The Holidays Thread

[Veggie Legs]

Not sure if I'd be filled with confidence flying with an airline called Wizz Air.... do you get goggles and a white silk scarf at the check in desk?

Wizz Air are great, best budget airline I've flown with.

By the way, really enjoyed Dubrovnik mate. It was ridiculously hot (35-40 all week), especially in the old town with the walls holding all the heat in but it's an absolutely beautiful part of the world. When you went was the restaurant there at the top of the cable car? unbelievable views

(Thought this would be better in this thread.)
Yeah, the old town is so picturesque, so many beautiful buildings. I didn't go up in the cable car when I was there, definitely something I'd like to do if I go there again.

 

[SF_]

Just done 2 and a bit weeks of train hopping - Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Brno and Prague with some little day trips in between.

Probably the best holiday i've had, gutted to be back.

 

[EricSabin]

How long did you spend in Vienna/Budapest?

 

[Robert Molenaar]

Did 8 days of something similar to that a couple of years back. Easily the best holiday I've been on.

The Bratislava beer + women combination was unbelievable.

 

[SF_]

How long did you spend in Vienna/Budapest?

3 in Budapest and 2 in Vienna, should have just spent 5 in Budapest, love the place. Wasn't keen on Vienna.

...and yeah, Bratislava women are unreal, although that entire region is full of belters. Preferred the Czech beer though! Starobrno is beautiful, especially at 90p for 0.5L

 

[CFC91]

Just back from a few days in Poland, mainly Krakow. Great city, top people and B****Y cheap.

Had a day out at Auschwtiz which is something i'd totally recommend - the 35 degree heat and following thunder storms made it all that little more eeary. Harrowing place however. Also visited the old Salt Mines about half an hour train out of Krakow - well worth a half day trip. Other interesting places was the Schindlers Factory tour and occupation of Krakow museum - both interesting in their own ways. Schindlers List is one of my favourite films so was also a bonus. The old town and Market Squad is lovely and the flashest restaurants are still only £10 for good meal and £1.50 a pint of the local lagers. Even cheaper off the side streets and most people seem to speak English which is a bonus as Polish was very hard to pick up. Transport and travel was cheap too - bus to Auschwitz was 14 zloty reuturn which is about £2.50 - not bad to say it was an hour and 20 mins each way. Trains were even cheaper - 3 zloty for half an hour train to the Salt Mines at Wielizcka.

Definitely recommend for a week away for lads or couples - was a fair few stag do's which I didn't expect but can see why it is attractive - must be 100 bars within 1km around the Market Square.

 

[CFC91]

Did 8 days of something similar to that a couple of years back. Easily the best holiday I've been on.

The Bratislava beer + women combination was unbelievable.

Makes the England game out there next September even more appealing then.

 

[EricSabin]

3 in Budapest and 2 in Vienna, should have just spent 5 in Budapest, love the place. Wasn't keen on Vienna.

I'm planning to visit both of those next summer by train, and these are the two everyone says to spend more than a couple of days in. Interesting.

Bratislava and such could probably be done in a couple of days I imagine.

Also travelling down to Croatia too, that country looks like such a magnificent place to visit. Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Zagreb, Pula etc, can see myself spending ages there.

Slovenia is somewhere I really want to go to as well, see the capital and Lake Bled. There's just too many places.

 

[SF_]

I'm planning to visit both of those next summer by train, and these are the two everyone says to spend more than a couple of days in. Interesting.

Bratislava and such could probably be done in a couple of days I imagine.

Also travelling down to Croatia too, that country looks like such a magnificent place to visit. Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar, Zagreb, Pula etc, can see myself spending ages there.

Slovenia is somewhere I really want to go to as well, see the capital and Lake Bled. There's just too many places.

Yeah, I want to do a similar sort of trip next year and Croatia/ Slovenia stand out to me at the minute. Heard loads of good things about Croatia, added bonus of being on the coast too.

Bratislava is small but I had three good days there.

I just wasn't a fan of Vienna, found it quite sterile and there seemed to be little going on at night, although I suppose it is the end of term for students. Not a patch on Budapest.

 

[EricSabin]

Yeah heard a lot of good about Croatia too. Will probably start at the bottom and work up.

 

[EricSabin]

My ideal at the minute would be start in Croatia and move through Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and then finish in Austria.

 

[SF_]

My ideal at the minute would be start in Croatia and move through Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and then finish in Austria.

The only issue I could see with that, is if funds are running a bit low towards the end of your trip then Austria probably isn't the place you want to be travelling through. Can't speak for the rest of the country but Vienna is expensive, especially in comparison to the other places you will be going.

I'd head to Prague from Slovakia which is a brilliant place... so good that i'm going back in December.

That said, I did an absolute shitload of drinking on my trip, if that's not your thing then you probably don't need to worry about spends as much.

 

[Van Der Graaf]

Anyone done Macedonia (Particularly Ohrid/Skopje) or Serbia (Belgrade/Novi Sad). Any tips away from the norm would be good. Considering that I'm ticking the Belgrade derby off the bucket list, I'm considerably more excited for Skopje which I never thought I'd say.


My friend and I are also in serious discussions of busking our way through europe next year, but are as yet to plan a proper route. Should be a laugh either way though.

 

[EricSabin]

I'd head to Prague from Slovakia which is a brilliant place... so good that i'm going back in December.

That said, I did an absolute shitload of drinking on my trip, if that's not your thing then you probably don't need to worry about spends as much.

