Archive: Eastern Europe Tips
As our travel dreams take us to the lands once united by the Iron Curtain, Eastern Europe is presenting travelers with new challenges. Share your experiences here about the frustrations and the rewards of traveling in Eastern Europe. Here's what you thought. For more about Eastern Europe, see our feedback page on Rick's Best of Eastern Europe guidebook.
Echoing praise for Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia
I have to echo similar comments here on Budapest, Ljubljana, and Croatia's Istrian Peninsula.
My wife and I flew into Wien September 2001 (yes, we were originally scheduled to leave 9/13 which obviously didn't happen; we rescheduled for 9/19).
Rented an Opel Corsa there and drove to Mosonmagyarovar in northern Hungary, then on the Budapest the next day. After a few days there, on to Ljubljana (the Austria -> Maribor route, not by Lake Balaton...the desk clerk at the Beatrix Panzio in Budapest advised us to stay away from that road).
After a few days in Ljub with a jaw-dropping day at Lakes Bled and Bohinj, on to Rovinj Croatia by way of Piran and Koper. Five days there and back to Vienna for 2 days before heading home.
We loved every second of the trip, even the "negatives" like getting lost, frustrated with the language barrier or fearing the unknown. It was definitely all part of the fun! The previous posters are correct - the costs in Budapest and Croatia are astoundingly low for the quality and friendliness you receive in return.
We were especially impressed with Istra - the ruins, food, culture, and atmosphere were stunning. We paid about $18/night for a nice 2-bedroom apartment with full kitchen and satellite TV, owned by an extremely friendly Croatian family whose kids came up nightly with some Slavic treat like palacinke.
It was my first trip abroad and we liked it so much, we're going back in 4 weeks to do it all again, and this time taking Mom with us!
James & Jacqui
Portland, OR USA 02/23/04
Wedding in Budapest
I'm off to get married in Budapest this summer, and am finding this site extremely useful. We hope to marry in a castle, which, on the whole, seem to be more like manors, though they have 'real castles' too. The costs are more reasonable than renting a banquet hall here in Chicago.
Pecs is on our list, and potentially Szeged, and a stop in Croatia. What's been helpful is attending a few Hungarian cultural activities, and getting an idea from people who have just come to America what are the local places to see.
A. Trendl, editor @ HungarianBookstore.com
Chicago, IL USA 02/02/04
Croatia, the Istrian Peninsula
Forget the Bella Tuscany books. Get yourself to the Istrian Peninsula which is what Italy was like during the 50s and 60s. After Croatian, everyone speaks Italian, the food is fresh and delicious. Except for Rovinj, it is 25-40% cheaper than anywhere in Italy. The Adriatic is the same regardless of which coast you are on. It has Roman ruins and medieval villages. Hope for a cold day, stop in a cafe and order a rum punch. If you dream of the perfect Italian vacation without the Italian price tag, go to the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia.
anna paulino
Canon City, CO USA 01/30/04
More info about Russia: WayToRussia.Net
I found an interesting link: www.waytorussia.net seems to be a well-made
guide to Russia.
Peter
USA 01/21/04
In Your Pocket
I found the "In Your Pocket" city guides to be incredibly useful while I
was in Lithuania. I found cheap lodging, dining, etc. There was also both
city and country maps which proved to be a life saver. These are very concise
magazine like publications that are worth looking into if you are in Central
and Eastern Europe. They are also fun to read since they often tell you
exactly what a place is like, whether its a must see or a can do without.
You can order them before you leave, or pick them up at a magazine or newspaper
kiosk. But well worth the $4. http://www.inyourpocket.com
Mike
Ft. Collins, CO USA 01/13/04
Kozy Krakow
After traveling for 6 months in Europe I came to the conclusion that Krakow
is a little known secret. The people alone are a sight. I have never seen
such beautiful people. Everyone was tall with porclain skin and beautiful
hair. The hustle of the center square was the focal point for our trip,
the surrounding sights of the Salt Mines and Auschwitz make this city historically
significant, then there is the Wyspianski Hotel (pronounce Vispianski).
The rooms were clean and comfortable, they serve a buffet breakfast with
everything from polish sausage to cereal. Let's just say for the rest of
our 6 months travels the Wyspianski was our benchmark.
Letitia Boardman
Seattle, WA USA 01/10/04
Brno, Czech Republic
We had a weekend reservation at the Grand Hotel in Brno. The hotel had
good weekend rates and is across the street from train station. It also
has good breakfasts included in price. I wanted to visit the Moravian
karst region and ride the underground boat so I emailed the hotel and
asked about tours. They emailed back that they could arrange. This was
in the spring and forgot the exact price but around a $100 US. We ended
up having a great tour with Vasio driving and Lucie acting as guide. We
were with them around 6 hours. Two of them for the two of us. Lucie accomanpied
us throughout the trip. Vasio just drove. Tour included Punkevni cave
entrance and tour, boat trip on underground river, cable car to top of
Macocha Abyss, and little road train providing ground transport from here
to there (website www.smk.cz). Had a good lunch (not included
in price) at Hotel Skalni Mlyn. While in Brno we ate twice at
Pod Radnicnim Kolem, a restaurant in the downtown core, not far from train
and bus stations. Good food, inexpensive, and nice setting in basement
brick cellar type place. Website: www.pruvodce.com/radnicnikolo/index_en.php3.
Bob
South Bend, WA USA 01/09/04
Krakow - Hotel Pollera
We stayed 2 nights in the very beautiful Hotel Pollera in Krakow in December.
This place was plush - oriental-type carpets going up the large stairway,
porters, bellmen, $55 per night for a double. I found this place on the
internet. Their web site (www.pollera.com.pl) is good but the hotel is actually
much nicer than it looks online.
Don
West Sacramento, CA USA 01/06/04
Prague - Hotel Atos
We found the Hotel Atos through the Athos travel agency mentioned in the
Prague section of Rick's G-A-S book. We were there at Christmas and had
a wonderful time. The hotel is in the Mala Strana neighborhood across the
river from the downtown area. The Mala Strana was a great place to stay.
It's quiet as compared to the downtown hustle and bustle. It's a nice and
not too long walk across the Charles bridge to downtown. We probably walked
across that bridge 30 times over 4 days.
Don
West Sacramento, CA USA 01/06/04
Sarajevo
I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
and I must say that if you want a little bit of adventure, go there. The
city is still a little dangerous because of the after effects of the war
that took place there but the city is slowly coming around. I was there
with the U.S. Army two years ago as a peacekeeper and enjoyed my time in
Sarajevo. We ate at a restaurant in the square by the main mosque, and had
the opportunity to visit St. Anthony's Cathedral, the Serbian Orthodox Church
(one of the oldest I have ever seen), and the mosque. Sarajevo is considered "little Jerusalem" and it is understandable because of the Catholic, Orthodox
Christian, Jewish and Muslim connections there. It was also the site of
the very successful 1984 Winter Olympics. Sadly, Kosovo Stadium (the Olympic
Stadium) now sits next to a mass grave site. Anyway, if you want to venture
off the beaten path and see an interesting city, go to Sarajevo, Bosnia.
You will definitely be impressed.
Tony
Americus, GA USA 12/18/03
Hungary - great place at great price
A friend I spent 10 days in Hungary in September. I was very surprised by
the great time we had. When we arrived we took the train to Eger, met with
friends and travelled to a small town in the northern wine country. We had
a great evening in a wine cellar with awesome food and drank wine beyond
our hearts' content. My share of the bill was less than $15.
We then travelled south to Pecs,
which prides itself in being the 2000 year old city. The town is beautiful
and has some great buildings and museums, including a Turkish Mosque that
has changed from mosque to church several times in the last 800 years.
The people were exceptionally friendly, getting around was easy and there
was plenty to do during the day and at night. From Pecs we travelled to
a small town located close to lake Balatone. We were late in the year
so there weren't very many tourists there. There is a very strong German
presence there as many Germans like to holiday at the lake. The town was
very attractive but a bit slow given the time of year. From there we travelled
to the pusta (which I think translates to prairie) and visited
Hungary's second largest city - Debrucsen. Although we enjoyed some of
the museums and nightlife, it does not have a whole to offer.We finished the trip in Budapest. What a great
city. It is exceptionally cosmopolitan with a lot of historical sites
and more nightlife than you can imagine. I highly recommend seeing Heroe's
Square and the Castle District. There is a great art museum in the Palace,
plus you can spend hours seeing the church, castle and surrounding area.
There are some great exhibits in the church. One of the best things about
the trip was the price. We found several nice rooms in the $30-$50 range
and meals were a great value. Most of the places we stayed at offered
free breakfast. We saved money by grabbing lunch at a market or cafeteria
and then treated ourselves to a nice dinner. Appetizers, meal and a bottle
of wine cost $20-$35. Hungarian wine is fine but stay away from the beer.
Czech beer is much better and not much more expensive.
Brandon
IN USA 12/10/03
Prague
Back from Prague. It was very festive this time of year. They put up the
Christmas stalls and trees all over town. Live stable animals, too. There
were so many Americans there as well as Italians, Brits, Irish and Spanish
and a few Germans and French also. I could imagine that it is smelly and
dirty in summer from the crowds but it was pleasant in late fall. No pickpockets.
Everyone spoke English. It's the language of the entrepreneur. Very international.
We stayed six days for a rest but Prague is a hop off stop that can be done
in three days in combination with Vienna.
We stayed at the centrally located Hotel City
Center, 3 star but clean and simple. Steps from metro and tram.
Giovanni's Italian restaurant
was cheap and great with it's splendid eclectic decor. The five star Pariz
hotel is for those with money to burn but do eat in style in the cafe
which is the secret of Prague. Same prices as elsewhere but dine like
royalty. Casual but not sloppy dress is OK. Omelettes, bagel sandwiches,
tea served in china teapots, onion soup: mmmgood. Stay away from the run
down cafe at Hotel Europa on Wenslas Blvd. We overheard another American
complain and walked out. The menus had cigarette burns in them.
I would recommend the tourist
card for convenience only. We hardly used it as most everything is accessible
by foot. The cobblestones are the most ancient I've seen with sharp edges
so wear the best support shoes possible.
We only took in two museums
that we felt were worthwhile. The Prague Museum for its history of the
city and medieval model and the Museum of Decorative Arts. From the bathroom
window of the Arts museum, you can see the Jewish Cemetary. Don't skip
the Jewish quarter as that is the posh area of town with extraordinary
architecture.
The 3 hr bus tour of the city
was worth it and it took you to the castle which is a steep hike on foot.
Tram 22 also stops in the back of the castle and it is a short walk. The
castle isn't really a typical castle but a group of old and new government
buildings. We opted not to go inside them. We walked the grounds instead
and down the Golden Lane. The Cathedral is a sight. Beautiful stained
glass. At 4:30 you can peek into the Tyn church. Do see St Nicholas church
in the lesser town and try to get in St. Nicks in the main town square
as well, to see the great big crystal chandalier.
There is a department store on Namesty Republic
for all your needs. We took advantage of the beautiful Municipal building
and bought tickets for the nightly concerts that were only an hour long
but glorious when surrounded by incredible decor. Operas at the National
theatre start early, about 7 o'clock.
Marie
Verona, NJ USA 12/02/03
Prague
Prague is great and it is so easy to get around. Get the multiday pass at
the airport, the one that lets you use bus, tram or metro underground (7
days was about $10). You can then take the 119 bus into town. It runs to
the start of the A metro line where you can take the underground if you
like. Then you can use the underground or tram system to go all over town.
Learn a few words and the locals really appreciate
it. Be aware that all the state monuments (like castles) are closed on
Mondays. There are lots of ATMs so don't worry about exchanging cash,
just get it with your card. The light changes so much that sights you
saw in the middle of the day will look very different at dusk or lit by
spotlights at night.
Look for places to eat that
are just a bit off the track and you can have a feast for $20 for two.
Be sure to check your change and look at the bill, many of which are just
a list of amounts without the item description. They seem to make more "mistakes" than would be expected randomly.
Get out into the countryside and drive, it is great.
Most rules about European driving apply, Look at the towns you are heading
toward and don't pay much attention to route numbers. Late November was
still very pleasant weather, or maybe we were just lucky.
Jim Meehan
McLean, VA USA 11/27/03
Prague
We spent a week in Prague this summer and just loved it. My husband and
I stayed in the city center in one of the American hotels and it was worth
it. We could relax in a familiar atmosphere when the Czech language became
too unfamiliar.
We were very lucky to find a local guide that
was just great. She was recommended by a friend that has travelled with
her before. Her name is Blanka and she has lived in the USA most of her
life! She returned to Prague to marry her Czech partner. So we had a perfect "American" speaker who understood where we were coming from yet someone
who was a great local guide as well! She showed us many places we would
not have found on our own! She has her own website: www.guidingprague.com.
