Eastern Europe

Favorite discoveries or tips:

Globtroter Motel

Sunny Prosser in Heidelberg, Germany 11/14/2009

Before leaving home, we purchased phone cards on-line from www.speedypin.com usable in Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic. The $11 minimum purchase provides 5 cards, each with $2 of minutes. Actually, instead of physical cards, the company provides PIN numbers and toll-free phone numbers for each country of origin. The cost per minute varied from 10-12 U.S. cents per minute in Budapest and Vienna to 38 cents in Prague. We'll use any remaining balance on a card for calls back in the U.S.

Don Wilson in Cincinnati, Oh USA 10/25/2009

As someone else noted previously it is not that hard to get to Memento Park by public transport. However, it is NOT as indicated on the Memento Park info flyer. Yes you take tram number 49 to Kosztolanyi Dezso Ter as stated. But bus number 150 does NOT leave from in front of building number 9 on Kosztolany Dezso Ter. It now leaves from in front of building number 31 on Bocskai Ut. If you do a google map search of Kosztolany Dezso Ter, Budapest before you leave, you can easily see where Bocskai Ut is in relation ship to that. A possible tricky part is knowing when to get off. Look at the bus stop sign for bus number 150. Note the earlier stops. and that it says how many minutes to Memento Park (I think it was 23). Our bus had a digital read out showing the stops which made it much easier. Our bus back didn't which wasn't a problem because at that point we knew where to get off. But, had we had that bus on the way out, it might have been harder. Be sure to tell the bus driver you want off at Memento Park. Our driver indicated the stop when we got there. And pointed us all in the right direction when we got off the bus. Before you walk over to the park you may want to cross the street and see what time the buses run for the return so you can plan accordingly. They were pretty timely. and if you bought the bus pass it works all the way out. This little adventure was probably one of our highlights of the trip.

Shirley Fleig in san Diego, cA USA 10/12/2009

Folkart Craftsman's House, 1052 Regiposta (just of Vaci Utca) in Budapest was a welcome respite of genuine Hungarian-made articles after the previously noted tourist dreck on Vaci Utca and in the market. Open 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Mon - Sat

Shirley Fleig in San Diego, CA USA 10/12/2009

Soul Cafe and Restaurant (1092 Budapest, Raday utca 11-13) was incredible. The place was packed yet serivce and food were outstanding. Very nice atmosphere and the price was very reasonable considering the high quality. Definately recommend it.

J. Briggs in Seattle, WA USA 10/10/2009

Personally, two years ago I enjoyed Pilsn in the Czech Republic and stayed a couple nights at the old Hotel Continental - quite old but some rooms very elegantly refurbished and not that expensive.

I just got back (Sept 29, 2009) from wandering in Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Croatia has some interesting areas generally undiscovered by those who go just for the coastline. Budapest is awesome ... but no longer cheap. Krakow is interesting and easy to walk around in the old city. My off the beaten path discovery was Nitra, Slovakia, where I went this year mostly because Bratislava two years ago seemed like a high priced boom town with poor quality (legacy of Soviet era) hotels and services, though some nice people. Nitra is a cheap train ride about an hour or two (depending on train or bus) east of Bratislava and located about where the low mountains/hills end and flat farmland begins. I stayed at the Hotel City Center which ... in the center of the city ... overlooks the town square. The hotel is on three floors above some stores and the entrance is on the back side by the drive through passage. With the economic downturn there was no problem getting a spacious deluxe room with better features (even remote control, good air-conditioning and DVD player) that cost less than a bland room in Bratislava. Here again, the people were very nice. It's sort of an ordinary town, compared to Prague or Vienna or Budapest, but good for a comfortable rest between larger cities.

Steve in Bozeman, MT USA 10/05/2009

The Hotel Central at Rybna 8 in Prague was outstanding. Clean, large modern rooms, very friendly & helpful staff (it's family owned, I believe), close to Old Town Square & the Metro at Namesti Republiky, and they have a lift. They serve a great breakfast buffet, also. Very reasonably priced; a good value.

