Muenchen ist mein Lieblingstadt!!

I'm just back from Vienna - the city could easily justify your entire Thanksgiving trip; it shows what being the center of an empire for 500 years will do.

Vienna can be pricey, but doesn't have to be. For example, I stayed at Pension Wild. Very convenient location just off the Ring near the Hofburg Palace and an easy walk to the rest of downtown. My single was only $53/night with private bath and breakfast; doubles would be a bit more. It's not the Hilton (more like a new Comfort Inn), but you can't beat the price! Be sure to ask for one of the rooms that have been renovated.

Hey everyone, thanks for all the input. I hate to disappoint at this time, but I haven't decided where I'm going yet. Just gathering info right now... but I'll probably make a decision in late August/September.

And yes, I generalized the Czech Rep. into "Eastern Europe" based on my outdated "Cold War Iron Curtain" paradigm. Sorry...

If you go to Prague... see the musical clock in the Square that goes off every hour. It's a lot of fun.

There is a wide selection of good restaurants in the area and the prices are very very good.

Visit the palaces in Vienna, Prague and Budapest (I'm wondering if Bucharest has recovered yet from Cessecico (SP?) The leader who tried to turn the capital into a giant public works project and ended up bankrupting the nation.) Budapest is the more accessable city and a great walkers city. Just watch out for the gypsies, one chased me because I didn't give money to his poor little daughter who was out begging on teh Charles Bridge near the InterContinental.

And if you go to Prague... BUY CRYSTAL! BUY CRYSTAL! BUY CRYSTAL! There's a factory outlet there that several friends went to and got the same champaign flutes that cost 50 dollar each in Macy's/Marshall Field's/Bloomingdales for I think $1.50 each.
(that's U.S. folks!)

I had several lady friends scream at me for not buying Crystal in Prague (but remembering to buy beer steins for the guys in Vienna.)
If anything you can have wonderful gifts when friends get married, or re-married, or housewarming gifts, or whatever.

I must get back to Prague!!!

ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING: DO NOT TAKE THE TAXIS IN ANY EASTERN EUROPEAN NATION OR IN CZECH REPUBLIC (VIENNA IS FINE.) THEY COME UP WITH BROKEN FARE BOXES AND CHARGE YOU EXAUBORATE FARES AND POOF, YOUR WHOLE DAY'S BUDGET CASH IS GONE JUST TO GET TO YOUR HOTEL.

So arrange for the hotel to send a car to the train/rail station. Or take the subway, it's clean and convenient.

All this talk of Prague, you guys!! Maybe a good place for a FT get-together??? You're right Catman, it's time to go back.

BTW, it's not completely true that taxis are ripoff in Prague. The ones at the airport ARE, but otherwise, it's not that dire. You just have to know the system. My Amercian friend in Prague advised me to only use the little ones that are going fast. They're legit. If in doubt, just tell them where you're going and ask how much. You can tell pretty quickly whether they're on the level. Also, there at least two taxi companies that you can call to be picked up and they speak very good English. My ride from the far edge of the city to the opposite side, where the airport is, was less than $20 dollars. And traffic was heavy.

Of course, the subways are great there. Cheap and very clean. However, they don't run after midnight.

I know, I know, this is way OMNI. But it's so easy to get carried away about Prague, a strange and beautiful city.

Samantha

[This message has been edited by essxjay (edited 07-22-1999).]

BUDAPEST!!! Definitely Budapest! I had an absolutely wonderful time there during my visit in January. Don't miss the Opera house, Parliament, or Castle Hill. Castle Hill is home to the museums, Cathedral, and several shops.

Also, Castle Hill is home to the most hideous Hilton I've ever seen. Talk about raping the land! They built the Hilton by saving a historic facade and tacking on three ugly glass and copper walls. It is one of the most disgusting pieces of architechture this side of Moscow. Stay at the Radisson SAS Hotel or the Inter-Continental.

As for my Thanksgiving, I'll be in Brussels and Antwerp. Though I strongly considered another trip to Budapest (I decided to wait for summer).

Wien and Budapest are great recommendations. It's best to drive between the two. It's only a few hours and no mountains. I found the signs pretty easy.

You can stop in Gyor along the way. It's an old Hungarian village that has become a large Hungarian city, but still has some charm. Drive east of Budapest to see some of old Hungary. The west looks like Nebraska.

Or, drive north into the Carpathian mountains. I really wanted to go there, but my wife has some kind of vampire problem with that area. http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Bucharesti can be pretty depressing as is Bratislava. But if you want to see the grittiness of a city coming out of police state rule (it wasn't really communism), these are the cities to visit.

Don't go south of Budapest unless you are really a thrillseeker!

Yes, yes, Budapest is amazing, esp the Parliament Building. We stayed at the Atrium Hyatt which was very convenient for walking to everything but if you want something more scenic, etc. try the hotel on Margaret Island which was Ramada Grand Hotel Margaret when we were there. Gorgeous setting in the middle of the Danube tho a cab ride to everything. It is connected to the Thermal Hotel with hot baths. Hey, just stay at the Gellert. Gundel is a fine restaurant and recently renovated, new chef, etc. On the other hand...we adored Krakow -if you ski, you can also go to Zakepane. The city is steeped in culture and architecture and was mostly spared by the Germans, unlike Warsaw. Very medieval town square with loads of history. There are salt mines to see nearby and, if you want to view the horrors of human suffering, Auschwitz is just out of town. We stayed at the Forum across the river which was great for the view of the city but poor for walking around. Beautiful countryside but probably not in NOV.

Go to Budapest if you appreciate the beauty of the female form. My friends and I still wonder what it is in the drinking water of Budapest that made all the women very beautiful. Women my mother's age were attractive! Whatever they have in Hungary, bottle it and sell it in America.

Poland is a wonderful country, and you may wish to look into Krakow, the medieval capital, and the pope's hometown.

Warning: Many car rental companies in Germany (and presumably other countries of the West) won't let you drive their cars in the former East Bloc.

That is true about the rent a car situation out of Germany because I thought about it was told I would be stopped at the border. Anyway, sometimes it's more fun to explore by foot and bus and train.

Poland is very very high on my list of places to go since this is my material ancestrial home. I do intend to go, maybe next year, but I want to get to Krakow where my grandparents came from and Warsaw and the other areas.



[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 08-02-1999).]

Hahaha. For some reason, the thought of driving outside of North America scares the living daylights outta me. So I'll be doing the train and the bus and the taxi thing fer shure.

Right now, the Vienna/Budapest combo seems like the frontrunner. Though following mritchie's post, the lady seemed a bit less enthusiastic about Budapest... http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif We'll see how airfares, hotels, and other costs compare as we get closer. And thanks for all your valuable input!

Well, folks, I hate to have made everyone go through this for nothing, but my parents have "recalled" me to Shanghai for Thanksgiving so I can see their new house and of course, them. Eastern Europe will have to wait until after the new year. But I do appreciate y'all's suggestions and will put them to good use next year.