User:Ph8l/sandbox/TravelGuide

This is a travel guide written by ACS travelers.

Albania

Surprise! Albania has an AMAZING highway leading from Kosovo to Tirana. Multi-lane, brand-spankin-new, no traffic. Probably the best highway in Eastern Europe.

Shkoder

Accommodations

Hotel Tradita is a friendly place decked out like a traditional Albanian house (think basically Bulgarian). Because of this it's a bit no-frills (there's no air conditioning) but the staff is nice and it's pleasant (though buggy) to sit out in the garden. Breakfast is delicious, and it's supposed to be a good dinner spot too, though we didn't eat there.

Restaurants

We ate at San Francisco Restaurant on the pedestrian street right by the mosque. Our steak entrees were just OK but everything else was quite good and the staff was friendly.

Hotel Tradita, as mentioned, has a restaurant that serves fresh, traditional Albanian food.

Sights/Activities

The castle/fortress is pretty cool, though with limited parking at the top (maybe 10 spaces). You can park further down the hill for 100 lek (about 1 euro).

The lakefront is a ways outside of town and apparently is not very developed, though the lake itself makes for nice scenery.

The pedestrian zone downtown is a nice stroll. Not so many shops but lots of little cafes.

Austria

Vienna

Airport to City

The CAT (City Airport Train) costs 12 euros and leaves from track 3. The locals use the S7, which leaves from track 1. It makes seven or eight stops but takes you to Wien Mitte or Wien Praterstern. It takes five minutes more but only costs 4 euros. Buy tickets from the "red" machines. The green ones are for the CAT.

Accommodation

Wombat’s Hostel at the Naschmarkt is conveniently located and has clean, private rooms. It is like a small hotel room with a great, inexpensive breakfast.

Wombat's also has another good location at Mariahilfer Strasse, which is very close to the Westbahnhof train station. Free wifi in the common areas (I think this is true of all Wombat's hostels).

Restaurants

ra' Mien has wonderful bowls of Asian noodles. Delicious. Gumpendorferstrasse 9

Indochine 21 is near the Modern Art Museum. High class Asian Fusion. Stubenring 18

Cafes

Cafe Sperl is a typical Viennese cafe. It has international newspapers that can be read but not taken. It was reportedly a favorite of Hitler. Gumpendorfer Straße 11

Night Life

The Planter's Club aesthetic

Planter's Club is a bar in the northern part of the city that re-creates a British Colonial feel. Think pith helmets and imperial administrators sipping punch while being fanned... It has a restaurant next-door called Livingstone. Zelinkagasse 4

Shopping

The Naschmarkt is an especially wonderful outdoor market. It is pretty much a must-see in Vienna. The highlights are the food, although it also morphs into clothing and flea-markety knick-nackery.

Casa Mexicois a Mexican specialty food store. You can get Cholula hot sauce here! (Very close to the Spittelburg Christmas Market if you are there during that time.)

If you're in Vienna in the winter, you should definitely go to the various Christmas markets. This site has a list of the major ones, including opening hours, descriptions, photos, and a map. Our personal favorites were the Adventmarkt Am Hof (small, but interesting and unique shops), Spittelburg, and the one in front of Schonbrunn Castle.

Salzburg

Tours

If you are a Sound of Music fan but don’t want to do a giant coach bus tour, Bob’s Tours might be the right fit. There were only five people on our tour, and it was great, cheesy fun!

Restaurants

Triangel has great food, cozy atmosphere, reasonable prices, attentive service, in the center of the city.

Belgium

Brussels

Sights/Activities

The Manneken-Pis is Brussels most famous statue. It is also less than a foot tall and located in the center of the tourist chocolate street. Really, it is only famous because of its location. Nevertheless, you can't leave the city without eating a waffle smeared in chocolate, preferably from around this location.

The Grand Place, or the old town square of Brussels, is a beautiful stop and home to the main tourist information desk (where you can get a Brussels Card. For 24 euros, you can get into 20 museums for free, and you have free access to the underground/metro system. We figured out that we saved 34 euro by buying the card.

The Coundenberge, Former, is a really neat stop (free with your Brussels Card). The Coundenberge palace has been rebuilt so many times, that you can now tour the archeological dig of the old palace UNDERNEATH where the palace currently stands. The history alone was worth the visit.

