Eastern Europe
Aug 6th 2006 | 8:47 am
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Eastern Europe
On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 06:56:34 -0700, Incognito <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Just returned yesterday from 45 days: St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga,
>Vilnius, Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, Athens.
> We, 65-yr old couple, did what most here recommend. . . read good
>guidebooks, use internet resources and ATM machines, get bus/train
>tickets several days early (maybe as soon as you arrive in a new
>place).
>Learn "Please" and "Thank you" (at least) in the local language, smile
>but be respectful, flexible but patiently persistent when necessary.
You obviously have it figured out! That's about all you really need to
know.
> I know this thread is probably dead but I hate to begin a new one
>just for my input. And I just have to tell the newsgroup how wonderful
>we found traveling eastern Europe on our own.
It's much the same anywhere you go, believe it or not. I might add
that I met a 65 y.o. woman travelling in Romania with little but a
tent. She had no trouble at all. Age is not the barrier many think it
is.
> If any "regulars" read this, you were right. When I asked for advice
>here two months ago, especially about travelers' checks, I got "beat
>up" a little, but also some good advice. One said essentially,
>"Travelers' checks are obsolete, fool". Ouch! But that turns out to be
>true. Trying to find a non-ripoff place to cash checks was WAAAAAY more
>trouble than using ATMs, found easily almost everywhere.
In god knows how many years of travel, I have never used a travellers
checks, and don't even know how they work. I have always suspected
them to be a thing of yesteryear.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--
wrote:
> Just returned yesterday from 45 days: St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga,
>Vilnius, Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, Athens.
> We, 65-yr old couple, did what most here recommend. . . read good
>guidebooks, use internet resources and ATM machines, get bus/train
>tickets several days early (maybe as soon as you arrive in a new
>place).
>Learn "Please" and "Thank you" (at least) in the local language, smile
>but be respectful, flexible but patiently persistent when necessary.
You obviously have it figured out! That's about all you really need to
know.
> I know this thread is probably dead but I hate to begin a new one
>just for my input. And I just have to tell the newsgroup how wonderful
>we found traveling eastern Europe on our own.
It's much the same anywhere you go, believe it or not. I might add
that I met a 65 y.o. woman travelling in Romania with little but a
tent. She had no trouble at all. Age is not the barrier many think it
is.
> If any "regulars" read this, you were right. When I asked for advice
>here two months ago, especially about travelers' checks, I got "beat
>up" a little, but also some good advice. One said essentially,
>"Travelers' checks are obsolete, fool". Ouch! But that turns out to be
>true. Trying to find a non-ripoff place to cash checks was WAAAAAY more
>trouble than using ATMs, found easily almost everywhere.
In god knows how many years of travel, I have never used a travellers
checks, and don't even know how they work. I have always suspected
them to be a thing of yesteryear.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--
Aug 7th 2006 | 1:27 am
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Eastern Europe
RT wrote:
> We are planning a trip to eastern
> europe,,Budapest,Pargue,Vienna,Krakow maybe Warsaw,,question,,are we
> better off on a tour or planning it ourselves,and if so what are the
> risks,,any tips would be helpful
Forget tours! You'll spend many hours on cramped, uncomfortable, and
slow buses. You'll have very little time to do exploring on your own.
You'll stay in soulless, overpriced, unfriendly hotels. And you'll be
ripped off.
Eastern Europe is not as scary as it sounds. All those cities are
civilised and safe to get around on your own and finding cheap
accommodation on your own is easy.
Travelling between those cities by train is a far superior option to
tour buses - it's faster, more comfortable, and the trains will take
you right into the city center.
The only real risk you'll be exposed to is pickpocketing. Always take
precautions, wherever you are.
> We are planning a trip to eastern
> europe,,Budapest,Pargue,Vienna,Krakow maybe Warsaw,,question,,are we
> better off on a tour or planning it ourselves,and if so what are the
> risks,,any tips would be helpful
Forget tours! You'll spend many hours on cramped, uncomfortable, and
slow buses. You'll have very little time to do exploring on your own.
You'll stay in soulless, overpriced, unfriendly hotels. And you'll be
ripped off.
Eastern Europe is not as scary as it sounds. All those cities are
civilised and safe to get around on your own and finding cheap
accommodation on your own is easy.
Travelling between those cities by train is a far superior option to
tour buses - it's faster, more comfortable, and the trains will take
you right into the city center.
The only real risk you'll be exposed to is pickpocketing. Always take
precautions, wherever you are.
Aug 7th 2006 | 7:04 am
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Eastern Europe
"Incognito" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:060820060656341534%[email protected]...
> If any "regulars" read this, you were right. When I asked for advice
> here two months ago, especially about travelers' checks, I got "beat
> up" a little, but also some good advice. One said essentially,
> "Travelers' checks are obsolete, fool". Ouch! But that turns out to be
> true. Trying to find a non-ripoff place to cash checks was WAAAAAY more
> trouble than using ATMs, found easily almost everywhere.
I am sorry that someone was rude to you. In almost every case I have
returned from Europe with all of my Travelers checks unspent. I still get
them every time I travel. They are free at my Credit Union and AAA. If
you don't need them there you can spend them at the grocery store here. I
have used them twice. Once at the Krakow airport to get cash for a bus.
The ATM in that small Airport was out of order. Travelers checks are just
one more back up system to avoid problems. .
I also had my wallet pickpocketed once. Fortunately, back-up credit cards,
pass port, air line tickets and travelers checks were in the money belt.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"These are the times that try men's souls." Tom Paine
Marc
news:060820060656341534%[email protected]...
