Looking for a new Central or Eastern Europe destination

The short answer is that from an architecture standpoint, they would all delight you. Bulgaria would be the most challenging for a relatively new traveler.

I haven't been to Austria recently so will set that one aside except for noting that my research (for a future trip) indicates that Vienna in particular has a lot of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture. I remember Graz as being a very attractive city as well.

I became ill while I was in Slovenia, which cut short my plans to explore the country, so I've seen only Ljubljana (definitely architecturally interesting), Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj and the two caves (Postojna and Skocjan). I'm sure you could fill two weeks there, but it's a small country and I hazard to say that there's not as much there as in your other possibilities.

Bulgaria does have some (manageable) transportation challenges--not a lot of trains and slow buses. Veliko Tarnovo and Plovdiv are great. There are some lovely (but often crumbling) very early churches on the coast in Sozopol and Nesebar. Sofia is not my favorite place but is worth a visit. There are some striking churches there. I didn't have time for Rila. I'd tend to recommend that you leave Bulgaria for a somewhat later trip, after you've had a bit more experience, but if you like adventure, you'll enjoy the challenge (different alphabet).

Poland I found to be easier to travel through. A much higher percentage of people speak English and the country has done a great job with English-language explanatory material in museums and at historic sites. I spent five weeks in Poland this summer and did not come close to running out of places to go. Traveling by public transportation, I visited Warsaw, Plock, Torun (Chelmno, Bydgoszcz), Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Krakow (Tarnow). Poland is a large country, so you'd need to be very selective. I found food more varied than I was expecting, and quite good. Warsaw in particular has become a foodie town. I hate cold weather and don't do well in the winter due to lack of sunlight. I, personally, would not go to Poland in late 2019 or early 2020. Actually, I wouldn't go to any of the places you mentioned at that time of year, but especially not Poland.

Czechia might hit the sweet spot, size-wise. If you can drag yourself away from the glorious architecture in Prague, you could see a fair amount of the country in 13-14 days. I ran out of time (five weeks in Poland!) and only managed to visit Prague, Brno, Olomouc and Hradec Kralove, but there are many more places on my list for my next visit to the area. Really lovely architecture in all the places I visited. Tourist infrastructure is quite good, and it's relatively easy to get around. Prague is fairly expensive.

You didn't mention Hungary or Romania, both of which are great destinations for an architecture lover. Hungary has a lot of Art Nouveau buildings and is easier for a western traveler (English widely spoken and a solid transportation infrastructure). Moving around Romania tends to be rather slow and not as many people speak English, but Romanian is a Romance language (albeit one that has accrued some Slavic grammar, so it's quite different from Italian/Spanish/French). In addition to the usual urban architecture (including a lot of half-timbered buildings and some Art Nouveau), Romania has stunning wooden churches in the NW (Maramures) and painted monasteries in the NE (Bukovina).

Then there are the other parts of the former Yugoslavia. Serbia is less westernized and would feel more "foreign", I think. Montenegro is small and probably the warmest of all the places discussed here. But one of its advantages is the lovely mountain scenery, and I just don't think winter is the best time of year to be there. I haven't seen much of Bosnia-Hercegovina (just Mostar and Sarajevo, both a very long time ago).

Hello! I would say that southern Poland would fit your criteria quite nicely. The southern area of what is now Poland has been at the "crossroads of empires" since the middle ages, between the Kingdom of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire, Hapsburg Austria, the Bohemian Kingdom, Prussia, and the Russian Empire, which gives this area quite a deep and multifaceted history.

Even though it is in the heart of Europe, I would say that southern Poland (save for Kraków) is definitely off the international tourist radar. The best way to see this land would be from a car. One could start in Wrocław, in the south western corner, rent a car, and then work one's way eastward.

For potential sites (West - East):

Wrocław - the historic capital of the lower Silesia region, in 2016, the city was named a European Capital of Culture and is home to Centennial Hall which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old center is quite unique, as it incorporates a little of every country that has ruled the city - from Silesian Gothic to Austrian Baroque and German Modernist.

Stołowe Mountains National Park - a primeval forest dotted with some very unique rock formations (they actually filmed one of the Narnia movies there). There are some pretty good hiking spots here.

Zamek Książ - (Schloss Fürstenstein) a large, originally medieval castle of the Duchy of Pleß, that overlooks the Pełcznica river gorge. During WW2 the Germans built underground tunnels here. In these tunnels is apparently where the train filled with Nazi gold is hidden. This tunnel network was part of Project Riese, which was a secret Nazi project consisting of several underground megastructures (for yet unknown reasons).

Protestant Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica - UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe, built after the 30 Years War, when this area was part of the Austrian Empire.

Schloss Pleß at Pszczyna - Baroque style chateau, which used to be owned by the von Pleß family. The interior is very well preserved and many of the original stuff are all still there. It is also historically important as this is the place where Kaiser Wilhelm II had his HQ for the eastern front during WW1.

