The Holidays Thread

Van Der Graaf

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Bit late, but the trip to Macedonia/Serbia/Croatia was the best thing I've ever done....Belgrade derby and Ohrid were my highlights. Skopje is just bizarre, and Osijek will see my presence again for a proper explore. Train from Skopje to Belgrade was a huge experience. Especially when all the Syrian refugees hopped on at the border crossing.

Looking to the future, I have Copenhagen for the derby next month already. £20 return flight! I may book Montenegro, Albania or the Athens derby during my reading week the penultimate weekend of November. I've booked the 150th Belgrade Derby next February taking in Montenegro, Serbia and Hungary as I got stupidly cheap flights into Podgorica and out of Budapest. April I'm torn between Bosnia or Slovenia or both. Next summer an interrailing trip is in the advance planning stages (I.e; I want to book, but can't commit my time so far in advance because of work).

Saying that, I think I'm going to end up with a much longer list of places I want to go, due to studying Europe in such detail for my degree. My main target is to get a passport stamp from every Balkan country before I graduate. 3 years to go, two stamps down.....Means I'll have to go back to one of my favourite countries in Macedonia though, shame :blush: Of course, my time abroad next year will help me knock out further huge chunks of my bucket list.
 

Deuce_Bigalow

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Back to Thailand for me in December, anyone got any advice on going from Bangkok, through Cambodia onto Vietnam Ho Chi Minh city and up to Hanoi.
 

Veggie Legs

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Van Der Graaf Podgorica is the most boring city I've ever been to, don't plan to spend much time there. The Montenegrin coast around Kotor is much more interesting.
 

Van Der Graaf

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I'm only there a day prior to the night train to Belgrade.
 

Van Der Graaf

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Vilnius has been booked for a few days during my reading week, Skyscanner is really my weakness. Beyond the Old Town and KGB Museum, is there anything worth seeing?
 

Magic

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Summed up perfectly.

By the end of the week I could say I'd had a genuinely good time. Ate really well, enjoyed seeing the sites in and around the Medina, went out to Essouira for a day which was lovely...but a lot of people in Marrakech really didn't endear themselves to me.

The haggling thing isn't my cup of tea really. And I don't particularly like the whole process of walking into the shop and immediately having about 20 items pointed out to you, getting a whole spiel about how great everything is, being given some sort of practical demonstration or being dressed up and told you can take a picture of yourself and show it to your friends...but all that is a sort of routine that's the cultural norm. I guess if it bothers you that much, don't go to Marrakech.

However, people actively getting you lost, lying to you, attempting to con you...it happens all the fucking time. Luckily after a couple of days we'd really studied the map closely so could get around the Medina without looking so obviously like lost tourists. We also learned never to tell anyone where we were going - if you do they'll immediately march ahead of you, claim they've led you there and demand payment.

So yeah...good time had, but I won't be going back. And I'd definitely advise people that you need to be streetwise and at times incredibly un-British when it comes to politeness if you want to get through the holiday without having the piss taken out of you.
For about ten minutes we thought we were being taken hostage by a ten year old boy who led us down some fucking tiny tunnel within the souk.

Funny now...
 

Stevencc

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I went to Paris once.
 

BlueBee

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Paris is the worst city in Europe. Shit hole with a big fuck off tower....that's it. I'd honestly go to Liverpool or Manchester before choosing to go to Paris.
 

liu

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My wife loved it during the few days we spent in Paris. I was less interested into the art thing but at least the food was good.
 

Nath

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Just back from Iceland. Beautiful country. We stayed in Reykjavik, which is an amazing city. The people are great and the nightlife is fantastic. The only thing I'd say is that it's very expensive. The waterfalls are something I'll never forget and the blue lagoon was a strange experience. I'll definitely be going back.
 

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Blue Lagoon is fantastic - very other wordly and atmospheric. I stopped off in Reykjavik on the way back from America, however I'd love to spend more time there and see more of the island. I met a German couple who got the car ferry from Denmark to Iceland (2 day trip) and drove the coast of the country. Sounded great.

Going to Budapest in December when I'm back from Hong Kong - has anyone been?
 
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nousername

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Summed up perfectly.
However, people actively getting you lost, lying to you, attempting to con you...it happens all the fucking time. Luckily after a couple of days we'd really studied the map closely so could get around the Medina without looking so obviously like lost tourists. We also learned never to tell anyone where we were going - if you do they'll immediately march ahead of you, claim they've led you there and demand payment.

So yeah...good time had, but I won't be going back. And I'd definitely advise people that you need to be streetwise and at times incredibly un-British when it comes to politeness if you want to get through the holiday without having the piss taken out of you.

