Am I crazy - Ukraine and E Europe
May 23, 2017, 5:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA
Posts: 324
Am I crazy - Ukraine and E Europe
Just booked a trip with a few buddies to Bucharest, Varna, Kiev, and Krakow.
Bucharest - Apparently there isn't a single LGBT space left in the entire metro of 4 million people (Queen Club closed last month). Anyone aware of any GLBT bars there? We're aware of the fact that there might be little to no nightlife, so we'll just do nice dinners and sightseeing (including a day trip to Transylvania)
Varna has a Gay beach (I'm not expecting much) and couple of bars. I might do Velito Tarnovo on a day trip.
Kiev might be a bit sketchy, but at least it has a few venues. Also we'll do the Chernobyl tour.
Poland will be fine.
This isn't going to be a party trip, but am I crazy for doing this trip?
We're not there for the nightlife so much, but anyone have any recent experience in those cities and can provide some recommendations?
Bucharest - Apparently there isn't a single LGBT space left in the entire metro of 4 million people (Queen Club closed last month). Anyone aware of any GLBT bars there? We're aware of the fact that there might be little to no nightlife, so we'll just do nice dinners and sightseeing (including a day trip to Transylvania)
Varna has a Gay beach (I'm not expecting much) and couple of bars. I might do Velito Tarnovo on a day trip.
Kiev might be a bit sketchy, but at least it has a few venues. Also we'll do the Chernobyl tour.
Poland will be fine.
This isn't going to be a party trip, but am I crazy for doing this trip?
We're not there for the nightlife so much, but anyone have any recent experience in those cities and can provide some recommendations?
May 23, 2017, 6:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Miami
Programs: AA PLT, United, IHG PLT, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 53
Just booked a trip with a few buddies to Bucharest, Varna, Kiev, and Krakow.
Bucharest - Apparently there isn't a single LGBT space left in the entire metro of 4 million people (Queen Club closed last month). Anyone aware of any GLBT bars there? We're aware of the fact that there might be little to no nightlife, so we'll just do nice dinners and sightseeing (including a day trip to Transylvania)
Varna has a Gay beach (I'm not expecting much) and couple of bars. I might do Velito Tarnovo on a day trip.
Kiev might be a bit sketchy, but at least it has a few venues. Also we'll do the Chernobyl tour.
Poland will be fine.
This isn't going to be a party trip, but am I crazy for doing this trip?
We're not there for the nightlife so much, but anyone have any recent experience in those cities and can provide some recommendations?
Bucharest - Apparently there isn't a single LGBT space left in the entire metro of 4 million people (Queen Club closed last month). Anyone aware of any GLBT bars there? We're aware of the fact that there might be little to no nightlife, so we'll just do nice dinners and sightseeing (including a day trip to Transylvania)
Varna has a Gay beach (I'm not expecting much) and couple of bars. I might do Velito Tarnovo on a day trip.
Kiev might be a bit sketchy, but at least it has a few venues. Also we'll do the Chernobyl tour.
Poland will be fine.
This isn't going to be a party trip, but am I crazy for doing this trip?
We're not there for the nightlife so much, but anyone have any recent experience in those cities and can provide some recommendations?
I've been to three of the four, but none of them recently.
Bucharest has good str8 nightlife, so you can have fun if you don't mind acting straight. I don't recommend any public display of affection, unless you don't mind being judged and getting some strange looks.
The cities in Transylvania are a smaller than Bucharest, so the nightlife is not as good, but some of them can be more interesting to visit than Bucharest, as they have more personality. The problem with doing a day trip to Transylvania from Bucharest is that trains in Eastern Europe are very slow, you will spend a lot of time traveling, leaving less time for site seeing. You might want to consider staying overnight in Transylvania, especially given that the hotels are even cheaper than in Bucharest.
Varna is the largest bulgarian city by the Black See, and the attitude towards gays in Bulgaria is very similar to the one in Romania, so no public display of affection. There are some resorts with decent beaches very close to Varna, so it is easy to do day trips from there.
I've never been to Kiev or Chernobyl, as I am not looking for more radiation, but I suspect the gay nightlife is just as bad or worse than Romania or Bulgaria. I have a friend who has been there with his partner and told me what kind of looks they got when they checked in at the hotel and asked for a room with ONE double bed :-)
Like you said, Poland will be fine, but don't expect anything in Krakov close to what you can find in Prague or Budapest.
I will be visiting several cities in Europe in August, including Vienna, so I am also considering visiting an eastern european city that is close to Vienna. But if I do it will be midweek, as I prefer to spend the weekends in western Europe when I know I can go out and have fun. Most likely I will go to a city in Transylvania that has nonstop flights to Vienna, and avoid bucharest and the slow trains in Eastern Europe.
