Eastern Europe Guidebook
Guidebook corrections:
Please note: The following corrections were submitted by readers and have not yet been confirmed by Rick. Check updates from Rick for the latest.
No------the guidebook contained great info.
Darlene Esola in San Bruno, CA USA 03/09/2013
Zamenhof is creator of Esperanto p. 164 Snapshot Warsaw
Maria USA 02/20/2013
Vienna -Hofburg Treasure and Kunsthistorisches Museum no longer offer free basic audio guide. The audio guides now are 4 Euro for each location. The Hofburg New Palace museum's audio guide still free.
Jeri in Detroit, Mi USA 12/19/2012
Just a Suggestion - Diocletian's Palace self-guided walking tour needs to be a bit clearer.
Denis & Lisa O'Connor in Prospect, CT USA 12/17/2012
I must disagree with the prior post regarding the train from Krakow airport to downtown. It is 15 pln (~$4.75 as of today), with a lower rate for a roundtrip. Up to date info available at http://www.krakowairport.pl/en/3/176/35 No need for expensive cab. There is even a free shuttle for those who can't walk the 300 yards from the terminal to the train stop.
Margaret Plotkin in Elkins Park, PA USA 10/21/2012
In Krakow the cost of the train from the airport to the downtown train station is now equal to about 18 Euro per person. So the cost of a taxi ride to town is something one should consider if there are two or more of you in your party.
David Koch in San Mateo, CA USA 10/12/2012
In Krakow, the tram to the Jewish section is 76, 77 or 79. There is no 7. We wasted a small bit of time trying to figure out what we were doing wrong.
Sheila in Georgetown`, KY USA 09/24/2012
Excellent train service now available between Warsaw Chopin airport and central station and Royal Way. Turn right from airport exit and walk to front of bus station, about 100 yards. There is no longer access to Birkenau tower.
Alan Feddersen in Oro Valley, AZ USA 09/07/2012
This may have been corrected in the new version of the book covering Poland which had the Schindler museum in it, but the version we used during our 19 days in Poland and 8 days in Slovakia this month had a very significant error in it with regard to where the "Solidarity Priest" Father Jerzy Popieluszko is burried. Having visited his grave in Warsaw 25 years ago, I was surprised to read in Rick Steves' guidebook that his grave was in Gdansk, as it seemed odd that they would move his body, since his parish was in Warsaw. While I can understand why Rick (or whoever wrote this) would think that the memorial in Lech Walensa's parish church in Gdansk was a grave, I confirmed with the woman at the church that it is just a memorial to him, and that his grave still is, indeed, in Warsaw (you might want to add a visit there to the Warsaw section---the Pope visited it before I was there in 1987).
Don Kosin in Chevy Chase, MD USA 08/31/2012
When I saw the title, I knew something is going to go really bad, since the term Eastern Europe is now a term of abuse. It is very loaded and we tend not to use it in Europe any more, especially because the landmass of Europe (in its eastern part) is occupied in almost a half by one country (Russian Federation). The book is very biased. It counts as Eastern Europe countries that are strongly Western, with Western or Central European identities. This book is disrespectful and can make you a foes. The author should know these things. People in Central Europe hate being relegated to E Europe.
bart in cardiff, Wa the UK 07/25/2012
Budapest: the legenda pass is not offered any more by the boat company.
Budapest: there is a 5 persons group pass available for public transport. It is 3100HUF for 24 hrs pass. Very economical if you are 3 or more people.
Budapest: river tours. Dunayatcht that leaves from dock 10 has the best prices 2300/1900 HUF. Maybe worth mentioning in your book.
ajay gupta in Rockville, MD USA 06/20/2012
Gdansk: the location of the Bar Pod Ryba has changed it is now behind st Mary's church on Piwna 61/63. Www.barpodryba.pl We found it by stumbling around.
Gregory Han in Key Biscayne, Fl USA 06/05/2012
The Czech and Slovak Survival Phrases in the 6th edition need to be as comprehensive as those for Polish, Hungarian, etc.
Joe Hellman in Central Point, OR USA 10/19/2011
Orbis travel in Cracow is closed so you have to buy train tickets at train station. We tried to get reservations in 1st class night train from Cracow to Prague 2 days ahead and it was full . Make reservations for night train earlier. The cz train office in downtown Prague listed in RS eastern europe book no longer sells train tickets so again need to buy at train station.
Barbara Chasnoff in Chicago , Il USA 10/07/2011
The Warsaw train station is a breeze and the information area was extremely helpful in getting us tickets throughout our trip through Poland and the Czech Republic. The Karkow train station is a nightmare with no ticket or informaiton areas. YOu are strickly on your own with poor signage. If we hadn't been traveling through Poland for two weeks and had experiences at other train stations we would have never figured out where our train was leaving from.
Judy Sepik in Forestville, CA USA 10/01/2011
No corrections! Such great information!
