Educate me: Eastern Europe

3 friends and I plan a 3 weeks trip to Eastern Europe next summer. It will be our first time in Europe. We decided to go there because it's obviously cheaper than the rest of Europe whilst still being a lot more enjoyable for guys in their 20s. We plan to land at Charles-De-Gaules airport (tickets are cheaper there, usually 750$ for a round trip) and then travel by train. We have relatives in France and the UK, so maybe we will visit 2-3 days there.

Now, we want to see as much places as possible.

- Germany
- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Romania
- Croatia
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Russia

We have a few months to prepare ourselves. We will travel with backpacks and sleep in youth hostels or cheap places.

Now, what do MR people suggest regarding places to go, food to eat, alcool to drink, places to party, activities, well everything that goes through your mind and that we should know. I want to know everything, especially hear things from people native from those countries. We don't want to go to touristic places, we want to live like east europeans (althought I don,t want to fight with drunkish Poles lol).

Thanks!

4frnt_or_die said:

3 friends and I plan a 3 weeks trip to Eastern Europe next summer. It will be our first time in Europe. We decided to go there because it's obviously cheaper than the rest of Europe whilst still being a lot more enjoyable for guys in their 20s. We plan to land at Charles-De-Gaules airport (tickets are cheaper there, usually 750$ for a round trip) and then travel by train. We have relatives in France and the UK, so maybe we will visit 2-3 days there.

Now, we want to see as much places as possible.

- Germany
- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Romania
- Croatia
- Serbia
- Turkey
- Russia

We have a few months to prepare ourselves. We will travel with backpacks and sleep in youth hostels or cheap places.

Now, what do MR people suggest regarding places to go, food to eat, alcool to drink, places to party, activities, well everything that goes through your mind and that we should know. I want to know everything, especially hear things from people native from those countries. We don't want to go to touristic places, we want to live like east europeans (althought I don,t want to fight with drunkish Poles lol).

Thanks!

Click to expand...

- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Croatia
- Turkey

tired as fuck, will post why later

PM a couple weeks before your trip.

For Romania, i still have a lot of friend living in Bucharest so near to your trip i'll tell you what are the good place at that time since it change so much.

have a nice trip op

LePolak said:

- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Croatia
- Turkey

tired as fuck, will post why later

Click to expand...

x2 on those, Croatia for the beaches, go thru Bosnia/Serbia, eat there theres some insane food, cheap country compared to Croatia, after that go to Turkey, a bit more expensive but very nice place

Bosnia/Serbia is mainly after war spots to check out, other than that it's mainly forests everywhere. But again, once you are in Sarajevo and Belgrade, go club there , very cheap and beautttttttttttttthifulll womens

In Turkey, ive only been in Istanbul and theres only tourist attraction to see such as big churches/mosque, hugggggggggggeee city, I never walked that much in my life. Wanted to go here but didn't had time, if you do GO :


edit; PM me too before you go, Imma be around those areas too. If you are in Bosnia at the same time, Ill show you some sick spots

Thanks brahs ^^

Eastern Europe and Russkies?

if you have a black skin...or a yellow skin.....don't go there.

if your sexual orientation is somewhat different from the norm...don't go there...

just saying

^they hate the asians?

I did the following and it was amazing:

Barcelona > marseille > nice > monaco > paris > bruxelles > brugge > amsterdam > berlin > prague > alot of south poland > crotia's pag island > sophia and the sea in bulgaria.

Total cost was close to 6000$ For 2 month and 10 days.

That included
-plane ticket from montreal to barcelona and back
-plane ticket from poland to crotia then to bulgaria then back to barcelona
-Euro train pass with 10 rides....they checked only twice so I gave my remaning 8 rides to a cousin. (btw that pass was only good up until czech republic)
- appartment split 4 way in barcelona for 4 days
-appartament split 6 ways in croatia for a week
-hostels everywhere else except poland and bulgaria where wehad friends/family to accomodate us.
-Fuck ton of alcohol, club expenses, food, little shopping and gifts.


