Going east. Need travel tips.

June 25, 2010 10:11 AM

I'm going on a trip to Eastern Europe for 14 days with 5 friends. What to do?

I'm used to travelling alone for longer periods (1 month, 2 months). This is the first extended trip with friends. I want to make the most of it. We don't have a plan and we'll likely make it up as we go.

As I know next to nothing about the region we're going to (Hungary, Serbia) I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if anyone has insider travel tips.

I'm not too much into seeing museums, statues and churches.

Key things I want: drinks, sun, food, parties, music; summer things that are exciting like wild water rafting, deep sea diving. Jumping off cliffs in lakes.

We have no idea what we're going to do. The only plan is a 4 day music festival (Exit) in Serbia near the end. The ten days before that; we don't know. Our plane lands in Budapest.

Also, if anyone can refer me to a good travel website, articles and/or experiences from people who've travelled Eastern Europe, always welcome!

Thank you

posted by wolfr to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Check the Thorn Tree forums at Lonely Planet.
posted by rtha at 10:31 AM on June 25, 2010

Make sure to hit Budapest. I've stayed here twice and had a great time both times. The hostel staff can point you at all kinds of fun stuff. :)

There's lots of good food, bars, and culture. The baths are really nice, and the architecture is amazing. It's really the Paris of Eastern Europe, as they say.

Look into the baths, which are really relaxing, and definitely, definitely try some Tokaji.
posted by edguardo at 11:56 AM on June 25, 2010

Spend a couple of days in Budapest. Then try taking a train to Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia. The Dalmatian coast is very nice, it has a lot of the things you are looking for (sun, diving, food, partying), and it's much cheaper than pretty much all of the rest of the European Mediterranean coast. It's a popular vacation destination for Europeans.
posted by chrisulonic at 12:48 PM on June 25, 2010

I very much enjoyed the old bathhouses in Budapest; I went to the Kiraly Baths (built in the 16th C by the Turks) in Buda (on a women's-only day); while it wasn't advertised while I was there a few years ago, the price of admission goes down after 3pm. Lots of pools of different temperatures, wet and dry saunas of different temperatures, and a beautiful domed ceiling. Cash only (or at least that's how it was a few years ago). I believe the outdoor Szechenyi Baths complex in the City Park in Pest is mixed-gender. Any of the many bathhouses would be a great way to unwind while still doing something you wouldn't do at home.
posted by monkeymonkey at 1:45 PM on June 25, 2010

(I just realize I made a significant assumption about how much you may or may not visit bathhouses. Suffice to say, I did something I wouldn't often do at home!)
posted by monkeymonkey at 1:46 PM on June 25, 2010

Response by poster: Monkeymonkey: my friends mentioned they would like to visit the bathhouses. It sounds like fun to me too.
posted by wolfr at 3:29 AM on June 26, 2010