Backpacking Eastern Europe - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**ajb3000** · 05-12-2005, 04:04 PM

I'm considering backpacking Eastern Europe for 4 - 5 weeks in July. I'd be on a budget of about £600, and would like to visit Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Hungary, and if time/money allows, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Croatia. I can get a flight from London to Poland at the beginning of July, and one from Hungary to London at the end of July of £70 total including taxes, leaving me £530 for the rest of the trip. Can this be done? Also what's the best way to do it, book all youth hostels and transport in advance or sort it out when I get there? What's the best/cheapest way to travel?

**Esterina** · 05-12-2005, 05:32 PM

First of all,

-----» WELCOME TO TRAVELPUNK ! «------

Now, Eastern Europe. You should have a great time. I miss this area a lot.

I spent 6 weeks in 2002, so my digits might be a bit out of date, but it should help you with your budget. All together, the 6 weeks in Poland-Slovakia-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria have costed around $ 800 USD, all included (food, transport, lodging, activities, but I don't drink much). I was on a tight budget, so I had only one meal per day in restaurant, and I stayed as often as possible in private rooms (cheaper and often 1 or 2 meal included).

The cheapest transportation is the bus but trainfares are so affordable and convenient in those countries, that it is worth the extra cents (and I mean cents). Advice to remember : bring toilet paper, especially for romanian trains. They are famous for... well, you'll experience them yourself. But you'll sure miss those ones :

As far as hostel booking is concerned, I never traveled during high season, so never had to, but I believe that in your case it would be recommanded. At least for your first destination, and from there you can book your next one. Internet is everywhere, except very small towns. This way, you don't end up sleeping on the street nor lacking flexibility for your itinerary.

I strongly suggest you buy or read a travel guide for the danger and annoyances you might encounter. Each country has its own particularities, like in Poland, you'll have to buy a ticket for your backpack in public city bus, if you want to take it down. I have met someone who didn't know, and she had to pay a fine of $50 or so, if I recall.

Keep your itinerary flexible. Eastern Europe is full of surprises, and your heart might fall for one specific country (aaah Romaaania

!!!).

**ajb3000** · 05-12-2005, 06:17 PM

I've just been reading up on the Inter-Rail pass, for £205 I can get 22 days travel in Czech and Slovak Republics, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia. It's a large chunk of my budget but it seems like a good price for what it covers. However, I have no idea how much trains cost over there? Also, does anyone know if it has to be 22 consecutive days, or can it be travelling on any 22 days of my choosing?

As for the youth hostels, I like the idea of booking the first one, then seeing where I feel like going, but what with it being peak season I'm concerned about availability if I leave it til the last minute to book.

I'm glad you enjoyed Romania, that is top of my list of countries I really want to visit

.

**Esterina** · 05-12-2005, 06:50 PM

The Railpass in the countries I have visited is useless. I had also considered buying one prior to my leaving, but I soon realised it was a waste of money, and it would be a bit restricting.

Approx. $ for 100 km

Poland = $6 (regular train, 2nd class)
Hungary = $9 (intercity train -most expensive one-, first class)
Romania = $3 (intercity train -most expensive- 2nd class) ; $1 or less ! ("rapid" and "accelerate" trains -but they're slow- 2nd class)

International trains, when changing countries, are more expensive.

**ajb3000** · 05-12-2005, 08:41 PM

Looking at raileurope.com, it reckons a return from Budapest and Bucharest is $250 (£135). If the Inter-Rail is only £205, surely it would save me a lot of money? Or is there a cheaper place online to buy tickets from? I'm wanting to visit at least 4 countries.

**GoKrazy** · 05-12-2005, 08:42 PM

I traveled through about 3/4 of Poland in 2003 using mostly trains and it was reliable and cheap. I'm not sure if a rail pass would come out cheaper.

If you want to see some beautiful scenery and wicked fun I reccommend Krakow! From there if you want to see the mountains (Beskidy, Karpaty, Tatry) you can get really cheap busses or mini vans that fun from the train station vicinity and are tourist friendly... (Sorry, but I don't remember the name of the company).

**tumblezweedz** · 05-13-2005, 01:56 AM

We did a similar circuit last summer, and though we had a rail pass, it would have been cheaper to pay by the ride. Our pass included Austria, which was by far the most expensive area, everywhere else was dirt cheap. The trains can get pretty crowded, and just because you have a ticket won't necessarily mean you get a seat. If you're going on a particularly long leg or don't want to arrive somewhere completely frazzled, you might want to buy a reservation. Typically these only add a couple of dollars to your fare and on a long haul can be well worth it!