If i were to do it again, i would skip paris, berlin and bulgaria.

Croatia was amazing...mini ibiza.

Unless you have family, poland wont be too crazy...russia dosent seem to attractive either.

I say explore western europe a bit more.


Side notes:
for 1 euro, you can take a bus from nice to monaco..amazing view and monaco is fucking baller.
Watch your shit, alot of pick pocketers
On the train there is always a smelly ass fucker that steals shit so watch out. The guy was loaded with mac books and all sorts of crazy shit.
prague has the biggest club out of all of eastern europe, its sick
amsterdam is insane for obvious reasons
belgium is super quiet and relaxing if you wanna catch your breath from all the partying.

Get a comfortable backpack..my 80L was destroying my shoulders...maybe you can find one with wheels at the bottom or something.

I went in 09 when 1 dollr cad was worth 65 cents euro. With todays currency, all of the above will be more affordable.


Last piece of advice, if you have a gf, get rid of her before you leave.

Flashiel said:

Eastern Europe and Russkies?

if you have a black skin...or a yellow skin.....don't go there.

if your sexual orientation is somewhat different from the norm...don't go there...

just saying

Click to expand...

I ain't a nagger nor a faggot, I should be alright. Plus I'm blond as fuck, I'll blend right in.

Polski said:

I did the following and it was amazing:

Barcelona > marseille > nice > monaco > paris > bruxelles > brugge > amsterdam > berlin > prague > alot of south poland > crotia's pag island > sophia and the sea in bulgaria.

Total cost was close to 6000$ For 2 month and 10 days.

That included
-plane ticket from montreal to barcelona and back
-plane ticket from poland to crotia then to bulgaria then back to barcelona
-Euro train pass with 10 rides....they checked only twice so I gave my remaning 8 rides to a cousin. (btw that pass was only good up until czech republic)
- appartment split 4 way in barcelona for 4 days
-appartament split 6 ways in croatia for a week
-hostels everywhere else except poland and bulgaria where wehad friends/family to accomodate us.
-Fuck ton of alcohol, club expenses, food, little shopping and gifts.


If i were to do it again, i would skip paris, berlin and bulgaria.

Croatia was amazing...mini ibiza.

Unless you have family, poland wont be too crazy...russia dosent seem to attractive either.

I say explore western europe a bit more.


Side notes:
for 1 euro, you can take a bus from nice to monaco..amazing view and monaco is fucking baller.
Watch your shit, alot of pick pocketers
On the train there is always a smelly ass fucker that steals shit so watch out. The guy was loaded with mac books and all sorts of crazy shit.
prague has the biggest club out of all of eastern europe, its sick
amsterdam is insane for obvious reasons
belgium is super quiet and relaxing if you wanna catch your breath from all the partying.

Get a comfortable backpack..my 80L was destroying my shoulders...maybe you can find one with wheels at the bottom or something.

I went in 09 when 1 dollr cad was worth 65 cents euro. With todays currency, all of the above will be more affordable.


Last piece of advice, if you have a gf, get rid of her before you leave.

Click to expand...

Cool thanks for the imput! GF got rid of me a month ago lol so I'm all set!

Polski said:

I did the following and it was amazing:

Barcelona > marseille > nice > monaco > paris > bruxelles > brugge > amsterdam > berlin > prague > alot of south poland > crotia's pag island > sophia and the sea in bulgaria.

Total cost was close to 6000$ For 2 month and 10 days.

That included
-plane ticket from montreal to barcelona and back
-plane ticket from poland to crotia then to bulgaria then back to barcelona
-Euro train pass with 10 rides....they checked only twice so I gave my remaning 8 rides to a cousin. (btw that pass was only good up until czech republic)
- appartment split 4 way in barcelona for 4 days
-appartament split 6 ways in croatia for a week
-hostels everywhere else except poland and bulgaria where wehad friends/family to accomodate us.
-Fuck ton of alcohol, club expenses, food, little shopping and gifts.


If i were to do it again, i would skip paris, berlin and bulgaria.