Do beware of money changers. We were approached
constantly about changing money with people on the street but didn't.
We met some people who did and they were given money from another country
that was not worth anything!
Marie Williams
Sacramento, CA USA 11/16/03
Gdansk, Poland
When traveling to Gdansk, Poland, I would strongly recommend staying at
the Gdansk Hostel (www.gdanskhostel.com). It is the nicest, cheapest place
and was recently remodeled. It is next door to old-town and it is also right
next to the main riverfront. They have both a dormitory and separate hotel
rooms. After traveling throughout Europe. I have really enjoyed my stay
in Gdansk mostly due their owner Waldemar! He even allowed me to connect
my laptop to their high speed Internet access! I found it to be a very pleasant
and convenient place to stay.
Mark Wilson
Bellevue, WA USA 11/14/03
Berlin, Prague, Budapest
Just returned from a three-city tour that straddled the old Iron Curtain
of Central Europe - Berlin-Prague-Budapest.
I was highly impressed with the rapid development
of Mitte (the section of the old East Berlin just behind the wall) and
we were glad to stay in this residential and hopping, not overly touristy
neighborhood.
We then moved on to our second
visit to Prague, having visited in 1997. Still beautiful, particularly
at night, but I sense it has become much more commercialized and thus,
had lost some of its charms for me - a disappointment considering that
it was my first visit here that had my fall in love with European travel
to begin with - I would still recommend it to first time travelers!
The real gem - much to our surprise
- was Budapest! I echo the earlier sentiment at being surprised at how
cosmopolitan the city has become. The people - especially the younger
ones were hip and very friendly and eager to practice their English. They
loved it and appreciated it if you could speak even a little Hungarian
in return. I must say the women there were quite attractive. We were there
during the national holiday commemorating the 1956 Revolt against the
Soviets and had the honor of attending the commemoration at the Pariliament
Building - a neat "back door" experience!
One note of caution to young men traveling alone
or with their buddies: beware of women who approach you on the Vaci Utca,
particularly if they are walking in pairs. They will invite you to have
a drink at a "private restaurant" - usually run by the Mafia. If you don't
have the $200 to pay the large bill you find yourself saddled with, you
may find yourself being threatened physically. Fortunately, I read about
this scam before arriving. Sure enough, on our very first night there,
two women DID approach us! We humored them with conversation and lo and
behold they wanted us to go with them for a drink. We told them our girlfriends
back at the hotel would not like it and politely declined. We walked away,
amused at the "cultural experience", but feeling fortunate about our advanced
wisdom - they were quite pretty and friendly - and I am sure we would
have succumbed.
Mark
Washington, DC USA 10/31/03
Greece & Bulgaria
We just returned from a wonderful trip to Bulgaria and Greece. Athens was
very crowded, noisy, a lot of construction (for the 2004 Olympics), traffic
is horrible and geographically it is like Los Angeles (surrounded by mountains,
holds the pollution). The national archeological museum is closed, which
would have been a high point to the visit. Of course, the Acropolis is marvelous,
but it too is under a lot of construction. I don't see how the city will
be ready to host millions of additional people. I would recommend only staying
in the city for two or three nights. We took a ferry to the island of Naxos.
Idyllic! off season is the way to go. the weather was wonderful, the people,
food, drink and beaches were awesome. Definately a must visit!
The next part of our vacation was spent in Bulgaria,
which we spent with natives Bulgarians. We flew into Sofia, stayed a day
and a night,ok, but not great. Our host's native city of Ruse (Pyce) was
very depressing. It worried me that i would have to spend my vacation
in a god-forsaken country. i was wrong, the rest of the country was absolutely
beautiful! Varna, a city of the Black Sea was very nice, Nesbar, was wonderful
too. Off to Veliko Tarnovo, a very old city and very beautiful. we then
traveled to Rila, a city high in the mountains, which is home to the largest
monestary in Bulgaria. it was a magnificent ride. the trees were turning
colors and the countryside of Bulgaria is unbelivable!
Good points: local wines, beautiful
rural scenery, great food (everything fresh), very nice people, prices
are very affordable, sightseeing is interesting, cultural history is very
diverse. The music is beautiful and the tradional dances are so different.
Bad points:roads, there are
no good road signs (must be very brave to rent a car and think you won't
get lost). Conditions of roads are poor. Construction areas are extremely
dangerous. plumbing is a nightmare in most places, don't expect to find
an american style shower anywhere. also, don't expect to find toilets
as we know them. The gypsies are filthy and are blatant thieves. Beware,
they are smooth operators.
Bulgaria is a spectacular country, but go with
an open mind and if possible, a native Bulgarian.
Maureen
North Wildwood, nj USA 10/27/03
Prague tour guide
After arriving in Prague by night train from Krakow, we went on a 4 hour
walking tour of the old quarter, across the Charles Bridge, ending up at
the Prague Castle, in the company of the affordable, lively, highly entertaining
Sarka Pelantova (saraguide@volny.cz or +420.777.225.205). She permits non-Slavophones
to call her "Sara," if the name strikes you as troublesome to the tongue.
Should you ever wish a superb and affordable
guide for a walking or other tour of Praha, or, probably, any other major
sightseeing destination in the Czech Republic, consult Sarka Pelantova.
Among her many merits is the ability, rare in European guides, to admit
not to know the answer to a question. Her English is 97% comprehensible
- better than that of the many Americans - but not unaccented. Her sense
of humor was a wonderful addition to the tour.
If you have had the good fortune
to engage for a tour Concepcion Delgado in Sevilla (Spain), you'll know
of what I speak when I say that Ms. Pelantova is in the same league as
Ms. Delgado.
I would rate her services overall as slightly less
erudite than those of Scala Reale in Rome. I believe Rick recommends Scala
Reale for "readers with a longer than average attention span." Such readers
will, I suspect, be delighted by Sarka, but, by her own admission, she
is capable of delivering "Prague in 60 minutes" type tours for those for
whom such tours meet a need. She is very highly recommended.
Bill Pollard
Seattle, WA USA 10/20/03
Romania Quick Tour thoughts
If you've made it as far as Budapest, Transylvania is only 6 or so hours
away by train. It's popular among Europeans as a budget ski resort destination,
so its tourist infrastructure is more developed than elsewhere in Romania.
For centuries, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so many towns
retain much of their Hapsburg-era charm (e.g., Brasov). Cars share the road
with horse-drawn haywagons. And restaurant food/service, almost uniformly
awful throughout the rest of the country (trust me!), sometimes reaches
mediocre, or, if you're lucky, not too bad at all. (Most Romanians--average
monthly wage $100 USD--can't afford restaurants, so all the good stuff is
served up at home!). The Black Sea is worth a visit, but I think Bulgaria
is a better bet (spectacular mountains & forests vs. the flat Danube Delta
flood plain in Romania), especially if you're heading overland to Turkey/Greece.
In country, fleets of passenger vans ("maxi-taxis") are often more comfortable,
scenic, and cheaper than CFR (Cerro-Farril Romani: Romanian State Railways)
trains, depending on route. Keep your eyes peeled for the Roma (gypsies),
though, whose kids (sometimes as young as 3) will shamelessly hit on you
for cash.
John B
San Luis Obispo, CA USA 10/16/03
Private guide in Prague
To update my comments posted on April 23, 2003 about Sarka, a private guide
in Prague. She now has her own webpage: http://www.prague-guide.info/. It
has an update on her rates: 390 K or 13 Euros per hour (for 4 or fewer people;
probably per person but ask) and information on touring possibilities. See
her website for contact information.
I talked with her while I was in Prague a few days ago and she said she
had given Rick Steves himself a tour and he seemed to have a favorable
impression of her. I am scheduling a private tour with her when my wife
and I return next May.
Bob
South Bend, WA USA 10/12/03
Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia is a very nice city but forget getting a cab driver that speaks or
reads any English. After walking most of the day I finally found a hotel
with a "Sofia price." It is the Hotel Edona at 172 Slivnica Blvd. At the
time of writing a standard single was 25 Lv (about $17) a night without
bathroom and 35 (about $25 with a bathroom in your room). If you are healthy
and can walk 1000 yards, forget taking a cab (read above). As you come out
of the train station there are two major streets. Bear left and take the
left one past the Casino and across the bridge. You will see a KFC and the
entrance is right next to it. Forget the fancy hotel next door; they want
49 euros for a single. Also forget the train station personnel speaking
any English, except in the travel office and then not much. Yet almost anyone
outside on the streets seems to do quite well. I think it is like parts
of "Berlin" and they choose mostly not to speak English. Too bad, as there
are many "Japanese Tourists" who do not speak Bulgarian.
Mark
Bellevue, WA USA 10/11/03
Krakow
I must jump on the Krakow bandwagon as well. That place was incredible.
The people were friendly and the city is rich with history and sights to
see. We stayed at the Hotel Polonia, which is very close to the Barbican
fortress and the Florian gate, which leads the way through the old city
in quick time.
The trumpet playing from the Hejnal tower in
the morning was really something. My wife enjoyed shopping for gifts in
the Cloth hall in the great square. I loved taking photos in this city.
The Wawel hill should be near the top of your list if you choose to visit
Krakow. Climb up the steps in the cathedral through the bell tower. You
will find lots of big bells with the biggest of them all at the top--the
Zygmunt bell. You also get a nice view of Krakow from there.
The Hotel Polonia has their own drivers that will
take you on a variety of tours. We took the "Schindler Tour" which will
show you the Kazimierz district, the Jewish ghetto, the entrance to Oskar
Schindler's factory, and the Plaszow labor camp site. After that, we were
brought to Auschwitz and Birkenau. It is difficult to describe it in words,
but a trip worth taking.
Steve Wagner
Ft Worth, TX USA 09/27/03
St. Petersburg Hotel
Finding a good inexpensive hotel in St Petersgurg can be a daunting task.
After a few nights in the Grand Hotel Europe my wife and I were looking
for something better. It wasn't easy but we did it. It is the Korona Guest
Center. Located 1/2 block off Nevsky Prospekt across from the Kanansky Sobor.
The address is 7 Malaya Koniushennaya str., second floor. tel +7 (812)311-00-86
fax +7 (812)314-38-65 e-mail:korona-spb@peterlink.ru Price $130/night Includes
beakfast. The hotel is clean and has a great location. 5 minute walk to
the Hermitage and St Isaak's Cathedral and 1 minute walk to the Cathedral
of Spilt Blood. The best part of the experience is the staff. They are unbelievably
helpful and they speak Engish very well, which is very helpful since I speak
no Russian.
Randy Idler
Reno, NV USA 09/26/03
Wroclaw, Poland
I was actually born in Wroclaw, Poland and came to the US when I was very
young. However, I would recommend a trip to what I still refer to as my "hometown", Wroclaw. It is known in Europe as the "Vienna of the North" and it is disappointing when I see that people have not been there. It is
beautiful, old, well preserved or rebuilt. My family would never move from
there and there must be a reason why. The town itself is beautiful but going
to Jarkowice or Sjelona Gora is worth the drive to the country. Seeing 400
yr. old castles sitting in a farmers field is amazing. Tourism in the US
is nothing to Poland, when you want history. Half of my family there speaks
better English than I do. Southern Poland citizens usually speak 2-5 languages,
including English. So don't feel shy that you can't speak it. Eat their
food and you won't want to come home. My all-American fiance and I are going
for our honeymoon. He has never traveled longer than a 7 hr. drive from
Baltimore so this is a first for him and although he is scared of flying,
he can't wait. You have not eaten till you have had Babca's kolatzie (grandma's
dinner).
Kasia
Baltimore, MD 09/26/03
Romanian Hotels and Restaurants
Bucharest: Hotel Euro (3 Star) Address: 5 Plevnei Str. Piatra Kogalniceanu/Blvd.
Regina-Elisabeta. Single 50-60 Euros. (www.eurosuites.ro) New modern clean
hotel. Good value for Bucharest. The bathroom and room are compact, so if
you are a big person or have several huge suitcases you may be cramped or
get a double room. No elevator but porter can carry your bags up the 2 flights.
Cable. Breakfast. Angst Grocery store 2 blocks away is good and the clerks
know some English. Internet Cafe downstairs. Taxi to the airport was 100,000
lei per the meter and 30,000 lei to Gara Nord station.
Bucharest Restaurant: Casa Universitalor Bucharest
on Str. Dionisie Lupu off Rosetti Street and Pictor Verona Street. East
of Piata Enescu. This was formerly the restaurant for the University of
Bucharest professors pre-revolution. Locals frequent the restaurant now.
Good Romanian food at very reasonable Romanian prices. $3-$5 a person.
Sighisoara/Albesti: Hotel Europa.