Another expense you may run into is Visas, especially if you go to Ukraine. You may run into the joy of Belarus, which charges an arm and a leg for transit visas because its one of the only ways they can get hard currency! Seems weird to talk about such a soviet era concept, but that's Belarus for you! You may also need one for Ukraine, I don't know. A double entry visa for Belarus for a Canadian last year was about $200 US, there are different rates depending on where you're from, apparently. It was less for Americans (maybe $150, if I remember). We didn't go, so I don't have the final details. 6 visas cost more than most of our other travel expenses!

You've got quite a lot of territory to cover in a month - Poland is a lot bigger than people tend to think! The other countries are more manageable, but we found that a week to 10 days in Poland was the minimum to really appreciate it. Gdansk is an awesome city, and one that people sometimes leave out. There are still lots of tourists, but I think more Poles and Germans. It's one of my favourites, but I will do anything to be by the sea. Another hidden gem is Szczecin, which I'm sure people don't go to because no one can pronounce the name to buy the ticket! (Sh-te-chin should get you there.) The local tourism authority has developed a great independent walking tour, you just follow the red lines on the map and on the sidewalk and you get to see most of the Old Town. There are also convenient plaques in Polish, English and German at most of the stops, indicating the importance of whatever you're looking at.

The Basilica of St. James has an amazing chapel dedicated to St. Maximilian Kolbe that really brings home his concentration camp experience.

Krakow is fabulous, just amazing. Go. If you want to take a tour of the salt mines, consider buying the English guidebook and taking the Polish tour (it can be cheaper). The guidebook will give you plenty of info and the overall cost is less. Plus you can read more detail and remember it later, and have some pictures as well. Then you don't have to pay for the photo pass. This is a good excursion on a rainy day. And plan for rain, incidentally - we went in July/August, and only had one sunny day in Krakow. If you want to do something a bit bizarre there, check out the Japanese Cultural Centre. You get to walk along the beautiful riverside, and can play Go and see a small but diverse collection of Japanese art, in Poland. What more could you ask for? Also, the Czartorevych museum has a da Vinci, something you won't see anywhere else in eastern Europe!

I'd try to have a plan for hostels, and certainly book in places like Krakow, Budapest, etc. Most places we stayed were pretty full, and I know the place we stayed in Krakow (Nathan's - good location, nice people, free laundry!) had to turn people away because they were fully booked. That was the last week of July, and before all of Europe goes on summer vacation...

Food is cheap and usually plentiful - especially check out the cafeteria places, they can be dirt cheap and very typical local cuisine. Beware, sometimes something that looks like milk might be sour - this is a very popular drink in Poland, the Baltics and Ukraine and often doesn't appeal to every palate...

Typically, the bread is awesome and filling, and a loaf of bread, bottle of water, couple of pieces of fruit and a slab of chocolate will get you through a lot of the day for not very much money.

Have a great time!

**Esterina** · 05-13-2005, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Looking at raileurope.com, it reckons a return from Budapest and Bucharest is $250 (£135). If the Inter-Rail is only £205, surely it would save me a lot of money?

I only paid what? around $45 USD for a return ticket Budapest-Bucharest, for the night train. Plus this ticket allows you to stopover in any destination along the way, which means you wouldn't have extra fees to pay if you stopped in Brasov before Bucharest (I checked your other topic). And this ticket can be bought at the train station the afternoon before departure.

GoKrazy, Tumblezweedz, and I all agree (plus others you'll read in similar topics), in Eastern Europe, you'll waste your money with the Railpass.

**ajb3000** · 05-13-2005, 08:04 AM

Cheers, in that case I'll give the pass a miss.

So my only concern now is Hostels. Do you have to specifiy how long you want a hostel for when booking or can you pay by the day until you decide to move on? Also, would hostels still have cheap places if it was left until the day before to book online (in July)?

**GoKrazy** · 05-13-2005, 12:10 PM

I guess it depends on what you want to do. If you know you're gonna be in the area for a while then you can book a bed/room for the first night only and if you like the hostel and ask at reception if you can stay for the next few days (you might be asked to pay in advance). This gives you the flexibility that if you hate the hostel, then you can look for a different one and move on. On the other hand if it's high tourist season, then you're always running the risk that all the good rooms will be reserved already and that can put you in a bind.