Off to Prague this September for 4 days, pretty excited as I've never been and everyone I've spoken to has loved it. And yes I will be drinking a fair bit, a lot of 'cheapest pint in Prague' searches have gone through Google!

Good point about Austria, didn't think about it like that. Hostels seem pretty cheap, and I'd be willing to self cater a lot in an attempt to keep costs down. Probably gonna take a lot more money than I need just so I can have an amazing trip.

Even looked at places to fly from after Vienna, maybe Rome.

And I've seen flights for £11 to Skopje on Ryanair, if it's good I'll have to book!

 

[General_disarray]

My ideal at the minute would be start in Croatia and move through Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and then finish in Austria.

An awkward route as Slovenia doesn't boarder Slovakia, moving between Slovenia and Hungary is awkward these days but not impossible.

Croatia - Slovenia - Austria - Slovakia - Hungary would make much more sense although I'd skip Slovakia altogether if I were you. Not much to do in Bratislava except from drink alcohol, most people who go there that I speak don't rave about it, Krakow is a much better destination in that region and you can get a bus from Krakow to Budapest for 25euros.

Anyone done Macedonia (Particularly Ohrid/Skopje) or Serbia (Belgrade/Novi Sad). Any tips away from the norm would be good. Considering that I'm ticking the Belgrade derby off the bucket list, I'm considerably more excited for Skopje which I never thought I'd say.


My friend and I are also in serious discussions of busking our way through Europe next year, but are as yet to plan a proper route. Should be a laugh either way though.

Skopje has more statues than people apparently, not worth visiting is what everyone who has ever visited there told me. Lake Ohrid on the other hand is suppose to be amazing during the summer period.

Novi Sad is a decent city, 1 day is enough though, Belgrade is amazing and one of my favourite cities in Europe. When you go to these places though you'll realise its very difficult to do anything different from the norm though.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is more convenient for you to get to from Belgrade and worth it.

I did Budapest - Somber - Novi Sad - Belgrade - Sarajevo - Mostar - Split - Zagreb a while back for £1k over a month. I was going to head south to Macedonia but no one recommended it especially during the winter time.

3 in Budapest and 2 in Vienna, should have just spent 5 in Budapest, love the place. Wasn't keen on Vienna.

I use to love Budapest, I still have a great time there, but the changes in the last 3 years in terms of the amount of tourists visiting there is obscene. The place is overrun with tourists, I can see why people love it and have a great time there but I wish it was like it was back in 2010-2013 when I lived there.


As for Austria - expensive enough country compared to the other places in the region. I'd recommend Ukraine to people, went there back in April and had a quality time and in terms of saving money, I spent £40 in 5 nights on food, a footie shirt, accommodation and drinks.


I think I've just ballsed up a job interview which means I won't get the job so my next trip in September is going to be 5 months in Brazil starting in Recife and heading south to Argentina, I'll probably return to Budapest after that although considering moving to Lviv in Ukraine.

 

[Tilbury]

Skyscanner. Out obscenely early on the Sunday, back late on the Tuesday. Berlin happened by accident because my preference was another trip to Poland, but the cheapest I could get it was something like £48 return.

September I'm flying out to Ohrid, Macedonia for £11 with Wizz Air...

That's decent. I'm planning Berlin to Hamburg to Munster in October. Return flights and trains between the three along with a hostel for two nights in Berlin (have places to stay in the other two) I can do for £80. Pretty happy with that.

 

[EricSabin]

General_disarray I was just listing the countries, I couldn't quite remember which order I was travelling through them. Probably gonna devote more time to Croatia

Vienna and Bratislava are so close you could just do a day there.

 

[General_disarray]

I wouldnt even bother with a day in Bratislava, but you have to go yourself to make up your own mind!

 

[EricSabin]

Anyone been to Mostar?

 

[General_disarray]

Yes, nice old town centre, the ratio of ladies to men is huge, due to the war.

 

[SF_]

I really like the look of Mostar.

Think you're being harsh on Bratislava, I enjoyed it, had a nice, chilled out few days there and the weather was great.

 

[Robert Molenaar]

Yeah, I found Bratislava pretty decent for the 2 nights I was there. You could tell the locals absolutely hated the English, mind.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I had 2 nights in Bratislava week before last. Enjoyed it, Though we were only there to drink.

 

[SF_]

Yeah, I found Bratislava pretty decent for the 2 nights I was there. You could tell the locals absolutely hated the English, mind.

Didn't get that feeling when I was there, were you in a big group of lads?

 

[Robert Molenaar]

Didn't get that feeling when I was there, were you in a big group of lads?

Well, 5 of us. None of us rowdy, typical 'lads' though.

 

[Libertadores FC]

Having a hell of a good time in Brazil. Back in Lima in a few days but this trip has just been amazing.

 

[Modernist]

My ideal at the minute would be start in Croatia and move through Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and then finish in Austria.

Hope the floods there have subsided.

 

[SF_]

Well, 5 of us. None of us rowdy, typical 'lads' though.

Fair enough, I went with 4 others and I found everyone to be pretty friendly there.

The English reputation is still going strong though, my mate was talking to some Spanish guys when we were in Prague and they said that the 'English are worse than the Taliban'.

 

[Libertadores FC]

3 pictures from Rio

I'll try to post some from Guarapari, Bahia and Recife later today.

(If this is in the wrong thread, let me know)

 

[lordofthepies]

This is the wrong thread, Libo. You need the Pictures of Rio thread.