Carol Sullivan in Mount Vernon, WA USA 08/24/2011
Our corrections are all in Budapest and are as follows: 1. We arrived at the Keleti train station and I had your book open to the page so I could follow your instructions. We walked to track 6, where you had said there was a K&H bank. It seems to have closed - and the only thing we saw was the Interchange that you indicated had high rates. We did ask for an ATM in the tourist info area and were directed across the street. Outside the station and kind of parallel to track 6 (A right out the main doors) there is a UniCredit bank - so we were able to take out money there. You were 100% correct about the cab drivers and your tip to not hop into one of them (however tempting it was) was spot on. However, you said in your book that the real cabs have yellow license plates. That does not appear to be true as I think everyone has a yellow plate now. The goons as you call them tried to tell us that it would cost 4000 HUF to get to our hotel (The Marriott). We also tried a different trick to getting one of the real cabs. One of them pulled up to drop someone off and we asked him to call for us on his walkie talkie. This was perfect and we avoided the phone card/phone call suggestion. The 444 cab came in 3 minutes and we paid the metered rate of 2200 HUF. 2. The other change is the Gellert Baths. They no longer give out entry tickets with the 2 parts like you said in your book. Now they give you a plastic bracelet that looks like a watch. Either yellow and orange (which I think is for couples sharing a changing cabin) or blue and green (which I think is for single sex). When you enter the changing area there is an attendant who holds the watch like device up to a machine and it automatically assigns you a cabin. You then hold up the watch to the lock of the door and it automatically opens. Upon exiting it locks itself and you just use the watch to open it again. Important to note that my husband did not hold his watch up to the machine when we entered so his watch actually couldnt open our cabin door only mine could. When you exit you must drop the watch into a slot and then a turnstile allows you to leave. They have not given out refunds for time not used in 2 years. This needs to be updated in your book for sure. 3. We also went to the Holocaust Museum and took the tram there. Important to change in your book. The Ferent korut tram stop was renamed to Corvin. It must have happened recently because our hotel concierge had to handwrite it onto the map that she gave us. 4. Finally we went to the Great Synagogue and it seems that they close for a bit in the middle of the day. We were there on a Sunday and they were closed between 15 and 16:30 (3-4:30pm). Then reopened from 4:30-6pm Thats all!!
Pamela Mohr in New York, NY USA 08/17/2011
Several of the prices in the Eastern Europe have changed from the description in the book (i.e. St. Stephens-Vienna, church tours are now 4.50)
Brinson Joseph in Houston, TX USA 08/14/2011
Krakow: The Czartoryski Museum is still closed for renovations and the Rembrand and the de Vinci t is still out of town.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/03/2011
1) We rented a car three different times on our 28-day trip through Central/Eastern Europe. We always asked about toll stickers and vignettes, but were advised that we didn't need them, since the car rentals were always just for one to three days. We just paid in cash on the expressways (avtocestas) toll roads. 2) We had International Driver's Licenses, but none of the three different car rental agencies wanted them, just the State Driver's License. We got pulled over between Sarajevo and Mostar for speeding and the policeman did not ask for it either (He let us go with a verbal warning and no bribe--watch your speed in Bosnia!).
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 07/02/2011
Mostar: Rick's recommended "Rugged-but Scenic Backcountry Route Through Serbian Herzegovia" is under construction between Gacko and Bileca. Until the construction is completed, a better alternative route between Mostar and Dubronik is through Capljina, Stolac, Krivaca, Bileca, and Trebinje. A short side trip up a pretty canyon out of Stolac is nice. People at your accommodation in Mostar or Sarajevo should know when road construction between Gacko and Krivaca is completed.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, USA 06/27/2011
Dubrovnik: 1) The round-trip to Lokrum Island is now 50 Kn & the recommended map is now 15 Kn. 2) The cable car to Mount Syr is now operating.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, USA 06/27/2011
The Mljet Island excursion via Atlas takes @ 3/4 of an hour. Rent bicycles at the Small Bridge, then bicycle around to the right of the Big Lake. When you see the Monastery, stop + use the concrete platform for a picnic, swim to St. Mary's Island, +/or yell "Hello" and a boat will come over to take you to the Island free if you eat at their restaurant.
Larry in Iversen, WA USA 06/18/2011
In Dubrovnik: the Sv. Ivan does not take people to Lokrum. The cost of the boats taking people to Lokum Island has gone up to 50 kn round-trip and the map is now 15 kn.
Larry Iversen in Bremerton, WA USA 06/12/2011
Nice try Rick, but Heroes' Square in Budapest does NOT have a statue commemorating the "Importance of Packing Light!" Very humorous.
Adaire Atkinson in Anahuac, TX USA 06/01/2011
We recently traveled to Krakow and used the Eastern Europe guide book. I wanted to let you know that you can now buy 72 hour transit tickets from the automated ticket machines. Also the bus driver that drives the 208 from the airport to the bus station does not or will not sell you a transit ticket. Make sure you get a ticket from a machine before you board. We arrived at the train station very early in the morning. After getting some money from the ATM we then found our bus stop and tried to buy a ticket from the machine but it wouldn't accept paper bills. We read in the guidebook that for a little more money we could buy one from the driver (& some drivers do sell them). Since it was early in the morning we thought there was no way he could be out of tickets so we waited in the cold for the bus. It finally arrived but when we got on he wouldn't sell us a ticket he pointed to the machine. We tried to explain in our badly pronounced Polish that the machine didn't accept our paper money. He could have cared less so we had to get off of the bus. Practically in tears out of frustartion and lack of sleep we took the first taxi we could find to our hotel and was charged more than double from the taxi driver. ($30 when it was suppose to be $12.) A few hours later we were unfourtunate enough to get on the same bus drivers bus and had to get off because he still wouldn't sell us tickets even for exact change! (Our bus stop in front of our hotel didn't have a ticket machine.) Finally the next bus that came buy had a nice driver that sold us 2 tickets. Later that day we found a automated machine infront of a busy tram stop a few blocks away from the St Frances church where we were able to buy a 3 day transit pass.
Francine Miller in Seminole, FL USA 05/18/2011
Rick recommends walking the wall surrounding Dubrovnik in reverse order "because it is more downhill." Even though we followed the recommendation to do the walk early in the morning, we had all of the people that we passed criticizing us for walking in the wrong direction--and there is little space for passage. It was uncomfortable. The book was great and truly a great guide to take for Croatia and Slovenia.
Susan Wong in Indianapolis, In USA 04/04/2011