(3 star) www.hotel.europa2000.com A 10 minute taxi drive from the center
of Sighisoara. US$45 for a single. Beautiful new modern. Nice views of
countryside. Restaurant and outdoor terrace. Ask for room in back to avoid
terrace noise. US$45 for a single. Many hotels in town are old, so this
may be worth the taxi ride.
Oradea: Hotel Continental is
beautiful 3 star which should be a 4 star. Pricey at US$60 for a single
but worth it.
Cluj: Restaurant: Matei Corvin
has excellent high quality Transylvanian food. One block from the Hotel
Continental off Piatii Unirii. Good Hotels: Onyx, Topaz. Hotel Continental
is due for a renovation but bathrooms are new and nice. Great location.
A very elegant historic building. US$45 single.
Vatra Dornei - Moldavia: Restaurant:
Les Amis. Excellent food. On the pedestrian mall.
AVOID: Baia Mare - Hotel Maramures is a dump for
a 3 star hotel. This should be a 1 or 2 star. Overpriced at $36 for a
single, try the Hotel Mara instead. I understand this was a Communist
Party official hotel and has not been renovated since those days!
Connie Unger
New York, NY USA 09/25/03
Places to stay in Budapest
In Budapest I found a really cool place to stay. It is the Self Catering
Apartment I found through the web site www.Budapesthotels.com They have
2 apartments available and I took their single. It came with cable TV (try
watching the Hungarian version of Judge Judy) They also provide a computer
with high speed internet connections and I just plug and played my laptop.
The outside of the building looks a little rough by American standards but
I have learned in Eastern Europe never judge a book until you look inside.
:>) As their web site shows the rooms are beautifully done inside come and
the neighbors seem nice enough. Gabi their Agent spoke very good English
acted professional and was very patient with my silly questions. I paid
the same price as I paid ($45) for a 2 star hotel in Budapest the night
before. Al in all I can say that I hope they add more rooms as I sure they
will do well with their company providing this kind of service.
Mark
Bellevue, WA USA 09/25/03
Prague
My friend and I were in Prague in May and all I can say is WOW! It was a
great city to spend some time in. We stayed at Sir Toby's Hostel in Holesovice
- not central, but a quick tram and subway ride into downtown. Clean, quiet
and cheap - it was a great place to stay!
Prague was beautiful and a nice-out of the way
place to visit is the old fortress called Vyserhrad -there's a church
and cemetery there as well.
Took two day trips - one to
Kutna Hora and Sedlec, which I highly recommend and one to Karsteijn,
which was ok, but the tour price is a little steep for what you get. I
wish we would have gone out to Knopiste instead. Next time I really want
to experience the Czech countryside.
We did not experience any pickpocketing on the
trams or subways at all (or even on our overnight train) - we wore our
money belts properly and kept our eyes open. We were ripped off by a taxi
driver, but at 10 pm at the train station in a strange city where you
have no change to call a legit taxi, we pretty much expected that. Don't
let the pickpocket stories scare you! GO TO PRAGUE!
Christie
Saskatoon, SK CAN 09/05/03
The Baltic Republics
We just got back from three weeks in the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, along with northern Poland and northeastern Germany. Our purpose
was to follow the Tall Ships races and to sing "songs of the sea" at almost
any opportunity.
We found the three Baltic Republics to be very
friendly and intimate, and very different from each other. Estonia had
the friendly reserve similar to Finland. The small town of Cesis, Latvia,
welcomed us with open arms, as we were the first North American tour group
to stop there. Riga, Latvia, was a larger city, but still small enough
that we could walk between our hotel and the pier where the Tall Ships
were, through the old town, in 20 minutes or less. Vilnius, Lithuania,
had a Jewish Ghetto with its extremely depressing history from the early
1940's. Our guide to the Ghetto must have taken us, literally, through
almost every back door, back alley city gate, in the Vilnius Old Town.
The Hanseatic Old Towns had all been carefully restored from the damage
suffered in World War II.
Songs of the sea, mostly in
English, were welcomed everywhere. In fact we were thanked by people on
the street for coming to their city and their country. Costs were extremely
low. Outdoor cafes and restaurants were considerably more plentiful than
they were later in Poland and Germany. Few people spoke much English,
but it was not a problem. Members of our group had done a lot of research,
so good accomodations had been lined up. We used the same bus company
as ETBD and had an excellent driver.
Even if you cannot convince ETBD to go into the
"real Eastern Europe", consider going there yourself.
John
Colorado Springs, CO USA 09/03/03
Preseren Square in Ljubljana, Slovenia
I was in Ljubljana, Slovenia from 4 August to 6 August 2003. After navigating
my way with the Ljubljana bus system, I managed to arrive in the old town.
I did see the statue of France Preseren, the famous Slovene poet who is
on the 1,000 Tolar note (worth about $5).
Later that night after recovering from the heatstroke (and the fact that
most but not all, buses have no air conditioning despite 100 plus degrees
temperature), I did manage to head to the old town of Ljubljana and found
a restaurant on the south bank of the Sava river. I had some beef tongue
with mozzarella, and then a venison goulash, finishing off with an apple/raisin
strudel, and a "Union" beer all for just under $20. Walking home was no
problem as I did remember a road split coming from the youth hostel into
downtown. I would recommend going to Ljubljana in Autumn or Spring, but
not summer!
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 09/01/03
I just returned from a trip to Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. Prague
was its usual beautiful. It was the second time that I had been there. I
spent a little more time at other things this time including the Jewish
Quarter. The cemetary there is really a site to see. Bratislava was our
next stop. Although there is not a lot to see, Bratislava Castle houses
a wonderful museum. The city museum is also worth a visit. Food is good
and is relatively cheap. Additionally, the people there are unbelieveably
friendly. Budapest was beautiful. I would have liked more time there. When
people tell you to beware of the cab drivers in Budapest, BELIEVE THEM!!!
Long story but believe me when I say it could have gotten very ugly. If
anyone would like to know more, please let me know.
Don Niemeyer
Jacksonville, Ark, AR USA 08/24/03
I returned from a trip to Romania only two weeks ago. I can not say
enough good things about Romania and the Romanian people. The only other
Americans I saw on my whole trip were on the airplanes to and from Bucharest.
And Romanians seemed to almost uniformly like Americans. I was a house guest
of a friend and her family in Bucharest. As ugly as the communist apt blocks
are on the outside the units themselves are nice compared to some of the
dumps I've lived in the US. I was also a guest at a wedding. I couldn't
have paid for such an introduction to the Romanian culture. If you are invited
to a Romanian wedding take a nap first. The reception after the wedding
can last untill 7 am the next morning! The food I had in Romania was very
good, with several courses served at lunch and a smaller dinner. I spent
several days at Olimp on the Black Sea. The 2star hotel I stayed in was
not quite up to motel 6 standards (small and no TV) but I have stayed in
far worse for much more money in US. Romania is worth the visit.
Karl
Bakersfield, CA USA 08/04/03
Georgia & Azerbaijan: Real Back Doors
These are the undiscovered jewels in the crown of Europe. Though maybe not
considered by many as part of Europe, they are. Baku on the Caspian - the
Capital of Azerbaijan. Has the mix of an old Arab/Turkish trading center,
to turn of the century oil boom European mansions and then Soviet era structures
that are as interesting as oppressive. Georgia is the Crown Jewel of the
Southern Caucasus: beautiful, yet dangerous. Tbilisi is a crossroads of
east meets west and a beautiful city. From its ancient Turkish Baths to
its early 1900's structures. You must make it to Mskheta, the ancient capital
of Georgia, just west of the modern capital. Not the safest former Soviet
Republic but insanely cheap!
David Roberts
Seattle, WA USA 07/28/03
Georgia, eastern Europe or western Asia. I want to put in my two cents
about the travel possibilities in Georgia. Old churches, vineyards, wineries,
lots of good food, wine, and even better hospitality! Low costs. Beautiful
scenery and mountains. I was there for 24 plus days on a agricultural exhange
and whole- heartedly support travel there.
Mark
Esparto, CA USA 07/22/03
Czech Republic Guide
I would highly recommend a guide whom I have used now on 2 different trips
to Prague and the surrounding regions. Her name is Dana Chaloupka.....she
did an excellent job for us. She can be reached at dachal@quick.cz.
Lorri Ayers
charlotte, nc USA 07/09/03
Poland - It's not just Warsaw!
Wife and I just returned from our third visit to Poland. As usual it was
wonderful. Although Warsaw is a masterpiece of loving reconstruction,
do plan on spending some time away from the city. Even the small villages
have something to offer! In any direction you turn, you will see 700 year-old
church steeples and ancient cobblestone streets. The architecture changes
from region to region, but you'll always be treated to ever-showy window
boxes. Now you're in Poland! Don't be shy about walking into the neighborhood "sklep" (convenience store). Ask about the regional "kielbasa" (smoked
sausage) - every town has something a little different. Krakow is a must-see. Take in a concert, listen
to the Hejnal on the square, sample the Gorale smoked sheep's cheese,
and check out the dragon bones above the front steps of Wawel Castle's
cathedral. Poland is rougly the size of Colorado, but it takes a while
to travel between towns - winding roads, dump trucks, sheep, etc. Don't
get in a hurry. Try the home-canned honey from the roadside peddler. (Say
"proshe" a lot - that means "please".) Take detours. You're sure to get
lost. Ask directions. Who cares if you didn't understand the reply? You'll
figure it out eventually. Poles are very proud people, yet forgiving,
gracious and always friendly. Get to know some of the folks. This is what
traveling is all about!
RW Pawelek
Madras, OR USA 07/09/03
Loved Prague and Poland
I have to agree with everything written by the travelers to Poland (Warsaw
and Krakow)and Prague as well. We love these places, and are planning a
trip to Vienna and Budapest. Such wonderful people! When people ask us "Why
would you want to go THERE?!" I just cringe, and think, well, its not worth
explaining, since your mind is made up! :)
Dee
New Orleans, LA USA 07/06/03
Budapest: Charles Apartment Hotel & Hero Square
June 2003. Just got back from "record heat" days in Budapest. Charles Hotel
has no A/C. Some of the rooms have been redone...most not. 20 Euros more
for the new ones. It still is an apartment building...people liveing there..a
denstist's office, etc. It was built in the communist era when electricity
was far cheaper than insulation and sound proofing. With blistering temps,
one must have the windows open...alas the street noise. You get the idea.
We saw the redone rooms...but they were not available druing our stay. Spend
the extra forints...worth it...but try to see one of the "communist rooms." Amazing...families would LIVE there, mom cooking in a windowless NYC bathroom
sized kitchen and baths where the sink/shower share the tap....yeah...that's
what we had! (Makes a better travel story than the terrific air-conditioned,
2 room castle view suite at the Trinidad in Prague) But the Charles is well
situated. Try to see the HEROS SQ. at night...it's safe, then walk past
it to the Agricultural Museum and Castle re construction....there are restaurants..and
it magical...and isn't that why we all do this?
Gary W. Sweetman
Bradenton,, FL USA 06/20/03
The Balkans
Although this page is dedicated to Eastern Europe, my man Gerard is correct
when he states that Eastern Europe stretches into Russia. Given this, I
still would like to recommend a (cautious) visit to the Balkans. While in
Split, Croaia over Easter weekend in 2002 my friend and I decided to split
from the large group and take the risk of taking a bus (7 hours) to Sarajevo.
At first, the idea seemed outrageous and almost dangerous. So being the
safe travelers we were, we checked around and asked some locals if it was
safe to go. We found out that the train system in Bosnia is corrupt and
has no infrastructure and, therefore, busses are the only safe way to travel.
I must admit that I was a little scared because I didn't know what to expect
from a country torn apart by a brutal war. Although Sarajevo is obviously
a war torn country, it is very clear that they are a city of people that
are fed up with war, the atrocities that it brings, and the joy that it
abandons. Therefore, the people in the city are more than willing to shoot
you a friendly smile, talk, and most importantly, forget that you are American,
Canadian, French, Japanese or whatever, but that you are a person interested
in the same thing they are, living. My one day visit to Sarajevo was very
eye opening. Not only were the people and the atmostphere of the city amazing,
but the scenery of the city and the surrounding area of the Balkans some
of the most beautiful mountainous regoins I have ever seen.
Quinn Finnigan
Portland, OR USA 06/17/03
Poland is the best!( Fijna Bardzo :)
Im another big fan of Poland,I'm Egyptian who decided to spend 1 month touring
Poland.I'd recommend it to everyone, safe, cheap, fun and most of all people
are very kind. Krakow rocks!
Amina Mansour
Cairo, Egypt 06/09/03
Eastern Europe
I find it curious that people still refer to Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary, and Croatia as Eastern Europe. These coutries are actually Central
Europe. Eastern European countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Moldova
are as different from Central Europe as Central Europe is from Western Europe.