The Musee Margritte is a fabulous tribute to his work. While most of the works are constantly rotating out of the museum to be shown in other museums around the world, you will not be disappointed by this surrealist painter's work.

One of the coolest things in the history of ever, The Atomium is a must see. A little out of the way, this 1958 relic from the World's Fair in Brussels is a giant replica of an Atomic Bond. You can go inside the atom and go through numerous museum pieces meant to inspire future generations to use nuclear energy peacefully.

Definitely check out Brussels Beer Tours, an English speaking tour company that takes you through some famous breweries in the area and includes several free drinks. Do NOT be fooled in to the Belgian Brewery Museum located off the Grand Place. It includes one museum room with an explanation of how beer is made, and then gives you a free beer at the end of watching a movie. You have to pay too much for all your drinks after that.

Bruges

Accommodation

Hotel de Tuilerieen is a beautiful hotel, really comfortable beds, fantastic location, maybe a little pricy but worth it if you feel like splurging. If you would prefer to stay in Brussels, there is an hour long, direct train from Brussels to Bruges.

Sights/Activities

The Belfort toweris the tallest tower in Bruges, standing at 83 m and 366 steps tall. As you walk up the steps, you'll find many museum like stops, including a view of one of the world's largest music boxes.

Though it is fondly called "The Venice of the North" by tourist companies, Bruges's canals are more reminiscent of Amsterdam for those in the know. Walking the canals or boating with a tour is one way to see the architectural beauty of this small, Dutch feeling town. Definitely stroll to the far side of town to see the windmills and circle back around to see the walled monastery.

The Fishmarktis a concrete arcade which was once the home of the Bruges fish market. While the fishmongers and their trade are not frequently seen at this spot today (to the gratitude of our noses), the old arcade is also used as an art gallery for local artists selling their paintings.

Though the Choco-Story, The Chocolate Museum in Bruges is geared more toward children and only brushes on the grotesque history of the Belgian chocolate trade in Africa, the end of the tour includes a chocolate making lesson and free chocolate. They also have large chocolate statues, which really are a waste since chocolate is meant to be eaten, not used for wax figurines. Yes, I just judged them for wasting chocolate.

Other sights: Bruges has an interesting history that is hidden in the city itself. Look for the hidden 18th century dutch cannon sticking out of a side walk on the way to the Fishmarkt. Also, if you make it to the main river gate, you may find a skull hanging from its wooden siding.

Nightlife

't Brugs Beertje TONS of beer choices, small and loud, with friendly bartenders and patrons. A great place to sample a few several many Belgian beers.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sarajevo

Accommodations

We stayed at this airbnb place and had a great time. Vladimir was an amazing and friendly host who got us maps, loaned us a pre-paid cell phone with emergency and taxi numbers saved onto it, and tried to set up a mobile wireless carrier for us to take around the city except that it malfunctioned. It's an easy tram ride into the old town. Note that the apartment is quite comfortable for two people but three and up starts to be a little cramped, as the pull-out sofa is not that comfortable and the kitchen is tiny, and the bed is wedged into the room such that whoever is sleeping on the inside has to crawl over the person sleeping on the outside to get out. But it's really a very nice apartment, spotlessly clean and in a convenient location in the Buca Potok neighborhood.

Sights/Activities

Email Neno from the Free Sarajevo Walking Tour - he gave a great tour, tons of information, and very energetic. He was a kid during the Bosnian War and can talk about his experiences growing up in besieged Sarajevo. Just be aware that 1) he talks really fast, and 2) the tour can go on for a lot longer than the 2-2.5 hours listed (ours was close to 3.5 hours), so be sure to bring snacks or eat in advance!

Mostar

Accommodations

Elite Guesthouse is well-located close to Old Town and the bridge, with basic facilities and very nice hosts, Mesa and Eliha.

Restaurant

Our hosts recommended Sadrvan, which was packed and a little bit touristy, but tasty. It's just over the bridge, a few meters up on the left.

Bulgaria

Sofia

Restaurants

Asian

Wok to Walk 8, Vitosha Boulevard. Pick your noodle, pick your meat/shrimp, pick your veggies, pick your sauce. I could eat here every day.

Happy Sushi 96 G.S. Rakovski Str Even though it's a chain, the food is quite good. They have a wide variety of sushi, rice bowls, and appetizers.