Croatia was amazing...mini ibiza.

Unless you have family, poland wont be too crazy...russia dosent seem to attractive either.

I say explore western europe a bit more.


Side notes:
for 1 euro, you can take a bus from nice to monaco..amazing view and monaco is fucking baller.
Watch your shit, alot of pick pocketers
On the train there is always a smelly ass fucker that steals shit so watch out. The guy was loaded with mac books and all sorts of crazy shit.
prague has the biggest club out of all of eastern europe, its sick
amsterdam is insane for obvious reasons
belgium is super quiet and relaxing if you wanna catch your breath from all the partying.

Get a comfortable backpack..my 80L was destroying my shoulders...maybe you can find one with wheels at the bottom or something.

I went in 09 when 1 dollr cad was worth 65 cents euro. With todays currency, all of the above will be more affordable.


Last piece of advice, if you have a gf, get rid of her before you leave.

Click to expand...

u have no idea man , croatian islands in the summer are freaking retarded . ive done them all from coast to coast many times . also alot of historical city's and alot of history in general , if u went for 2-3 months u wouldnt have time to see everything lol

I grew up in Romania... foreigners, especially tourists, are seen as cash cows. Don't trust anyone an be weary of people that seem overly friendly or offer to show you around. It's full of scammers who know their trade very well.
I'd stick with brand name hotels. Personal belongings have a way of misteriously disappearing from cheaper hotel rooms in that part of the world.

There's a shitload of pickpockets on buses, trains, etc and you run a high risk of getting mugged if you walk down the street using a fancy phone, a camera, etc, or if they hear you speak and realize you're a foreigner. This is also true for Paris, btw. FULL of eastern european scammers and thieves looking to rob you.

If you rent a car in Romania, first of all rent from a larger company, not a private individual or small mom&pop shop, unless you also want to pay for damage you didn't do to the car. Then, never ever stop if you see another driver stranded on the shoulder. You may get mugged or carjacked. Never leave anything in the car and never keep anything on the passenger seat even when you're driving. There are fuckers at traffic lights that specialize in snatching stuff from passenger seats. If the cops pull you over for a real or made up reason, be prepared to bribe them.

Romanian girls are super hot, but most of the ones you'll find in clubs, bars, etc, are world class gold diggers. Again, careful with your money and don't trust anybody. If you're just looking for a quick fuck, that's ok, they swarm around foreigners, especially if they sense you have some doe.

Most people in Romania have an attitude and don't smile. Don't take it personal, that's just how they are. If you smile too much and appear too friendly you might be perceived as gullible and an easy target for scamming. Just keep it slick and cool and you should be ok.

PM me if you might pass by hannover or poznan

Also, around the end of july there are a lot of massive concerts (sunrise festival poland, tomorrowland belgium, love parade berlin, kazantip in ukraine, ...)

bertro said:

I grew up in Romania... foreigners, especially tourists, are seen as cash cows. Don't trust anyone an be weary of people that seem overly friendly or offer to show you around. It's full of scammers who know their trade very well.
I'd stick with brand name hotels. Personal belongings have a way of misteriously disappearing from cheaper hotel rooms in that part of the world.

There's a shitload of pickpockets on buses, trains, etc and you run a high risk of getting mugged if you walk down the street using a fancy phone, a camera, etc, or if they hear you speak and realize you're a foreigner. This is also true for Paris, btw. FULL of eastern european scammers and thieves looking to rob you.

If you rent a car in Romania, first of all rent from a larger company, not a private individual or small mom&pop shop, unless you also want to pay for damage you didn't do to the car. Then, never ever stop if you see another driver stranded on the shoulder. You may get mugged or carjacked. Never leave anything in the car and never keep anything on the passenger seat even when you're driving. There are fuckers at traffic lights that specialize in snatching stuff from passenger seats. If the cops pull you over for a real or made up reason, be prepared to bribe them.

Romanian girls are super hot, but most of the ones you'll find in clubs, bars, etc, are world class gold diggers. Again, careful with your money and don't trust anybody. If you're just looking for a quick fuck, that's ok, they swarm around foreigners, especially if they sense you have some doe.