Central Europe has its own unique rich heritage. While traces of communism
are still evident, Central Europe is in general much more touristy, westernized,
and commercialized. Having made this distinction, I do highly recommend
Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Check out Prague, Warsaw, & Krakow,
but also venture outside of these cities since they have become quite worn
with tourists. You will be rewarded by experiencing life outside of the
"tourist bubble" these cities have become. Once you feel comfortable with
Central Europe, I then recommend you move on to Eastern Europe and try out
Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Russia. They are a treat, especially if you
explore beyond St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, and Minsk.
Gerard
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, FRANCE 06/03/03
Lenice
Just past the Austrian border with the Czech Republic is a small village
called Lednice. It has a beautiful castle (free admission) and a delicious
and closeby restaurant: Restaurace a Discobar Onyx which serves traditional
Czech fare.
ZACH
New York, NY USA 06/02/03
on eastern europe and poland
I've been studying international business in Vienna and although I agree
that Austria and Germany don't belong in Eastern Europe, any country east
of there that is recovering from the destruction of communism/socialism
is going to be quite a different experience from traveling in France and
Italy. Not to mention that the people and languages are very different.
And although the currency situation will change soon, even the fact that
the west uses the Euro has been something we have all become used to, so
even that little difference makes it a unique experience. More romantic
somehow, and definitely worth going to EASTERN EUROPE for the experience.
Just a little good natured opinion sharing! And I also agree about going
to Poland!!! We made a spontaneous trip to Krakow, and although I love Prague,
I love Krakow even more, and out of all the cities within travel distance
of Vienna, I would recommend it. The Polish people were a treat, too, after
living in Austria! Get there!
Jessica
Lafayette, IN USA 06/02/03
Poland
Great! Poland is most beatiful country all over the world!:) I live in Poland
and I am Polishman. Thank you for good opinions about my motherland and
invite all to visit in Poland.
K.Kubicki
Aask, Poland 05/31/03
Iasi, Romania - Pensione Recommendation
While traveling in Romania last year I stayed in a very nice clean new pensione
in Iasi, Romania. A friend recently revisited the pensione this spring and
had a glowing report. Pensiunea Cristan Str. Cetatuia Nr. 1A (Nicolina area)
Iasi, Romania website www.pensiunea-cristian.go.ro Tel: 40-232-242363 Cell:0745-456416
The pensione is 10-15 min from the city center and near the Cetatuia Monastery
and Strada Nicolina. Little bit off the beaten track, but very comfortable
and homey. Cristian and his mother Victorita are wonderful and eager to
please. Cristian speaks English and will pick you up at the train station
and arrange for taxis. Beautiful Romanian Bucovina woodwork through out
the newly built complex. $25-$35 per nite. 1 single, 3 doubles and 2 apartment/suites.
Conference room. Rooms have new furniture and cable TV. Nice new bathrooms.
Excellent breakfast. Hot water nonstop. A terrace, parking lot, central
heating. Quiet. Really nice. Very convenient if traveling by car. My friends
and I were their first guests. Our stay went well, so Romanian folklore
says that means good luck for the innkeepers future. Romania, especially
Transylvania, is beautiful but can be primitive. Very inexpensive. Not for
the 5-star pampered tourist types. You won't run into many American tourists.
Connie Unger New York City
Connie Unger
New York, NY USA 05/13/03
St. Petersburg Hotel
Finding a good, inexpensive hotel in St Petersburg, Russia, can be a daunting
task. After a few nights in the Grand Hotel Europe, my wife and I were looking
for something better. We found the Korona Guest Center, located 1/2 block
off Nevsky Prospekt, across from the Kanansky Sobor. The address is 7 Malaya
Koniushennaya str., second floor. tel +7 (812)311-00-86, fax +7 (812)314-38-65,
e-mail: korona-spb@peterlink.ru. Price was $130/night, includes beakfast.
The hotel is clean and has a great location. 5 minute walk to the Hermitage
and St Isaak's Cathedral and 1 minute walk to the Cathedral of Spilt Blood.
The best part of the experience is the staff. They are unbelievably helpful
and they speak Engish very well, which was very helpful since I speak no
Russian.
Randy Idler
Reno, NV USA 05/06/03
Prague purse snatching
My wife and I were waiting for the airport bus (119) at Dejvicka when the
bus pulled up. Just as the bus was pulling up some guys seemed to crowd
in front of me. When the doors opened, several guys passed me and then one
seemed to help lift my bags up the steps and was saying something in Czech.
I had another "Rick Steves" bag on my back as a backpack with the compartments
locked. As I got up the steps I was jostled and my glasses case fell on
the floor. My wife was behind me with two more bags and also got jostled.
Seconds later the guys rushed off the bus and a few seconds later a lady
from the UK yelled her purse had been stolen. By that time they were gone;
we think there were 3 - 4 of them. I carried my wallet in a pouch inside
the front of my pants so I did not lose anything but it sure was upsetting.
At the time I did not realize what was happening; it happened so fast. It
was fortunate our bags were locked and no wallet or purse available to grab.
I will be even more aware in the future. (Yes, I know I had more bags then
Rick recommends)
Bob Hall
South Bend, WA USA 04/23/03
Eastern Europe
I was in Prague in early November and went on 3 tours with Martin Tours
(www.martintour.cz). The Historical City tour was a 2 hour minibus and walking
tour with a guide, for 350 Kc. It was okay. The walking part was around
and through Prague Castle. Konopiste Chateau and Brewery Benesov was a 5
hour tour for 800 Kc. I was underwhelmed by the old guide and even though
we had a small group of less then 10, he had to translate into English,
Deutsch, and Russian. Also, since the tour was taken on a Sunday, the Brewery
was skipped but no one on our tour had been told ahead of time about that.
Final tour was to Karlstejn, a 5 hour tour including lunch for 950 Kc. This
time the guide was Sarka (Sara in English) and she was great. Very knowledgeable,
friendly, funny, shared personal experiences of current times and during
Communism, and very responsive to my many questions. A great guide!
I returned with my wife in April and made a
point to visit Karlstejn when Sarka was guiding. She was again a very
enjoyable and memorable guide. My wife shared that view. While riding
back to town she told us she was also going to be available as a private
guide at rates tentatively of 300 Kc an hour. At those rates she would
be a real bargain for a couple or family. Several companies offer walking
tours in Prague at a general rate of 2 hours for 300Kc. For a couple,
Sarka would be the same cost and they would have a private guide with
only one language to translate.
I so enjoyed her guided tours that I got her card
and have created several links with more information. Contact info is
at: www.geocities.com/b_hall29/sarka.htm. Details about possible touring
choices at www.geocities.com/b_hall29/guide.htm.
Bob Hall
South Bend, WA USA 04/23/03
Another Fan of Poland!
By all means, visit Poland! We took the train from Berlin to Warsaw. The
fare is reasonable, the ride is interesting, and Warsaw is fascinating.
We stayed at the Ibis which had a great restaurant. We took a tour with
an English speaking guide, then rode trams around the city. The food is
the best -- fresh produce, much cooking with herbs, fabulous bread. Almost
everyone spoke some English and all were helpful and friendly.
Donna Cunningham
San Diego, CA USA 04/17/03
Amazing Poland!
Poland is a absolutely wonderful! We traveled in oct. 2002 along with a
native pole. Warsaw was a very cosmopolitan city, a bit more expensive than
the rest of Poland. We visited Torun, birthplace of the astronomer Copernicus,
a lovely, very old town. Malbork, a very expansive Teutonic knight castle.
Gdansk and the surrounding seaside towns of Sopot and Gydnia. Off to our
friend's hometown for a visit with her family. A visit to a Polish home
is a must! Dinners were at least 10 courses long! Her family had never met
Americans, nor did they speak any English. We made it work though! We then
traveled south to Krakow,which was awesome, and the pope's home town. We
also went to Wieliczka to tour a really interesting salt mine, and visited
Auschwitz, which is an experience that every human being should witness.
Finally, we went to Zakopne in the Tatra mountains. Every meal we had, every
hotel we stayed in, every sight we saw, and every person we met were truly
wonderful! We did not use our credit cards at all and spent less than $1,000
during the 2 weeks we were there. Amazing!
Maureen
North Wildwood, NJ USA 04/17/03
More Russia updates
An update on the migration card and visa issues: After the first of the
year, the Russian Embassies have finally switched to a sticker visa rather
than a paper visa. The visa takes up one page of your passport, and no longer
contains a photo. This means that it is now mandatory that your passport
be sent when applying for the visa (with paper visas, it was possible to
send a copy of the front pages). These visas still need to be registered
within three days of arrival; this is now stamped within your actual passport
rather than on the visa itself.
The "migration card" is apparently a printed,
folded sheet of paper that they staple into your passport next to the
visa. It contains the same info as the visa itself. Nothing was done with
this "card" when my boyfriend entered or exited Russia, and I believe
you can remove it yourself from your passport after you've left.
For foreigners already in Russia
on visas issued before the mandatory migration cards, the Interior Ministry
decided that it will not be necessary to apply for migration cards until
leaving/reentering the country on your present visa, though all foreigners
are welcome to do so anyway. Nonetheless, most OVIR offices and some customs
officials still don't understand the migration cards and don't even have
forms available to provide them.
Re: Petersburg's 300th birthday
-- you can catch the city's online plan at www.spb300.ru. There is an
English version, but nothing's too fleshed out. At least the dates and
some of the events are listed. If you're thinking of coming to Pete for
the 300th or at any time, I would recommend the Host Families Ass'n (website
http://webcenter.ru/~hofa/english.html). Their organization is very professional
and places guests with English- (or preferred language-) speaking hosts
in locations close to the center of the city. Our host lived VERY conveniently
to Nevsky and Moskovskii Vokzal and Ploschad Vostania metro (rivaling
the Oktyaberskaya Hotel or Filial at 1/3 to 1/5 the price), for a bargain
$20-25/person. They have discounts for extended stays and groups. Only
downside is that they accept payment only in rubles (though they *do*
reserve on credit, meaning that they *could* potentially accept payment
via credit -- you might be able to convince them if the sum were large
enough). They respond promptly to email requests.
If you have some "spare time" in St. Pete, think
about a day (or two) trip to Velikii Novgorod. Tour buses, buses, and
trains all run conveniently back and forth daily. Novgorod is the oldest
city in Russia, has a beautiful kremlin (including the oldest building
in Russia -- St. Sophia cathedral) and lots of interesting little churches
on both sides of the river. Theophanes the Greek painted frescoes, on
display in many of the area's churches; Novgorodian masters painted icons
and tablets -- Russian cultural treasures -- that are on display only
in Novgorod's history museum. It's a beautiful city, not too far (3.5
hours) off the beaten path of Pete, that you'll be glad you visited.
Hilary Bown
Velikii Novgorod, Russia 03/05/03
Cesky Krumlov B&B
If you're planning a trip to Cesky Krumlov, stay at the Pension Panorama!!
I went to Cesky Krumlov, a small town south of Prague, last summer and had
a wonderful stay. The bed and breakfast was so inexpensive (about $24/night
for a double)! The rooms were absolutely charming, and the owners treated
us wonderfully. A fabulous local-style breakfast was brought to our room
each morning. They treated us like family! I wholeheartedly recommend Pension
Panorama. Their email is: penzionpanorama@seznam.cz
Tess
Seattle, WA USA 02/26/03
Budapest taxis, pickpockets, attractions, hotels, restaurants
Contrary to what one of the other posts said, it's very important to call
a taxi service in Budapest rather than take any random taxi off the side
of the street. I lived in Budapest for 8 months in 1999, and always used
Radio Taxi (their number can be found in any good tour book). Most restaurants
and bars will call a taxi for you as well. The one time I didn't call a
taxi and grabbed one off the street, my fare ended up being 5000ft (approximately
$25), when it should have only been $2 at the most!
Watch your pockets, purses and backpacks in
Budapest, especially when on the No. 1 tram, which runs along the Danube.
Pickpockets know that a lot of tourists take this line, and therefore
frequent it. I caught an unsavory character with his hand in my purse
once, and I know lots of people who were pickpocketed there.
As for attractions, one of my
favorites is the Vasarcsarnok-the Grand Market Hall. This colorful, affordable
market is located on the end of Vaci Utca, just by the Szechenyi bridge
(the green metal one). The first floor is mostly a food market-there are
wonderful produce stands, butcher booths (with everything from whole chickens
to pigs' heads hanging!), coffee/espresso stands, and excellent bakeries!
A wonderful specialty store that carries international foods (even American
foods like peanut butter) that can't be found elsewhere is located in
the basement, along with a regular grocery store.