Sasa Sushi 31, Cherni vrah st. Sasa claims it is the best Sushi in the Balkans. I'd say that is going a little far, and it's pricey. However, the sushi is good, and it's on the 18th floor and has a great view of the city.

The Sushi Bar 18 Denkoglu Str. Good sushi, great vegetable gyoza.

Bakeries

Ma Baker has two locations, one on Rakovski near Neofit Rilski, and the other at 7 Skobelev Blvd, near NDK. Everything, including coffee and lemonade, is excellent. Here is a nice blog with pictures.

Brunch

Ego 12 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd has a New-York Style Brunch on weekends, complete with different egg dishes and Bloody Marys.

Bulgarian

Hunter’s Lodge, Tzarigradsko Shose 17, near Eagles Bridge, has a variety of wild meat that is cooked several different ways. They also have a locally produced micro beer that is delicious. Try the smoked venison appetizer.

Manastirska Magernitza, #67 Han Asparuh, specializes in traditional, if very rich, Bulgarian dishes in a classic setting. It's menu of more than 70 pages of recipes gather from monasteries through the country allows for a running competition between the list of things that you can't wait to try and the translations that you can't believe are real. Probably the best place to show someone traditional cuisine. It's only flaw is a roving band that plays too loudly and designates one member to rub his fingers to ask for your tip.

Pod Lipite, #1 Elin Pelin, just south of Levski Stadium, aims for the same type of meal that Manastirska offers, but provides it in a less expensive and less living-museum manner. There is also traditional music and dancing but no pressure to express your gratitude. Some people swear the homemade yogurt is the best in the country.

Pri Yafata 91 Tsar Ivan Asen II Buld. Touristy, but great location and good food. It's a nice spot to bring visitors.

Burgers

Boom Burger, 15 Karnigradska St. by the corner of Vitosha blvd, makes a good burger and definitely has the best burgers in the city. For most people, this is going to be all of the information that they will need about this restaurant. I mean, if you want a good burger in Sofia, you're going to go to Boom; don't go anywhere else. However, you should know that it is more expensive than its competitors. Its sides, fries, onion rings, etc., are disappointingly small, its milkshakes lackluster. This is all to say that it is recommended highly, but you'll have a better experience if you can smile at the mini-portion of fries instead of being annoyed.

Update

After posting the above review on Trip Advisor, the owner wrote to say that they have doubled the size of their fries and onion rings. Confirmed.

Cafes

Local Sheinovo 2, just off of Krakra, is also a bit of a wine bar. It nods its head in the direction of tapas. Small plates and good coffee.

+Това Marin Drinov 30, near the Doctor's Garden, is a charming, bright cafe. It has wifi and tables set up for laptops and writing.

Ma Baker See bakeries.

Döner Kebab Stands

Döners in Sofia are almost exclusively of the chicken variety and are served wrapped in a pita or on a hamburger bun. They are invariably also served with french fries.

The Big Three

Big Burger in Studenski Grad serves up the finest all-round döner in Sofia. This effort is spearheaded by its excellent sides and sauce. Its only two flaws are a lack of accessibility by metro and, since it doesn't have falafel, no appeal for your vegetarian friends. Still, it's so good that it's worth a solo-cab ride.

Aladin has several locations, the most notable being at the metro entrance in Mladost 1 and a few store-fronts from the passport offices. Though Alabin's sides and sauce can range from average to below, their meat is the finest in the city. They also serve a fine falafel option and sell unadorned falafel at the mindblowingly good deal of 5 for a lev.

Mimas has two locations, inexplicably within a block of each other at the southern end of Graf Ignatiev. Further research is needed to determine the cause of their proximity. Both serve seemingly identical fare, meat and falafel. A fine choice, but the weakest of The Big Three.

European

Marmo Mladost 2 Block 218 A. Walkable from campus. Pretty good food (including okay sushi) and wine. They have a patio for nice weather.

Motto Aksakov 18. Good food. Go in the summertime and eat outside on the back patio.

Sage Bistro Stefan Stambolov Str. Sage is outside of the city, located on the mountain in the village of Bistritza. It's pricier than many restaurants in Sofia, but the food is really delicious. Great spot for a date. Try the saffron and sage gnocchi and the stuffed mushrooms.

French

Because of its proximity the embassies, the Oborishte neighborhood is peppered with an array of French restaurants offering a wide array of quality.