Ash Morris in Tulsa, OK USA 10/03/2009

We visited both Szechenyi baths and Rudas baths in Budapest, and I highly recommend both. Rudas doesn't look like much from the outside, but it was recently renovated, and it's gorgeous inside. It has a greater range of pool temperatures than Szechenyi, both hotter and colder, as well as a three-step steam room, which goes from 40 degrees C to 70 degrees C. Highly recommended.

Kurt in New York City, NY USA 09/30/2009

I'm writing this from Krakow. Be careful when changing money in the old town. There are two scams we observed. At one bureau du change, the rate was 2.87 zl for a dollar, a very good rate. But peeking out behind the first 2 was another 2, barely visible, and the person at the counter paid out 2.28, about 25% below the going rate. We caught on and got our money back. Use a bureau du change with a digital display to avoid this scam. A second scam catches those who aren't paying close attention. If the going rate that day is 2.72, they offer 2.27. They only need a few people who aren't paying attention to make a tidy profit. Use caution.

Kurt in New York City, NY USA 09/30/2009

We took a 6 hour private tour of Prague through Praguewalker with Irena Horakova - the tour was fabulous and all 4 of us thought it was money very well spent. We also took the Terezin tour through Wittmann tours with Pavel Stansky. There were 11 of us on this tour. Pavel was sent to Terezin in 1941 at age 20 and to have him as our tour guide was truly an honor. This tour was the most memorial tour I have ever been on. I would highly recommend both of these tours.

L.A. Meharry in Vancouver, WA USA 09/21/2009

Practically every tip given by the guidebook was excellent. The guidebook saved us time & money, and allowed us to really get to know each country and city we visited. We didn't go anywhere or do anything without first checking to see what Rick Steves advised or what he thought of something. We pretty much ate based on his suggestions, and decided what sites were worth paying for based on his suggestions. AMAZING!!! Favorite discoveries: Chimera in Krakow, city of Mostar, how to see the Opera in Vienna (for 3 Euros!!!), and Cesky Krumlov

Also, in general we appreciated the overviews of each country/city, the self-guided tours, and all advice about what was worth paying for and what really wasn't.

Amy Tedoff in Colts Neck, NJ USA 07/12/2009

In Budapest, we found that gift prices on some items at Memento Park (Statue Park) are much higher than at the House of Terror. A Lenin candle cost us roughly three times more at Memento Park than what we later saw it being sold for at the House of Terror.

Jack Martin in Lawrence, KS USA 06/28/2009

The Budapest card might have been an excellent convenience at one time, but presently at 7500 ft for three days and particularly 6300 ft for two days it is a very poor value. Transportation day passes run only 1500 ft and the museum discounts would keep you running at a breakneck pace to make up the difference. Contrast the excellent Ljubljana pass at only 11 Euros for three days including full museum entries.

Chuck Burton in Steilacoom, WA USA 06/19/2009

All of these notes are for Prague: 1. U Zavoje is a fantastic wine bar with Czech wine. It's on Havelska 25/500 (www.uzavoje.cz). 2. A local recommended the u Sadlu restaurant and we liked it a lot. It has great medieval decorations with traditional and light food and few tourists. It's on Klimentska street. 3. We recommend the Svejk restaurant. It's cute and good with traditional and light food (120-250 Kc / plate). It's at the corner of Siroka and Panska. 4. The Grand Hotal Praha in Old Town Square is a bakey with lots of homemade Italian cakes that are to die for. 5. I recommend the bread goulash at Restaurace Mlejnice. It's fun and delicious.

We love your books and never leave the hotel without them!

Mark McKnight in Austin, TX USA 05/06/2009

Visiting the Szechenyi Baths in Budapest is not to be missed.

