Eastern European Tourism

Eastern Europe get its charm and character from being behind the Iron Curtain for over 40 years. It was difficult for any person behind the Curtain to socialize with the Western World.

In Berlin where East met West in very intimate settings, both sides build up buildings along the Wall to show the other side they were doing just fine and dandy, and didn’t you wish you were on *this* side? The Soviet Union under this communist system was simply all about show.

Today, remnants can be seen of the Russian industry and it’s effects on the former satellite nations for the past 50 years. Only recently have nations, formerly under the rule of communist Russia, been able to prosper under a more realistic capitalist system. However, because western influence was limited, much of the original culture still remains and is an important part of these countries still today.

Reasons to Avoid Western Europe

The myths about Europeans hating Americans is over stated. Europeans don’t *hate* Americans. They just sometimes think what America is doing in the world is stupid. They realize that not all Americans are like the ones they see on U.S. television shows, but they do pass around funny YouTube clips and joke about how stupid Americans are. But it’s only what they see. You never hear about the quiet American who speaks fluent Spanish because they tend to blend in more. You always hear about the obnoxious American tourist in the restaurant, speaking loudly and complaining about how Europe is so far behind the times and if this restaurant was in the States, it’d go out of business in a week. They’re not hard to pick out and so their visibility makes up the perception Europeans have about Americans. Americans in Europe are like Sikhs in America, you can spot them from three blocks away. So Europeans don’t hate Americans, they are just easy to pick on.

In fact, it seems, until a few years ago, they all wanted to be like Americans. In Hungary, it was considered a wonderful date (don’t tell any of my girlfriends this) if you were to take your girl to the local McDonalds. It was a bit more expensive and it was also kind of exotic for Hungarians.

This mentality is more prominent in Western Europe as it’s had a lot longer to fester. One reason to avoid Western Europe is because it’s too westernized and doesn’t provide a large contrast with the States. If you’re looking for something different (and you might not be), Eastern Europe is your best bet and will still fit within your comfort zone.

Most Americans go to London, Paris, Rome and maybe Berlin. I highly recommend Berlin because there is a stark contrast between the East and the West that’s directly evident when you stand on a street where you can see both East Berlin and West Berlin. Those other places are super touristy and they are extremely indifferent to tourists since they get literally millions every year. It’s like the difference between going to a Wal-Mart and going to a mom and pop shop in your city’s downtown. The products and experiences are worlds apart. Unless of course you’re just looking for a cheap, hollow experience for the sake of telling your friends you went to Europe.

I’m all about embracing different cultures. It opens your eyes to so many new and different ideas; ideas you would otherwise never have gotten. It’s similar to an artist looking at other artists’ works. If he or she only looks at works done by artists in the same town, the ideas become stagnant and inbred. The greatest artists in history were influenced by foreign influences. This is why different cultures are so important to me.

My Favorite Cities So Far

I haven’t been to a lot of cities in Europe, so I’m by far not an expert, but here’s my interpretation of the greatest cities in Europe and why:

Budapest – I might be bias with this one, but I honestly think this is the greatest city in Europe. Everyone speaks Hungarian, which is an obvious plus, but it also has the most interesting sites to see in the smallest area and public transportation is one of the easiest to navigate. The history is amazing from World War 2, uprisings against the Soviet Union and the ’56 water polo match against the Russians, one of the best soccer players who ever lived, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and before that, the Kingdom of Hungary. Hungary had a huge influence on the shaping of European history (as evidenced by the start of the First World War).

Berlin – In no other city can you see the difference between western capitalism and eastern communism and what effects it had on a nation. Berlin is probably the most historic city I’ve ever been to and I can’t imagine any other city with more history (sad and terrible as it may be at times). There is so much to do there and so many great sites to see that it is a must see for anyone. And who doesn’t love German beer and food?!

Vienna – Vienna is simply just a beautiful city with beautiful buildings and gorgeous palaces, churches, streets and architecture. Austrians are definitely a different breed of people and don’t make the mistake of comparing them to Germans, even though they speak a similar language. They love the Hungarians but the Hungarians have a slightly different view of their Austrian neighbors which makes for an interesting cultural difference. Vienna was another city full of things to do, places to see and was just a clean, pleasant city.