By far and away, the best is L'Instant, #24 Profesor Asen Zlatarov, which opened in March of 2013. L'Instant offers the unpretentious excellence that the city has been craving. It has a beautiful location, outside seating, and an indoor dining room that is spacious and comfortable. The menu itself is large enough to offer substantial choice and small enough for each offering to be able to be executed perfectly by the chef, Antoine. This is an expensive dinner, but the value of this restaurant cannot be overstated. Our full dinner, an appetizer, a salad, two mains, and a dessert, with drinks was around 100 leva.

Atelier, #16 Prof. Asen Zlatarov, is a very pretty and reasonably priced french bistro.

Italian

Oh wait! You couldn't decide if you wanted to go to the best pizza restaurant or the best pasta restaurant in the city? No problem. That's why there's Leo's Pizza. It is a transcendent dining experience provided by Italian owners. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven. All of the pizzas can be order at half size for half price. The pasta is a two part process, you pick the pasta and then you pick the sauce. Two appetizers are of special note: the fried zucchini & eggplant and the burrata. It is a bit difficult to find, but this map should help.

Pastorant, 16 Tsar Asen, may fall slightly behind Leo's on food, but for ambiance and setting, its the best Italian in the city. It has an especially nice outdoor garden across the street.

Gioia Tsar Samuil 60. Gioia has delicious pasta and pizza. However, the staff can be pushy. Just ask for a menu!

Indian

Saffron Studentski Grad, Francois Miteran Str. Next to block 42B. Saffron is on the cheaper side for Indian in Sofia, and the food hits the spot.

Pizza

This section is reserved for Bulgarian style pizza, which is nearly ubiquitous. For Italian pizza see Italain

The Hut in Business Park, Building 3, used to be a Pizza Hut but still cooks thicker crust pizza, which they call “fluffy”.

Ugo has several locations, the most frequented is in Mladost 1, just across the street from Billa. The Fiesta Salad (greens with avocados) is particularly good.

Victoria 7, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. Solid choice for pizza and salads. There is also a location inside of the Mladost 4 movie theater.

Spanish

Vino and Tapas 38 Al. Dondukov Blvd. This is a favorite in Sofia. The inside looks like a wine cellar and the staff is very friendly. Order the caprese with avocado, stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta, patatas bravas, and baked cheese and pineapple.

Vegetarian

Dream House Ulitsa Alabin 50A. Cheap and healthy. Some things are delicious, some are a bit bland, so don't be afraid to give it a second try.

Nightlife

Ale House 42 Hristo Belchev Str. You can tap your beer right from your table. They also serve food.

Kanaal, #2 Bul. Madrid, is a Dutch themed bar with a wide selection of bottled beer.

BSD, gets it name from the Billiards, Snooker, and Darts which are the main attractions. #1 Evloi Georgiev Blvd.

J. J. Murphy's 6 Karnigradska St. An Irish pub with a big expat scene. They have a dinner menu (try the Shepard's Pie or the fish and chips). They often have live music on weekends and they are always showing sports.

One More Bar 12 Tzar Ivan Shishman Str Cute place to grab a drink.

Croatia

Dubrovnik

Accommodation

This apartment is central as you can get, you are literally overlooking the Stradun, with plenty of space to spread out. A little noisy if you happen to be there the night that the Croatian Olympic gold medal water polo team has its homecoming, otherwise is fine.

Nightlife

D’vino Wine Bar is a great little wine bar where you can get a sampler of Croatian wines (or just a glass of your favorite!)

Restaurants

Nishta Vegetarian and amazing! We LOVED everything we ate there.

Shopping

Clara Stones is a fantastic jewelry store on one of the side streets in old town. Workshop in the basement where they will show you how they polish coral. The coral pieces are especially fantastic/unique here. Nalješkovićeva 8

Korcula

Accommodation

Apartments Lenni is centrally located and has very welcoming hosts. They will even meet you at the ferry port to help with your luggage.

We LOVED our stay at Apartments Val with hosts Maja and Toni (and Masha, the French bulldog). Maja and Toni are so nice, and Toni is a great cook (retired chef from Split) who made the best steak Hanna's had in the Balkans. The house is in Lumbarda, southeast of Korcula itself, but very easy if you have a car, and TripAdvisor reviews indicate that Maja and Toni may come pick you up if you don't. The house is right on a beautiful, quiet bay where you can lounge all day if you're feeling too lazy to even rouse yourself to get to a real beach.