Janet in Valley Forge, PA USA 01/15/2009

Eating on the Buda side and closest to B&B Bellevue(not in Rick Steves 2008 Travel Book):

Hunyadi Restaurant serves very good Hungarian food. It is about three blocks down from B&B Bellevue, located on Hunyadi Janos ut. Walk back downhill past the #16 Donati utca bus stop. Szabo Ilonka utca forks into Hunyadi Janos ut. This is the restaurant Judit and Lajos recommended on our first night in Budapest. I had the excellent Paprika chicken and my husband ordered the Paprika fish. We ran into two other guests of B&B Bellevue there. I highly recommend eating here at least once. Credit cards accepted. Coyote Café & Deli, nestled on a side street below the castle and next to the Batthyány Market Hall (Spar Supermarket) is a new squeaky clean American style coffee shop started by a couple who lived for eight years in the U.S. Everything they served is made fresh daily. They serve light sandwiches, particularly good was their French style tuna sandwich, and light fluffy cakes. Of course, the coffee was good too. Coyote Café & Deli is located on the corner of Iskola utca and Markovits Ivan utca. Vigado Restaurant, next door to Coyote Café and Deli, is a very good restaurant serving good Hungarian food to local business customers. I thought the fish soup was excellent, no bones. Better than the more fancy restaurants. Vigado is located on Markovits Ivan utca, on the same side as St. Anne’s Church and next to Spar Supermarket. Dunaparti Matroz Kocsma (DMK), for a romantic dinner I recommend this restaurant which is located on Halasz u, 1, between FO utca and Bem rakpart. It serves good fish dishes. I found it a little too fancy and not as good as Vigado, but it has a great location overlooking the Chain Bridge, the Danube and Pest. Try to get a window seat to better enjoy the view. The friendly staff spoke fluent English. Credit cards accepted.

Ferenczy Museum - Margit Kovacs in Szentendre (near Budapest). It was a slow train ride, approximately 50 minutes but pleasant ride, described by a local “a very typical small Hungarian town.” We went to see Margit Kovacs’ (1902-1977) ceramic artwork. Make sure you take the tunnel from the train station into the Centrum (Center) of town. Tickets for the museum must be purchased at their gift shop next to the church and before you get to Ferenczy Museum - Margit Kovacs, a small but art filled museum. It is located at 2000 Szentendre, Vastagh Gyorgy utca 1.

Great Restaurant and Café on Pest side: New York Kavehaz, this wonderfully restored coffee house, with its opulent neo-baroque interior is a must see for any traveler to Budapest. New York Kavehaz is annexed to the five star New York Palace Hotel located at VII, Erzebet korut 9-11, Metro: M2 Astoria.

Lorraine Chatham in San Francisco, CA USA 01/08/2009

We used 3 private drivers recommended in your book and all were great! Gabor Balazs in Hungary, Mike Jakubov ("Mike the Chauffeur") in the Czech Republic (one day we had Michael, one day we had his father Frank) and Johann Lichtl in Austria. They were all very polite and friendly, spoke fair to good English, recommended things that they thought we would like to see (and all were correct in their advice!). We felt like we were traveling with a friend, not someone we hired to do a job.

We also stayed at three recommended hotels - Carlton in Budapest, Pension Suzanne in Vienna and the Hotel Hastal in Prague. Excellent choices and the breaksfast were great, too!

Linnea in Chino Valley, AZ USA 11/30/2008

We were renting a car to go to Lucenec, SK for a wedding. A trying experience for first timers but we made it out of Budapest in about 45 min. No problems with roads and they are well marked, even roundabouts are signed. There is little or no English spoken in Lucenec. They did have a TI center and you could get a map of town. There was a castle in Halic which you could walk up to but had been abandoned. Big German Shepard in the mote. Country side is beautiful. Trees are just beginning to turn.

Joel USA 10/09/2008

Eger was a side trip and well worth it. We stayed at the Senator Haz Hotel. Pictoresque place and the little square with music was nice. You can’t go wrong staying here

Joel USA 10/09/2008

We were surprised not to see anything about Lipica, Skojcan Caves, Postojna and/or Predjama in the book. These are at least partially covered in the TV series, and make great day trips from Ljubljana and Bled (which run out of things to do before they run out of charm, making them ripe for day tripping.)

