Summer 2010 In Eastern Europe

Skuxx

Hi guys, basically I'm thinking about summer 2010 already!! My origional plan was to go out to Spain and get a job but they are few and far between at the moment so now I'm thinking maybe a month in Eastern Europe! I was in Poland this summer for a few days and loved it so I would hope to pay a visit there but after that......who knows!!

Where have you been to, where should I go and stay away from!!

Also, on an average, how much would I need? I'm not really into museums and tourist attractions so I wouldn't be paying for them and obviously wouldn't be eating out every night either! Would I survive on 2.5k??

Any feedback would be great!

Alan

sgard

Last year i was in Hungary and Romania ofr a week with 550 eur and i have no problems.

milkado

hi i did eastern europe this summer, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia! €2500 is a bit more than i spent and i was eating out every night, drinking a lot of nights and doing a lot of tourist things including day trips and watersports and stuff so you will have loads of money leftover!!

Up-n-atom!

You should have plenty of money with €2500, I spent about that much doing a month over the summer and I was in Western Europe for half of it and I spent a fortune on museums and trips! I would recommend the Balkans, Bosnia was a particular highlight for me - I changed my itinerary to go there after a recommendation on boards - stayed in Majda's Place in Mostar and Haris Hostel in Sarajevo - and I was so glad I did! The place is so cheap and so different from here. Croatia and Slovenia were great too, Slovenia is more in line with Western Europe in terms of prices but is so small that you wouldn't be spending very long there. Island hopping in Croatia is a good idea, the ferries are very cheap (one way trip is around €5) and you can camp on some of the islands for next to nothing (and they give you the tent so you don't have to bring one!). Cities in Central Eastern Europe are a good change of scene, Budapest is awesome and Krakow is pretty good too - regreted not going to Zakopane and Wroclaw when I was in Poland.

Skuxx

Thanks for all the replys everyone, I'm now seriously thinking of going since you all have reccommended it, only problem now is finding someone to go with me, I hate the way all my friends are only into two week holidays in the sun staying in up market hotels, and not actually travelling around to see Europe properly!! Anyone been to Gdynia in Poland, I met a few people from there in Finland last year and would like to go and visit, is it nice place??

undo

Gdynia itself is not really worth visiting. A short history lesson will explain why: After WWI, Poland was given a tiny little scrap of shoreline without any cities or harbors on it. Gdynia was then built, very quickly, to provide Poland with an industrial harbor. And this is exactly what it looks like: Functional, 1920ies concrete buildings, grim and dull...

That said, there are excellent places around Gdynia very much worth visiting. Gdynia is part of the Trójmiasto ("three cities") metropolitan region. The other two cities in that region are Gdańsk and Sopot. Both are beautiful. Gdańsk has a marvellous old town. I was there two years ago, just in time for the annual Jarmark Świętego Dominika (St. Dominic's Fair). If you can, aim for that time.

Sopot is much smaller but always was the place where the rich and beautiful would go in the summer... and it still has a feel of that. Heading down the main street (called Monte Cassino), you will reach Europe's longest wooden pier, extending into the sea for over half a kilometer. In the summer, there is a free open-air cinema on that pier in the evenings. And as films in Poland are not dubbed, you do not have to know Polish to understand them . Make sure to arrive early to grab a free deck chair. Otherwise, you will have to stand or sit on the floor. The screenings are popular.

There are so many other places in Eastern Europe I could recommend, a single post on boards is nowehere near enough... I am totally into Eastern Europe myslef. In fact, I just got back from a trip around Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Finland a few weeks ago. I have been to Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and probably a few other East European countries that I forgot as well... If you want some more travel advice, let me know.

But no matter which corner of Eastern Europe you choose, it is definitely worth it!

jamser89

undo wrote: »

In fact, I just got back from a trip around Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Finland a few weeks ago.
quote] how long did you spend on this trip? did you go to Estonia?

undo

I spent four days in Poland, three in Lithuania, one in Latvia and five in Russia.

In Lithuania, we had enough time to see a bit of Kaunas and a lot of Vilnius. Latvia was pretty much just a stop on the way - we walked around Riga for a few hours, that was it. In Russia, we spent five days exploring St Petersburg. Since going to Russia requires a visa and various other preparations, I would say you want to do five days there at least. Otherwise, the fun might not outweigh the hassle.

We did not go to Estonia as it was not really on our route. Estonia is easily reachable from Helsinki - so it can be combined with a trip to Finland rather than one across Eastern Europe.

Two years ago, I went on a trip around Romania. That was two weeks if I remember correctly - and we saw loads on that trip.

jamser89

Thanks:) Is St Petersburg expensive? What airline did ye fly home from there with?

undo

St Petersburg is not expensive - certainly a lot cheaper than Dublin. That said, it is most definitely not the kind of bargain many people would expect. There are many extremely poor parts of Russia - central St Petersburg is not one of them. Many rich people live there and prices are set accordingly. Essentially, I found myself spending as much as on a reasonably priced holiday anywhere in Europe.

I am sure that if I had wanted to, I could have spent a fortune at crazily expensive clubs. And if I were more adventurous, I could have gotten by on €1 a day, eating what those less well-off living in the faraway suburbs eat. But by far the easiest thing to do is just eat at the normal restaurants you find lining the city's beautiful streets.

To get back to Dublin, I took the Repin train that travels between St Petersburg and Helsinki every morning. I changed in Tikkurila for Tampere, had half a day to explore Tampere and then flew back from there with Ryanair. I am not sure I would necessarily recommend that route. It was a nice train trip and it was fun to see Tampere again (I had been there before) but it is a rather long journey. Flying from St Petersburg say to Riga with Air Baltic and then onward with a cheap carrier might be a more comfortable option.

gary the great

In 2008 we did a similar type trip, we were sick of Ayia Napa and Spain and stuff so decided to go on an (cheaper) adventure. We planned on pretty much doing the drinking thing for a large portion of the time, but basically with cheaper drink, better looking women, a few different sights, and no unreal heat/other Irish/Brits to have to deal with. And had absolutely no interest in museums etc

Flew to Riga with Ryanair, spent a few days there in a hostel (i personally really disliked that city), got the eurolines to Estonia, spent 2 days there, got the ferry to Helisinki, a night there, back to Estonia and onto St Petersburg for 4 days. It was a bit of a lads trip, so we didnt go near a museum and basically drank most of the time. Id say with spending money and hotels/flights/visas, it cost well under 1k, maybe about 800. We flew back from St Petes with Air Baltic. Was a brill trip and St Petersburg is a brill place with a great underground nightlife if thats what your after.

We went in May, so it was pretty much white nights, about 23 hours of sunlight, was weird tbh being in a club and it being bright outside...not quite the same!

Columbia

I'm heading out to tour Latvia and Estonia for two weeks in February; Riga - Sigulda - Parnu - Kuressaare - Kardla - Tallinn - Riga.

I shall try to remember to report back to this thread when I return in March