv, and Istanbul. That's a whole lot of sightseeing. For an incredibly detailed itinerary go directly to www.djoserusa.com/www/bestemming/index.php?bestemming=0013.
If you've got your heart set on Prague still, then look to Nordique Tours, which has a six-day/four-night package to Prague this winter that starts from only $399, including air from New York City. The valid dates are from November 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005. Holiday surcharges and certain restrictions may apply, and airport taxes and fees are not included. You must book by September 30 to get this price, but since pricing is based on availability, we always advise to book sooner rather than later. Add-on airfares from other departure cities include $50 from Boston or Philadelphia; $100 from Washington, D.C., Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Detroit and Atlanta; $150 from Denver, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix; and $175 from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland OR or Seattle. Contact Nordique at www.nordiquetours.com or by phoning 800/995-7997 or 310/645-7527.