[Editor's Note: All these sights are covered in "Rick Steves' Croatia & Slovenia." We suggest you consider purchasing that guidebook if you are staying for a week or more in Croatia and/or Slovenia.]

Jennifer in Portland, OR USA 09/29/2008

I stayed with Maria & Istvan in Budapest- They were wonderful and the stay was very economical. I would recommend a stay with them to anyone!

Tracy in Austin, Te USA 09/15/2008

Great wine bar and restaurant near Great Market is Borbirosag. Great selection by the glass and great food. Dinner and wine for two about $65

Kim Smith in Chicago, IL USA 09/03/2008

The High Tatras in Slovakia deserve expanded coverage. The mountains themselves are stunning in summer, rising like a granite knife out of the valley. The hiking is easily accessible and varies across all levels, including funiculars/cable cars that enable day hikes above tree line. All of the resorts are nicely connected via electric train, and there are a variety of accomodations and restaurants to fit different tastes and budgets. Contrary to what the guidebook implies, this region is not difficult to reach or navigate without a car. There is excellent train service (and cheap) to Poprad from Vienna/Bratislava. Connecting from Krakow is difficult without a few tips, but a guidebook like yours could easily fill in the blanks to make it doable. For example, you can take a bus to Zakopane, Poland for about $10 and then either connect via Polish/slovak bus (cheap, but requires more knowledge) or hire a private transfer (fast, easy, but expensive). The Tatras are a legitimate three season destination (summer/fall hiking) and winter skiing.

David Murray in Avon, IN USA 08/23/2008

There is a newly opened restaurant in Ljubljana called Pri Vodniku that has authentic Slovenian cuisine that is very good. It is close to Hotel M, which didn't have any other recommended restaurants nearby. Address: Vodnikova 65a, 1000 Ljubljana, tel/fax: +386-1-50-55-907, gsm: +386-41-301-800, info@privodniku.si or www.privodniku.si

Dana J Regan in Portland, OR USA 08/11/2008

There is a shop selling crystal, Katka, 24 Panska in Bratislava. Prices are reasonable and they will ship to the US.

Hilde in Old Bridge, NJ USA 08/10/2008

Most wonderful beautiful ecofriendly building probably in most of the world. The new Library of the University of Warsaw. Gorgeous, with a magnificent garden on top of it with spectatular views of Warsaw. Do Not Miss.

Wanda Mazurek in Oak Brook, Il USA 08/03/2008

Hotel Astoria, Kossuth Lajos Utca 19-21 Budapest 1053 Hungary Tel +36 1 889 6000 Fax +36 1 889 6054 http://www.ohb.hu/astoria/map.en.html

This is an elegantly retored 1900's hotel in the heart of Pest. Great location, 5 min. walk from Great Synagogue and Natl. Museum, Metro station outside the door, two stops from the Keleti train station, within sight of the Elizabeth Bridge. A string of good bookstores next door and a McDonald's in the building. Sumptuous breakfast buffet and fresh flowers in the bathroom. Good bed and A/C and tight-fitting windows shut out street noise. This was luxurious at 156 Euros a night earlier this month.

Jim Martin in Ashland, OR USA 07/26/2008

The Burek at the outdoor market in Ljubljana is the best ive had and im a connisouer!

Tyler Hazen in ferndale, wa USA 07/22/2008

Hotel Aureus Clavis (www.aureusclavis.com) in Prague was a fantastic find, and a reasonable price. The location was perfect in Mala Strana on Nerudova street. We were surprised that it wasn't mentioned in Rick Steves' book. Breakfast is included, and was really good. The room and service were great.

Elaine in Vancouver , BC Canada 07/06/2008

I want to recommend a fabulous guide for Warsaw. She is Anna Ptasnik, annaptasnik@wp.pl or +48 601 31 35 32. She is very knowledgeable and took us on a well-sequenced walking tour of the old town, former Jewish Ghetto, newer part of town, and Lazienski Park. She tailored the tour to our needs and our willingness to walk, and I highly recommend her. Also, Marta Chmielowska, whom you already recommend as a guide in Krakow, is very good as well.