For this years trip (mind you it's mostly western europe, not eastern) I opted to book all my hostels in advance for a few reasons. First of all I'm going with two novice travelers, who are a bit squemish about not knowing where they will be sleeping. Second, since I'm only going for 3 weeks in the high tourist season, I don't want to waste time looking for places to stay. Thirdly, my fellow travelers have a more limited budget then I do - they wanted to make sure they stay in the black with their funds, so searching on the internet for best prices helps them out.

**ajb3000** · 05-14-2005, 07:19 AM

Right, if all goes according to plan I'll be booking my flights tonight.

I should be going from June 30th to July 22nd, and currently plan on doing the following route:

Hungary - Budapest (1 night)

Overnight train to Brasov

Romania - Brasov (3 nights)

Romania - Bucharest (2 nights)

Bulgaria - Varna (2 nights)

Overnight train to Sofia

Bulgaria - Sofia (1 night)

Serbia - Belgrade (2 nights)

Overnight train to Sarajevo

Bosnia - Sarajevo (2 nights)

Croatia - [a beach resort, which one?] (2 nights)

Overnight train back to Budapest, where I'll stay for a couple of nights before going home.

Questions:

Would you change any of this and why?

What's the best beach resort in Croatia to go to?

Using bahn.de I have not been able to find any routes from the popular beach resorts back to Budapest, any idea what the deal is with that?

Some of my day journeys don't reach the destination until about 9PM at night, would I still be able to check-in at a hostel at this time of night (I will book it in advance before we leave the previous location).

I also feel it may be a bit rushed, so if I were to take out one location, which should it be?

**Esterina** · 05-14-2005, 08:43 AM

Good job ! Seems perfectly realistic and doable.

Quote:

if I were to take out one location, which should it be?

Since you will go to a beach resort in Bulgaria, why not skip Croatia ?

Quote:

Would you change any of this and why?*

3 nights in Brasov might seem a bit long, unless you visit the citadelles around. You can do it by train. Sighisoara (birth town of Dracula) is a very beautiful place, and the towns around as well.

Quote:

Some of my day journeys don't reach the destination until about 9PM at night, would I still be able to check-in at a hostel at this time of night

It happened to me and never had any problem. There should be an employee 24/7. But to be sure, just advise the hostel when booking.

Have a great time !

**ajb3000** · 05-14-2005, 10:20 AM

Thanks for all your help, I have just booked my flights :D. I'll be arriving in Budapest on the 30th June and leaving on the 23rd July. I'm very excited and a little scared at the same time.

I think I'll put Croatia as my "if i get time" destination and concentrate on the others.

**urOZm8** · 05-14-2005, 09:02 PM

Don't forget to have a thermal bath in Budapest!

ev

**worldwidemike** · 05-15-2005, 02:15 AM

Dubrovnik in Croatia would be the place I'd head to...supposed to be gorgeous...

worldwidemike

**ajb3000** · 05-15-2005, 08:24 AM

There is a coach that goes from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik, but does anyone know how I can get from Dubrovnik back to Budapest? It seem Dubrovnik does not have a train station.

**tumblezweedz** · 05-16-2005, 06:57 AM

You could take the bus to Zagreb (11 hours) and then train to Budapest (7 hours), or go via Ljubljana though that's a lot longer (14 hours bus, 9 hours train). There is no train, to Dubrovnik. You could also take a ferry (8 hours) or bus (4.5 hours) to Split and then the overnight train to Budapest (16 hours). Lots of other bus/ferry options depending on how long you want to spend in transit, but those are fairly direct and visit larger towns you might want to include...

Rimbaud · 07-24-2005, 07:34 AM

Hi there - you could get an internal flight from Dubrovnik to Zagred - 50 minutes and 25 Euro - this was the cost 2 years ago anyway.We got a flight down from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, basically to saty within our itineary/time.You can book this flight with a travel agent in dubrovnik i`m sure.
Train to from zagreb to Budapest then.

Rimbaud · 07-24-2005, 07:43 AM

Oh!
Just spotted you posted in May about going in July!So the info i gave may be irrelevant at this stage...since your prob halfway through your trip.
Hope you had a good one anyway!

**ajb3000** · 07-30-2005, 04:32 PM

Just got back, I ended up going from Belgrade to Mostar, then Dubrovnik, then an overnight bus to Sarajevo, then an overnight train back to Budapest. Thanks for all your help guys, had one of the best times of my life. Definitely going back next year to explore some more areas, really keen on going to Macedonia, Kosovo and Turkey next year

.