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Fringe Europe: 2006

Everybody does Paris, Amsterdam, and the Cinque Terre these days. But what about fringe Europe: Norway's Spitzbergen, Portugal's Azores, Ukraine, Albania? If you're gone to the edge — and lived — here's your chance to talk about it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Czech Republic
My husband and I spent 12 perfect days traveling around the Czech Republic in mid-October. We rented a car which gave us access to some very remote communities. The laptop with GPS mapping saved our marriage as well as lots of time as we didn't drive in circles quite as much as we would have without it. I found a wonderful apartment in Prague through craigslist.com. The apt. is located in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and local flavor and is just a 15 minute walk to Old Town Square or a few blocks off the tram. The apt. is newly renovated with IKEA furnishings and includes a washing machine and fully equipped kitchen. The owner was working on installing free internet. The Australian ex-pat owner is extremely friendly and helpful. He even used personal connections to book a room for us near the airport at a significantly reduced rate on our last night in the Czech Republic. The apt. can be rented through Daily Rentals Prague, Peter.Daly@BakerNet.com. The owner suggested we visit Karlovy Vary as he said it is one of his favorite Czech towns. It was fabulous! It is a spa town that looks like it is right out of a fairy tale. In Karlovy Vary we stayed at A. Dalia - a lovely 5-room pensionne with a host who speaks wonderful English. A. Dalia may be contacted through a.dalia@sendme.cz.
Elaine Breck <email>
Byron, IL   USA  Wed 11/29/2006

Stockholm
Stockholm is simply amazing, a great, friendly, clean, picturesque city. Everyone was super nice, there are some awesome restaurants and Gamla Stan is priceless. I went over Labor Day weekend and the weather was perfect. I know Sweden is not the first place people think of visiting but Stockholm is a true hidden gem and I recommend it to everyone.
Yuji Banno <email>
New York, NY   USA  Fri 11/17/2006

Excellent Romania Private Tour Guide
My mother and I have been planning a trip to Romania for over two years now and finally managed to take it in August of 2006. In Romania, our tour was fully organized by Andrei Nicolau Miclea - a freelance tour guide and tour leader. He has over 17 years of expertise in private tours for Americans and offeres great quality. He came recommended by the Romanian Tourist Board in New York as well as by a great number of Americans that have formerly travelled with him and were very pleased with his services. His tours are all tailor made and include centrally located three and four star hotels, meals, admissions, a vehicle for the entire distance, fuel and of course his high standard services of guiding and driving. The itinerary had a number of very speacial features which we would refer to as cultural connections and this is what they indeed are. Meeting with local artists, including local menus, exclusive visits to off the beaten track sites, exclusively organized folklore show (even though there were only two tourists!), some morning walking city tours, crafts demonstrations all combined with the great personality and knowledge Andrei has, all contributed to the success of our Romanian expedition. Andrei's tours are a window into the Romanian Culture. He also has connections in the surrounding countries such as the Republic of Moldova, Hungary and Bulgaria. We highly recommend him and thank to all that recommended him to us. Please feel free to contact us anytime for information on our trip. Tara Sonja Jones
Tara Sonja Jones <email>
Chicago, IL   USA  Sat 11/11/2006

Vasteras, Sweden
I visited Vasteras, Sweden for Christmas, 2004. The people were amazingly friendly (I had a girl approach me in a nightclub because she had seen me on the bus a few days earlier and wanted to know why a foreigner was in town!) but the weather was horrible and there was nothing to do. Think twice before you go that far north during the winter months- you may be surprised by how depressed you feel.
Carly
Canada  Fri 11/10/2006

Some of Eastern Europe
May 2006 I traveled to Greece, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic. Serbia is going through lots of changes as they move further from their old communist government. They have lots of cafes and clubs in Belgrade. The most popular cafes and clubs are on the river Danube. Romania was in the process of changing their money to a new currency which made dealing with money difficult. Budapest, Hungary is a beautiful city with great views because of the hilly landscape & river.
Penny
Ohio   USA  Sat 11/04/2006