Margie Satinsky in Durham, NC USA 07/05/2008

I would recommend NOT purchasing a multi day pass in prague. everything is within walking distance. We used public transportation to and from airport and bus station and once late at night. Other than that we truly enjoyed walking the city. We stayed on the castle side and loved walking home across the Charles bridge and seeing the castle lit up on our walk home. However in Vienna and Budapest do buy the multi day passes. Both cities are more spread out and the transportation system in great in vienna, the best we have seen in europe and the only in budapest, although it needs some work is essential since everything is so spread out. The budapest card is great if you are there 2 or more days. We bought the 72 hour card and used it quite a bit. Also, in prague we were going to eat athospoda u novaka but nobody was there and we saw a restaurant across the street called u zpevacku and it was probably our best meal in prague, cheap price, local food and lots of local people enjoying themselves

mike in tempe, az USA 06/22/2008

While in Ljubljana, I took Rick Steve's advice about taking a TI sponsored 2 hour tour with one of their guides. She was flabbergasted when she realized that I knew of her great aunt and what had happened. She thought everyone had forgotten the incident. I showed her Rick Steve's Eastern Europe Book and she was very interested and impressed. We both then checked out the face that appears near the left leg of the statue of Mercury. She claimed that it does indeed bear a likeness to the original owner of the building. She is now a fan of Rick's, and I am a fan of hers as well. Simona Juzina is a very good guide, good with people and you can tell she enjoys her job.

Doris Herp in Louisville, KY USA 06/15/2008

Hello. I operate a small tour company in Tallinn Estonia. Lot's of my American customers mention that they are big Rick Steves fans, so I would be extremely grateful if you would consider my company and its tours for review in your publications. You can view our tour offerings at www.estadventures.ee I can be contacted at andrew@estadventures.ee My phone number is +372 53855511. I would be happy to take any of your writers on tour when they next update Tallinn sections. Kind regards,

Andrew Meek

Andrew Meek in Tallinn, Estonia 04/27/2008

PLEASE.. give us Romania!

Melissa in Ft. Worth, TX USA 02/10/2008

Tip: You can buy a ticket to visit Prague's Jewish Quarter at ANY of the 7 sights; you do not need to wait in line at the Pinkas Synagogue as suggested in the guidebook on p. 90....We waited nearly an hour for a ticket and then discovered there was no lines at all at all the other Jewish sights. Please put this tip in your guidebook!

Gail in Albany, OR USA 01/27/2008

Looking for something out of the ordinary? We took a tour of Prague-Vienna-Budapest this past summer. At the end of our tour in Budapest we met up with our friends from Germany. They took us to the Dagaly Baths (http://budapest-guide.blogspot.com/2007/08/dagly-baths.html) where I am quite sure we were the only Americans. There were about ten different pools including a very creative wave pool. The security in the changing room is also quite creative both with the bench that lifts up and down to lock the doors to your private changing room and the person who gives you a key for your locker that is a different number than what is displayed on your locker - yet he keeps it all under control.

Henry in Houston, TX USA 01/20/2008

Budapest - Soul Cafe on Raday utca has excellent food and service. Overall the food in Budapest was consistently the best with the friendliest service of the three cities we visited including Krakow and Prague.

Sondra in Portland, OR USA 11/06/2007

there is a caving tour offered in Budapest. we had a tour guide who took us underneath the city to explore the caves where the thermal baths get their water from. i do not have any of the info with me anymore, but our hostel (astoria city hostel), provided us with the information.

Carolyn in New York, NY USA 10/24/2007

You can save money on train fare from Berlin to Prague by ordering tickets on-line via the German train authority. Some of the train seats are offered at about 50% off the normal fare if you book in advance.

Rod Young in Bowie, MD USA 09/28/2007

Although I think Rick is generally right on in all his recommendations, I think he severely missed on his feelings on Bratislava. Although there is not a ton to do in the town, it is a great town to visit and just walk around. It was very relaxing and very beautiful. If he can recommend Sventendre in Hungary, then he definitely should recommend going to Bratislava!

