12 April 2027 · 6 nights
Budapest & Vienna
Two cities. Two books. One literary journey.
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
&
The Café with No Name by Robert Seethaler
A tale of two cities
From Budapest to Vienna
In April 2027, Books in Places is heading to two of Europe's great literary cities for a six-night journey through Budapest and Vienna.
We begin with three nights in Budapest, returning to a city and hotel that Books in Places guests have enjoyed before. Our book is Julie Orringer's The Invisible Bridge, a sweeping novel of love, history and survival that brings 1930s and wartime Budapest vividly to life.
Then we travel by train to Vienna for three nights and a very different book. Robert Seethaler's The Café with No Name takes us into 1960s Vienna and the lives of the ordinary people who gather around a small café near the Karmelitermarkt.
There will be guided introductions to both cities, time together as a group, book discussions and plenty of free time to explore at your own pace.
The books behind the journey
Two cities. Two very different stories.
The Invisible Bridge
Julie Orringer
Julie Orringer's sweeping novel follows a young Hungarian Jewish architecture student whose life is transformed by love, war and the gathering darkness of Europe in the twentieth century.
Budapest is far more than a backdrop to the novel. Exploring the city after reading the book adds another layer to places such as the Danube, the grand boulevards and the historic Jewish Quarter.
The Café with No Name
Robert Seethaler
Set in Vienna in the 1960s, Robert Seethaler's warm, understated novel begins when Robert Simon takes over a small café near the Karmelitermarkt.
Gradually, a community forms around it. Through their lives we see a Vienna that is changing, while still holding on to its traditions, neighbourhoods and famous café culture.
The journey
Six nights across Budapest and Vienna
Fly to Budapest
Direct flights from the UK to Budapest, followed by an included taxi transfer from the airport to our hotel.
Three nights in Budapest
Stay at the atmospheric Cotton Club with rooms for sole use and breakfast each morning. We will also have a private three-hour walking tour of the city.
Budapest to Vienna by train
We travel together by direct train from Budapest to Vienna. The journey usually takes under three hours.
Three nights in Vienna
Stay at the Ruby Lissi Hotel, again with rooms for sole use and breakfast included. A private three-hour walking tour will introduce us to Vienna.
Fly home from Vienna
The direct airport bus stops around five minutes' walk from the hotel and the airport transfer is included.
First stop
Budapest
Grand architecture, the Danube, fascinating history and one of Europe's most memorable cities.
Books in Places visited Budapest with The Invisible Bridge previously and it proved to be an excellent book for understanding the city and its history.
Our private walking tour will give us an introduction to Budapest, after which there will be plenty of time to explore independently or with other members of the group.
You might want to wander through the historic Jewish Quarter, walk beside the Danube, cross the Chain Bridge or simply find a café and watch Budapest go by.
Take the waters
Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, and they are well worth making time for while we are there.
On our previous Books in Places visit we spent time at one of Budapest's spectacular historic spas. It was one of those experiences that really felt part of being in the city.
A spa visit is optional and is not included in the holiday itinerary.
The next chapter
Budapest → Vienna
Halfway through the holiday, we pack our books and continue the journey by rail.
Direct trains between Budapest and Vienna normally take under three hours, making this a relaxed way to travel between the two cities while seeing a little more of Central Europe along the way.
Second stop
Vienna
Coffee houses, grand streets, markets and the quieter neighbourhood life found in The Café with No Name.
Our private walking tour will introduce us to the city before you have time to decide which Vienna you want to discover for yourself.
You might visit one of the city's famous museums, settle into a traditional coffee house, explore the streets around the Karmelitermarkt or simply spend an afternoon wandering through Vienna's historic centre.
Reading Robert Seethaler's novel gives us another way into the city. Rather than emperors and palaces, it focuses on everyday lives, neighbourhoods, friendship and the changing Vienna of the 1960s.
Make time for coffee
Vienna's coffee houses are an important part of the city's identity and they feel particularly appropriate for this trip.
Find a table, order coffee and cake, open your book and experience one of Europe's great café cities properly.
Your holiday too
Time to explore at your own pace
This isn't a trip where every hour of every day is organised for you.
The guided walks will help us get our bearings in both cities, but there will also be free time in Budapest and Vienna to follow your own interests.
Visit a museum, spend an afternoon at the thermal baths, seek out a location from one of the books, browse bookshops, find a café or head off exploring with some of the other people on the trip.
Then we can come back together, compare discoveries and talk about the books and the cities that inspired them.
Where we're staying
Three nights in each city
Cotton Club
We return to the characterful Budapest accommodation used for our previous Invisible Bridge trip.
- 3 nights
- Room for sole use
- Breakfast included
Ruby Lissi Hotel
A centrally located base for our three nights in Vienna, well placed for exploring the city during your free time.
- 3 nights
- Room for sole use
- Breakfast included
- Airport bus around five minutes' walk away
The holiday
What's included
Coming on your own?
You can come on your own without being on your own
Most Books in Places guests travel alone, so arriving by yourself is completely normal.
Your own space
You'll have your own room and plenty of time to yourself, particularly during the free time built into both Budapest and Vienna.
People to explore with
There will also be guided walks, book discussions and plenty of opportunities to explore, eat or have a coffee with other people from the group.
Something in common
Everyone arrives with at least one thing in common: a love of books. It makes getting to know people surprisingly easy.
Budapest & Vienna · April 2027
Two books. Two cities. Six nights.
Join Books in Places for a literary journey from Budapest to Vienna, combining great novels, fascinating cities, guided exploration, independent time and the company of other book lovers.
Leave your details below and we'll let you know as soon as booking opens.