Prague – Prague is like Budapest, but richer, cleaner but not as many sites to see. This was actually the first county I’ve ever been to where I didn’t speak the language and it was great. Since I don’t speak Czech it was slightly more difficult to get around and the public transportation wasn’t as good as what I was use to. We walked everywhere, which is fine, but it takes time away from actually learning about the city. Everyone goes to Prague and everyone loves it. I too highly recommend it.

 

How to do it Cheaply and Have the Most Fun

First off, travel light. I can’t stress this enough. You should only travel with one bag. Not only do airlines charge you more for multiple bags of luggage, you also have to wait to get your bags from the luggage return. If all you have is a carry on, you can just walk straight out of the airport. Make sure you read www.onebag.com before you go on your next trip, be it Europe or just a road trip.

So now that you’re traveling light, travel in small groups. With larger groups, and especially tour groups, it’s a lot harder to see the things you want to see. There are just too many people to appease. There are hostels set up (and you should be staying in a hostel if you can) explicitly for single travelers and groups of no more than three people. These hostels are amazing and really allow you to meet fellow travelers a lot easier than if it was a hotel-style hostel. I travelled alone for two weeks and met heaps of people also traveling alone. We ended up traveling together and going our separate ways later, but it definitely adds to the experience like nothing else.

When it comes time to refuel, instead of eating out, which we all know can be extremely expensive, go to the grocery store. Not only is this orders of magnitudes cheaper, it’ll also expose you to different country’s grocery stores and the foods they eat. Most hostels have kitchens in them anyway, but if you can go without hot food, make yourself a sandwich or something and eat it on a hill over looking the city, in a park on a bench, next to a statue or water fountain in the town’s center or just on a nice street corner where you can observe the city, the people, and all that makes up the city. Trust me, it’s a lot better than sitting in a dark restaurant with snooty waiters and getting ripped off because you didn’t know the restaurant is in the touristy section of town.

Finally, when it comes to actual commuting between cities it depends on how many cities you wish to see. If it’s only a few cities that you’re certain about, I’d recommend flying since its fast and easy. You can get one-way tickets across Europe for as little as $30 (Budapest to Dublin anyone?). You can plan your trips around the best airfares and save time and save money. Mostly all airports in Europe have either a train station or a bus station within walking distance so getting to and from the airport is a non-issue.

If you’re unsure about which cities you want to see, or you want to live on the edge of uncertainty, I recommend the Eurail-Pass. They have different passes so you’ll have to choose the appropriate one for your situation, but it can save you loads of money and leave your schedule flexible. If you want to stay in a city an extra day or so because you really want to see that opera in the Berlin State Opera, you can since most trains run several times a day to your next city of choice. Trains take longer than planes, but they’re more flexible, you can see more of the country-side between cities and it’s easier to meet people (if for any reason because they’re coming from and traveling to the same cities as you).

I mentioned not traveling with tour groups. Tours themselves are great but going on structured tours across Europe is a waste of your time. It’s similar to sitting in a movie theater and watching a movie about Europe rather than actually being there since you see most of the city via a tour bus. Do however, take a free walking tour in the city the first thing you do when you get to a city. These tours are amazing. The tour guides work off of tips (so make sure you bring a little cash), which makes these the most amazing people you’re bound to meet on your trip. The tour guides are all very friendly, outgoing and extremely funny, not to mention extremely knowledgeable about their chosen city. These tours will give you a great opportunity to see the city first thing so that you can later go on and spend more time at the places that interest you the most. And of course, you can always ask your tour guide at the end of the tour what’s the best bars to hit up and the coolest clubs to go to, because I can guarantee you that all those tour guides are extremely cool like that.

 

Jó Utat Kívánok!

Have a nice trip! As you travel, make sure you keep a journal of some sort. Don’t just write about where you went, write about what you thought! Years later when you go back and read it, your first impressions will be startling to you as you realize how naïve you were. It’s a great feeling and puts your trip into perspective and gives you something more than just photos and vague memories.