Most people in Romania have an attitude and don't smile. Don't take it personal, that's just how they are. If you smile too much and appear too friendly you might be perceived as gullible and an easy target for scamming. Just keep it slick and cool and you should be ok.

Click to expand...

Damn, thats crazy thats a really sad picture that you're painting to represent your own country. Why do they have to behave like that ? poverty? Poverty brings the worst in human beings....

its sad because Eastern europe is so beautiful....especially girls...i got addicted to that part of the world when watching XXX with Vin Diesel (Prague for the win)... seems like an amazing place to party....why do they need to have all these scammers, gold diggers and muggers....

Flashiel said:

Damn, thats crazy thats a really sad picture that you're painting to represent your own country. Why do they have to behave like that ? poverty? Poverty brings the worst in human beings....

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Man, to be honest i never really felt any connection to that country and those people. It stopped being "my own country" as soon as I grew up, finished school and put aside enough money to hop on the first flight out of there.
The picture I painted might indeed be a bit too bleak (and things might have improved since i've left). It's obviously not all bad all the time. There are good spots and bad spots. Sort of like going on a trip to Mexico, or the Dominican, or such. OP might even enjoy a quiet vacation without any notable incidents. But I just wanted to make sure he is aware of what might happen and that he keeps his eyes wide open and doesn't open up to people too easily. Foreigners are a target unfortunately.
The reason why people do that is partly poverty but also the widespread corruption. Regular people see that politicians and rich people don't give a shit about laws and fairness and think "why should I be fair to others, when everyone else is cheating?". So this snowballed into nobody trusting anyone and into people always trying to "mik" others for as much as possible, be it legally or less legally.
There's also a cultural thing among less educated Romanians: they revere "wise guys". This spans from innocent stuff like being a good negotiator or a prankster all the way to being a con artist or a thug.

Flashiel said:

Damn, thats crazy thats a really sad picture that you're painting to represent your own country. Why do they have to behave like that ? poverty? Poverty brings the worst in human beings....

its sad because Eastern europe is so beautiful....especially girls...i got addicted to that part of the world when watching XXX with Vin Diesel (Prague for the win)... seems like an amazing place to party....why do they need to have all these scammers, gold diggers and muggers....

Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with Bertro, I'm Romanian as well and was there last in 2009.

However, don't misunderstand that it's some forsaken place where danger lurks at every step. It's not Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan or anything remotely close to such areas that are truly dangerous; it's a normal country, less developed compared to the West but much more than 3rd world countries like I mentioned above. The point is, if you travel there and don't know your way around or/and the language, you have to be cautious and vigilant and just because you're not in the jungle and actually see normal buildings, cars, roads etc doesn't mean you should behave the same as if you're going on a tour around Canada. Going is touristy areas is actually not such a bad thing because you will definitely avoid areas where you shouldn't be.

OP, for info on the hottest clubs and bars in Bucharest, before you go contact Catharsis3K here on the forum, he goes often and is a nightclub aficionado and what's "in" changes often.
If you want more info on where to stay, what to do, where to go and stuff, let me know and I can even make you a nice itinerary.

Yeah good idea I'm all open to hear about what itinerary people would suggest!

I've been to:

- Serbia (a lot, girls friend is from there)
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Bosnia

IMO.

Serbia. Very nice for some specific things. Belgrade is hard to beat in terms of cheap, secure party city. It's not particularity strikingly beautiful but the amount of party spot is just ridiculous. People are REALLY open minded and friendly. It's also a pretty big Airport and can make for a good "base" becasue renting a car there is both easy and dirt cheap. Cars rented in Serbia can be insured and driven anywhere else in Europe for 15-25euro (ex: 20Eur, tax+insurance: Renault Clio 2004 Dci with 50k km)a day through "mom & pop" places. Stay away from Avis or whatever, it will cost the same as Paris.