Shopping

milion On the main pedestrian street in old town Korcula (on the left on a corner if you are walking with the main gate behind you). Lots of great jewelry-turquoise, coral, semi-precious stones, etc.

Plitvice

Sights and Activities

As with many things in Croatia during high season, it seems, Plitvice Lakes National Park is best visited in the late afternoon to avoid the crowds. Many people also recommend early in the morning, but because the trails are not one-way, I feel you're bound to start bumping into tour bus hordes eventually, whereas if you go in the afternoon, the crowds are leaving and you're only chasing the daylight. We parked at 2:30, got off the first shuttle bus around 3:00, walked Trail H around the Upper and Lower Lakes (advertised as 4-6 hours long) at a leisurely pace and taking lots of photos, and finished just after 7:00 pm, perfect time with the park's 8:00 pm (summer) closing.

Sibenik and environs

Accommodation

Agrotourism Kalpic is a friendly little tourist farm with very cute rooms and a quiet, relaxing setting. Very close to Krka National Park.

Cyprus

You absolutely must rent a car if you go to Cyprus. Larnaca has one of the major international airports, but there is not much going on there. The public transit system in Cyprus is mini-buses only and very inconsistent. To really experience the best parts of the island you would need a car, and in retrospect I wish we'd rented one. Be aware that Cypriots drive on the left.

Czech Republic

Prague

Restaurants

BarBar is a nice low-key place for good food (burgers, salads, etc - the menu's on the website) at affordable prices (my friends also mentioned that this was the one restaurant they encountered in all of Prague that did not try to trick them on the bill). It looks like they re-did the restaurant so I'm not sure they still have the papier-mache gnomes in the empty TV sets, but I hope they do. In Mala Strana, the most beautiful neighborhood in Prague - much less crowded and touristy than Old Town. Všerhdova 17.

Denmark

Copenhagen

Sights

Tivoli Gardens - Go at night, it's like a proto-Disney fairyland but less cheesy than Disney. Totally worth it.

Finland

Helsinki

Accommodation

Academica Hostel - In the summer, this university dorm is converted into a hostel. It is exactly what you would expect from a university dorm. However, it's kept very clean, the staff is quite nice, it's pretty centrally located, and it's affordable. Hietaniemenkatu 14

Cafes

Ravintola Lasipalatsi - We only had coffee/snacks here, but they also serve a business lunch buffet that looked tasty and seemed very popular with locals. Free coffee refills and yummy pastries. Mannerheimintie 22-24, metro: Rautatientori. Near the railway station.

Germany

Berlin

Accommodation

Raise a Smile Hostel - Technically speaking I did get bitten very badly by either fleas or bedbugs in this hostel, so it seems odd to recommend it, but it truly was a lovely place aside from that (and I seemed to be the only one who got bitten). Proceeds go to a Zambian charity. Unfortunately it seems to be closed currently, but it ever re-opens, I'd recommend it.

{AWARDED THE PRIZE FOR WORST REVIEW ON THIS SITE}

Restaurants

Coffee

The Dairy, A coffee shop owned by Kiwis. They have great bagel sandwiches! Raumerstraße 12, 10437 Berlin, Germany

Burgers

Bird, A burger restaurant opened by New Yorkers. They serve burgers (including a veggie burger), fries, steaks, and lots of beer. Fun atmosphere and and DELICIOUS BURGERS. Am Falkplatz 5, 10437

Lunch

La Siesta Coffeeshop,Coffee and lunch; cheap and delicious. Try the vegetarian curry soup! Garnisonkirchplatz 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Dessert

Fassbender & Rausch Chocolatiers , Chocolate shop downstairs, chocolate eatery upstairs. Their hot chocolate tastes like a melted chocolate bar. Charlottenstraße 60, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Sights

The Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate; Especially awesome at night.

Reichstag Germany's parliament building. If you register online ahead of time, you can go up into the dome for free.

Potsdamer Platz A modern square with lots of energy and cool architecture. Around Christmas, there is a Christmas market with a ramp you can go snow-tubing on.