Kraków - The former royal capital of Poland, with its medieval center designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kraków is a historical and visual gem. Its home to one of the most magnificent (and largest) squares in Europe.

Przemyśl - has a long and rich history due to its advantageous geographic location and is the second-oldest city in southern Poland (after Kraków). Przemyśl also has one of Poland's only surviving pre-WWII Jewish Synagogues (built in 1910). It was not destroyed by the Germans during WWII, as it was used as a stable by the German army during their occupation.

These are just some of the larger sites one can see, there are still many smaller, yet equally interesting, places waiting to be discovered. Throughout the region, you will also find some petty good Polish Pilsner and authentic medieval honey-mead.

It is not central or eastern europe but it fits your request very well.

Look into Sicily. It has alot of what is on your list without the lcrowds. Views galore, architecture, history from the Greeks to World War I and II. And fantastic food and wine. Lodging more reasonable than most of Italy. I had a wonderful time with the archaelogy there etc. 2 yrs ago.
and it is still off most travelers radar. You can go any time of yr, in fact shoulder season weather is cooler.

JS is onto something. The weather would be better in Sicily at the time of year you are considering (though I still wouldn't choose winter), and it is absolutely fascinating. It is doable by public transportation, but stretch the timing if you can. Two weeks there is sort of a bare minimum to hit the highlights, which are unfortunately scattered all over the island.

I loved my trip to Sicily. I would say, though, that the architecture is not as varied as what you might see in some other places. I'm not an expert, though, so subtleties are lost on me.

How about a combination of Croatia and Bosnia? You could fly into Split and spend several days there exploring the Diocletian's Palace area - fascinating architecture that has been occupied and repurposed continually for some 2,000 years. Day trips - and buses - from Split go to villages in the area, and to the nearby islands. But here's where the trip gets more interesting: Rather than heading down to (more touristy) Dubrovnik, given your interests take a bus into Bosnia (about 3-4 hours), staying in Mostar for a couple of days. It is a beautiful, very multi-cultural small city, with gorgeous, very walkable neighborhoods along the rivers that run through town. Next bus or train (3 hours) farther inland and base yourself in the old city part of Sarajevo. When you say: "I was fascinated by Spain's tangled history between Christian, Islamic and Jewish influences," I'm guessing you will find yourself just as fascinated by the tangled history of Sarajevo. The core of the old city is Islamic (Ottoman) in architecture and history; just beyond, the architecture moves into more "modern" Austro-Hungarian design. The history of the interaction of people of Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox loyalties is equally fascinating and complex. There are day trips available out of Sarajevo into the countryside and villages nearby. RS covers Split, Mostar, and Sarajevo (albeit rather briefly) in his "Croatia" book. (And flights out of Sarajevo connect in other European cities, especially Vienna, Frankfurt, etc., to the US. It's also a one hour fairly cheap flight to Ljubljana, if you want to add that on to your itinerary.) More can be read about Sarajevo on wikipedia, tripadvisor, etc. Finally: I did a 14-day independent solo trip this past June: Split/Dubrovnik/Mostar/Sarajevo/Ljubljana and wrote a very lengthy trip report about it on this forum. If you look at my posting history, you could find it. I did not rent a car, either, and used a combination of public transportation, day tours, and one day with a private driver. Good luck planning your trip!!

I should specify that this trip would likely take place sometime from the beginning of October through the end of April. Late-September or early-May would likely be pushing it.

I hadn't even considered Sicily but that's an excellent suggestion!

Please keep the great information coming!

The months you're planning to travel don't exactly reconcile with "mediterranean weather" for most of your proposed destinations. Winter comes early and stays late at northern latitudes of the countries on your list.
If warm weather is important to you then southern Italy and/or Sicily would be the preferred choices ... or Portugal perhaps.

For Central Europe, if you can shoot for as close to May as possible, then I think you will be fine weather-wise. Sept - October is still an ok time to travel in Central Europe too, I traveled through southern Poland last year in late September and early October and I was fine with a soft-shell jacket. In late October/November it starts to get quite chilly.

While I prefer Mediterranean weather, some mild temperatures or a bit of rain wouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker.

There was some light rain for a few days in Spain along with some temperatures in the 60s (low 20s Celsius). Not my favorite weather to travel in, but hardly a travesty.

I would like to avoid freezing temperatures and heavy snow if possible, particularly if I'm driving a rental car. But mild temperatures and some precipitation? Not a problem.

I can't travel much in the summer due to work/family reasons, so if I ever want to see some of these places, I'll have to suit up for the elements :)

I've been to is Salzburg and I think you can skip it. I haven't been to Krakow yet, but it's on my bucket list. An American who lives in Lviv said Krakow is one of his favorite cities to visit. Warsaw was ok but I have no desire to return.

I loved Warsaw and kept extending my time there--10 days in all. But I am a junkie when it comes to 20th century historic sights and museums.