The Peregrinus Guesthouse is
a good, simple place to stay. It was built by a university as a place
for students' parents to stay, but is open to the public. The place is
extremely affordable-rates are approximately $60, but if you reserve the
room through a travel agent at Ferihegy airport, for instance, you can
get a room for three people as low as $35, breakfast included. The best
part about this place is it's located on Serb Utca, a cross street of
the pedestrian street Vaci Utca-right in the heart of Budapest, near lots
of great restaurants, attractions, transportation. Contact info: Szerb
u. 3. Budapest 1056 Tel.: 36 (1) 266-4911 Fax:36 (1) 266-4913.
The best Hungarian food, by far, can be found at
Szent Jupat, right behind the McDonald's at Moskva Ter, a major metro/tram
hub in Buda. If you're missing home and are tired of foreign food, try
Iguana, a wonderful Mexican restaurant near Parliament that's run by 3
American expats. The place has awesome margaritas and quesadillas, and
feels like a Chili's set down in the middle of Budapest-actually, the
food is much better than Chili's!
Anna Bolton
Memphis, TN USA 01/27/03
Budapest
1) Taxis: everyone will tell you that unlabeled cabs in Budapest will rip
you off, but we actually got a better deal by bargaining! We had an outdated
guide book that told us 500 HUF was a good price for a short (~2 mile) ride.
We were at a spot where three taxis were in line. The first one asked for
2000 HUF, the second 1500 HUF, and the third for 1000 HUF. Finally, when
we started to walk, a taxi pulled up an offered us a ride for 700 HUF, which
we took. We found out later that a recommended cab company would have charged
us 1500!
2) Lunch: To save money on lunches we went to
the grocery near the Batthyani ter station downtown and got a baguette,
cheese, fruit, nuts, cookies, sodas, and bottled water all for 6 USD.
We took the tram one stop, walked over the bridge to Magrit Island and
had a gorgeous picnic in the peaceful gardens. What a lovely bit of respite
from the hectic city pace. Plus, the serving portions in most restaurants
in Hungary were huge, and we could splurge on dinner after being so frugal
at lunch.
3) Lodging: As someone mentioned
before, the Charles Apartment Hotel is perfect for budget accomodations.
Very clean rooms with a table and mini-kitchen and private bath for about
$50 US per night. Plus, the staff is amazingly polite, friendly, and extremely
helpful. We were initially worried because our map showed no subway connections
on the Buda side of the river, but the tram goes just about everywhere.
4) Transportation: You can get
anywhere in Budapest by some combination of tram, bus, and metro, although
you will occasionally have to use more than one. We bought the three-day
pass that is good for any form of public transportation. We figured out
at the end that tickets would have been a few dollars cheaper, but decided
that the pass was worth the convenience. You absolutely do not want to
drive in this city!
5) The Baths: We went to the
Gellert hotel baths and loved it. The women's and men's-only sections
were less clean and well-kept than the big pool in the middle for both.
Also, we were there during the Fall so the outdoor pools were essentially
deserted. There is one lovely heated one that we had all to ourselves!
Don't be fooled by the list of offerings at the entrance; other than the
baths, the spa treatments are by prescription only (weird, right?)
6) Sightseeing: We first wandered
the castle district in the evening. It was lovely to have the dark old
streets virtually to ourselves and gave us a real sense of personal connection
with the city. In contrast, when we came back the next day we both felt
harried by the noisy hordes of people. Try to take a stroll through at
a less busy time if you can.
Overall, we loved Budapest. There are still some
traces of shabbiness, but by contrast they make the newer neo-gothic buildings
even more spectacular. Definitely worth a visit!
Stacy & Markus
Ann Arbor & Kiel, USA & Germany 11/22/02
Serbia and Montenegro
I would like to add this: I did not pay for a tourist pass at the border.
I had the money and would have paid to avoid all the yelling, but in the
end the tourist pass appears to be a Serbian gimmick. Serbia uses a different
currency than Montenegro but they are part of the same country: Yugoslavia.
Although I see that they extended the tourist pass and lowered the price,
it is not necessary if you come in from Montenegro. If you come in from
another border crossing it might be necessary, but as long as you came in
from Croatia and Montenegro, and you have all your stamps, that tourist
pass is NOT NECESSARY. http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Visas/tourist_passes.htm
Daniel
San Diego, CA USA 11/21/02
Getting through Serbia and Montenegro
It is difficult if not impossible to get information about traveling through
the former Yugoslavian republics of Montenegro and Serbia. Croatia is fine,
and is a must see destination, but even in Croatia information about their
neighbor is hard to get. There is a definite divide amoung the Serbs and
Croats.
I went to the embassy in Zagreb, Croatia (which
is a very exciting experience, it's like a military base, check it out),
and they were unable to give me anything except advisories that can be
found on the web. I had a local woman call the local police station in
several Montenegrin cities. I checked the web, and I asked everybody I
met. I got different answers each time. Although I did come across the
right answer eventually, I didn't even know it since I'd been fed so much
incomplete or incorrect information.
Here's the real deal: Definitely
check out Zagreb. From there you can either take a bus to Dubrovnik, which
is another amazing city, or you can take the train to Split, and the bus
from Split to Dubrovnik. Although I missed Split, I hear it would be worth
seeing it. I regret skipping it.
The Youth hostel in Zagreb run
by HI is a nightmare. Guests got into huge debates on whether the woman
in the morning was nastier than the man at night. Nonetheless, you'll
meet very interesting people there. I met a man from a remote African
nation who spent hours singing traditional songs. It was worth the filth.
Just check your bed for bed bugs. As a matter of fact, it's wise to always
check your bed for bugs. Do this by shaking the mattress and visually
inspecting it. If it moves and/or bugs fall out, don't sleep in it.
The bus ride from Zagreb to
Dubrovnik is horrible. The bus ride is always horrible in this region,
but it's part of the fun. They generally don't have air conditioning on
the bus, and the windows don't open. Prepare to sweat it out. I'd recommend
taking a night bus, and I'd recommend, especially if you don't speak the
local language, double-checking to make sure you don't have the back row
seats on the bus. They don't recline, and you will want to recline and
sleep. They tend to give those to the foreigners. They're no fun on an
11-hour ride. If you're going to skip Split, take the bus, not the train
part way. It's faster.
In Dubrovnik, make sure you
reserve a room ahead of time. Make sure that you are clear what you are
reserving and how much it will cost. Don't let them cart you away to their
trusty friend's house since "their place is full." Make sure you have
that reservation! Granted, I did stay at the friend's place, for the cost
I expected (almost), but it wasn't as nice as the original place I wished
to stay.
If I was to do it all again,
I would stay on one of the islands, for the same price, and only day trip
to the city. The islands are great! I forget the name, but one of the
islands has a very old monastery on it and a sand beach, the only one
of the islands with a sand beach, on the other side. That's the one to
visit and stay on. Climb the bell tower. I left some candles in there
that you can light.
From Dubrovnik, it gets hairy.
This might not be for you. I think it's a great experience and I'm glad
I did it, so that I have something to compare to when I return in a few
years, but this area is war-torn, and has very little infrastructure for
tourists.
Take the bus to the border of
Croatia. A bus leaves in the morning and will be very hot, sticky, miserable
and most likely late. Like always, bring food and water. Lots of water.
The bus will drop you off at the border where you will walk to the Croatian
border check station, show them your passport, get a stamp, and walk across
the border. It's easy. If you forget to get a stamp though you can kiss
your vacation goodbye. Trust me, get the stamp, make sure it's clear,
and be polite. They were really nice. All they care about is that you
have money with you. Show them a credit card or ATM card and you're fine.
Meet a local in line who can explain this to the guards on the Montenegrin
side. It'll be easier on you.
Notice that no visa is required.
Make special notice of this. From there, run, don't walk, to the bus that
will take you along the coast of Montenegro. I nearly missed that bus.
If you do miss the bus, there are plenty of people that will offer you
a ride, but I can't guarantee anything there. This next bus was so hot
I nearly passed out. Pray for rain and clouds. Make sure you have water.
All the stations between Split,
Croatia and Bar, Montenegro were destroyed during the war. Bar has the
closest train station. It's a nice bus ride scenery-wise. All the beaches
that you pass will be packed. It's mostly Russian and Italian tourists
from what I understood. Word has it that Montenegro is the up and coming
beach resort of Europe and I believe it. Montenegro negotiated special
permission to use the Euro and is doing quite well. For those of you considering
the Italian Adriatic, I have news for you: Croatia and Montenegro is where
it's all at.
Don't expect to get to Bar on
time. It's just not going to happen. Also, don't expect the train schedules
that you have to be accurate. I checked online the night before and they
were dead wrong. Nonetheless, trains do move on time once you get an accurate
schedule at the train station. I wish I had written them down.
In Bar, there is some walking
to be done from the bus station to the train station. It's not too bad,
but it is very hot. It's definitely walkable. At the train station nobody
spoke English. I have basic Russian skills, but I was unable to get by
with it. I tried everything, but after an hour I was unable to communicate
my needs. Around the corner from the ticket booth is the police, but they
were unable to understand either. It was a lot of fun trying though. A
local man luckily came to my aid and helped me get tickets. Take advantage
of and appreciate these moments.
I have no idea what you can
do in Bar. I was still sunburned from Dubrovnik so the beach was out of
the question. I walked around and after hours and hours of walking, sitting,
and trying to relax, I ended up at the cafe outside the train station.
They were very nice and with only a couple drinks bought I sat there for
hours watching and listening to locals. I met some as well who I traveled
with later on.
I highly recommend, buying several
days worth of water and enough food to last you your first day in Belgrade
before leaving Bar. The train goes to Belgrade. You do not need a visa.
It does get tricky though. At the time I was traveling, they were offering
a "tourist pass" for around $20. This was according to Serbia though.
I have no idea who you purchase one from and I was assured by everyone
in Montenegro and Croatia that this was unnecessary. From a political
point of view, "Yugoslavia" is Montenegro and Serbia combined. Although
they hate each other and are working on separating, they can't have separate
visa requirements than the other. If Montenegro does not require a visa,
then Serbia doesn't either.
Getting to Belgrade was no problem.
The night train in Bar got to Belgrade the next morning. No problem. Unfortunately,
Belgrade has issues. Be prepared. Every bank was either closed, broken,
or having some other problem. If you plan on getting money, use cash or
travelers checks at the Swiss bank. The Swiss ATM worked, but only used
VISA and opened several hours after the train arrived. My visa card stopped
working in Belgrade. It was a joy to be without food, water, and money.
Once you've overcome any monetary problems, move on to find a place to
stay. I had such a hard time getting money that I decided to only stay
for a day and leave. It was unbearably hot, and if you plan on finding
refuge in a nice air-conditioned museum, think again. The National Museum
was hotter inside than outside. I have no idea how they preserve their
art.
The train from Belgrade to Bucharest
was an exciting one. Endless fields of sun-lit sunflowers with hours of
great conversation. In this part of Europe you'll find that only the rich,
i.e. tourists, can afford a sleeper car. They will chain the doors shut
and will lock everything in sight. They will leave only the few of you
in there to have a whole car for yourselves. They will chain the windows
shut the best they can. I personally think they were paranoid, but the
stories of people being gassed, or beaten is enough to let the chains
stay. In the end though, no matter what they do, the conductor said robbers
would come in if they wanted.
We had no serious problems,
although a Russian businessman insisted that he was robbed. None of us
understood how someone would have been able to rob him, but he put up
quite a fuss. The conductor insisted that if he were really robbed, we
all would have been.
At the Serbian/Romanian border,
things got bad. The border police insisted that I needed a tourist pass.
I kept asking "why"? Don't ask why. Just be quiet, follow him off the
train, and wait. He'll check your passport, along with others and then
he'll go insane. I'm sorry to say this, but put up with his yelling. He
hates Montenegro, he hates Croatia, he hates everything. Let him get it
out of his system. Then try to explain, by pointing at the stamps in your
passport, the web printouts, and anything else you have. This will do
little good so get people who speak fluent Serbian to explain your situation.
YOU DO NOT NEED A VISA TO GO
THROUGH MONTENEGRO OR SERBIA. THIS IS YOUR FINAL ANSWER. He will get very
upset, and finally he'll let you back on the train. They key here is to
remain calm and realize that they will not leave you out in the middle
of nowhere. They will not leave you. Say it again if need be. It's a horrible
experience to go through, but they won't leave you. If you've been collecting
stamps, now would be a bad time to ask for one. I let this one go. And
you're out of Serbia, and everything is fine. Take a deep breath and enjoy
the cheers as you approach the train again. I got free beer for the rest
of the trip.
There's not much to really do or see [in these
regions] at the moment, the people are very shy with respect to any mention
of war, but it will be an adventure. Good conversation, nice people, beautiful
fields of sunflowers, and beautiful beaches. Try it if you have the time
and energy. I think it was worth it. I wouldn't do it again, but it was
worth doing once. I'll go back when things are better.