Azore Islands
Six years ago I took my first trip to the Azores, specificaly Flores Island. I have returned every year. I now have a new home on the ocean and watch Europe's last sunset from the patio on my summer trips. I know almost everyone in the village, and they know me. I now speak Portuguese. I guess I am not a traveler, I am a settler. Come to Flores, it is a magical island. Write me and perhaps you can stay at my house for a spell and unwind.. The only problem with Flores is that mainland Europe is sending so much money, and regulations, that soon we will be forced into the 21st century. Lajes das Flores, Europe's westermost county..
Ken <email>
San Diego, CA   USA  Tue 10/31/2006

Zee Am See
We will visit Austria in November and want to know if its worth while to visit Zee Am See.
Jim <email>
Charlotte, North   USA  Sun 08/20/2006

Germany
We made a tour of Luther's Germany. All the sites we wanted to see were easy to reach by train so we used a Deutsch Bahn pass. From Berlin we went to Wittenberg and stayed in a nice little place near the train station called Hotel Acron. It was an easy city to explore. Of great interest was the Castle Church where Luther preached and now is buried. We went to Eisleben where we saw his geburthaus and the place where he died. In Eisenach we explored Wartburg Castle where he translated the New Testament into what is now considered the modern day German language. We also visited Erfurt staying at Pension Reuss, and saw the Augistiner Kloster where Luther had been a monk. The German people were very friendly and accomodating.
Ron Allie <email>
Edmond, Oklaho   USA  Mon 08/07/2006

Exeter, England
Last year, I had never even heard of Exeter, England (a city about 3 hours southwest of London). Then, several months ago, we had the pleasure of moving here! I am amazed that it isn't a city of choice for many travelers--especially Roman History buffs! The city was settled in 55AD and though it suffered extensive damage from the Blitz, 72% of the city wall still exists! The city is absolutely amazing. What's more, there are 3 city tours each day (total of about 15 during the week!) sponsored by the city council's "Red Coat Tours" to help unlock the mysteries of the city and take you behind locked doors that only they can take you through. Oh yeah, did I mention these 1 1/2 hour walking tours are FREE!! And I don't mean they linger around with their hand open expecting a tip! Everything is so concise and layed out if you take advantage of seeing the city with these volunteer tour guides. --**Note to Rick, has your staff investigated Exeter for a future show? 'better get 'em started!
Gail <email>
Exeter by way of America!, USA  Wed 08/02/2006

Morocco
I visited Morocco with a friend (also female) in 2003. We felt incredibly safe in Morocco. The people could not have been nicer. There was not a culture shock in a negative sense due to friendly people - just lots of fun, new experiences. One tip though - we hired a professional guide (not someone we just picked up in the souk) in Marrakesh to show us around the souks/town, and that worked out very well. He ended up then arranging for a car and driver to drive us on a three day trip from Marrakesh to Erfoud to Meknes. The total fee w/tip was about $200, and our driver took us to some amazing places. We worked with him ahead of time on some stops we wanted to make on the road, and he took us to a few of his own stops. LOVED Marrakesh, my friend loved Essouira (we separated and she visited on daytrip), highly recommend going to Erfoud and arranging a camel trek & overnight in Sahara desert - this is one of the most unique things I've ever done, a life highlight. Meknes was actually the only place we felt unsafe. Recommend visiting the ruins, then heading out. Morocco is an amazing country with so much culture to enjoy while still being a country that is relatively easy for tourists. Have fun!
Stephanie Straub
Key West, FL   USA  Tue 05/30/2006

Denmark
I went to Denmark for the first time in March and fell in love with it. It is probably my favorite European country now. The Danes are wonderful people and the country is so clean and neat! I'm not vegetarian but I eat very little meat and had no problem with the food. I think you will find many options as long as you aren't a vegan, then it may be a little more difficult to find food with no animal products at all. You can find almost anything in Copenhagen though.
Sandy
USA  Fri 05/12/2006

Denmark
Denmark is an absolute joy. Most locals speak English and are very helpful. Roskilde is a 15-minute train ride from Copenhagen. I spent last summer in Denmark. Feel free to e-mail me!
Glenn <email>
Seattle, WA   USA  Wed 05/03/2006

is denmark considered fringe? :)
we haven't actually been yet and i don't know where else to post this soooo i was just curious to hear other people's stories of going to denmark. we are going to the roskilde festival at the end of june for camping and then copenhagen for a couple days. i'm a little intimidated by the language difference and concerned about the seeming lack of vegetarian cuisine. thanks! :)
mona
outside london, surrey   USA  Tue 05/02/2006