Nathan, with respect to weather, I urge you to explore actual historical day-to-day temperatures in target cities during the appropriate months of the year. I'm currently using timeanddate.com for that purpose. I've linked to Krakow's stats for October 2018, but the information goes back about ten years and should be available for all other major cities. It's important to look at more than one year to get a reasonable feel for the range of what you might experience.

I'm pushing you on this because you mentioned rain in conjunction with moderate temperatures, and in my experience that is not what you are likely to have in central Europe during the time period you are talking about. If it's raining, it's likely to be quite chilly and raw. Perhaps it won't be as bothersome to you as it is to me; I'm quite cold-natured. I find even the low-50s rather unpleasant when I am wet. I've had plenty of rainy days in the 50s in Switzerland (not up in the mountains), for example, and I've never been in that country before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. I had a really unpleasant day in Zagreb on October 10, 2015, and another bad day north of Nice in early May 2016. What those days had in common was so much rain that I got pretty well soaked from mid-thigh down. So temperatures that would have been OK on a dry day were not OK at all.

That's a good point about the rain in Spain (which fell mostly on the Nate...sorry I couldn't resist). The difference between a little precipitation in the mid-60s and the low-50s is a big one.

When I was in Southern Spain, the rain felt like a light, warm shower. I doubt the October rain in Gdansk or Warsaw feels like any shower I'd like to spend much time in.

That weather resource you provided was also interesting, particularly as I browsed through the various cities' temperature trends for October. Krakow, Prague, Vienna and more all show massive historical swings throughout October.

Going back over the past few years, it's not unusual to see a city start October with sunny skies in the mid-70s, dip in and out of near-freezing temperatures throughout the month, before wrapping up Halloween with rain and highs in the mid-30s.

My guess is we will have to push the trip to either the very beginning of our possible timeframe (early October), or the very end of it (late April or early May) to fully enjoy any of these destinations. I'm adding Sicily to this list, which looks quite lovely in both October and April.

Keep the good advice coming! I'm reading all of it, and appreciate it very much.

Sandomierz is a good smaller town in Poland, easily accessible from Warsaw or Kraków. Also Czestochowa which is a major historical shrine for Poles. Lonely Planet guide has good info on both places.

I was traveling around the Balkans in September and early October 2015. The shift from summer to fall was perceptible. It went from warm with virtually no rain to cooler with rain every few days. The shift began during the last week of September in Bulgaria and picked up steam in Montenegro through the rest of the month and into early October. All my locations were farther south than all of yours (except Sicily). To me as a public-transportation user, October feels like a sketchy month. Folks using rental cars have a bit more protection from the weather.

I may have been a bit unlucky at the tail end of that trip (and thank heavens I was leaving Europe when I did), but I'm proof that you can't count on October being consistently gorgeous everywhere.

One thing I don't believe anyone has brought up in this thread is the difference in daylight hours in April vs. October. This, too, is very obvious when you travel during the early fall. It gets dark earlier and earlier. I have a particular problem with lack of sun (I tend to spend more time in my hotel room), but every traveler who enjoys walking around outside, looking at historic buildings, will notice that the time for doing that constricts week by week.

If you're willing to broaden your area of interest, then take a look at National Geographic's Best Trips 2019.

As lovely as many of those destinations look, I think I'm sticking to Eastern or Central Europe with this trip.

I did take a peek at Montenegro for a quick minute. That would be a nice stop in a trip through the Balkans.

Nate, you say you will travel sometime between October and April. Of course, weather-wise, there is often a big difference between fall, mid-winter and early spring, so your ultimate dates should influence your destination(s).
I have been to most for the places mentioned here, not quite all, and in general my recommendations would be: Prague/Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Sicily or Greece. All are wonderful. Greece and Prague are the most well-touristed, and might be easiest for a relatively inexperienced traveller. Bulgaria is one of the least well-touristed, but therefore not crowded, and I would not fear the language issue. Many, many people speak English well, and once you learn the Bulgaria alphabet (similar to Russian), even signs are manageable and fun. I don't know if you are a "tour person", but the Rick Steves Tours in all these places are wonderful. You would learn incredibly more and not be by yourself almost all the time. I highly recommend the Rick Steves Tours in Bulgaria, Sicily and Greece. At least, you would benefit from looking over the RS tour itineraries for ideas, although an individual traveler cannot easily match the pace and diversity of the tour itineraries, given the dedicated bus and the guide's and driver's inside knowledge of getting from place to place. Enjoy the planning, then the travel, and the knowledge you have a whole lifetime to visit those places you don't select for this trip!

I'm going to take a different tack here (probably an unpopular one).

OP says he's been to Europe once. Once. Nine nights in Spain.

Now, he's looking at Poland and Bulgaria. Folks here are tossing out suggestions for Sicily, The Balkans, and more.

