We live in Vienna and take day trips on the weekends as time permits. In the fall we left our house

My husband and I will be in Vienna in June. One of the days we hope to go to take a side trip to Prague and back to Vienna. I see a tour available on Wednesdays and Fridays, but those days won't work. We could go on Saturday or Monday. Any ideas for the best way to make this trip, have a tour in Prague, and get back to Vienna the same day? I was planning to book a trip to Melk on a separate day.
Great idea otroyansky. Part of a day is NOT enough for Prague. thrifty used rental cars It's all we have, though. Skip Prague altogether never to return to the region or slip in a few hours touring with much traveling to get there?
I know it seems obvious, but when deciding, don't forget what you'll forgo in/around Vienna in an effort to make this high-cost/low-reward day trip. (When facing this kind of question, many people become so focused on the HOW that they forget to question WHETHER to do so.) So be sure to ask yourselves whether thrifty used rental cars you are leaving enough time to enjoy Vienna.
Several years ago I did a day trip from London to Edinburgh. Left early in the morning and came back that night. And many people do day trips from London to Paris. It's not everybody's cup of tea to do such things, but if you are so inclined and really want to see Prague, then I think you should go for it. I certainly have never regretted the times I have done long day trips. And to paraphrase an old saying, "It's the things we didn't do that we most often regret..."
Regarding the night train idea - you can leave at midnight and arrive in Vienna at 6:30. That would give you 11 hours on trains in a 24 hour period. After traveling and sightseeing all day, and perhaps thrifty used rental cars not sleeping well on the train, you'll probably fall into bed and sleep for hours, losing time to experience Vienna.
We have 5 days in Vienna, 4 if we go to Prague. Thanks for the big questions to consider. Lots to ponder--loss of sleep on a night train, places to see, what we will miss in Vienna, and tours to contact.
Prague is worth more than a few hours. You'll have enough time to see one thing, get confused by all the Czech signs, and wonder why you spent so much time getting to Prague for so little time there.
Walkabout, thank you for your tips for the tours. I will probably use Prague Experience for a 3.5 hour tour. I made a reservation at Kornina's to enjoy a meal before the tour. Adrienne, alas, my husband must eat gluten free. I'll sneak a few pastries when he isn't noticing and jealous. So disappointing for him. I have planned 7 road trips in the USA in which we visited 48 states and most major cities. It takes efficient planning. We will pack things in in Vienna and still have evenings for a nice meal or concert. Already booked a mass to hear the choir boys and a show at the Spanish Riding School. I really want to see the lovely old sites of a city that wasn't destroyed in the war. We will see a medieval village or two on this trip as well as Amsterdam and Basel, but Prague will be the one city that is most intact. The cost for the one-day excursion is quite reasonable. Happy travels.
We live in Vienna and take day trips on the weekends as time permits. In the fall we left our house at 06:30 for Budapest. By the time we arrived, parked, thrifty used rental cars and oriented ourselves around the castle complex it was near 10:00. We toured only the castle complex, pausing briefly to grab sandwiches to eat in the park, and finished by 15:00, without seeing any museums; it's just too easy to become distracted by interesting sights, and before you know it the day is over. Leaving the city we stopped thrifty used rental cars by "Communist Disneyland," the park of statues thrifty used rental cars from the Communist era, and returned to Vienna around 20:00. A long day, and we regret not having planned to spend the night.