Berliner Dom Big cathedral on museum island. For 7 euro (price in 2012), you can go inside. This lets you go all over, including to the top for a beautiful view of the city. Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Nightlife

Die Berliner Republik, Known as the "stock market bar"; there are electronic boards around the restaurant showing the prices of the different beers. Every 6 minutes, the prices change based on how often people are ordering different types. Schiffbauerdamm 8, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Hungary

Budapest

Accomodation

Happy Flats for 30 euro a night, you can stay in a newly renovated apartment in the heart of Budapest. Though the street is not the cleanest, the apartment is located in the center of most major attractions, is directly above a newly renovated/working coffee shop, and you have free internet access. You will have to sleep on a metal bed frame and if you are on the bottom floor of the apartment, you can hear the metro running under your floor, but otherwise, for the price and location, it’s totally worth it! Directly contact Csaba (pronounced Chaba) at the following email address. Email: happyflat@gmail.com

Wombats - Solid hostel chain that also has locations in Vienna, Berlin, Munich. Kiraly 20.

Restaurants

Iguana Mexican-American Bar and Grill (rated at 10 million stars simply for its jalapeno poppers). Locals love it! It’s hard to find a seat on a Saturday night. Great mixed drinks. Located between St. Stephen’s and the parliament building. 1054 Budapest, Zoltan u. 16.

Tours

Legenda Boat Tour night tour is $25 and lasts around an hour. Nice audio tour with highlights presented on HD TV screens. All the major sites can be seen and you can even go up top for pictures without the glare of the windows. A free drink is provided.

Italy

Florence

Restaurants

Rifrullo is a cafe/bar/restaurant on the Oltrarno side of the river. In the morning, coffee and pastries, in the evening it serves cocktails and an appertivi buffet, which means that for 10 euro you get a drink and all you can eat buffet.

Trattoria Quattro Leoni is a fantastic restaurant just to the east of Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. We ate here twice in three days. If Florence has a better restaurant, it would be superfluous. The restaurant is situated in a beautiful courtyard with ample, weather-permitting seating. Inside it is cozy and twice created room for our stroller and a high chair. The food was perfect from start to finish. If the oft-changing menu has the roasted lamb, order it. Then go back two days later and order it again. Then consider returning a third time. Fantastic. The service was excellent both times; the sommelier Bajram (pronounced Bay-Ram) waited on us the first time and was a major draw for our second visit. Our return fell on his day off, but the service didn't miss a beat, and the menu had changed enough to accommodate the non lamb-eaters. Via de’ Vellutini, 1r (Piazza della Passera)

Rome

Restaurants

Food

Rome Digest is a great resource for all things foodish, written by expats for expats.

Pizza

The front of Forno Roscioli.

00100 Pizza, named after the postal code for the city, serves excellent slices of thick crust pizza. On Thanksgiving, they even had a slice with turkey on it. Highly recommended. Via Giovanni Branca 88, Testaccio.

Forno Roscioli isn't just a pizza place; it's great for general provisioning, sandwiches, etc., but especially its bread. Via dei Chiavari 34.

dar Poeta no slices just whole pies, one per person. Fantastic wood oven pizzas. No reservations, but the 40ish minute wait is well worth it.

Coffee

2 Periodico Cafe is an easy walk from the Colosseum. The coffee is good, but the little biscotti are great. Free WiFi. Via Leonina 77.

Vegetarian

Ristor Arte il Margutta is an art gallery / restaurant just off the Piazza del Popolo. It has a very nice buffet for 12 euros. The art... Via Margutta 118.

Italian

Felice a Testaccio a fantastic all around place, extremely popular, so you'll need to make reservations before you arrive in the city, +39 06 5746800. Perhaps best well known for Cacio e pepe. Via Mastro Giorgio 29.

Shopping

Women's Clothes

Coromandel Via di Monte Girodano 60/61.

FabindiaRome Imported cloth from India in western styles, also tablecloths and napkins. Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, 40.

Men's Clothes

Kolby is a men's dress store with especially nice sweaters. It has two locations, Via Nazionale 203 and Vial del Governo Vecchio 63-64-65.

Kosovo

Pec/Peje

Accommodations

Hotel Dukagjini is the super-swank hotel downtown for tourists who are feeling a little Kosovo'd out.

Sights//Activities

Definitely do Rugova Canyon, but pick up a map at the information center on your way in, as the signs inside the canyon are pretty much only in Albanian.

If you want to visit either of the Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the area, note that you need to bring your passport to leave at the gate, as they are both guarded by the UN and you need identification for a visitor pass. And of course be appropriately dressed.

Prizren

Sights/Activities

Prizren was really cool to walk around - much more charming than Peje.