I don't mind the hard sell to be honest. As you say, once you disperse with the British pleasantries, you can quickly learn to ignore them or tell them to piss off.

It's the constant lying that eventually gets to me in these places. By the end of a trip I've turned into quite a grumpy, cynical chap with almost no patience, even for some poor soul whose chopped off his left arm to earn a living begging...
 

Cheese & Biscuits

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Paris is the worst city in Europe. Shit hole with a big fuck off tower....that's it. I'd honestly go to Liverpool or Manchester before choosing to go to Paris.

I'm not sure about the last sentence but I agree that Paris is horrible. Expensive, dirty, horrible & rude people...
I had a day trip there about 10 years ago and have no desire to ever go back.

Just back from Iceland. Beautiful country. We stayed in Reykjavik, which is an amazing city. The people are great and the nightlife is fantastic. The only thing I'd say is that it's very expensive. The waterfalls are something I'll never forget and the blue lagoon was a strange experience. I'll definitely be going back.

Reykjavik is a fantastic place. Probably my favourite ever holiday. We spent 4 days there but really want to go back and explore more of the centre of the island. The Blue Lagoon, although a little touristy, is fantastic. It's so surreal to be half naked in an outdoor bath in a cold country. The golden circle tour was also good with the geyser and waterfalls. Beautiful and bizarre place. Well worth a visit.
 

BlueBee

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My wife loved it during the few days we spent in Paris. I was less interested into the art thing but at least the food was good.
Of course your missus liked it.....that's the only reason blokes go over there, to keep their birds happy.....that or they're cheating on them and want to keep them sweet.....or they support Chelsea and fancy kicking black people off the tube.

My now brother in law asked my sister to marry him on the eiffel tower....docked him 10 points right there the soppy git.
 

SUTSS

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It was snowing when I went to the Blue Lagoon which made the whole experience very strange.
 

Techno Natch

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Of course your missus liked it.....that's the only reason blokes go over there, to keep their birds happy.....that or they're cheating on them and want to keep them sweet.....or they support Chelsea and fancy kicking black people off the tube.

My now brother in law asked my sister to marry him on the eiffel tower....docked him 10 points right there the soppy git.

Techno scene is good too.

Would like to go to Iceland at some point. Is it somewhere that you need to drive?

Off to Amsterdam Dance event this week. First time I've been out for it properly in four years so looking forward to it. :)
 
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Going to Budapest in December when I'm back from Hong Kong - has anyone been?

Miss it so much, moving back in December!!

Currently enjoying the nightlife of Sao Paulo, off to watch the game on Sunday at the Murumbi as well.

Off to Foz De Igznau next weekend after Curitiba before flying back to England, will probably go to Odessa and other places in Ukraine before moving back to Budapest though. Aiming to start my studies for applied mathematics at CEU Budapest 2016. I guess I might as well take advantages of these cheap tuition fees available to us before we leave the EU!!!!

The Blue Lagoon, although a little touristy, is fantastic.

Which place isn't these days? I think the North of Mexico is the only place I've been where I haven't run into a host of westerners.
 
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Alty

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I'm not sure about the last sentence but I agree that Paris is horrible. Expensive, dirty, horrible & rude people...
I had a day trip there about 10 years ago and have no desire to ever go back.



Reykjavik is a fantastic place. Probably my favourite ever holiday. We spent 4 days there but really want to go back and explore more of the centre of the island. The Blue Lagoon, although a little touristy, is fantastic. It's so surreal to be half naked in an outdoor bath in a cold country. The golden circle tour was also good with the geyser and waterfalls. Beautiful and bizarre place. Well worth a visit.
You make Paris sound truly dreadful but still wouldn't be sure about going to Manchester or Liverpool instead? What the hell has happened to you on previous visits to the Northwest!?
 

silkyman

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Macclesfield Town/Manchester City. It's complicated.
I'm not sure about the last sentence but I agree that Paris is horrible. Expensive, dirty, horrible & rude people...
I had a day trip there about 10 years ago and have no desire to ever go back.



Reykjavik is a fantastic place. Probably my favourite ever holiday. We spent 4 days there but really want to go back and explore more of the centre of the island. The Blue Lagoon, although a little touristy, is fantastic. It's so surreal to be half naked in an outdoor bath in a cold country. The golden circle tour was also good with the geyser and waterfalls. Beautiful and bizarre place. Well worth a visit.


Paris has two settings. Expensive as shit, or just shit. Been there twice with the wife for weekends, and I think that's us done. Reykjavic was next on our list of European cities to visit before our daughter came along. Now our long weekend budget is taken up with Legoland and the like.
 

silkyman

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Of course your missus liked it.....that's the only reason blokes go over there, to keep their birds happy.....that or they're cheating on them and want to keep them sweet.....or they support Chelsea and fancy kicking black people off the tube.

