Smoking in Eastern Europe

Eastern Europeans love to smoke and they haven't taken too kindly to attempts by their respective governments to ban smoking in public areas. There's no smoking in train stations but they've set up strange glass boths at several stations for them to smoke in. They might as well hang some hams in there while they're at it. Some train cars allow smoking in certain areas of the car, as if the smoke will defy physics and not move about the rest of the cabin. All of your medium and large hotels have non-smoking rooms. Restaurants and bars are still pretty smoky. Of course, theaters, museums, historical sites and such are smoke free. I was amazed by the number of teen-aged girls I saw smoking on our last trip.

We went to Croatia in September 2008 and I swear everyone smoked! I have to admit that it was unpleasant. Thankfully, we were able to eat outside all the time. I did not notice the same discomfort in Poland nor in C.R. Croatia was much worse in that way. BEAUTIFUL place! LOVED it! but that part was a downer. Perhaps the last 2 years have made a difference, so don't let it alter your plans.

The worst place you'll encounter is restaurants. Not all enforce no-smoking ordinances and so you'll have to scope them out first. More tourist oriented places are more likely to be smoke free whereas local dives that RS loves to highlight will have more "character." Sitting outside I find can be worse because if your close-by neighbor (often at the same table) smokes, it's in your face. And there is nothing you can do about that.

Make sure you stay in hotels and/or rooms that are smoke free. If previous guests have smoked in the room, you'll know.

Most other public places will be smoke free for the most part.