To be clear, all the places mentioned are wonderful. And everyone should go where they want to go. That said, I think there's something to be said for gaining some travel experience in less exotic places (before tackling, say, Istanbul) and there's also some valid reasons for going first to some less exotic-sounding places. Place like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Rome - you know, the places that you all went (probably several times) before you ventured off to destinations where the signs are in Cyrillic.

Someone who is brand new to European travel who comes here, could easily get the impression that you're a complete travel wuss if you're not solo backpacking to Lviv, Yerevan, or at least Ephesus. London? Paris? Venice? Come on, that's for sissies!!!

I've enjoy Vilnius and Agrigento as much as anyone. But I'm glad I went to Brussels and Florence before I went there. I was a much smarter, much better-prepared traveler for the experience I gained. There's also this to consider: Once you've wandered the back alleys of Marrakech, Munich may seem like "a bit of a wet noodle by comparison" (to use a term that Rick Steves himself employed, when he suggested that on a grand tour of Europe, your sequence should probably put London before Rome).

The regular contributors here have many years of travel experience under their belts. So for them it's just a grand adventure when they contemplate heading off to Bucharest or Baku. But for someone whose total travel experience is 9 nights on one trip to Spain...heading for Skopje or even Warsaw is a bigger lift. Too big? Maybe not...but to me it feels like someone who is skipping all of the 100- and 200- level classes and jumping right into the Masters Degree material because that's more interesting (and because it looks like that's what the cool kids are doing).

One last consideration: the international travel business is exploding. Popular destinations are becoming more and more overwhelmed with each passing season. That's one of the reasons why many of us are looking to less-exploited destinations, but it's worth asking: won't you ever want to go to Paris, to London, to Venice, to other less exotic destinations? Those places are wonderful, and they'll not only help you get more out of an eventual trip to Belgrade, but they're worth seeing in their own right. I'd venture to say they're probably worth seeing first. Those are the places that are getting more and more crowded fast. If you defer a trip to London or Venice, those places are not going to be any better after 10 more years pass and the crowding continues off the charts - see them now before you have to make a reservation months in advance just to walk down the Champs Elysées or get within sight of the Eiffel Tower (OTOH, Minsk probably isn't going to change all that much in the coming years).

The OP certainly should be free to pick where he wants to go. But if he were a friend of mine, I'd urge him to defer plans for Eastern Europe until he had actually seen something of the more "mainstream" places.

Just my 2 eurocents.

I had a much more dramatic weather change than acraven did. I was in Poland for 10 days in September 2013 (Krakow and Warsaw). The first half was warm and dry. Then, it abruptly changed to rainy and raw. Not only was it unpleasant to be out and about, but you haven't seen dreary until you've seen Warsaw in the rain.

In David's post, he mentioned Istanbul. Look into it! It should tick all your boxes (history and culture, food, etc) and will have better weather than places further north.

I'll also say you should consider Hungary. Budapest alone will keep you busy for days, and again there's delicious food, fascinating architecture, a tangled history to grapple with, and lots of day trips and overnights. Also, while Hungary certainly has cold in the winter, it also is not as cold as some other neighboring countries. (There's a reason their cuisine features paprika, made from peppers; peppers can grow there, while a place like Poland is too cold).

I see David's point, but:

• I would argue that the major cities and most popular smaller destinations in Poland aren't really much harder to get around in than the major cities in Italy, assuming you speak neither Polish nor Italian. Poland is awash in English-speakers. As I walked down the sidewalks in Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk and Wroclaw is particular, I encountered many people whose demeanor said "local, not a tourist" who were speaking native English. Some may have been students; others, expatriates working there. I didn't feel as if I was traveling in the old Eastern Europe. That comment certainly does not apply to Bulgaria or Serbia, and smaller, more off-the-beaten-path places in central Europe do feel "different". (But then, you can run into that vibe is some rural parts of western Europe as well.)

• I do not own a crystal ball and am not a betting person, but I'm not sure the most over-crowded places in Europe (the Vatican Museums, the Cinque Terre, certain parts of Venice and of Prague, etc.) are going to get all that much worse. As for specific sights, if you already have to book them in advance, does it make so much difference whether it's 4 days in advance, 4 weeks in advance, or 4 months in advance? Once a sight has gotten so crowded it sells tickets for specific time blocks, it is controlling access and isn't likely to get worse than its current busiest periods (which, admittedly, can be dreadful).

By contrast, the highlight areas in many of the former Iron Curtain countries are changing even as I type this post. Anyone who says Krakow is the next Prague has, I suspect, not been to Krakow recently. Krakow is already a second Prague. And L'viv is well on the way to being a third Prague. For heaven's sake, don't wait.

I would do Slovenia-Croatia. I'd do Ljubljana (3 nights), Rijeka (2 nights), Split (3 nights), Hvar (3 nights), Plitvice Lakes (1 night), Zagreb (3 nights). Croatia is a great country, lots of friendly people. You can rent a car or use Flixbus (Zagreb-Zadar - 4 hours - 13 €). Lots of cheap housing - PM me for my go-to guy in Zagreb, but the basic thing in Croatia is the sobe, AirBnB before AirBnB was AirBnB. Wine is great. Rakija is the distilled spirit, in either fruit flavors (pear, plum) or as a vodka-like neutral spirit.

