Best of Eastern Europe trip reports

Diane I think they just started the first one's of the season for this itinerary. We leave Friday for ours that starts Sunday. We will do a trip report when we get back with plenty of time before you go on yours. Cheers!

Have you read the comments from past tour members? I know that they are old, but I think they are just starting up again and the itinerary looks similar to what we did

We went in 2019 and loved everything about it. There were some days with long bus rides, but they break them up with various kinds of stops. I chose not to go to Auschwitz, and instead went to the Schindler Museum and took a tour there.

I've looked at the scrapbooks from past trips, though not trip comments. I'm interested to hear travelers' impressions of this year's trip. I hope you have a great trip, jlkelman! I can't wait to hear about your experiences!

Hi Diane, My husband and I did the BOEE in May. I'm hoping to do a scrapbook at some point. Is there something in particular I can answer for you now?

RJN, I'm particularly interested in any changes because of covid - sites that are closed or that still have covid restrictions. I have looked at scrapbooks from the past, and I noticed online that one of the Budapest hotels that groups have stayed at in the past is now permanently closed. Where did you stay in Budapest? Also, we're arriving in Prague a couple of days early. Are most of the Prague sites fully open? I've been pouring through my guide books planning our free time there! And I look forward to seeing your scrapbook when it's posted!

Hi Diane! I got back yesterday. Everything is open, no real COVID restrictions that I noticed. In Budapest we stayed at Hotel Andrassy right on Andrassy Ut. I'll do a short trip report in the coming days. We had a wonderful time!

Thank you for the update. I'm so glad you had a good time - I'm so looking forward to our trip!

Also . . . according to the itinerary for time in Prague, we'll meet the group for a walking tour on Day 1 and visit Prague Castle on the morning of Day 2. Besides a walk around the Old Town, did you visit any sites on the Day 1 walking tour? I've got a (long) list of places we'd like to visit before the official tour begins, and I'd like to make sure that we don't duplicate since we probably won't be able to go everywhere that we'd like to.

No sites on the Day 1 walking tour, just the outside of buildings.

Thank you! That helps a lot. We'll make sure that we visit any sites in the Old and New Towns before the group meets. By the time we leave Prague, we'll need that long rest on the bus ride to Krakow!

We are going on the tour starting Sept. 4. By chance, is that the one you are going on? We just returned from Best of Eastern France, and I haven't had time to research very much for the September trip. I do know that I will stay back on the day the group goes to Auschwitz. I know loads about it,and know that it would be far too emotional for me. I am starting to research what to do on my own. I hope you have a great trip.

I stayed back instead of going to Auschwitz. Way too hard for me with my family history. We chose instead to go to the Schindler Factory which, while still very emotional did have some positive notes. We took a guided tour and I'm glad we did. On our way back to the hotel we spent some time in the Kazimierz Jewish District.

Vonnie, we will be on the same trip - and we also live in Michigan - north of Detroit! We were on the Paris and the Heart of France trip in 2018 and it was fantastic - I hope you enjoyed the Eastern France trip! Are you getting to Prague early?

Diane, I sent you a private message some time ago and I wonder if you saw it. Yes, we get to Prague a day early...on Friday. Are you going to Cesky Krumlov?

Didn't take the tour this year; we were on this trip prior to COVID and loved it. Had a fantastic guide named Peter. This was a fascinating tour for us. We took it because we went to several countries we hadn't been to before. I was more comfortable doing this part of Europe on a tour first. Have been back to a few places since.

We got to Prague early and rented an apartment for 3 days. We took a great food tour one day and a beer tour another day. I am not a beer drinker regularly, but this tour took us to such interesting places.

In Krakow we also did a food tour that showed us a different side of the city. The tour was through Urban Adventures (UA). One of the RS guides in Krakow also worked for UA. He was the guide when we went to Nova Huta. The guide we had for the castle in Krakow and the city was not our favorite, so I might spend more time in the castle if we went back.

If you feel comfortable, taking in the baths in Budapest is an experience. I'd recommend doing it. Be sure to do the big central market.

Ljubljana was our favorite city. We stayed a couple of extra days at the end of the tour. Easy bus ride from Lake Bled. We also took a food tour here - are you seeing a pattern? We took a GoOpti shuttle to Venice when we left.

Have a great time!

Vonnie, I did see your message and I sent a message back to you - did you receive it? Let me know if you didn't and I'll resend. We're going to spend our extra time in the city of Prague because there is so much that we want to see there!

Catherine, what did you do in Ljubljana? We've added a day there, and I'm wondering whether we should have added at least two!

Diane,
I did not receive your message to my inbox. Could you resend it?
Vonnie

Hi Vonnie! I sent another reply, so please let me know if you don't receive it.

Diane, I still didn't get it. Oh well. See you in September, I hope.

That is strange - both messages are showing up in my sent messages. I'm sorry about that! We look forward to meeting you in Prague!

I discovered where your private messages to me were! I was posting from my husband's account. Sorry. I've enjoyed your link to the blog about Krakow. I sent you another pm. See you soon in Prague!