Becca in Eden Prairie, MN USA 09/19/2007

Restaurant Josephine in Prague-near Guesthouse Lida. What a find--and recommended by our host at Gueshouse Lida, Jan. The food was fantastic and so cheap. Four adults feasted + had wine and beer for $35US per couple. One of the best values...

Nancy Williams in Avon, , CT USA 08/05/2007

K and K Hotels in Prague, and Budapest. This is an exclusive Austrian/German co, but the trick is to go to their website for specials. I found 4/5 star service for 3 star prices. And the breakfast buffet is indeed a buffet and free! http://www.kkhotels.com/

Jorge Lallemand in Miami Beach, FL USA 07/18/2007

In Prague - near Hotel Anna - restaurant: Churdoba - has great local food and very good and inexpensive Moravian wine; contact restauracechurdoba.cz. Wine cellar "Cellarius": just two doors south in the same block as Hotel Anna - www.cellarius.cz contact: lehtni zahrada - great selection of wines, tasting, and small courtyard.

Mary Ann Rose in Westminster, CO USA 06/28/2007

The Castle Steps Hotel in Prague (www.pragueroom.com) is not mentioned in your guide book. We stayed there for three nights and this was the highlight of our entire stay in Europe. Our room had a beautiful view over the park and was stuffed full of some of the most beautiful furniture I have ever seen in a hotel room.

Peter Marshall in London, UK 06/22/2007

Hotel Campanile in Krakow, Poland (ul. Sw. Tomasza 34, www.campanile.com.pl). Located a few blocks from the main market square. It was clean, modern, English speaking staff and an excellent buffet breakfast. 383 zlotys per night. Right next door to one of Ricks recommendations.

Sandra Larsen in Eugene, Or USA 06/17/2007

Airport Hotel Stacio in Budepest 5 minutes from the airport. BOok it on the internet for the best deal 86 Euros for a beautiful big room wonderful good size bath, breakfast and 2 hotel transfers included. Its a new building near a business park complex. Very clean and comfortable. A good choice for an early flight out of Budapest. www.hotelstacio.hu info@hotelstacio.hu We were very pleased. Restaurant in Budapest: Rezkakas Restaurant. The conceige in a big hotel near the Chain Bridge recommended it and it was fabulous. I have seldom experienced such elegant service, the food was amazing and the music (3 gypsys) playing gypsy music...the violin player was fabulous and handsome!!! Pricey but it was our last night after 3 weeks so its a treat. Eating earlier an 7:30PM and you will be eating by yourself and the musicans won't be there yet. www.rezkakasrestaurant.com etterem@kakasrestaurant.com Vienna in May/early June the best White Asparagus ever! Kanzleramt just around the corner from Ricks favorite, Demel for chocolate desserts. Lots of locals showed up at noon when we were just being served. Beautiful sidewalk cafe, friendly service. restaurant-kanzleramt@netway.at wwww.restaurant-kanzeramt.at

HarLyn Mlynek in Colorado Springs, Co USA 06/07/2007

Check out the Vienna walking tours at www.wienguide.at. "Unknown Underground Vienna" takes you into the crypts of St. Michael's Church. I won't spoil the surprise, but if you like the macabre, this is the place for you! You won't believe what lurks beneath the church. Fans of "The Third Man" can also take tours to relive the famous sewer scenes from that movie. In Krakow, try the restaurant Klasyka Polska (ul. sw. Tomasza 8, tel 012 428 00 22 - it's right across the street from Polski Smaki). The folksy interior is decorated to recreate each room in a house - from the library to the kitchen. You have to try the complimentary lard spread, whether you want to or not. The tasty roasted pork knuckle is enough to feed two people.

Doreen in Los Angeles, CA USA 05/27/2007

When exploring accommodations in Hungary, I perused the English websites. My Hungarian boyfriend read the same pages in Hungarian and we discovered a serious price discrepancy between the two versions of the same page! Apparently it is quite common in Hungary for tourists to be charged under a completely different rate schedule than locals. He warned me that when we go into Hungarian restaurants, we shouldn't speak English until we have been handed a menu, otherwise we could get the more expensive Angolrul Tourist Menu.