Other then that, the rest is relatively blend except for the roads (140km/h speed limit and 90km/h in twisties), castles everywhere with no one stopping you from exploring how ever you want, monasteries, old crappy town and crazy random festivals that you must time yourself with.

Croatia:

Very varied country. Depending on where you go. It's completely different.

Stay away from Split, Zadar and Zagreb regions if you drive a Belgrade plate car or just because they are relatively boring cities. Unless, like me, you have cultural interest in those places to have a feel for the people that my girl friend hates so much... it's beautiful in it's own ways but skipable.

Dubrovnik: Blew my mind... period. Classy parties. Get aware. Unfortunately, it's far down the coast and kinda stuck in a
"dead end". Costly

I Loved the upper part of Croatia. Rijeka, Opatija... very funny mix of Italy/Autria. Normal cost

Bosnia: It's a poor country. Maybe in similar ways to Romania. Sarajevo is culturally interesting, still bears the scar of the recent Balkan wars like open wounds. Driving around Bosnia is nuts and fun. Beautiful canyon roads. It's dirt cheap though.

Slovenia: My favorite country ever. I would move there in a heartbeat (maybe lol). Capital Ljubljana is really sweet. Only good things to say about this Euro member country (the only one out of Ex-Yugoslavia...) except the fact that it's a little costlier.

In a nutshell... that's it.

Ronin said:

I've been to:

- Serbia (a lot, girls friend is from there)
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Bosnia

IMO.

Serbia. Very nice for some specific things. Belgrade is hard to beat in terms of cheap, secure party city. It's not particularity strikingly beautiful but the amount of party spot is just ridiculous. People are REALLY open minded and friendly. It's also a pretty big Airport and can make for a good "base" becasue renting a car there is both easy and dirt cheap. Cars rented in Serbia can be insured and driven anywhere else in Europe for 15-25euro (ex: 20Eur, tax+insurance: Renault Clio 2004 Dci with 50k km)a day through "mom & pop" places. Stay away from Avis or whatever, it will cost the same as Paris.

Other then that, the rest is relatively blend except for the roads (140km/h speed limit and 90km/h in twisties), castles everywhere with no one stopping you from exploring how ever you want, monasteries, old crappy town and crazy random festivals that you must time yourself with.

Croatia:

Very varied country. Depending on where you go. It's completely different.

Stay away from Split, Zadar and Zagreb regions if you drive a Belgrade plate car or just because they are relatively boring cities. Unless, like me, you have cultural interest in those places to have a feel for the people that my girl friend hates so much... it's beautiful in it's own ways but skipable.

Dubrovnik: Blew my mind... period. Classy parties. Get aware. Unfortunately, it's far down the coast and kinda stuck in a
"dead end". Costly

I Loved the upper part of Croatia. Rijeka, Opatija... very funny mix of Italy/Autria. Normal cost

Bosnia: It's a poor country. Maybe in similar ways to Romania. Sarajevo is culturally interesting, still bears the scar of the recent Balkan wars like open wounds. Driving around Bosnia is nuts and fun. Beautiful canyon roads. It's dirt cheap though.

Slovenia: My favorite country ever. I would move there in a heartbeat (maybe lol). Capital Ljubljana is really sweet. Only good things to say about this Euro member country (the only one out of Ex-Yugoslavia...)

In a nutshell... that's it.

Click to expand...

Thanks really interesting! Is a 3 week trip long enough to see most of the nice places?

4frnt_or_die said:

Thanks really interesting! Is a 3 week trip long enough to see most of the nice places?

Click to expand...

I spent 4 weeks in just those countries I named you but I was visiting family and stuff... it all depends on how you travel. Anything other then car in Eastern Europe is a drag(train & buses) or $$$ (plane). Europe is small but driving in Eastern Europe is not like driving through France and Germany. roads are smaller and what appears like just a 300km "bird flight distance" can easily turn into a 700km twistie road with 2-3 random police stops.

Google maps is a great tool to plane an itinerary. IMO don't over extend your traveling. And I see NO reason to not rent a car if there is 4 of you.