Daniel
San Diego, CA USA 11/21/02
More on Russia
The visa issue I described is applicable to many tourists - many visitors
(businesspeople, students, etc.) arrive in Russia on multi-entry visas (I
have one, as do most foreigners living here for an extended period of time).
It is not, however, applicable to people arriving on tourist, private, or
transit visas, which are single-entry.
On another note, everything that you've read about the private visa invitation
(obtained through OVIR) is true. There is no need to make anyone go through
that, especially if you consider their time worth anything! Though it's
not even $3 in fees, it's at least one month's wait after filing, and
the embassy will only accept the real copy (meaning you take your luck
with the Russian mail), not a fax. If you have a friend in Russia, their
time is better spent calling travel agencies in town to find out who issues
invitations and for how much; after struggling through OVIR nonsense for
over a month, I found a travel agency at a hotel in town that issues $10
invitations, including the int'l fax. If they're outside of St. Pete or
Moscow, you should be able to find something for under $25.
Hilary
Velikii Novgorod, Russia 11/17/02
Poland
Just returned from Poland and loved it. Don't miss the salt mine outside
of Krakow. Take the "Lux" bus from the street near the train station. Exchange
rate is very favorable right now. Gdansk is pretty and you can get a ferry
to Stockholm and Helsinki, if you care to. People are very friendly and
helpful. Helps to know some rudimentary Polish. If all else fails, eat at
the Sphinx restaurant chain. Servers speak a little English.
nancy
nj USA 11/17/02
Romania
I just wanted to add some further insight on the recent entry on Romania.
I urge any traveler to not be discouraged by the negative attitude towards
Romania expressed in that entry. I was in Romania a bit over a year ago
and found it a highly rewarding experience. As with many former eastern
european iron curtain nations, Romania is experiencing many growing pains
in its transition to a free market economy and democracy from a formerly
very damaging and oppressive regime. Yes, if you are used to taking upscale
vacations staying in four-star hotels and having your every american tourist
want catered for, Romania may not be ready for you, or win your approval.
I traveled through Bucharest and Brasov, and had a wonderful experience.
I made many friends on trains that I took and found the people I met while
there to be very kind and generous. I was never a victim of any pickpocketing
or scam, although one does need to be on their guard because there are
many gypsies as well as random people who will try and take advantage
of a naive tourist. If you are planning on taking a trip to eastern europe,
especially Romania, I urge you to read up on your history. Romania is
a facinating lesson of political and social change and the strength and
warmth that people still possess despite many problems within the country.
Rebecca
Minneapolis, MN USA 11/14/02
Further Russian Visa Comments
Regarding Hilary's post below: The visa issue described is not applicable
to tourists (as they won't get multi-entry visas, only single or dual-entry).
There is no restriction as she described for the number of visitors to St.
Petersburg--I have planned the trips of over 50 people next year and have
not had any problems with visa issuance. Her comments on the hotel situation
for June 2003 in St. Petersburg are valid; between 15 May and about 5 June,
it will be very difficult to get a room (even now), 5-10 June, difficult,
and the rest of June, doable but pricey (most hotels are rack-rate only
that period, and some such as the Grand Hotel Europe are not guaranteeing
reservations without a deposit). The best part of the opera season will
be throughout June--many of the opera lovers I work with have already booked
their trips.
Marc David Miller
New York, NY USA 11/11/02
Romania
I spent a few days in Romania 2 years ago and would say that it's not quite
ready for American tourists. We stayed in Timisoara, in southeastern Romania.
There were 4 hotels suitable for Americans, according to the genealogist/translator/friend
who advised us and occasionally accompanied us. We were in a very good one,
large rooms, air conditioned (this was the end of June and very hot), good
food, good service.
But Timisoara, like many, if not most, Romanian
cities, is in great need of restoration after many years of abuse by Communist
regimes. The downtown square has lovely old 18th and 19th century buildings,
with a McDonald's placed anachronistically on the ground floor of one
of them! and bullet holes in the upper stories from the revolution that
toppled the latest dictator.
The biggest problem in Romania
is the gypsy beggars. They're like mosquitos--all over, they won't take "no" for an answer, there are gangs of young kids (not necessarily gypsies,
either) who are "managed" by an older youth or adult and beaten if they
give up too easily on the tourist. My sis in law saw one girl slapped
by her "manager" because she didn't get any money out the people stopped
at a traffic light!
In the area called Banat, which
we visited because one of our grandfathers was born here, the gypsies
have taken over abandoned houses, factories, and any dwelling they can
find. In the village we visited, we weren't bothered by beggars, but it
was depressing to see the difference between the cottages still owned
by Germans and recently acquired by Romanian farmers, and those taken
over by gypsy squatters.
Another problem in Romania is
that they have no use for their own currency and just love US dollars
and Austrian schillings. We had no trouble converting $300 US dollars
into about $3 MILLION Romanian leu (first and last time we've ever been
millionaries!), but when we left the country, we couldn't convert the
leu back into dollars, schillings, deutschmarks, or any other currency.
I would assume that the same problem exists with trying to get Euros out
of leu. As a matter of fact, we never got rid of the Romanian bills--we
tried in Austria, Germany, Canada and the US. No one wanted them. We eventually
sent most of them to the parish council president of our "ancestral" village
and the rest to the priest who ministers to this and 8 other villages.
So, be careful changing money in Romania.
I read an account on the internet
of a guy who took his motorcycle on a long tour up the Danube from its
mouth in Romania to its source in Germany, and had trouble in Romania
with the gypsies. His advice was: "Don't go out at night!" What was especially
unsettling was that in the cities as well as the country, you don't see
any dogs or cats.
Having said all that, my brother and I want to
go back to do more family research. We keep in touch with the people we
met (they had a special Mass for us, which was wonderful--in 3 languages!),
and we periodically send them food and money and whatever else we can
afford to mail (postage rates are outrageous and there's no guarantee,
that when they get to Romania that they'll end up where we address them).
Hilde Horvath
Old Bridge, NJ USA 11/05/02
Visitors to Russia -- be forewarned
As the Russian correspondent of sorts, I feel obligated to warn potential
visitors of three visa snags/problems - not to discourage visitors, but
to encourage you to plan ahead for problems/delays.
The first is that applications for multi-entry
visas are transitioning (RIGHT NOW) from being handled by the foreign
ministry to the interior ministry - and apparently, the latter is not
ready to handle them. That means *no one* is handling them, which will
cause an inestimable backlog. Only those who submitted applications before
Oct. 15 are guaranteed to receive them in the normal handling time.
Adapted from an 11/01/02 article
in The Moscow Times: A new law regulating the activities of foreigners
living and working in Russia is supposed to make life easier for everyone.
Instead, the law, which came into force this week, has created chaos and
confusion. As of Friday, for example, all employers and travel agencies
wanting to issue visa invitations for their workers, clients or potential
business partners must first reregister with the Interior Ministry.
The problem with that is there
are nearly 40,000 companies that have issued invitations to foreigners
in the past, and it will take months for the ministry to register each
one that wants to do so under the new system, said Sergei Melnikov of
the law firm Your Lawyer. As part of the revamp of the nation's visa regime,
the Foreign Ministry stopped issuing invitations for multi-entry visas
Oct. 15.
Warlick (US Embassy official)
said that as far as he knows, foreigners outside the country who want
a visa will still be able to get one from the nearest embassy or consulate,
but, of course, they will first need an invitation, and how long it will
take to get one is anyone's guess. Before Oct. 15 the Foreign Ministry
was handling about 2,000 visa applications a day -- a volume "the Interior
Ministry is not prepared to deal with."
Krivonosova (Russian tourist
agency worker, also responsible for previous quotation) said she expects
PVU will take from two to three weeks to process an application for an
invitation and a total of one month to actually get a visa. "This is for
people who, in some cases, will only be here for two or three days," she
said. Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov said in an interview published Thursday
in Rossiiskaya Gazeta that implementing all aspects of the law will take
"some time" but that the national database on foreigners should be in
place no later than May.
When all is said and done, there
will be three categories of foreigners in Russia legally -- temporary
visitors, temporary residents and permanent residents. The visitor category,
including many citizens of countries in the Commonwealth of Independent
States who do not need visas at all, can stay up to 90 days. He said that
a new migration card will begin being issued in November. Foreigners will
be required to fill in the card when entering the country, hand it over
to the Federal Border Service when exiting and carry it on their person
at all times, Gryzlov said. If a person changes apartments or his or her
workplace, the Interior Ministry must be informed and the new information
listed on the card, he said. Anyone caught without the card by July 1
could face deportation, Chernenko, head of Foreign Migration Service,
said. Chernenko also mentioned the creation of a "migration fee" of $100
per person that would bring in some $30 million a year.
Secondly (and I may be spreading
rumors here), St. Petersburg, in anticipation of its 300th-anniversary
celebration this summer, is limiting visa applications and apparently
is no longer admitting/inviting further applicants. Check with a travel
agent about this - you may be able to get around it by "registering" in
a different (Moscow) or nearby city. They can't officially stop you from
visiting once you're in the country. If you are planning to enjoy a spruced-up
Pete by white night, you should probably make your hotel reservations
shortly after the new year (because everyone else is thinking about it,
too).
Finally, though any visitor
is probably aware of the potential for crooked police tactics, one should
be especially vigilant in Moscow and Pete, where recently these tactics
have increased and received media attention. Expect it to get only worse
in the wake of the Moscow hostage crisis and with the influx of foreigners
for the 300th.. There are at least 3 things visitors can do to avoid police
problems:
1) Understand what everything
on your visa means. If you don't know, ask your hotel to explain it to
you. The dates on your visa are clearly listed, your registration filed
by your hotel (indicated by a stamp on the back, with dates written in)
should cover the entire length of your stay (or visa, to be safe, as there's
really no difference). They wouldn't let you through the airport if everything
weren't officially in order, and your hotel is VERY unlikely to screw
up registration. You should be assured that everything is in order - if
you're not sure, ask.
2) Obey the laws (even things
like jaywalking get folks stopped) and try as much as possible to avoid
cops or their eye contact.
3) Don't carry a lot of money, even in a moneybelt.
I know this isn't always possible - but if you *are* stopped, crooked
cops can only take what you have on you (since they can't levy real fines).
If I can help it, I never carry more than I wouldn't worry about losing
(~$10 / 300 rub - enough for a lunch or a drink or an impulse buy). If
you get your passport out of your money belt, they're aware of your hiding
place and will be happy to empty that as well. The Moscow Times 10/22/02
outlined tactics for those who'd been stopped - unfortunately it's been
archived! Check online for more coverage of these topics at www.themoscowtimes.com.
Hilary
Velikii Novgorod, Russia 11/03/02
be aware in Sarajevo
Be careful when staying at the station for the night. One of my friend "lost" his wallet there. Avoid taking pictures of people on the street, especially
if they are wearing dirty clothes. They might be unhappy if they think you
are interested in their poorness. Ask for the lowest price at the youth
hostel. If you don't, they will charge you a lot (more than in venice, for
example) But you can walk without problems in the center of town; there
are lots of tourist and US soldiers with video cameras!
Kleanx
Grenoble, France 10/21/02
Poland
Hurry - get to Poland before it changes! Just returned from 10 days in Poland
and loved it. Warsaw is a very cosmopolitan city. I am not sure why, but
I expected a lot of grandmothers in babushkas, boring grey concrete structures
(yes, there are still plenty of those), and cold, rather unfriendly people.
I could not have been more wrong! Poles are wonderful, friendly, helpful
people.
Need accommodation? Consider renting an apartment
for a few days. Our Warsaw apartment had 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen,
bath (with washing machine), etc. and was only 1/2 block off the main
historic square, and was half the price of a nice hotel.
Krakow is a beautiful city,
deserving of all it's recent praise. The historic center is the focal
point, and a great place to people watch while enjoying a coffee, tea,
or beer (it seems beer has overtaken vodka as the national drink). Hotel
Saski (1/2 block from square) is a great deal at ~US$60/nt for double
room, private bath, and full cooked breakfast (and they have a funky old
cage elevator). Do whatever you can to get out into the countryside. There
are some amazing sights, including historic wooden churches (600+ years
old), with local priests willing to give you a private tour.
If you have the opportunity to spend some time
with a Polish family in their home, jump at it. I do not know if there
is a saying about Polish hospitality, but there certainly should be. Wonderful,
giving people. There are not too many places that provide this kind of
bang for your buck. Full meals, with beer, for 2 people, for about $4.50.
Check it out before it gets Euro-ized.