One good thing about going to eastern Europe, everything is dirt cheap!
When are you guys going?
May 23, 2017, 9:36 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA
Posts: 324
Yes, you are crazy!!!!
I've been to three of the four, but none of them recently.
Bucharest has good str8 nightlife, so you can have fun if you don't mind acting straight. I don't recommend any public display of affection, unless you don't mind being judged and getting some strange looks.
The cities in Transylvania are a smaller than Bucharest, so the nightlife is not as good, but some of them can be more interesting to visit than Bucharest, as they have more personality. The problem with doing a day trip to Transylvania from Bucharest is that trains in Eastern Europe are very slow, you will spend a lot of time traveling, leaving less time for site seeing. You might want to consider staying overnight in Transylvania, especially given that the hotels are even cheaper than in Bucharest.
Varna is the largest bulgarian city by the Black See, and the attitude towards gays in Bulgaria is very similar to the one in Romania, so no public display of affection. There are some resorts with decent beaches very close to Varna, so it is easy to do day trips from there.
I've never been to Kiev or Chernobyl, as I am not looking for more radiation, but I suspect the gay nightlife is just as bad or worse than Romania or Bulgaria. I have a friend who has been there with his partner and told me what kind of looks they got when they checked in at the hotel and asked for a room with ONE double bed :-)
Like you said, Poland will be fine, but don't expect anything in Krakov close to what you can find in Prague or Budapest.
I will be visiting several cities in Europe in August, including Vienna, so I am also considering visiting an eastern european city that is close to Vienna. But if I do it will be midweek, as I prefer to spend the weekends in western Europe when I know I can go out and have fun. Most likely I will go to a city in Transylvania that has nonstop flights to Vienna, and avoid bucharest and the slow trains in Eastern Europe.
One good thing about going to eastern Europe, everything is dirt cheap!
When are you guys going?
I've been to three of the four, but none of them recently.
Bucharest has good str8 nightlife, so you can have fun if you don't mind acting straight. I don't recommend any public display of affection, unless you don't mind being judged and getting some strange looks.
The cities in Transylvania are a smaller than Bucharest, so the nightlife is not as good, but some of them can be more interesting to visit than Bucharest, as they have more personality. The problem with doing a day trip to Transylvania from Bucharest is that trains in Eastern Europe are very slow, you will spend a lot of time traveling, leaving less time for site seeing. You might want to consider staying overnight in Transylvania, especially given that the hotels are even cheaper than in Bucharest.
Varna is the largest bulgarian city by the Black See, and the attitude towards gays in Bulgaria is very similar to the one in Romania, so no public display of affection. There are some resorts with decent beaches very close to Varna, so it is easy to do day trips from there.
I've never been to Kiev or Chernobyl, as I am not looking for more radiation, but I suspect the gay nightlife is just as bad or worse than Romania or Bulgaria. I have a friend who has been there with his partner and told me what kind of looks they got when they checked in at the hotel and asked for a room with ONE double bed :-)
Like you said, Poland will be fine, but don't expect anything in Krakov close to what you can find in Prague or Budapest.
I will be visiting several cities in Europe in August, including Vienna, so I am also considering visiting an eastern european city that is close to Vienna. But if I do it will be midweek, as I prefer to spend the weekends in western Europe when I know I can go out and have fun. Most likely I will go to a city in Transylvania that has nonstop flights to Vienna, and avoid bucharest and the slow trains in Eastern Europe.
One good thing about going to eastern Europe, everything is dirt cheap!
When are you guys going?
Thurs 9/7 to Monday 9/11 - Bucharest. We will do a viator trip to Transylvania one day on a trip.
Monday 9/11 - take a car service from Bucharest to Varna
9/11 to 9/15 - Varna. We might do a day trip to Veliko Tarnovo. There's a gay beach there and a few Gay bars (I'm not expecting much).
9/15 - buy two plane tickets to get from Varna to Sofia then to Kiev
9/15 to 9/18 - Kiev. There are a few Gay bars. We will be discreet. We're doing the day trip to Chernobyl
9/18 to 9/21. Krakow. We will see Auschwitz.
9/21 to 9/25 - Warsaw
None of us are hand holders. And all of us are single. I've been to Beirut and Belgrade so I know the rules.
----
By the way, Belgrade was kind of fun. Only two bars but the natives were very friendly. And Belgrade was dirt cheap. PM if you'd like some advice on BEG
Last edited by TominLazybrook; May 23, 2017 at 9:44 pm
May 24, 2017, 8:30 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,645
9/15 to 9/18 - Kiev. There are a few Gay bars. We will be discreet. We're doing the day trip to Chernobyl
9/18 to 9/21. Krakow. We will see Auschwitz.