Hi,

Other than Berlin or Munich in Germany, which you seem to want to avoid this time, i could think of numerous, numerous places, other than those on the typical American tourist radar, in Germany to spend the 14 nights or even 30 plus nights.

Where? In eastern, central and northern Germany, all depends on how curious you are in exploring, the depth of your interests, getting out to places not visited by international tourists (luckily), both cities and towns connected with German history and culture, be it German literature, science, architecture,

music, geography, historical significance, etc, such as Soest/Westf.. Celle, Husem/Schleswig-Holstein, Weimar, Hameln, Minden an der Weser, Erfurt, Goslar, Leipzig, Göttingen, Marburg, Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Magdeburg, Lüneburg, Meissen, Naumburg an der Saale, Jena, Kiel and its greater area, Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Greifswald, and much more.

I would say as a generalization the more esoteric the topic/focus of the history or cultural museums that they are located in small towns and smaller cities.

This is your second trip to Europe that you're planning...bravo! My second trip I started out by landing in and visiting Paris, since I focused on London, Berlin and Vienna on the first trip.

I would suggest as you are considering central or east central Europe doing all of the 14 nights in Germany or, if not that, (quite understandably ), then focus only on Poland. Time-wise I have not been to Poland at the height of summer, ie in July for the 3 times I visited there. I would with Carlos' suggestion that it's best to go in May, days are getting longer, temperature is mild, especially if you don't want to " bake " in that central Europe heat.

Like Germany, numerous places to choose when visiting Poland, just depends on priorities and depth of interest. Even before WW2 and the horrors of Nazism wreaked upon Poland, keep in mind that present -day Poland was a battle ground in WW1 beginning with the Russian invasions of Galicia in 1914 with one of the strategic objectives still in Poland today...Przemsyl. The other target was Lemberg, which is over the border in the Ukraine known as Lviv.

Small towns in Poland can be reached by train or bus...no problem. .I've done that twice, Malbork in 2003 by train from Gdansk. I didn't think of taking the bus for that day trip but I wanted to see the train station anyway for its historical significance. I took the bus from Torun to Chelmno on the Vistula as a day trip, ca one hour two years later. That bus central station in Torun showed numerous of towns accessible from Torun.

You have singularly good recommendations from Carlos above, eg, Schloss Pless in Pszczynz, a bit south of Katowice. How about the towns in the Masurian Lakes area and the lower Vistula? You just might be the only anglophone tourist there. These two areas are only two of my travel sights in Poland.

Keep in mind too that although Poland suffered horribly in WW2 at the hands of the German Nazis and the Russians (In Warsaw and Krakow you'll see the memorial to "Katyn") there are towns that escaped destruction and ended up in 1944 not being plastered by artillery and leveled by bombs. These places escaped the war basically intact, Krakow, Chelmno, and towns in the lower Vistula. Some of these towns the Soviets by passed in 1944.

Bottom line...you know where to go in Poland, this 14 night time span will seem fleeting. Each of the 3 visits, I had wished extending the stay by another day or two should have been factored in.

On the language issue....true, you'll most likely find locals speaking English, therefore, no problems, but the main thing, if it bothers you, is that you can't read the signs or explanations, etc. Language -wise I never had a problem other than not being able to read signs, advertisements, instructions, explanations, and understand announcements unless given also in other languages. In Warsaw I used English only, in Gdansk I used German mostly, in Krakow mostly German, some English. In Torun just English, in Chelmno used German.

Easter Sunday is April 12, 2020. If you can wait until then, Sicily in late April could be beautiful, with tons of wildflowers, and beautiful Mediterranean vistas. There's plenty of variety - architecture, history, ancient ruins, good food and wine. You would need a car for about half the time.

Hungary is another good place for history, architecture, good food and great wines. You can get get around most of the country by train and bus. Budapest has lots too see, and the smaller cities are lovely - Pécs , Szeged, Kecskemét. Early October, the weather is usually mild.

I'm currently planning a trip to the French Riviera in late March. My research says the weather is mild, there are few tourists, great scenery, charming towns and villages.

Thank you all for your helpful advice and suggestions! I am parsing through all of your tips and will continue to read up on these wonderful places.

Based off your suggestions and my continued research, I'm looking at this:

-- Poland and Czechia are the two strongest candidates, with plenty of sights and good tourist infrastructure. If I had to pick one at this point, I would probably pick Poland.

-- Bulgaria and Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia will have to wait for a future trip. I did actually consider the RS tour of Bulgaria, but that may be more enjoyable when I have a guaranteed travel partner.

-- Sicily has been added to the possibilities...but is Sicily really any more manageable than any of the aforementioned destinations? Similar to Bulgaria, I am wondering if this would be better served by a future Best of Sicily tour.