Alison McNeill in Prince George, BC Canada 05/25/2007

To all the folks complaining about Eastern vs Central Europe, please read the box on p4 of the Introduction to explain usage!

When ordering coffee throughout the countries listed here, there is some variance in terminology so you'll just have to experiment. To get a milky espresso coffee, you'll either have to ask for a "latte macchiato" (an American latte), a "melange" (a foamy latte", or just milk coffee. I try to be explicit and say double-espresso with milk.

I thought the comment about Viennese locals dismissing Starbucks coffee because flavoured coffee was ridiculous, was rather funny, because most cafes there have a long list of flavoured coffees. The coffee is rather good (Cafe Sperl!!), but I went into a Starbucks on Mariahilfergasse just to get a larger size coffee, and the quality was very poor at a high price.

Ljubljana - great place to shop for clothes (even for guys: try Urko). The crafts available near the produce market are wonderful. Also the shop selling products from the Slovenian salt-pans is great! I spent more money there than in Austria, Croatia and Hungary combined.

Mike Williams in http://mikenbondi.blogspot.com, Australia 04/18/2007

I would like to recommend Budapest Underguide tour company. We only had two days in Budapest and wanted to make the most of it. I happened to see an ad for the Budapest Underguide and booked a private tour for 60 euros for four hours. It was well worth the 60 Euros. Our tour guide, Csaba, connected with my family and me and showed us the sites we were interested in and other things of interest along the way. He was very interesting and informative. Their website is www.underguide.com

Sheila Kagi in Mechanicsville, VA USA 03/28/2007

While we were in Krakow, we took a walking tour of Nowa Huta, given by a Latvian who is married to a Pole, great communism stories. While there we stopped by a place called 1949 Club. It was a coffee shop that is also trying to serve as a museum. They had a short movie in the basement about the now gone statue of Stalin and the attempt to blow it up. It is just a block or so from Ronald Reagan square, the main central plaza there in Nowa Huta.

Also, while in Prague, we rented a car and drove the two hours to Dresden just for one night. It was a good side trip.

We then dropped the car off in Cesky Krumlov -- actually they came to pick it up at our hotel for a not-unreasonable fee. It was all very convenient. Be careful though, not all rental cars have radios, if that matters to you.

Bruce Hall in Iloilo, Philippines 03/21/2007

In Prague off the beaten path somewhat, we found a good and very pleasant little restaurant called "U Suteru" with very good food, service, friendly and helpful staff. The address is Palackeho 4, tel. 224 947 120.

In Vienna you were pretty much right on all the way. The "Ofenloch" Restaurant was great but the directions left a bit to be desired. It isn't on the Plaza cited in the book. You have to take the street just before the platz (when walking from St Stephens Platz) follow it and then turn off on to Kurrentgasse.

At the Opera we ran into a woman who said she was helping you on you special on Vienna. I guess the way we were singing your praises she thought we knew you personally. She said the special on Wien was going to be out soon and we should look for it.

Your guide really made our trip to Prague Vienna and Budapest exceptional. Thank you!

Jim G & Mary Gorman in BLOOMFIELD, CT USA 03/07/2007

When in Budapest Rick recommends that you always call for a taxi. I recommend that you not ask the hotel to call for you. Taxi 2000 at 06-1-2-000-000 has a flat rate of transport from the airport to a hotel on the Buda side for 4600 HUF. The Hotel Burg (very nice) had a sign at the desk that a taxi to the airport was 6000 HUF. I, wrongly assumed that if I asked them to call Taxi 2000, I'd get 4600 HUF rate. When the taxi picked us up the driver met the hotel clerk at the door, and we were asked to pay 6000 HUF. Upon arriving at the airport I telephoned Taxi 2000 myself to check on the rate from the Hotel Burg to the airport. 4600 HUF was the quote. Rick is absolutely correct...always call YOURSELF!

Sharron STEVENS in Oberstaufenbach, Germany 01/09/2007