Suggestions for Eastern Europe
Jan 1st, 2009, 04:11 PM
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Suggestions for Eastern Europe
My husband is singing in Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest July 8 to July 16, 2009. We want to extend the vacation, but have never been to the area before. Will those of you who are familiar with the area and time of year please advise us on locations, tours, special events and special sights? We can either travel 10 days to two weeks before or after the singing time. Thanks for your help. I'm really looking forward to learning from the best. Shirley
Jan 1st, 2009, 05:01 PM
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Well - actually that's Central Europe - Eastern is Russia, Ukraine, etc.
For special events you would have to check the calendars of each city.
I can very highly reco Prague and Budapest - tons to see and do and the latter has an incredible music scene at very low prices. You can do day trips from there, see more of Austria and/or southern Germany (Bavaria and Munich).
If you tell us what your interests are - besides music - it will be easier to give recos. Castles? Churches? Adorable small towns? History????
Salzburg is the smallest - so I would plan on more time in Budapest and Vienna, then add Prague and parts of Germany afterward.
For special events you would have to check the calendars of each city.
I can very highly reco Prague and Budapest - tons to see and do and the latter has an incredible music scene at very low prices. You can do day trips from there, see more of Austria and/or southern Germany (Bavaria and Munich).
If you tell us what your interests are - besides music - it will be easier to give recos. Castles? Churches? Adorable small towns? History????
Salzburg is the smallest - so I would plan on more time in Budapest and Vienna, then add Prague and parts of Germany afterward.
Jan 1st, 2009, 05:11 PM
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Those places are plum in central Europe, not Eastern.
I suggest you travel before his engagements, there will be fewer tourists everywhere. By the second half of July much of Europe is on vacation.
As to where you want to go - should it be cities other than those where he'll sing?
You could fly into Munich and spend time in that region for quite a few days, then move to a town near Innsbruck and explore the mountains of the Tirol region before moving over to Salzburg.
Then again, you could start in Berlin, move on to Prague, and from there (maybe via stops in Cesky Krumlov and Passau/Linz) to Salzburg?
Or fly into Zürich, spend time in the Engadin (Sils-Maria, Silvaplana, Pontresina etc.), make your way over to Innsbruck (Tirol) for a few more days, to end up in Salzburg that way?
Or fly into Venice, travel east to lovely Slovenia and spend time there before going to Salzburg?
All these itineraries make sense when you book your flights to arrive in one city and leave for home from another. This is sometimes (but not on airline websites) called "open-jaw" ticketing. You use the multi-city (not one way or roundtrip) feature on www.kayak.com and other such websites. It often costs no more to do this, and if it does cost a bit more than a straight roundtrip, you probably still save a bundle by not having to backtrack just to go catch a flight home.
May I suggest that you use a good detailed map (not one of those that make all of Europe look like its a small neighborhood), and that you familiarize yourselves with the travel times and distances?
Then Netflix or rent/borrow from libraries etc. all the travel DVDs you can get your hands on.
As you do this, watching videos and DVDs etc. will soon tell you what places attract you - then use http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/query.exe/en?L=profi& for trains and www.viamichelin.com and google maps to make the connections.
Individual travel in Europe is easy, and you have plenty of time to research where you wish to be and how to get there, and to make your bookings.
I suggest you travel before his engagements, there will be fewer tourists everywhere. By the second half of July much of Europe is on vacation.
As to where you want to go - should it be cities other than those where he'll sing?
You could fly into Munich and spend time in that region for quite a few days, then move to a town near Innsbruck and explore the mountains of the Tirol region before moving over to Salzburg.
Then again, you could start in Berlin, move on to Prague, and from there (maybe via stops in Cesky Krumlov and Passau/Linz) to Salzburg?
Or fly into Zürich, spend time in the Engadin (Sils-Maria, Silvaplana, Pontresina etc.), make your way over to Innsbruck (Tirol) for a few more days, to end up in Salzburg that way?
Or fly into Venice, travel east to lovely Slovenia and spend time there before going to Salzburg?
All these itineraries make sense when you book your flights to arrive in one city and leave for home from another. This is sometimes (but not on airline websites) called "open-jaw" ticketing. You use the multi-city (not one way or roundtrip) feature on www.kayak.com and other such websites. It often costs no more to do this, and if it does cost a bit more than a straight roundtrip, you probably still save a bundle by not having to backtrack just to go catch a flight home.
May I suggest that you use a good detailed map (not one of those that make all of Europe look like its a small neighborhood), and that you familiarize yourselves with the travel times and distances?
Then Netflix or rent/borrow from libraries etc. all the travel DVDs you can get your hands on.
As you do this, watching videos and DVDs etc. will soon tell you what places attract you - then use http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/query.exe/en?L=profi& for trains and www.viamichelin.com and google maps to make the connections.
Individual travel in Europe is easy, and you have plenty of time to research where you wish to be and how to get there, and to make your bookings.
Jan 1st, 2009, 05:58 PM
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Special locations, tours, events, sights? So much to see and do, so what are your special interests, i.e., history, scenery, music, castles, dining. Likely you'll answer all of the above! But indeed you will find such cities enchanting. Wife and I did enjoy a tour there and saw much that was "special." Glad to advise. What a treat for your husband to be singing...is it a church or college group?