-- I'm going to do more research on Hungary, but I think it's a very interesting prospect. Hungary sounds like a happy medium between the exotic (for a second-time traveler to Europe) and the touristy (correct me if I'm wrong with this assumption).

-- I'm looking at either late-September/early-October or late-April/early-May for any of these destinations.

-- As for London, Paris, Venice and the other "mainstream" destinations, those are going to have to wait until my 10-year-old daughter is old enough for European travel. I'd like for us to experience the heavy hitters of Europe together, once she is able to fully appreciate them. Plus, I don't think she would ever forgive me if I went to the U.K. without her. She's a Harry Potter dork (like myself), but when I took her to Universal Studios this summer, she wouldn't stop complaining about all of the walking we had to do. Needless to say, I think London is too much for her right now...but when she's approaching college and adult life? We'll see :)

Too much information is a great problem to have, so please keep it coming!

Bulgaria vs. Sicily:

Bulgaria is more than 4 times the size of Sicily. (This does not mean you can "see" Sicily in a week!)

Unless you've studied Russian, you won't be able to understand written or spoken Bulgarian. The biggest challenge will probably be pinning down transportation schedules. Even in western European countries, it's somewhat harder to find reliable online sources for bus schedules than train schedules. And you will need to use some buses in both places.

If you get way off the tourist path and stumble into a restaurant that gets no tourist traffic, have fun with the Bulgarian menu. (Hint: chicken kebabs and lamb kebabs are nearly always available.) We've all grown up with some exposure to Italian menu terms; Bulgarian, not so much. Also, your odds of finding an English-free menu are much lower in Sicily.

On the other hand, the afternoon break in Sicily (probably not as extreme during shoulder season as in high summer) can be a bit frustrating to tourists. Bulgarian shops are much more likely to work straight through the day and be open long hours. The economy is week; people seem to work long hours to make ends meet.

I do read Cyrillic, and I've spent a lot more time studying Russian than Italian (though long ago, so I don't remember much), but Bulgaria still felt more foreign to me than Sicily.

Now that we have narrowed down the timing and also to Poland and Czechia, with Poland the strongest candidate, we can start getting into more specifics. Poland itself is a big country with many possibilities.

With 14 nights, I am thinking about two options:
1- Combine Northern Czechia and South Western Poland and do a bit of a loop: starting at Prague, heading up to Wrocław, turning east to Kraków, and then travel south-west to Olomouc, then ending up back in Prague. Doing this route by car would allow one the greatest freedom to stop in the smaller towns and enjoy the natural scenery in the countryside.

2- If you want to just focus on Poland, one could do a pretty good "Best of Poland" trip in 18 days:

Fly into Warsaw
-Warsaw (3 nights)

-Torun (2 nights)

-Malbork (2 nights): With a day trip through the Masurian lakes district to the Grunwald Battlefield/Museum.

-Gdansk (2 nights)

-Gniezno (2 nights): With a day trip to the Iron Age fortified settlement of Biskupin

-Wroclaw (3 nights): With a day trip to the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica

-Kraków (4 nights): With a day trip to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains and Schloss Pleß at Pszczyna
Fly out of Kraków

As you can see, I added a tad bit more than the 14 nights you have. You would have to see what you would like to cut back on, depending on your interests. Hope this gives a good starting point :)

While everyone talks about the Czech Republic, most tourists seem to forget Slovakia. I could easily spend a couple weeks doing what used to be Bohemia with stops in the major cities of Pilzen, Prague, Brno, and Kosice. I like the food and beer, the people, and the scenery. While WWII wasn't too hard on the architecture, most of the post war stuff is hideous. You might want to include Budapest into this, and that would be a really interesting trip.

If you wanted to go a little further south (more noodles, less potatoes) you could easily do a trip along the Austrian border from, say Innsbruck, Lubjana, Zagreb, and Budapest. In fact, I may have to look at doing that myself.

We spent 15 days in Poland and covered much of the ground Carlos suggested. It was a lovely trip, combination of cities and smaller towns.

Warsaw (1 night — arrived late in day)
Gdańsk (3 nights)
Malbork — On way to Torun
Torun (2 nights)
Gniezno — On way to Wrocław (saw cathedral. Had to cut trip to Biskupin)
Wrocław (3 nights) - day trip to Swidnica (loved it!)
Krakow (3 nights)
Zakopane (2 nights)
Warsaw (2 nights)

If we had had more time, I would have added time for Gniezno (to see Biskupin plus some Romanesque churches) and Silesia. We also cut Warsaw short but figured it was a place we could get back to since it’s a logical starting or ending spot for a trip.

I really enjoyed Poland. We might even go back next summer and pick up some places we missed.

We did trip by train. We used bus for some day trips and to Zakopane.