My now brother in law asked my sister to marry him on the eiffel tower....docked him 10 points right there the soppy git.

I did that in New York. I was planning it on the Empire State Building, but it was February and -20 so fuck that noise. Did it in the hotel bar instead.
 

silkyman

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Back to Thailand for me in December, anyone got any advice on going from Bangkok, through Cambodia onto Vietnam Ho Chi Minh city and up to Hanoi.

They probably have a cock...
 

Cheese & Biscuits

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You make Paris sound truly dreadful but still wouldn't be sure about going to Manchester or Liverpool instead? What the hell has happened to you on previous visits to the Northwest!?
Ha - to be fair I have never been to Liverpool but I have inclination to go. Manchester is alright but pretty vanilla. I've hardly done a tour of the place so I may be missing out but it's not a place I'd rush back to.
 
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Martino Knockavelli

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My wife loved it during the few days we spent in Paris. I was less interested into the art thing but at least the food was good.

tumblr_m29kxayGYb1qz4sryo1_500.jpg


Paris is the worst city in Europe. Shit hole with a big fuck off tower....that's it. I'd honestly go to Liverpool or Manchester before choosing to go to Paris.


Of course your missus liked it.....that's the only reason blokes go over there, to keep their birds happy.....that or they're cheating on them and want to keep them sweet.....or they support Chelsea and fancy kicking black people off the tube.

paris-nous-appartient-poster.jpg



I'm not sure about the last sentence but I agree that Paris is horrible. Expensive, dirty, horrible & rude people...
I had a day trip there about 10 years ago and have no desire to ever go back.

Camille_Pissarro,_Boulevard_Montmartre.jpg
 

Nath

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Techno scene is good too.

Would like to go to Iceland at some point. Is it somewhere that you need to drive?

Not necessarily, although it does save a lot of money. It means you can do the Golden Circle and visit the waterfalls in Southern and Northern Iceland all free of charge. There's plenty of tours you can pay for though.

The waterfalls are truly remarkable and the volcanic crater was also amazing to see. There's also lots of ice caves, which unfortunately we didn't get to see. It's a lot of travelling but such a great experience, as you can tell from the responses in this thread.
 
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Okay - so where is good, and what is worth doing?

Depends on your age and interests like every city; a few highlights;

Escape rooms, the original ones (although you need a group of 3 + for this).
Bath Spas
Ruin Bars
Nightlife
Terror Museum (If you like history and have no idea about Soviet occupation although Im bored of these museums now, every eastern Europe country has one)
Strolling around to look at the beautiful scenic views from Buda side of the river.
You can take a boat ride down the danube; let me know how it is, never done it.
Opera house (tickets are quite cheap, if you want to pop in for 30 minutes then leave, you wont lose too much money)
Parliament tour (did this with my cousin, thought it was a waste of money personally)
Nightlife (Instant; although I hate this place, especially during the week, got so much worse since flooded with tourists. Overpriced drinks, too many men touching up any girl that moves, forced to put your coat away as a hidden entrance fee but then they dont have the staff to handle it so its chaos. Tourists love it though)
Szimpla Kertz - Great bar, even though it's changed considerably since I first went, now you wont meet any Hungarians but I still like it; little tip, great place to pick up tourists who thought this was a place you could dance in, so you can take them to somewhere else.
Fogashz House - another place that changed, some nights its great, some not. I remember last year waiting for mates at the bar only to look around to realise there were 4 girls and about 6 groups of stag parties...one of the girls was a friend of mine showing the stag parties around!!! I think this time of year will be good with not many stag parties invading town.
Corvin Teto - pretty dead these days but if youre into techno music then this place has fantastic DJs, most of them DJ in Berlin as well.

If you want a good curry then you can't beat Bangla Buffe; one of the best Curry places I've been; will set you back around £3 as well.
 
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Yeah, that place use to be full of slags looking for foreigners; problem is, now every hostel in Budapest tells people to go there and we've both travelled enough to know that hostels are dominated by men.

Much better places in Budapest to find girls than Instant. The prices are getting close to hooters and Irish bar prices which tells you everything you need to know about it's prices compared to the real local price of a bar.

Used to be the best place in Budapest, but just became a generic tourist bar in last 2 years with drugged up foreigners starting fights.... At least Szimpla still kept its relaxed atmosphere.
 

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Thanks Disarray.

I've already got a ticket for an organ concert at St. Stephens Basilica, but I fancy checking out a club, particularly if it's plays some decent techno.
 

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