Ozarks Bill
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Ozarks Bill
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Jan 2nd, 2009, 08:23 PM
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I'm sorry about my error in calling the area Eastern Europe when it is actually Central Europe. In Europe it's farther east than I have ever been. So, I let my geographically challenged mindset speak. My bad.
Thanks to those of you who responded and asked about our other interests besides singing. Villages, gardens, people, churches, shopping and tourist traps are all of interest. We have three married daughters and six young grandchildren. I think part of the fun of a trip is bringing things back to them.
Is it difficult to rent a car and drive ourselves around? We have done that in some countries. Both my husband and I have grown up in the greater Los Angeles area so we are familiar with traffic and freeways, but not high speed autobahns. In Ireland we frequented Bed and Breakfasts and loved meeting the people. Is that a good plan for Central Europe?
The singing group that my husband is with is a civic choral. The group was invited to sing in Salzburg. Thanks for your advice.
Thanks to those of you who responded and asked about our other interests besides singing. Villages, gardens, people, churches, shopping and tourist traps are all of interest. We have three married daughters and six young grandchildren. I think part of the fun of a trip is bringing things back to them.
Is it difficult to rent a car and drive ourselves around? We have done that in some countries. Both my husband and I have grown up in the greater Los Angeles area so we are familiar with traffic and freeways, but not high speed autobahns. In Ireland we frequented Bed and Breakfasts and loved meeting the people. Is that a good plan for Central Europe?
The singing group that my husband is with is a civic choral. The group was invited to sing in Salzburg. Thanks for your advice.
Jan 2nd, 2009, 08:58 PM
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No worries, no bad - "Eastern" for Czech Republic and Hungary goes back to the days of the Iron Curtain.
That's quite a group you have there - better not plan on moving around too much. Have you considered renting a big house where you can all have more of a family life than being split up into a number of hotel rooms with no central "family room" - let alone a kitchen for communal breakfasts and other such fun?
The German word for vacation apartment is Ferienwohnung - often abbreviated into FeWo. The German word for Vacation House (renting an entire house) is Ferienhaus.
If you look for those terms, maybe (among many other possibilities) in the lovely area of Southeastern Switzerland called Engadin - here's just one website to get you started:
http://tinyurl.com/7jwbcv
There are oodles of daytrips and hikes, leisurely and strenuous, to choose from in that region, and many gondolas and such fun contraptions.
Here are a few websites about places in that region:
www.engadin.ch/007stm_00_en.htm Engadin
www.nationalpark.ch/snp.html Swiss Nationalpark
www.scuol.ch/sites/e/ Scuol in Engadin
www.sils.ch/009stm_00_en.htm Sils Maria
www.silvaplana.ch/en/ Silvaplana
www.engadin.ch/007stm_010107_en.htm Samedan
www.pontresina.com/011stm_00_en.htm Pontresina
http://www.switzerland.isyours.com/e...poschiavo.html Poschiavo
You can search for similar ideas in the region around Salzburg - plenty of smaller towns in the valleys, or in the region around Innsbruck, or Graz - and many more.
Maybe if you rent or borrow some DVDs from your local library, and some books on these regions, etc. you'll get a better idea of what you can expect? Then use Google for all it's worth.
That's quite a group you have there - better not plan on moving around too much. Have you considered renting a big house where you can all have more of a family life than being split up into a number of hotel rooms with no central "family room" - let alone a kitchen for communal breakfasts and other such fun?
The German word for vacation apartment is Ferienwohnung - often abbreviated into FeWo. The German word for Vacation House (renting an entire house) is Ferienhaus.
If you look for those terms, maybe (among many other possibilities) in the lovely area of Southeastern Switzerland called Engadin - here's just one website to get you started:
http://tinyurl.com/7jwbcv
There are oodles of daytrips and hikes, leisurely and strenuous, to choose from in that region, and many gondolas and such fun contraptions.
Here are a few websites about places in that region:
www.engadin.ch/007stm_00_en.htm Engadin
www.nationalpark.ch/snp.html Swiss Nationalpark
www.scuol.ch/sites/e/ Scuol in Engadin
www.sils.ch/009stm_00_en.htm Sils Maria
www.silvaplana.ch/en/ Silvaplana
www.engadin.ch/007stm_010107_en.htm Samedan
www.pontresina.com/011stm_00_en.htm Pontresina
http://www.switzerland.isyours.com/e...poschiavo.html Poschiavo
You can search for similar ideas in the region around Salzburg - plenty of smaller towns in the valleys, or in the region around Innsbruck, or Graz - and many more.
Maybe if you rent or borrow some DVDs from your local library, and some books on these regions, etc. you'll get a better idea of what you can expect? Then use Google for all it's worth.
Jan 3rd, 2009, 08:45 PM
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Sorry I gave the wrong impression about the size of the travel group. They will not all be with us - I simply like to buy for all of them so enjoy traveling where I can buy good things. I'm not into lots of cheap trinkets, but a few nice items.
I forgot to mention that I also love seeing adorable small towns, castles and historical places.
The information about Switzerland is very much appreciated. I'll check it our further. Thanks.
TTT
I forgot to mention that I also love seeing adorable small towns, castles and historical places.
The information about Switzerland is very much appreciated. I'll check it our further. Thanks.
TTT
Jan 6th, 2009, 01:50 AM
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If you have enough time in Budapest, I think you would especially like the artist's village of Szentendre.
http://www.world66.com/europe/hungar...ips/szentendre
http://www.world66.com/europe/hungar...ips/szentendre