Paul
Boulder, CO USA 10/14/02
Prague
Returned yesterday from three weeks in eastern Europe. The last week we
spent in Prague. With some exceptions, namely the entire Jewish Quarter,
we were able to complete all of the sightseeing we had planned. Can highly
recommend a trip out to Terezin, the former jewish ghetto and subsequent
transportation hub - direction Auschwitz - of WWII. Rather than pay $28
per person for the "canned" (and widely advertised) 5-hour bus tour out
there, we took the regional bus for $2 per person round trip and had the
entire day to wander the area. (The bus ride is an hour each way regardless
which option you take.) The combination ticket to the three available sites
was about $8 per person. Not as tragic as the work- or extermination-camps
we have been to, rather a true history lesson of the Prague Jews and finally
the camps' function as a transportation depot.
Julie
Huntington Beach, CA USA 09/25/02
Czech Republic & Poland not in Eastern Europe
A lot of people (including Rick Steves) seem to mistakenly refer to Czech
Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and sometimes Germany and Austria as "Eastern
Europe." These countries are actually in Central Europe and are very different
and more Westernized than Eastern European (countries such as Russia, Belarus,
or Ukraine).
It may have made sense to divide Europe into East/West during the Soviet
reign, however today Central and Eastern Europe should not be lumped together,
as travel in these two regions is very different and not really related.
Ed
USA 09/12/02
Beware in Bratislava
We just returned from a great trip in Eastern Europe, but had a few fast
ones pulled on us in Bratislava, Slovakia. At the Hotel Gracia we were "accidently" charged 3500 on our credit card, instead of the 3050 that was on our bill.
Also, watch out at the restaurants. At some, the price for drinks on the
menu is per deca liter.(Althuogh it is not stated on the menu.) We were
quite shocked to find out that instead of 12 per drink we had to pay 36.
We were overcharged at 2 of the restaurants. Other than that, we had a wonderful
time.
Clayton
USA 09/12/02
Aeroflot -- Good alternative
Aeroflot is a good inexpensive option for travel within Russia, especially,
if on a tight schedule and traveling longer distances. The planes will be
a little noiser and less luxurious than what you may be used to, but a couple
hour flight beats a 1+ day excursion on a stuffy train or bumpy road anyday
and is just as safe. Aeroflot offers frequent flights from Moscow to Sochi
on the Black Sea, Irkutsk on Lake Baikal in Siberia, Samara on the Volga
River, Belgorod, and many other interesting cities that are off the beaten
Moscow/St. Petersburg path. One note of warning, there are many "Baby
Flots" that have been spun off from Aeroflot, some of these are reliable,
some are not.
Dallas, TX USA 08/09/02
Getting visa for Ukraine
You absolutely need a visa to travel to Ukraine! Also, use a visa service
to help you get it, rather than just following the instructions on the Ukrainian
embassy's website. More expensive, but well worth it.
John Saxon
Colorado Springs, CO USA 08/09/02
Aeroflot- avoid like the plague!
Just returned from my first trip to St. Petersburg. We flew from Frankfurt
to Moscow and then on to St. P on Aeroflot. Big Mistake! The flight over
was horrible! When we saw the duct tape on the seats we knew we had made
a huge mistake. The pilot flew through some horrible turbulence without
trying to avoid it. Does it cost more in fuel to fly higher? It was the
worst flight I've ever been on. People were yelling, crying,etc. It did
make me appreciate life all the more when we got off! The term "lucky to
be alive" was very appropo! Next time, and there will be one, we'll fly
to Helsinki and then ride the train and boat over. St. Petersburg is a beautiful
city with some major problems, but it did make a wonderful impression!
Vickie Aycock
Gainesville, , GA USA 08/08/02
Romania
My husband and I spent four days in Romania, visiting our son, who is serving
in the Peace Corps. We were so impressed by the beauty of the country and
the warmth of the people. Much of the mountainous northern part of Romania
is reminiscentof Germany and has Hungarian food. We rented a car and visited
Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara, and Odorheiu. The food was uniformly good,
and extremely reasonable! A huge dinner for four, with drinks, was $16.00.
We know so little about this part of the world and are now reading Balkan
Ghosts to try to educate ourselves. We would love to go back and spend more
time there.
L. Bergman
Minneapolis, Mn USA 08/06/02
eastern europe
krakow - beautiful city, very english friendly
and great people - hotel europeski was a nice place but a bit warm - wander
the old city and spend a day at auschwitz, crakow tours covers both camps
and does a great job with a very sobering topic - be warned - words cannot
prepare u for this place - it is overwhelming and grim but worth
the trip - very moving.
budapest - charles apartments
was great - friendly people trying hard to catch up to the west so a lot
of construction - the hammer and sickle tour is good but forget the website
and emails - just show up, the brochure is everywhere - if not the tour
at least get to statue park - buda castle is huge - spend the day and
do the caves underneath.
the ferry from budapest to vienna
is fun - went through some locks but it takes about 6 hours - the danube
is not "blue", it's green (the rhine is nicer).
prague - getting pricey - wander
the old town is a joy but very crowded - the torture museum is great and
only a $1.25, the castle and gardens are amazing - precious legacy does
a wonderful tour of terezin, the concentraion camp for $25 - the only
full days - very detailed and scary - josefov was great even in the heavy
rain.
bohemian bagels saved me from pension tyn. No frills,
just a bed in a good location. while it is basically clean there is construction
going on as they build a new elevator. most people there were pleasant
but the day guy, he has a beard and is little, is a surly little s.o.b.
count on him for nothing but to take your cash - only deal with the other
guys in the evening. all 3 places spoke a lot of english. no one tried
to rip me off to my knowledge - everyone was very pleasant.
marc latasa
greenwich, ct USA 07/28/02
Riga, Latvia
We recently returned from Riga, Latvia from a 10 day mission trip with our
church. This was our second visit to Riga and we have fallen in love with
this city. It is beautiful, easy to walk in, the people friendly and eager
to help you. We found excellent food at the "Lido" restaurant, and also
at the "Black Cat". The shopping is also very good. Only problem being the
exchange rate is 1.70 to $1 US, but there a good buys from street vendors.
We stayed at the Radisson SAS, a very nice hotel, but have heard there are
less expensive accomadations. We rode the trams and buses with no problems.
One of the most moving monuments is the "Freedom Monument" which is always
filled with flowers. It is a lovely city.
Becky
Richardson, Tx USA 07/26/02
Affordable Cesky
Don't let sticker shock keep you away from Cesky Krumlov,
just go the Europe Through the Back Door Way. The only date we could fit
Cesky into our recent European adventure was on the first day of their
Renaissance Festival. I emailed at least half the hotels and pensions in
the town and nobody had a room, until Pension Ingrid found a room for me
in a nearby home. We had a simple, but clean triple bedroom with our own
bathroom and our own entrance. Our window looked out across the river toward
the Castle and in the morning we had the kind of breakfast I dream about.
Homemade breads, sweet butter, pastries, yogurt, coffee and juice in a little
garden with the town spread out below us. All this and a locked garage for
our car for only $50 a night. And the entertainment value of flipping from
English to German to Czech while communicating with my hostess was absolutely
free. A complete meal with the best barbecued ribs my husband ever ate was
only $5 in town! If you're heading to Cesky, contact the very helpful Ingrid
at ingrid@ck.ipex.cz
Karen
Springfield, MO USA 07/25/02
Prices rising in Cesky Krumlov
If you go to Cesky Krumlov, beware of sticker shock. A double room (standard)
in the Hotel Ruze is now 4900 czk ($164 in July)! The room was adequate,
but we got absolutely no service at breakfast. Found the silverware, napkins,
and coffee pot on my own. Their only selling point for us was the gated
parking lot (300 czk extra per day!). Our opinion is that is that it is
getting too 'touristy' here. Even the antique dealers didn't want to negotiate.
However the castle tour in English was great.
Mary and Bill Wright
Colonial Heights, VA USA 07/25/02
Frantiskovy lazne, CZ
Our recent visit to the Czech Republic showed us that this country is a
prime location for discovering new 'Back Doors.' We spent six days with
a rental car, fortunately without incident. One piece of advice on crossing
the border, don't wait behind the line of trucks, you could spend your entire
vacation there. Be brave and follow the locals who pass the parked trucks
on the two-lane road avoiding head on collisions with the sparse oncoming
traffic. Just across the German border near Cheb is a delightful little
spa town of Frantiskovy Lazne. This town has been unspoiled but the glut
of Russian tourists that you see in Karlovy Vary. The town was established
in the late 1700's, so no medieval buildings, but beautiful ornate structures
that tell you that this was a popular resort in times past. I highly recommend
the Restaurant Milano on the south end of town. One of the waiters, Patrik,
speaks excellent English and there is one English menu. It was a nice introduction
to the Czech Republic before we hit the hustle and bustle of Prague.
Mary and Bill Wright
Colonial Heights, VA USA 07/25/02
Prague and Vienna
Loved Prague, even though it is very crowded in the summer, and it was surprisingly
warm (even for someone from the Houston area). We took a several day trip
into the countryside to look for family roots, and found the Moravian countyside
to be very nice. Stayed in Stramberk at he Sipka Hotel on the square-they
don't speak much English, and we don't speak much Czech, but everything
worked OK anyway! If you are planning such a trip in the Czech Republic,
you might think about using Mike's Chauffeurs (mentioned in ETBD)-we could
not have been successful without Mike.
Also enjoyed Vienna, but I would
not really want to go back. Other than the museums and churches, it is a
lot like vacationing in a shopping mall.
Craig Brooks
Sugar Land, TX USA 07/22/02
Krakow
Just returned a few weeks ago from a 2.5 week trip to Eastern Europe (Berlin,
Prague, Krakow, Warsaw) and Krakow was my favorite place (although my wife
liked Berlin for different reasons). Krakow is an amazing place to visit.
It's a lot like Prague, but a lot less touristy. We used the Lonely Planet
Krakow book to plan our trip.
There s a ton of things to do in and around
Krakow: walk the old town and view all the great architecture; visit lots
of great churches (we saw 8 in one day, including St. Mary s which rivals
the best in Europe); tour the Wawel Castle and Cathedral; tour a 700 year
old salt mine (touristy but different and pretty cool); visit Auschwitz
(very sobering: 60 km from Krakow); hang out in the Market Square at an
outdoor café and watch the all the people go by; and eat lots of good, cheap
Eastern European food (think beets, pirogues, potatoes, beer). Krakow was
busy, but it was mostly Polish people visiting their culture capital during
the summer. The food was cheaper and better than in Prague. There weren
t souvenir stands on every corner, like in Prague. English is becoming
widely spoken (it s the default tourist language).
Visit Krakow before
it s "discovered like Prague has been. Don't get me wrong, Prague's
a great city too, I'd just try to visit it in the off season.
Joel
Eden Prairie, MN USA 07/08/02
Croatia
What a beautiful and friendly country. I would seriously consider a 3 week
trip just exploring this country. Rovinj is a jem and worth a few days.
The amphitheatre in Pula is a must see. It is in better condition that the
ones in Rome or Verona that we saw previously. The drive along the coast
is breathtaking. Rab is a great place to hang out. Better brush up on your
German because that seems to be the dominant language there. Plitvice lakes
is a must see as well. We wished we could have stayed longer, there are
hundreds of islands to explore. The food in Croatia is excellent, much better
than Slovenia. Try any and all soups on the menu. The prices are E. Europe
cheap. If you want sand beaches they are hard to find in the places we went
to.
Steve Zavocki
Lewisville, TX USA 07/03/02
Slovenia
Like the previous post said, Slovenia is a beautiful country and has alot
to offer. Lake Bohinj is incredibly beautiful and should not be missed.
Lake Bled is also gorgous. North of Bled is the Vintgar gorge which amazed
us. Don't miss it. Ljubljana was Ok, but we wished we just spent another
day at Lake Bohinj. The Skojan caves are a must see. We chose them over
the more famous Prostina caves. We were pleased with the Lonely Planet Slovenia
guidebook, the only English one that focuses just on Slovenia. If you go
to Bohinj, and have a car, then stay at Pension Stare. You can find then
on the net, the owner is very nice and speaks good English. The only knock
on the country was lack of good food, they have lots of pizza places but
not much else (outside Ljubjlana, which has everything). Lastly, Union pivo
(beer) is excellent.
Steve Zavocki
Lewisville, TX USA 07/03/02
Slovenia
Ljubljana is a great town, but if you are going to Slovenia, don't miss
the pristine beauty of Triglav national park and the Soca River valley (NW
Slovenia). There are some beautiful spots to camp along the emerald green
Soca River, and there are even kayaking courses available in English. If
you are interested in geology, there are some fantastic and extensive cave
networks to explore all throughout this beautiful and friendly country.
Sun
USA 07/03/02
Surprising Slovakia
I spent last summer in Budapest on an internship and really enjoyed my stay.
