Eastern Europe
Aug 17, 2005 | 7:24 pm
#16
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: PDX
Programs: TSA Refusenik charter member
Posts: 16,126
On both my trips to Prague it dawned on me how darned convenient it is as a hub for central Europe: Berlin and Vienna are each 5 hours away by train, Munich a bit longer than that, Budapest ... um 8-ish (I think). Just a great jumping off point for the region, IMO.
You still hear a lot about what a ripoff the taxis are. That doesn't describe my experience at all. There are -- or were -- two really excellent English-speaking cab companies that you could call for a ride. They'll give you a quote up front and I found them to be fast, reasonably-priced and mostly friendly. I didn't use them a whole, whole lot, but definitely for trips to the airport or other long distances. Trips from the airport I just used public transit, bus/metro, not wanting to horse around with the mafia out front. A tip I got from an ex-pat (a female) is to flag down the "little ones moving really fast" rather than ones just sort of sitting around. Turned out to be good advice, esp. late at night.
One more thing about Prague: It's one of the most walkable cities I've ever been in. I actually didn't mind getting lost cuz everything was so interesting to look at. And a metro or tram stop is never far away.
You still hear a lot about what a ripoff the taxis are. That doesn't describe my experience at all. There are -- or were -- two really excellent English-speaking cab companies that you could call for a ride. They'll give you a quote up front and I found them to be fast, reasonably-priced and mostly friendly. I didn't use them a whole, whole lot, but definitely for trips to the airport or other long distances. Trips from the airport I just used public transit, bus/metro, not wanting to horse around with the mafia out front. A tip I got from an ex-pat (a female) is to flag down the "little ones moving really fast" rather than ones just sort of sitting around. Turned out to be good advice, esp. late at night.
One more thing about Prague: It's one of the most walkable cities I've ever been in. I actually didn't mind getting lost cuz everything was so interesting to look at. And a metro or tram stop is never far away.
Last edited by essxjay; Aug 17, 2005 at 7:38 pm
Aug 17, 2005 | 9:31 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ORD, MKE
Programs: UA, Hyatt and regular member of everything else
Posts: 1,531
I just got back from Ljubljana (Slovenia). Slovenia is a nice place to go (especially Bled and the Alps region), but I'm afraid that the number of tourists (and prices) have increased a lot in the last couple of years. I think you'll find out that your money won't stretch as far as you'd thought. The best option would be to go to smaller, less touristy cities (if you don't mind language becoming a problem).
Aug 17, 2005 | 9:58 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: KBOS
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 924
Forget about rail pass, it's cheaper to buy point-to-point tickets in the countries you mentioned. As you travel outside major cities, you will find it difficult to communicate in English. If you speak Russian or German, you'll be fine.
Personally I would spend more time traveling between the Czech and Slovak republics. Except for Bratislava, which is industrial, the rest of Slovak republic is as green as Switzerland or Vermont. They even have their own Alps--the High Tatras--where the former Cardinal Wojtyla used to ski. The infrastructure (trains, cell phones, highways) in Slovakia is world class. You can eat Goulash every day and still not get tired of eating it since every restaurant prepares it differently.
Bratislava is a like a small citadelle. I find nightlife there better than in Prague since it's not overrun by "publicly and horribly pissed" tourists. However, if you like the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, then Prague is your city.
If you're ever in Bratislava, take a local river cruise to Devin Castle. Walk or ride a bike (you can rent one in Bratislava) along the banks of the Danube. This was once a no-man's land, for across the river, less than 50 yards, is the Austrian Republic. Before the Velvet Revolution, this section of the Danube was symbolically part of the Iron Curtain. It once separated Eastern Europe from Western Europe.
Although the Czech and Slovak Republics and Hungary are members of the European Union, they're not part of Schengen. So travel to these countries, including Austria, still requires going through passport control.
Personally I would spend more time traveling between the Czech and Slovak republics. Except for Bratislava, which is industrial, the rest of Slovak republic is as green as Switzerland or Vermont. They even have their own Alps--the High Tatras--where the former Cardinal Wojtyla used to ski. The infrastructure (trains, cell phones, highways) in Slovakia is world class. You can eat Goulash every day and still not get tired of eating it since every restaurant prepares it differently.
Bratislava is a like a small citadelle. I find nightlife there better than in Prague since it's not overrun by "publicly and horribly pissed" tourists. However, if you like the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, then Prague is your city.
If you're ever in Bratislava, take a local river cruise to Devin Castle. Walk or ride a bike (you can rent one in Bratislava) along the banks of the Danube. This was once a no-man's land, for across the river, less than 50 yards, is the Austrian Republic. Before the Velvet Revolution, this section of the Danube was symbolically part of the Iron Curtain. It once separated Eastern Europe from Western Europe.
Although the Czech and Slovak Republics and Hungary are members of the European Union, they're not part of Schengen. So travel to these countries, including Austria, still requires going through passport control.