Before firming up an itinerary for Poland, I'd really dig into a guidebook and read about the major sights in and near Krakow (Auschwitz, Schindler factory, salt mine), Warsaw (too many to list) and Gdansk (Solidarity Center and World War II museum). Some of those places take many hours to see. The Gdansk WW II museum was something like 20 hours for me (yes, I am extreme). If you want to see some small towns as well as really dig into the historical sights and museums, you would probably do better not to try to cover the entire county in one trip.

On the other hand, you won't need so much time in the major cities if your primary interest is in walking around outdoors to enjoy the architecture. Warsaw, in particular, has a fairly limited area with historic (mostly rebuilt) buildings, so if you don't care to visit places like the Rising Museum, the Katyn Museum and POLIN (the Jewish Museum), you don't need a lot of days in the city. For me it was a rather busy 9-1/2 days, though I did go to Treblinka one day.

Gdansk is gorgeous, but I am not sure about the weather in the spring. The Baltic coast can be both chilly and wet.

On Poland and Czechia the strongest candidates: Bravo. My compliments on your choices as you are narrowing the itinerary. A hard decision to make (generally), but between the two I would go for Poland for the recommendations and regions listed above and more specific towns I would track down.

On Czechia, if it that is what you finally choose, as respects to architecture, like Krakow, Prague survived the war with relatively little war damage, given a war time situation, in spite of it being the longest foreign capital under German occupation, even after Hitler was dead.

If you want to see the American role in the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945, go to Plzen. The "American Monument" dedicated to US troops in Pilsen in 1945 is located close to the Zentrum, ca 30 walk from the train station. I saw it in 2001. It was only built after the fall of communism.

I am leaning more and more toward Poland. Not particularly surprising, as this was one of my leading candidates from the start.

I really like the "Best of Poland" itinerary Carlos provided, but it's not possible for 14 nights. I'd have to cut a couple of overnight stops (Gniezno and Malbork?) to make it work, and even then it would be very tight.

Krakow sounds like it's worth 4-5 nights alone, especially considering its multiple day trips. Auschwitz is a must, while Pszczyna Castle and Zakopane both look lovely.

Tack on 3 nights apiece in Gdansk and Warsaw, plus Wroclaw and Torun...oops, I missed my plane :)

Does anyone have recommendations for Poland-centric guidebooks? I have Rick Steves' Eastern Europe and I am aware of his Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw Snapshot, but I wonder if there is a book that delves a bit deeper into Poland than these.

I see DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet each have guidebooks on Amazon. Any comments on those? I am not usually fan of Lonely Planet for its strange, hipster writing, but this one could be different.

Hi Nathan, I've had another crack at my "Best of Poland" itinerary, and I've come up with this 14 night version:

Fly into Warsaw

-Warsaw (3 nights)

{Stop at Toruń along the way to see it's walled medieval-quarter

-Gdansk (3 nights): With a day trip to Malbork Castle

{Stop at Gniezno (the cradle of Poland) to see the Cathedral

-Wroclaw (3 nights): With a day trip to the Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica

-Kraków (5 nights): With day-trips to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains, Pszczyna Castle, and Auschwitz-Birkenau

Fly out of Kraków

For a guide book, the sole focus of which is Poland, not Poland connected with another country, I heartily recommend "The Rough Guide Poland."...more than ample cultural, geographical, and historical information for 14 nights, even 30 nights and counting.

All the areas you may want to consider...the east, Lublin, Suwalki, etc, the west, ie east of the Oder to the Wartha, the Vistula bend, etc, the north, eg Gdansk and the lower Vistula, the greater Warsaw area, and the Silesian area from Krakow to Katowice to the Oder.

I am late to add to this thread, but I want to add my 2 cents.

Poland is great, and most of it is still under-discovered by non-European mass tourism. I went to Poland in 2016 and 2017. English is well spoken and Polish folks are polite+helpful. The infrastructure is new and modern. In Warsaw, bus ticket machines in the streets are multi-lingual and take foreign credit cards (very different from, say, Zurich and Amsterdam). Some are wifi hotspots!

I feel extremely safe walking around in Poland (even at night), as a single female. I would not make this very same comment about Germany.

Food in Poland is amazing. There are dirt-cheap "milk bars" which are remnants of Communist era cafeterias and posh restaurants. Both are great bargains compared to US prices. People in the service industry are customer-oriented and not xenophobic.

Shopping is awesome because Poland's shopping scene is not yet flooded with international retail chains that sell the same low-cost, disposable-quality merchandise everywhere else. I bought a lot of authentic handicrafts to put on the walls of my home.

Credit cards are widely accepted, even at laundromats!

If you enjoy third-wave coffee, then you will be spoiled. The specialty coffee scene is world class. Ditto for bakeries and cake shops.

Poland in general is super affordable, as the country didn't adopt the bloody euro. I stayed at the Ibis Budget (1, cheapest in the Accor Hotels chain) in Warsaw for $10 per night on Tue-Thur during low-season (booked in advance)!!!!! Despite the low cost, their hotel rooms were cleaner than 95% of 4+ hotels in the US and western Europe.