> If any "regulars" read this, you were right. When I asked for advice
> here two months ago, especially about travelers' checks, I got "beat
> up" a little, but also some good advice. One said essentially,
> "Travelers' checks are obsolete, fool". Ouch! But that turns out to be
> true. Trying to find a non-ripoff place to cash checks was WAAAAAY more
> trouble than using ATMs, found easily almost everywhere.
I am sorry that someone was rude to you. In almost every case I have
returned from Europe with all of my Travelers checks unspent. I still get
them every time I travel. They are free at my Credit Union and AAA. If
you don't need them there you can spend them at the grocery store here. I
have used them twice. Once at the Krakow airport to get cash for a bus.
The ATM in that small Airport was out of order. Travelers checks are just
one more back up system to avoid problems. .
I also had my wallet pickpocketed once. Fortunately, back-up credit cards,
pass port, air line tickets and travelers checks were in the money belt.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"These are the times that try men's souls." Tom Paine
Marc
Aug 7th 2006 | 2:56 pm
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Eastern Europe
Dave Frightens Me wrote:
> In god knows how many years of travel, I have never used a travellers
> checks, and don't even know how they work. I have always suspected
> them to be a thing of yesteryear.
There was a time, back in the dark and forbidding 1970s and early 1980s,
when ATM cards issued in the USA didn't work in much of Europe; hell, it
was hard enough to even figure out where European ATMs were, let alone
use them. Travellers checks were an alternative to carrying cash,
because they could be replaced in case of loss or theft.
Fast-forward a few years, and yes, you are quite correct. ATMs have
largely put paid to the utility offered by TCs, and they are very much
a thing of yesteryear. There might be the occasional traveller who
is so used to the damn things, and so intimidated by the thought of
using an ATM outside of his/her home country, that he/she still uses
the things, but in general, yes. A thing of yesteryear, and becoming
ever more so.
--
dgs
> In god knows how many years of travel, I have never used a travellers
> checks, and don't even know how they work. I have always suspected
> them to be a thing of yesteryear.
There was a time, back in the dark and forbidding 1970s and early 1980s,
when ATM cards issued in the USA didn't work in much of Europe; hell, it
was hard enough to even figure out where European ATMs were, let alone
use them. Travellers checks were an alternative to carrying cash,
because they could be replaced in case of loss or theft.
Fast-forward a few years, and yes, you are quite correct. ATMs have
largely put paid to the utility offered by TCs, and they are very much
a thing of yesteryear. There might be the occasional traveller who
is so used to the damn things, and so intimidated by the thought of
using an ATM outside of his/her home country, that he/she still uses
the things, but in general, yes. A thing of yesteryear, and becoming
ever more so.
--
dgs
Aug 7th 2006 | 10:10 pm
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Eastern Europe
RT wrote:
> We are planning a trip to eastern
> europe,,Budapest,Pargue,Vienna,Krakow maybe Warsaw,,question,,are we
> better off on a tour or planning it ourselves,and if so what are the
> risks,,any tips would be helpful
> RT
I recommend that you do the trip on your own. You will have tremendous
flexibility in doing as you please. Visit places and meet locals at
your own pace, and you won't have to worry about 'meeting the tour
group at a certain place and time'. Also, you will save on the cost of
your trip. Gong to Eastern/Central Europe by yourself, without a tour
group, will surely cost less.
If you are in the Krakow area, I run a inexpensive mountain hostel
located 85 kilometers south-east of Krakow and 32 kilometers south of
Tarnow, in the quaint village of Siemiechow. Many other wonderful
medieval towns and cities are nearby to explore at your own pace, such
as Nowy Sacz, Biecz, Stary Sacz, Krosno, Zakliczyn, Ciezkowice, much
more. For only $15 per night per person ($105) per week, this includes
a bed with your own room and key, bath, delicious and abundant
breakfast, free internet access, and security. You won't get this from
any tour group. Enjoy your trip to Poland! One more word, I do advise
you visit Warsaw, Poland. It's a wonderful city, as Krakow is.
Sincerely,
Eugene Markow
Siemiechow, Poland
http://www.geocities.com/ejmarkow/siemiechow
> We are planning a trip to eastern
> europe,,Budapest,Pargue,Vienna,Krakow maybe Warsaw,,question,,are we
> better off on a tour or planning it ourselves,and if so what are the
> risks,,any tips would be helpful
> RT
I recommend that you do the trip on your own. You will have tremendous
flexibility in doing as you please. Visit places and meet locals at
your own pace, and you won't have to worry about 'meeting the tour
group at a certain place and time'. Also, you will save on the cost of
your trip. Gong to Eastern/Central Europe by yourself, without a tour
group, will surely cost less.
If you are in the Krakow area, I run a inexpensive mountain hostel
located 85 kilometers south-east of Krakow and 32 kilometers south of
Tarnow, in the quaint village of Siemiechow. Many other wonderful
medieval towns and cities are nearby to explore at your own pace, such
as Nowy Sacz, Biecz, Stary Sacz, Krosno, Zakliczyn, Ciezkowice, much
more. For only $15 per night per person ($105) per week, this includes
a bed with your own room and key, bath, delicious and abundant
breakfast, free internet access, and security. You won't get this from
any tour group. Enjoy your trip to Poland! One more word, I do advise
you visit Warsaw, Poland. It's a wonderful city, as Krakow is.
Sincerely,
Eugene Markow
Siemiechow, Poland
http://www.geocities.com/ejmarkow/siemiechow