Israel, Jordan and Egypt
I just returned from 6 months of working in Israel and traveling to just about every place possible in Israel and some major chunks of Egypt and Jordan. 99% of the unrest you see on the news happens in Gaza and you can't travel there anyway. Yes, things happened while I was there but no where near what you would think after watching the news. The whole region is only just beginning to recover from 5 years of very few tourists and prices are just about like most places in Europe (where I normally live) as long as you avoid Easter/Passover season. Israel is pushing hard to get tourists there in 2006 and I expect prices to start rising over the next year or so. I would strongly recommend travel to this region. It does require patience but it is amazing.
Chris R <email>
Sheridan, WY   USA  Fri 04/21/2006

Morocco
My husband and I have decided that we are going to Morocco for 2 weeks in September 2006. Anyone been? Should we go on a tour or is it safe/easy to go on your own? We are thinking of doing something like Casablanca-Rabat-Meknes-Fes-Merzouga-Ouarzazate-Telouet-Marrakech-Essaouira(for some windsurfing). What can we expect for culture shock?
Carrie Luelling <email>
Vancouver, WA   USA  Wed 03/29/2006

Where to Go on Vacation??
If your hubby is interested in WWII history, Normandy is a wonderful place to spend a week. You can easily rent a car and drive around. There is history in Caen, as well as a nice Holiday Inn with a good restaurant and Karoaoke, beautiful buidings. You can visit museums and the beaches where the US led its assault. You can visit the huge grave yard, where many of the fallen soldiers rest (a Roosevelt is buried there). There's Mont St. Michel, which is a beautiful church on what becomes an island during high tide. Also, there is Villedieu-les-Poêles, the town of copper pots. You can take a tour of the workshops to see how they used to make bells and still today make pots. You can purchase beautiful dimpled copper pots there. There are lots of things to see in Normandy and Brittany. I'd be happy to share info on some of the places where we stayed when there. It was the best family vacation that we've had (with 2 kids, aged 6 and 3 at the time). Paris is OK to see once, but in my opinion, there are so many other more valuable historical sites to see in France. Get off the beaten path and enjoy!!!
Melissa <email>
Peach Bottom, PA   USA  Sun 03/19/2006

Where to go on vacation?
My husband and I have 7-10 days for vacation this year. We live in Portland, OR and have only been to Italy and Germany. I don't want to go someplace TOO big--we like to get the know the people, but my husband wants all the history and archeology like Italy (pompeii, florence). Where should we go? Croatia looks good, but is there much history to see? Bulgaria looks fun, anyone been there? Is 7-10 days long enough to see much in Turkey or Egypt? If not, we could go another year when we have a full 2-3 weeks. Or should we stick to a city--like Prague? My husband and I are adventurous and want to go someplace less 'american'. Germany was kind of a dissapointment for us.
Carrie Luelling <email>
Portland, OR   USA  Sat 03/18/2006

Real Fringe - Egypt...again
3rd visit in as many years - Egypt is still the best to visit in our opinions.

LUXOR - ballooning over the West Bank is magic. Visited Dendara north of Luxor which was amazing as well as visiting Karnak. In Thebes - focus on the valley of the nobles, the kings (skip King Tut), mednat habu, and Deir al Medina. The Winter Palace is great but stay in the Old Wing. Also Luxor Airport is brand new and great - 10 minutes from curb to gate :)

Cairo - watch those sandstorms. The Nile Hilton is wonderful- besides visiting Giza spend time at Saqarra. The Musuem thins out in the afternoon. The Coptic quarter is quiet and peaceful and the Medievel quarter is not but still fun

Enjoy...and yes it is VERY SAFE. They are also the nicest we have ever met in 30 countries to children.

Prices are creeping up so go now - Mexico is cheaper now than Egypt.
Marc <email>
Jersey City, NJ   USA  Sun 03/12/2006

Ukraine by surprise
We spent three weeks in Ukraine last fall. It was surprisingly interesting. We went on business and did not expect Kiev to be such a pleasant city, its people are so friendly, we had a great time. The small towns that we visited were not really touristy but the capital is definetely worth a side trip if you're around Eastern Europe.
Ana
CT   USA  Mon 01/02/2006