The only concern is weather. Poland can be cold. Keep your plans flexible to adjust for local weather changes. Last minute bookings are not expensive in Poland. You may not get the $10 room in Warsaw, but everything is still well-priced. One important exception--for your Auschwitz Camp visit, be sure to book in advance online.

Thank you for the revised itinerary! I think that's a great place to start. More research with the "The Rough Guide" guidebook is needed.

My guess is I'll have to be quite selective. Even with 14 nights, Poland is a large country with many sights and museums. I'm certain I'll miss a worthwhile stop or two given my time restraints.

Just more reason to return one day....but first, I have to plan my initial trip! :)

Watch for cheap air tickets from LOT and Ryan Air. Gdansk to Wroclaw or Krakow is a long journey.

Additional thoughts:

1. If you like hotsprings, then the Zakopane area in the Tatra mountains to the south of Krakow is nice. This area is great for skiing and relaxation. Will likely require a rental car, but you can ask if local tours are offered. The chalets rival those in the Austrian or Swiss Alps (but cost far less). If you like intricate woodwork, you will be delighted with the decor and furnishing there.

2. In Wroclaw, don't miss the Water Museum. I am not a museum person, but I was fascinated by this place. Highly recommended! Once you have ironed out the details in your itinerary, post again so that I can tell you the fantastic restaurants in these cities, except Gdansk (haven't been there yet).

Also, I should note that while I am doing research and leaning toward Poland, this trip is in no way settled.

In particular, I'm still reading up on Czechia and Hungary as well.

So if you have any helpful suggestions on any of those three countries that would complement my aforementioned interests (wayyyy up at the top of this thread now), please don't hesitate to add them!

I would go to the fora for those countries. For Hungary, look for posts by James E, who has a special interest in Hungary, and goes there 2-3 times per year. He always has good things to say about, specifically, Budapest.

And there are at least two regular posters about Czechia as well. Many suggestions of good places to go that are not Cesky Krumlov.

Don't wait until your daughter is an adult to travel with her. By then, it may be too hard to fit it into her schedule with internships and jobs and summer classes. We took our daughter to Greece and Italy the summer after 6th grade and to Germany and Turkey the summer after 10th grade. Before we went to Turkey, she(and her friends) said she would get blown up. After we went, she said Turkey was her favorite part of the trip. We have been to London twice since then and she feels very comfortable on the Tube and can often point us in the right direction! She often talks about her love for Marks and Spencer sandwiches and her favorite drugstore(the omnipresent chain, whose name slips my mind at the moment.) We usually travel somewhere Christmasy in Dec and London is her all-time favorite. I will admit we got the "too much walking" thing out of her at a young age-my husband did a sabbatical in Hampstead when she was 4 and our flat was 10 blocks away from the Tube Station. Fortunately there was a grocery store next to the station, so I was able to bribe her with Skittles.

Re: reading up on Hungary, I heartily suggest The Rough Guide Budapest...very useful, practical, enlightening. I would suggest also some historical works on Budapest but that depends on the level of your historical interest in pursuing esoteric historical sites, good, bad , and the ugly in BP aside from the usual ones.

I am bookmarking this thread for a future trip to Poland! Thanks.

Well, you are all over the place .... and thats fine. I spend a lot of time in Budapest and that works well for me because it pairs well with so much in Central and Eastern Europe (via Wizzair). So some ideas around Budapest / Hungary AND:

Warmer Weather

Montenegro. From the Beaches to the mountains to the fjords. This is a stunning country with old fortified towns and river adventures; shoreline and mountains. Hard to beat for a week.

Albania. Well, you wanted off the beaten path. To be honest I havent done it yet, but my research is complete and i can not resist the opportunity. In the spring it may very well be Albania, Ukraine, Budapest.....

Cooler Weather

Ukraine. Kyiv is amazing, Odessa is one of the worlds great party towns, Lviv is full of great architecture. Currently my favorite "return to and return to and return to" destination (after Budapest)

Bulgaria. I once hired a car and driver and traveled from Sofia to Istanbul. Took 6 days as we stopped at every creek and river and fished. A nearly perfect trip.

What about Georgia? But explore beyond Tbilisi, if possible deep into the Svaneti region in the North-West. Have a look at John Graham Tours for ideas, or join one of his tours - I cannot recommend them higly enough.

Poland sounds like it fits all your requirements and is probably a great choice for you, but I was going to come in and suggest Bosnia and Croatia as well, if you want a more Mediterranean option. They're very beautiful places and relatively easy travel, as long as you don't mind taking buses to get around much of the time.

You didn't mention Greece at all, but with so much coastline and islands, there are a ton off "off the beaten path" and very affordable experiences to be had in Greece. You just have to avoid Santorni and similar places to experience that.

But I think you'll have a great time in Poland as well.