Linz is a beautiful place, neat and clean as rest of Austria is! We woke up fully charged, plan was to reach Budapest via Bratislava. But before that there was no way we were going to give Vienna a miss. We finished our breakfast, got ready, checked directions for Schonbrunn palace, Vienna and left. Vienna seemed quite calm and running at a slow pace, maybe we did not visit the downtown that's why it seemed like it! Normally, you would like to spend 2-3 days when you are in Vienna but we just had an afternoon and it was well spent.

We took a U-turn to get back on track from Vienna, weather gods were totally with us as the sky was clear with sun shinning bright. Bratislava was 80 KM away, thanks to butter smooth roads and amazing view, we were in Slovakia in no time. When we enter Bratislava, it seemed like a place outside Europe! The roads, building, shopping complexes seemed to have taken up some beating. We decided to find a nice dining place in downtown and sit down for lunch but the whole feel about the downtown was not very comfortable. We saw a Subway and decided to go in, parked the car in parking area of a shopping mall. The moment we stepped out, we noticed a mysterious looking old fellow trying to scan things inside the car and that was good enough to freak out Aarti :-DI reassured her that he was just looking because we have so many stickers on the car, deep inside he had got me worried as well. Anyways we carried on as mind stops to follow when there is a thunderstorm in your tummy! We finished our lunch, took a round in the downtown area and carried on towards Budapest, it was 200 KM away and evening had started to settle in. By the time we entered Budapest, it was already 8 PM or something. Budapest's streets were all lit up and there was something refreshing about the whole city. We navigated through the congested roads to find our hotel, we eventually reached the hotel but the underground parking was not high enough for our car with a roof rack. So, another hour went by looking for a safe place. Surprisingly, private parking seemed like a flourishing business in this city because there was one every 100 Mtrs.! We checked into the hotel and decided to grab dinner followed by a long walk. Even thou it was a weekday and time close to midnight, there was so much zing in the air around us. Crowds of people on the streets, taking a stroll, dining in roadside restaurants/pubs, sitting and chatting in public parks! We have been to many popular tourist cities but Budapest was different, it seemed more comforting and the moment you start paying for your shopping, you will have your jaw dropped looking at the prices, they are CHEAP! We so hoped we had a day or two to spare, but we dint! Budapest is just plain WOW, to put it in simple words, Budapest is no underrated. It should have been the preferred destination for people who want to enjoy a mix of architecture, food, drinks, weather, hospitality, services without burning their pockets. While walking on the crowded roads we ended up getting mesmerized by amazing view of Buda Castle, we weren't carrying the camera so no shots for you guys, sorry! :-) After absorbing this view for sometime, we went back to our room and flagged off the snoring championship! :-D The hotel we stayed in was: Queen's Court Hotel & Residence - Read Review Dob Utca 63, Budapest 1074, HU

#Bratislava

Day 13: Breakfast in Austria, Lunch in Slovakia & Dinner in Hungary