It's well worth the three hour train from Vienna. Additionally, I recommend
visiting the Tatra's in Slovakia. They have well developed and very scenic
hiking trails. Some of the views were simply amazing. If you go, take an
umbrella and/or an overcoat! Also, Bratislava (a short trip from Vienna)
turned out to be a nice surprise. The old town has some charming buildings,
and there were many restaurants and pasty shops. We were fortunate to see
an two hour-long folk-dancing exhibition. The castle / museum has some interesting
music exhibits. Also, I agree with earlier positive comments about the castle
Spissky Hrad - has a certain beauty about it.
John
Cleveland, OH USA 07/03/02
Ljubljiana, Slovenia
Recommended. Great little city that is big enough to keep you busy for a
couple of days but not so large that you feel like you should be running
around sightseeing the whole time. Great cafe scene along the river, attractive
and friendly people, and pretty good ice cream and beer.
Jay Huck
London, UK 06/18/02
Just returned from Europe, but wanted to comment specifically on Prague.
Pre-departure, we had heard alot about how amazing Prague was, but upon
arrival, were a bit disappointed. Perhaps it was the large tourist crowds
covering EVERYTHING, but the city didnt quite have the charm I anticipated.
Great Marionette show a block or two from the Old Town Square-- Dont miss
it!
USA 06/12/02
Slovakian Suprise
We just returned from three weeks in Central Europe. Most places exceeded
our expectations. The most pleasant suprise was driving through the Slovakian
countryside and the town of Levoca with the Spis castle 25km's to its east.
The Satel hotel was super. The only disappointment was the city of Egger
in Hungary.
Bill Adelmann
Manhattan Beach, CA USA 06/08/02
Visa Requirements
http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html. This link is for U.S. citizens
and the visa requirements abroad. Initially I knew that a visa for Turkey
was $45 at the border, but I also thought that I would need to apply for
one ahead of time in order to travel to the former Yugoslavia. Currently
however and until the end of Sept 2002 you can travel there using a "tourist
pass". http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Visas/tourist_passes.htm. This basically leaves
Turkey and Russia as the only countries I will will need a visa for. This
basically means I can travel from Poland to Turkey with no problems whatsoever.
Daniel
San Diego, CA USA 06/05/02
Check Out The Czech Countryside
If you like to explore castles and churches check out the Czech countryside.
There are more castles(in various states of repair or ruins) per square
mile in Czech Republic than any other country! Every town seems to have
a church and some kind of castle or fortress for a Back Door adventure.
My Czech husband, daughter, and I travel through this beautiful country
at least once a year. It does help that my husband speaks both Czech and
English, but I was surprised how many of the caretakers/tour guides can
speak at the very least some broken English. Many of these places also have
an english translated script of what the tour guides are showing if they
don't speak English. We stopped on the way from Karlovy Vary(Carlsbad) to
Prague recently on a whim at Kladruby Cathedral, where people from all over
the world still come to buy their race horses. We were the only people visiting
that day and the curator who spoke some english gave us a private tour for
70 koruna(about US$2) total with an English manuscript. Another good "whim" was Rostejn Castle in the southern part of Czech Republic and caught their
tour with english manuscript for 60 koruna total for the three of us. Originally
built in the 14th century and later turned into a hunting lodge by the ruling
family of the area. Both stops were filled with history tid bits that brought
us back to another time. There are many Czech maps(GEOMETRO is one) that
can be bought there that specifically are for places of interest.
d.floyd
ca USA 05/31/02
Warsaw
Wow! I had to go here for work, and fell in love with the unique history,
the many different looks and feels of the city, and the prices. Where else
can you get an incredible meal for $8 all inclusive? Great city - put it
high on your list!
Alan
goldens bridge, ny USA 05/27/02
Croatia
We spent a precious week in Croatia and felt let down when we went to Italy.
What a beautiful country! We were able to communicate with mostly younger
people as they spoke a little English. We began at Zagreb, camped at Plitvice
National Park, and saw the whole coast down past Catvat. We camped at a
Dominican Monastery on the island of Bol and listened to the Adriatic beat
against its ancient walls. We walked the walls of Dubrovnik, saw Trojir,
went to Medjugore and that was great. We loved it so much we are going back
this September!
Sam & JoAnn Cutrara
South Holland, IL USA 05/17/02
For years, esp. prior to the fall of communism in Russia, guidebooks
advised visitors to Eastern Europe to take Levis along as gifts, because
they were so sought-after and well-received. Nowdays, you'd be better advised
to take them to Japan, where even a beat-up pair of used ones will net you
at least $800! Brand new ones? Thousands!
Carol
CA USA 05/15/02
Budapest, Vienna, Prague
My mother and I just returned from 10 days in Budapest, Vienna, and Prague.
We used Rick's GAS book for Vienna and Prague and the Lonely Planet book
for Budapest. We flew into Budapest, took the train to Vienna, then the
train to Prague, then flew home from Prague. All three cities have different
things to offer (although they all have wonderful architecture). If I have
to pick a favorite it would be Budapest (the only one to which I would really
like to return - in fact, I'd like to see more of Hungary). I also liked
Vienna. I probably liked Prague the least, but that is not to say you shouldn't
see it. It is just that Prague is the most crowded (I can't imagine what
it must be like in summer) and dirtiest and has the most crime (pickpockets).
We had a wonderful guided tour of the city one morning and in the afternoon
the same guide gave us a private tour of the fabulous and worthwhile Jewish
Quarter. Her name is Gabriela Gogova. She was a Russian teacher under the
communist regime and has many interesting observations. She knows the history
and loves her job and it shows. She also has a true and heartfelt sympathy
for the human side of the history she is relating. She is also a proud mother
- ask her about her 22-year-old son who speaks six languages! Her address
is Rehorova 21, 130 00 Praha 3, Czech Republic. Phone: 420-2-22-72-04-39.
Mobile: 0606 812 161. We highly recommend her. We had a wonderful time in
all three cities. If you're thinking about going, go!!
Robin
USA 05/12/02
Be adventurous in Prague
I don't know how much of a secret this is, but with Prague being flooded
with tourist every summer, I would recommend that visitors take an extra
5 minutes and walk a few blocks out of the city center when looking for
somewhere to eat or drink. Although, there probably won't be an English
menu, prices will dramatically drop, and waiters and bartenders are generally
a lot happier to see you than their counterparts who work in the tourist
area. Look for specifically for establishments with the word hostinec in
it's name as it will be a beer hall that also serves cheap hearty meals.
nickyboy
USA 04/23/02
flying to eastern europe
flying to eastern europe can be quite costly. I would advise you to check
austrian airlines and swissair. both airlines have extensive destination
networks in eastern europe and their airfares can be quite competitive.
if you are looking for cheaper tickets, have a look at: http://www.airlinesandflights.com
Dave
NYC, NY USA 04/19/02
Hey Rick, you were right about Bulgaria!
I just returned from visiting my brother who is living in Sofia for a
year. It is an AMAZING place. While there I discovered a couple of "Back
Door" hamlets I want to share with your readers. VELIKO TARNOVO--capital of the
Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1393) In the center of town, a reconstructed
medieval fortress, Tsaravets Citadel rises on sheer rock cliffs right
out of a bend of the Yantra River leaving the rest of the city clinging
to cliffs on the opposite side of the river gorge. In all my travels,
this is one of the most dramatic sights I have ever seen! For a good nights
rest though, I headed to Arbanasi, a small farming village perched on
a plateau overlooking Tarnovo, 4-km north. Discovered by Bulgaria's nouveau
riche, who have poured lots of money into the local economy, Arbanasi
has plenty of family run restaurants and hotels. I chose the clean and
cozy Boyer House Hotel where double rooms cost about $10 per person including
breakfast. For more information see http://arbanassivt.hit.bg MELNIK--one of Bulgaria's smallest towns Melnik
is famous for its bizarre sandstone rock formations, National Revival
architecture and wine. It too has been discovered by Sofia's elite, but
still retains its small-town charm. While there I stayed at the Uzounova
Kashta (Uzounovs' House). Once a Turkish jail this family hotel is located
in the center of town next to the Konak, the former Turkish police station.
Mr. Uzounov is a gracious host who is eager to share the history of the
area. Spotlessly clean rooms centered on an inner courtyard cost only
$9 person, including a typical Melnik breakfast. A traditional tavern
and spacious green yard are also available to guests. See the following
site http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/4369/melnik.html for more
information on the area.
Jan
Ames, IA USA 04/14/02
Visit lovely Sarajevo
I'ld like to encourage you to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. You
can get there by plane, train (from Croatia) or bus. Lots of interesting
sites are all found in the compact old town. You'll love the "Bascarsija"-the
old central market and heart of the city. There is a good streetcar/tram
service throughout the flat part of the town (though not to the airport).
There are room finding services and some inexpensive hotels. Because it's
now a capital, and there are many foreign embassies and NGOs, there's even
an international book/magazine/newspaper store. I'll be glad to advise anyone
considering going (I'll be there in July/August for a nightly international
festival). BTW, the currency is the KM (konvertibilni mark), which is set
at 1 Euro to 2 KM.
Lynn Maners
Tucson, AZ USA 03/15/02
2 quick practical tips
Here's just a couple quick health and safety tips for travelling in Eastern
Europe. (I'm an anthropologist and have been going there for many years).
1) Watch your step! Public areas are still poorly maintained in much of
E.E. You'll be surprised how often you may trip/stumble over uneven streets
or crumbling curbs. 2) Carry a tiny flashlight and a small pack of tissues
at all times. They'll both come in handy day or night.
Lynn Maners
Tucson, Az USA 03/13/02
Budapest Metro tickets
Be careful when buying a ticket for the Budapest metro, when in the station.
High winds from the station platform will blow upwards, so if you buy a
ticket, make sure it doesn't blow away, otherwise you'll have to line up
again and buy another ticket.
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 03/09/02
Bratislava's version of Moscow's GUM
Just wanted to point out an interesting institution that is ubiquitous in
Eastern Europe. This is not a tourist area since no one speaks English there
(maybe German), it's meant for the locals.
For those who have heard of the GUM in Moscow, there is something similar
to it in Bratislava. If you make a left turn from the Hlavni Stanica and
head down for half a mile or so up to Spitalska, you will find a large
building, of the name I have unfortunately forgotten. Inside there is
an active trading bazaar and fruit market as well as for meats and fish,
and of course a vodka point-of-sale, as a remnant of the good-old-Soviet-days.
It's definitely worth a visit even if you don't plan to buy anything from
there (not much tourist stuff anyways).
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 03/09/02
Winter travel tips to Eastern Europe
Some winter travel tips for the northeastern portion of Eastern Europe that
still observes Central European Time (not Eastern European Central time
which is one hour ahead of CET and two hours ahead of GMT). All of these
are based on personal experience from a visit to Budapest and Bratislava
in January 2002. Remember that from December to February, the sun sets between
3:45 PM and 4:30 PM, and it can be very cold even on a sunny day! Also the
sun will rise about 7:30 AM, so don't be surprised if it's still dark at
breakfast time. There may be some black ice on the sidewalks and streets,
so take extra caution. I never had any problems with the local authorities,
except that my US passport, given its age and wear-and-tear, was looking
shabby, and the Hungarian border guard asked me for a second identification.
Make sure your travel documents are current and in good condition before
going. In Eastern Europe, American Express travellers checks are difficult
if not impossible to cash for local currency. You have to go to a special
agency to have this done, or you can do it at any large hotel, though you
may not receive a favourable rate (if that's the only place you can do it,
then it's better than not having the opportunity to change at all).
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 03/09/02
Bratislava - which train station?
If you are on a train from Vienna, Austria to Bratislava, Slovakia, and
you want to go as far as the central station, do not get off the first stop
after Kittsee, which is Bratislava-Petrzalka. This first station is just
a border station, miles away from any real historical areas in Bratislava.
But if you have decided to get off at Petrzalka, invest 65 Koruna (about
$1.50 US) in a day pass. The machines unfortunately take only coins. Make
sure you ask for at least 100 Koruna in coins. Of course you can drink as
many Pepsis in order to get change, just pay in larger bills. Anyway, take
a bus to either Hlavni Stanica or to Novy Most, just across the Danube,
and if necessary, take an eastbound trolley (the same kinds found in Prague,
Moscow and several other ex-Soviet cities) towards the city center. To make
a long story short, the rule of thumb is, if you are wanting to go to Bratislava
Hlavni Stanica, don't get off until you've already crossed the Danube.
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA 03/09/02 go east!
i was just in budapest and it amazed me that it was much more metropolitan
and less "eastern" than i had imagined, it was a blast though, with great
hostels (station guest house), nighttime ice skateing, steam baths, and
fun sites. also dont miss the coast of croatia, it was probably my favorite
of all the places i've been, although sicily is awesome too!
kialah s.
plzen, Cz 02/09/02