9/21 to 9/25 - Warsaw
None of us are hand holders. And all of us are single. I've been to Beirut and Belgrade so I know the rules.
----
9/18 to 9/21. Krakow. We will see Auschwitz.
9/21 to 9/25 - Warsaw
None of us are hand holders. And all of us are single. I've been to Beirut and Belgrade so I know the rules.
----
Warsaw was practically ERASED of the map during world war II and it was re-built in a rush (during the soviet era) with a focus on getting housing for people not charm or beauty.
Warsaw is not a pretty city and there is not much to see with the exception of the now rebuilt old town, IIRC. I would completely skip Warsaw in favor of more days in any of your other destinations, but that's just me.
Krakow is a beautiful city. I spent almost 6 months there for work and I loved the place. Auschwitz will take you the whole day so you are left with almost no time to see Krakow.
I would also recommend visiting Wielicka, a lovely town reachable by a local bus from Krakow and visit the amazing underground salt mines. Definitely worth a visit. If I had the choice I'd skip Auschwitz for Wielicka since visiting Auschwits just makes anyone sad, not fun for me.
In September, Krakow is still warm so the city will be full of life. Not so sure about the gay bars on weekdays. There were a couple of bars I used to go to on the weekends, they were cruisy, one of them busy on Sunday afternoons (underwear day). Can't remember the names though. But sometimes I just went there and sat at the bar to have a beer and chat with the bartenders, in my boxers...oh the old days...
I never went to the strobing light disco (I hear there is one) but I was told it was full of young drink, stand and pose guys, so I was not very eager to find it.
May 30, 2017, 2:48 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA
Posts: 324
Yes, you are crazy. Why would you spend more days in Warsaw than in Krakow?
Warsaw was practically ERASED of the map during world war II and it was re-built in a rush (during the soviet era) with a focus on getting housing for people not charm or beauty.
Warsaw is not a pretty city and there is not much to see with the exception of the now rebuilt old town, IIRC. I would completely skip Warsaw in favor of more days in any of your other destinations, but that's just me.
Krakow is a beautiful city. I spent almost 6 months there for work and I loved the place. Auschwitz will take you the whole day so you are left with almost no time to see Krakow.
I would also recommend visiting Wielicka, a lovely town reachable by a local bus from Krakow and visit the amazing underground salt mines. Definitely worth a visit. If I had the choice I'd skip Auschwitz for Wielicka since visiting Auschwits just makes anyone sad, not fun for me.
In September, Krakow is still warm so the city will be full of life. Not so sure about the gay bars on weekdays. There were a couple of bars I used to go to on the weekends, they were cruisy, one of them busy on Sunday afternoons (underwear day). Can't remember the names though. But sometimes I just went there and sat at the bar to have a beer and chat with the bartenders, in my boxers...oh the old days...
I never went to the strobing light disco (I hear there is one) but I was told it was full of young drink, stand and pose guys, so I was not very eager to find it.
Warsaw was practically ERASED of the map during world war II and it was re-built in a rush (during the soviet era) with a focus on getting housing for people not charm or beauty.
Warsaw is not a pretty city and there is not much to see with the exception of the now rebuilt old town, IIRC. I would completely skip Warsaw in favor of more days in any of your other destinations, but that's just me.
Krakow is a beautiful city. I spent almost 6 months there for work and I loved the place. Auschwitz will take you the whole day so you are left with almost no time to see Krakow.
I would also recommend visiting Wielicka, a lovely town reachable by a local bus from Krakow and visit the amazing underground salt mines. Definitely worth a visit. If I had the choice I'd skip Auschwitz for Wielicka since visiting Auschwits just makes anyone sad, not fun for me.
In September, Krakow is still warm so the city will be full of life. Not so sure about the gay bars on weekdays. There were a couple of bars I used to go to on the weekends, they were cruisy, one of them busy on Sunday afternoons (underwear day). Can't remember the names though. But sometimes I just went there and sat at the bar to have a beer and chat with the bartenders, in my boxers...oh the old days...
I never went to the strobing light disco (I hear there is one) but I was told it was full of young drink, stand and pose guys, so I was not very eager to find it.
May 31, 2017, 8:35 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
I've been to Warsaw.....I know what I'm getting into there. That being said, when it came time to actually book the trip, it turned out that it was cheaper to fly out via Stockholm ( a city I love) so we're going from Krakow to Stockholm instead for the last weekend.
