Hi everyone, I'd like to take a trip this Thanksgiving to a Eastern European city, besides Prague (that's where I went last year). I'm thinking about Budapest or Bucharest, but I'm open to anything. Any suggstions on these two cities or any others? Anyone been there recently? What's the general tone and climate? Anything to beware of? How far can English, French, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese get you?

Thanks in advance.

Not sure what you mean by Eastern Europe. Vienna, which is my suggestion, is actually farther east than Prague. (Praguers consider themselves central Europeans.) Vienna is lovely, and would be a beautiful place to visit for a holiday. Just my $.02 worth.

Samantha

Try maybe Moscow if you're adventurous, or perhaps Warsaw, Poland.

Jet:

My wife and I spent two weeks in Budapest, and we thought that the city was extremely interesting (architecturally and culturally). We took a bus to a flea market just outside of the city, and thrilled at the communist and other memorabilia and other odds and ends. Also, a friend of ours has a grandmother who used to be a chef at a restaurant called Gundel, where we dined and it was amazing! We stayed at the Interconti (I'm a Six Continents Club Member) and were treated nicely...good breakfast at the hotel included in deal. And, if you go, do try a public bath, like Gellert, for which the city is famous.

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• Ronald
  mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

Jet: I concur with rhw88 on Budapest. I had a wonderful time there 10 years ago, when the Communists were on their way out. I will never forget some of the images from that trip: the statues of Lenin being taken down in the public park; the East German Trabis, laden with possessions, traveling west, as we were heading east, the tour guide at the Parliament, who wasn't sure exactly how to give the tour given the political circumstances.

I had one of the finest dinners I have ever had anywhere at a little place called Kispipa Vendeglo. It had opened only recently, and dinner for 2 including a bottle of wine cost a total of $10 US.

I concur with essxjay about Vienna, a spectacular city. I think the public buildings in Vienna are among the most beautiful in the world. Much to do there, too.



[This message has been edited by dgolds (edited 07-21-1999).]

Some truly fine and cheap wines in this region! I've found some dirt cheap Pinot Noir's thata wre absolutely INCREDIBLE!

Vienna and Budapest. I was in both this past April. Most of Vienna seems like an architetural treatise, thanks to the Hapsburgs. It is full of tourists and high prices, however. Budapest has great food for the money but you can easily pay Vienna prices for worse accommodations. You may want to fly into VIE, later take the train to Budapest (be prepared for the onslaught at the train station), and fly out of BUD. Budapest (which was the other capital in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) is like Vienna through a grimey window.

Or if you've never been in this area and can spend a week her, you could fly very cheaply rt to Munich and then get a cheap car rental and see them all these places including the lovely Salzburg as well. If you take the train everywhere you'll be happy but will pay quite a bit

Budapest is my choice as well. In addition to activities already mentioned, you can take a train to the northern suburb of Szentendre (St. Andrew), where much of the town has kept its medieval flavor. Great shopping too (I bought my crystal wine goblets there). You can also cruise the Danube, or take a bus or taxi south of Budapest to Monument Park, where they have deposited all those statues dgolds saw being torn down in 1989. Happy travels!

I agree with everyone-Budapest. It is one of the most interesting places I have been and one that I will remember. We took a tour of the city in which you get amazing views of the river and the city. Everything is very reasonably priced. There is a warehouse on one side of the city (can't remember which). They sold food, clothing, and crafts for very cheap. We traveled in March. It was cold but not bad. We did a lot of traveling on foot. The one thing I didn't like was the smog. I found it more polluted than most European cities.
You can take a train ride to Vienna at a decent price too.
That is my vote.

as you will be travelling on/over Thanksgiving = end of november a combination Budapest-Vienna is probably the perfect journey to bring you into an early Christmas mood. Don't take a rental car (winter conditions might hit early), the train connection (about a two hours ride) along the River Danub and the (in summer) recreational area of the Plattensee is safe and not costly - and you are start/end right in the center of both towns (no connecting costs to/from the airports and much time safed).

I am from Europe, so I can tell you that English will get you farther than any other language (except maybe German or French). It has been a few years, but my Grandma and I used to go to Bulgaria by the Black Sea. I remember it being very beautiful... wherever you decide to go; have fun!

An American friend of mine living in Prague gave me a great tip on train travel within central Europe.

If you're travelling between two cities with wildly different costs-of-living, such as Budapest and Vienna, you can save money by buying your RT ticket in the less expensive city. I saved over 50% by buying my RT Prauge-Berlin and Prague-Vienna tickets in Prague.

I understand that Budapest is not as much of a bargain as Prague (and prices are rising quickly there), but prices in Westernized cities like Vienna and Berlin and Munich are definitely higher.

Boy, Vienna and Budapest sounds like an unbeatable combination. Have a great time.

Samantha

alright jet, you've been bombarded with info for the last 2 days. Now we need to know...which is it, Vienna or Budapest, or both? C'mon, tell us...

Rudi is surely right about the winter and Alpine conditions can change rapidly (for the worse). I've been caught a night in the ALPs with heavy snow in late February when the weather just down the mountain in Munich was nearly 70F and wonderful just a few hours earlier. As someone else said as well, however, the cost of intercity trains is now quite high and I thought if there was a family involved (eg 4) the cost of a car would be considerably less. Nowadays, even Munich to Salzburg is not cheap! Anyway so many great choices. You can't go wrong!