Program 782: Prague vs. Budapest; What's New in Lisbon

Explore three of the most charming, and popular, Old World cities in Europe on the next Travel with Rick Steves. Guides from Prague and Budapest make the case for choosing to visit their central European capital. And they tell us what they admire most about each other's city.

Plus, guides from Portugal offer recommendations for visiting Lisbon, with strategies for getting around its most crowded sights, to get an authentic taste of today's Portugal.

• Levente Nagy, tour guide based in Budapest
• Katerina Svobodová, tour guide based in Prague
• Lisbon-based tour guides Claudia Costa and Rafael Pereira

• Katerina Svobodová provides tour planning advice and custom tours in Prague and the surrounding region.
• The Rick Steves online guides to Prague and to Budapest.
• Claudia Costa provides custom tours of Lisbon, and can be contacted at [email protected].
• Rafael Pereira offers small group tours of the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém and Lisbon city tours.
• The Rick Steves online guide to Lisbon.

• "In Lisbon, we had planned to ride the trolleys like #24 and #15 for scenic sightseeing and getting around. However, with reports of one-hour-plus wait times and overcrowded trolley cars, are there alternatives to the trolleys that will still give a wonderful view of neighborhoods as we get from place to place?" (Damon in Scottsdale, Arizona)

• KPM_KPM_0814_00201_Top_Wall_a_APM
• City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, "La Clé de la Victoire," The City of Lost Children (film soundtrack) / Point Music-Polygram
• Buda Folk Band, "Kurucz Mahala," Rough Guide to the Music of Hungary, disc 1 (collection) / World Music Network
• Prague Castle Orchestra, "Kdyz Mne Stara Matka (Dvorak)," Prague Castle Orchestra 2011 / (self-released)
• SEL_SEL_6069_02401_Czech_Violin_Tune_APM
• Karel Gott, "Svet je báječnej kout (What a Wonderful World) (DJ Neo Summer in Prague remix)," DJ Neo Remixes (EP) / Supraphon a.s. (Czech)
• Sinfonietta de Lisboa, "Dez Vocalizos Para Leonar E Arcos: O Chorinho De Mê Filh’ Antonio," Carrapatoso: Leonoreta / La Ma de Guido
• * Dela Dap, "Le Shin," Euro Groove (collection) / Putumayo
• Hungarian Hurdy-Gurdy Orchestra, "Mikor Kend Es Pista Batya," Rough Guide to the Music of Hungary, disc 1 (collection) / World Music
• Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dimitry Yablonsky, cond., "Polka in B flat major, B 114 (op. 53a/1) 'For Prague Students' (Dvorak)," Dvorak: American Suite, Silent Woods, Prague Waltzes / Naxos
• Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Ivan Fischer, "Hungarian Dances No. 8: 'Presto’ (Brahms)," Brahms Hungarian Dances / Hungaroton Classic Ltd. (Hungary)
• SON_SCDC_3563_00701_Czech_Suite_in_D-maj_op_39-polka_APM
• Marta Sebestyen, "Tavasz, Tavasz (Spring, Spring)," The Best of Marta Sebestyen / Hannibal
• * Oscar Aleman, "April in Portugal," Swing Guitar Masterpieces / Acoustic Disc
• SOHO_BOSA_0105_00701_Portugal_APM
• Thievery Corporation, "Barrio Alto," ESL Soundtracks - Modular Systems (collection) / Eighteenth Street Lounge Music
• CEZ_CEZ_4039_00901_Voltar_A_Alfama_APM
• KPM_JM_0055_00401_Chilling_In_Lisbon_APM
• Cantus, "Introit-Benedicta Sit Sancta Trinitas (9th century plainchant)," Cantus / (self-released)
• Mariza, "Transparente,"Transparente / EMI Music Portugal
• Conjunto de Guitarra de Raúl Nery, "Motivos Regionais," Guitarra Portuguesa (collection) / Seven Muses

* Indicates filler music used during internal breaks on the broadcast

• At 29:10, Rick and Levente mention how the 27 countries of the European Union provide funding for its neediest member countries.
• At 31:00, Levente describes how traffic is now closed on the Pest side of the river on weekends for pedestrian riverfront activities in Budapest.
• Rick says he "was just in Lisbon" during the feast of St. Anthony (in June) at 40:40.
• Caller Damon, at 46:30, says he hears that the Lisbon trolleys are crowded and have long wait times now (on line 28). The guests recommend less-crowded adjacent lines to ride, such as line 24.
• At 49:48, Rick asks the guides how people in Lisbon are reacting to its recent growth of large tourist crowds. They follow up with talk of where tourist site reservations are needed, with the Jerónimos Monastery as an example.