It was nearly twenty years ago when I was in Poland the first time and no one spoke English, so getting about and ordering food was a massive challenge. They still had functional milk bars back then, the last time I went (20 years later) it was more a trendy thing to do and they were all more up market.
If you do go my advice would be to not spend too much time in Hanoi. The country is so much better the further south you go..
Ah yes that'd have been more interesting. I did a few rail trips back then one in between Warsaw and Krakow which wasn't easy getting tickets back then from memory, was probably 2002. It was a cool trip though as I ended up chatting to a guy on the train in the same business and we'd worked out that we'd most likely spoke at some point. That was before Ryainair and Sleazyjet started mainlining pissheads into there. I stayed in a hotel which felt like it'd not changed in 100 years and ended up slaughtering my ankle and read John Grisham's A Painted House. There was some action around the back of a church as well from memory... Sent using Tapatalk
I stayed at the Hilton in Warsaw thinking it would be a bit safer than just winging it for the first night. When we opened our room door we could see evidence that someone had just had a shag on the bed and there were empty beer bottles on the floor. When we went to the reception to complain it was only then we noticed the bar was full of prostitutes. Happy days..
Back in those days the old knock at the door 5 minutes after entering the room. Oh I see.. Sent using Tapatalk
Ask me questions if you want, I lived in Basel and Zurich for over 5 years. I still know it better than I do most of the UK. To summarise, it's extortionate, especially anything involving anyone's time, top top quality everything, if you're training it it might be worth doing an advanced halbtax which reduces train fairs. Mostly German speaking but English is spoken everywhere even in the French and Italian bits where they pretend it isn't sometimes. Picture postcard beautiful almost everywhere. Sent using Tapatalk
Had heard it was expensive. I fancy a countryside break, rent a car, stay in a cabin. That sort of thing. The mountain ranges look stunning.
My old man worked in Japan for years. Still kick myself I never went out to visit. Apparently in some areas the Japanese arent too keen on foreigners.
Yes, absolutely. What time of year are you thinking? There are some ski areas which transform into amazing walking scenic mountain country in the summer, like in the Bernese Oberland. Take a look at the Jung Frau region. You have places to stay in Interlaken then the railway goes up to 3,700 or something. Mental. Feel free to PM any questions. If you drive they charge you a vignette at the road border for driving in Switzerland and also a pro move used to be at Herz etc we used to request their cheapest little car and it was always upgraded to a Merc as they just don't do low range there Lol. Sent using Tapatalk
Went there twice last year and never got an unwelcome vibe from anyone. Amazing country, just walking into a restaurant where all the staff chant Hello is worth going for alone..
Admittedly I went in November so not peak time but I found Warsaw surprisingly quiet compared to much of Europe. As for the thread, I probably did mine last summer. 30 days in the USA. Chicago, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. I'd do Asia next I think if doing another long trip.
Love Garda, been a few times, staying at various places round the lake. Verona too - an opera in the amphitheatre is a must do!
Warsaw has a strange feeling about it, I think it is still a hangover from WWII where it was pretty much completely destroyed, then of course not redeveloped thanks to the socialists. I didn't like New Orleans, I'd like to go to Washington State, I have heard good things about it.
It was my first time visiting NOLA and I'm still mixed on it. I did like it but I expected to love it so it was a little underwhelming. Washington in contrast I love, it's stunning too.
Loved my week in Buenos Aires and felt a good vibe about that city. The food and wine ain't bad, either. Otherwise, I'd love to go to Tokyo. In terms of realistically visiting, Santa Fe, New Mexico is my favorite city on the planet.
Allow me to clarify, I had a good time, it is just that everyone goes ITS WILD MAN WHAT A PARTY and I thought, well, chaps, you have never seen Sao Paulo, or Amsterdam etc. Buenos Aires is absolutely and completely my favourite city, everything was perfect when I was there, it was cheap, the food, the women, the music, the drugs, the architecture, the people - just epic.
