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Review bus trip Warsaw - Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn

Review bus trip Warsaw - Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn

Old Nov 18th, 2013, 06:38 AM
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Review bus trip Warsaw - Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn

I've chosen visit Baltic countries and Poland by myself. I chose to travel with bus, because the distance isn't big, so the planes are to expensive. My selection of buses finished with Ecolines, cause they had bonus system - if you travel a lot you can get the discount. http://ecolines.net/en/

About ECOLINES buses:
If it is a longer trip, they offer you a blankets, almost everywhere there is a free wi-fi, so you can connect to your friends and you can plug-inn your cellphone or computer. Also there is hot food and drinks. On the trip to Riga and Tallinn they offered free hot coffee and tea. Also the stuwardess in the bus to Warsaw was really nice
When the bus moved they showed us a short movie about the bus facilities. It was in 6 languages (English, Russian, German and Baltic languages). They said that inside the bus there is a toilet - I used it just once - rally afraid to go there, but it was really very clean.
If you are going to travel with bus, you need to take a pillow - it is very usefull.

Some recomendationsin Warsaw:

1) There is a bus station in Warsaw center, so you can reach old town very easily;
2) There weren't any beds for that time in hostels near old town, so I booked a bed in Hostel Krokodyl. It is far from center but there are some direct and not expensive trams. If you fave a car - here is a perfect location (free parking in their own parking lot). The common room is very cozy, there are free Wi-fi, DVD with lots of films, a lot of games, clean kitchen where you get a breakfast and very friendly team. They have really a lot of information about places in Warsaw I really liked that hostel.
3) Must go to Kopernik Science Museum. You will buy a ticket for all day - you can do a brake during expositions - just go to eat somewhere in old town, cause the exposotion is very big. There you don't just look into inventions and read, you can try to do some experiments by yourself. e.g. you can try to do electricity or rest on the needles. I cannot remember everything but it was THE BEST MUSEUM I HAVE EVER BEEN!
4) There are a lot of small coffees around city center where you can eat. I fount noodles coffee where the food was cheap, delicious and big portions. I cannot remember where is it.
5) The old town is very small, so it took 40 min to go through it;
6) There is very beautiful park called Lazienki park - "Baths Park" or "Royal Baths". A big, with a lot of flowers and trees, The palace is built on the water, and there are a lot of squirrels
more in my blog: http://janalta.wordpress.com
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 06:41 AM
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About Vilnius:
1) I've lived in Jimmy Jumps house. The owner is Canadian - very funny guy. The hostel was in the old city, near main town square. There working girls were very sweet and helpful. They showed me some places and offered to go to pubcrowl just for 10 EUR. Pubcrawl was really good...just don't remember how I came back home
2) I went to Trakai castle. I chose local transport and the bus was really different from Ecolines. No air conditioning, comfort seats and so on. To Trakai you can get a bus at Bus Station. The tickets are sold in buses or in cash desk. You can pay by card in cash desk Also there are several trains to Trakai. But the time wasn't suitable for me, so I chosen to go to Trakai by bus. You have to eat Kibinai here
3) KGB museum. It was really sad about Lithuania history. The ticket was about 1-2 EUR
4) Uzupis is the reagion where artist lives. Very small and sweat houses. They have their own government and funny constitution;
5) Gediminas castle and 3 crosses hill;
6) Go to pubcrawl if you want to know a nightlife in Vilnius;
7) I liked a bar Snekutis, cause they had very delicious local beer and local food - cepelinai. The guy who worked there was really not happy that I was foreigner. Happily, I met some local guys who helped me to order some beer.
8) Sum clubs I like - Soul Box, Pogo, Play, UniPub;
9) Some cheap and local food - Fortas Dvaras, Snekutis, Bix Bar, Artistai Pub;
10) I liked Pilies Gatve - main street the most, and Lukiskiu Parkas;

10. They have really cool outside markets
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 06:42 AM
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About Riga:
1. I have lived here in two hostels. Riga Hostel - very sweet and small hostel. Although, not so cool as Jimmy Jump's House in Vilnius. They have common room where was free internet, computer, coffee and TV. Very sweet. But my sleeping room was dirty. There was broken toilet, so everywhere was bad smell The hostel was in the old town, everything was not far from it.
2. The second hostel was Old Town City Hostel. It was a little more far from old town, the common room was empty bar, cold kitchen and very friendly working guy. But I didn't liked the atmosphere there.
3. Visit Sv. Petera liuteranu baznica (St. Peters church). You can go by lift on it's tower, where you can see the Riga's roofs;
4. One day I went to Jurmala seaside and water park. You can go there by train, and the ticket costs about 1 LVL (2 EUR). About waterpark: http://www.akvaparks.lv/en/news/ Two water slides were really extreme - with free drops. The seaside is with sand, not a lot of people, strong wind and beautiful sunset
5. I didn't eat anything local.
6. National Library - very huge and modern. I have never seen such big library;
7. The is one bar with a lot of foreigners. I cannot remember a name but it was in Peldu iela (Peldu street);
8. de Putra Madre - it really unnusual bar. You take a shot, then everyone takes that shot. Bartenders set on fire all shots and bar and you have to drink that shot with all bar.
9. Really beautiful Old Town (House of Blackheads, Cat House, Dome Cathedral);
10. Ocupation museum - pay how much you can;
11. Art Nouveau region;
12. I liked Bastejkalns park - really peaceful here;
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Old Nov 18th, 2013, 06:44 AM
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My adventures in Tallinn:
1) I went to city center from bus station by foot. I thought that I didn't pay 1,6Eur for ticket, it more expensive than in Rome, Berlin, Vilnius or Tallinn. Fak the system ;D It took me about 1 hour, but I saw very beautiful new buildings.
2) When I went through city wall, I thought WOW. Really WOW. The wall was blue from lights and everywhere rocks, old buildings..a lot of people (it was Friday night).
3) I found my hostel: Old Town MunkenHof. I don't liked it. It was dirty, they didn't have coffee, tea, sugar, oil. The kitchen was like after disaster. Common room wasn't also where you want to be. It was very different from Vilnius Jimmy Jumps House - not so sweet and friendly.
4) I found 2 very interesting bars I have never seen anywhere else. It's Labor bar and Drakon. Labor bar is a short name from Laboratory. All drinks was in science equipment (I don't know that English word) and the menu was really big. Very nice interior and idea!
5) Kolmas Draakon was like from the Middle ages. There wasn't any windows, everything was in dark with candle light. All drinks for 2 EUR (they call it money). Great bar, inside is very warm
6) I went to Kadriorg park. Very beautiful park with a lot of flowers, beautiful tunnels of creepers - must see it. It took me a half of my day.
7) I loved Tallinn city so much that all two days I spent just walking in the streets so I don't know where to eat. You have to lost in this Medieval city
8) I didn't visited any museums That 2 days went so fast
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Old Nov 21st, 2013, 01:12 AM
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Thanks for sharing. I am definitely going to hit up those two bars in Tallinn.
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