Macedonia

Ohrid

Accommodation

Pretty much the way you get a place to stay in Ohrid is you show up and talk to one of the elderly people hanging around downtown about renting a room, and/or you wander through the town and look for places advertising rooms available. With the possible exception of peak season, there's always something available, and it will be cheap.

Malta

Sights

Mdina - Awesome, but cold and damp in the winter - none of the buildings have heat built in because of the stone construction throughout, so it's all space heaters.

Montenegro

Podgorica

The Moraca monastery a little north of town is a nice highway stopover. Podgorica itself. doesn't seem to have tons to see, but there's a pleasant enough downtown area that makes for a nice post-dinner stroll, and there's a tree-lined street near the main square that is basically end-to-end bars with outdoor seating in the summer. The frogs along the river are very vocal.

Accommodations

Hotel Philia is quite swank for the price, and the staff is very friendly and speaks excellent English. They let us park for 2 extra nights with no problem when we took a side trip to Kosovo and Albania.

Restaurants

Forum is a nice Italian restaurant with reasonable prices that overlooks the main square downtown.

Sveti Stefan

Restaurants

We had a very nice dinner at Cafe Amadeus on the beach. The waiter was funny and friendly, and the food was delicious.

Kotor

Accommodations

Hotel Marija was a very nice spot: free parking, nice modern rooms, short walk to the bay, and an easy 2 km walk to Kotor. We ended up being very glad we didn't stay in Old Town, as it seemed quite loud and sort of crazy at night.

Sights/Activities

We visited Old Town in the evening, which turned out to be a good idea to avoid the cruise ship crowds and the afternoon heat.

Our Lady of the Rocks was a neat little trip out of nearby Perast. You can park for 1 euro an hour and hire a small private boat to take you out to the island and back for about 5 euro per person.

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Restaurants

Indrapura- Indonesian restaurant where you can eat a vegetarian or meat filled Dutch rice table or order off the menu while taking in the beautiful view of Rembrandt Square.

Norway

Oslo

Accommodation

Comfort Hotel Xpress - It's a bit hipster-y in design but actually a really decent place and quite affordable by Norwegian standards. Kind of a cross between a hostel and a hotel. Mollergata 26

Restaurants

Hells Kitchen - Bar/restaurant with chill vibe. Good pizza. Mollergata 23

Romania

Brasov

Accommodation

Pension Gallery - Very cozy little B&B.

Sibiu

Accommodation

Villa Santa Maria - Interesting place owned by a former cruise ship employee (captain?). Staff was super nice and included us in their pizza delivery order when they saw how tired we were.

Russia

Visas / Documentation

Application process

You need to apply in advance for a tourist visa to visit Russia. The Russian Consulate in Sofia is located behind the embassy, which is at Dragan Tsankov 28, conveniently very close to the Joliot Curie metro stop. Exit the station toward the Hotel Moskva (not Interpred). Walk uphill along Dragan Tsankov. You will see the Hotel Moskva on your right. The Embassy is the gigantic fenced-in building across the street from the hotel (it has a Russian flag in front and looks very Embassy-Like). Turn left on the street immediately before you hit the Embassy. Walk down this street and you will see the Consulate on your right - there is a gate in front of the building and a sign with the working hours. The security guard will let you in and ask for your phone/electronics, and then he will ask if you are dropping documents off or picking something up. If you are dropping documents off, he will direct you to Information Window #1. They will re-direct you to the Visa windows, which are #7-8. The man at the visa window for me spoke English, and the security guard spoke Bulgarian, but all the other signs inside the Consulate are in Russian only.

This is what I needed to bring with me to apply for the visa:

• A travel voucher

• You can get this online; I used this site and had no trouble
• Your actual dates of travel just have to fall within the dates of the visa, so you should request an extra 1-2 days on either end just to be safe.
• Note: The Way to Russia website recommends that you not request a visa for longer than 2 weeks if you don't need it, as the Consulate can be hesitant to grant it. I didn't know this in advance and inadvertently requested a 25-day visa because I overdid it on the extra time, but I had no problems.

• My passport
• A completed English-language application (double-check the Consulate website for an updated form) which also asks for the name of 1 hotel where you are staying
• 1 passport photo, attached to the application (they will cut and glue it for you there if you haven't done it)
• My lichna karta to show them and a photocopy of both sides of the card to leave with them. This is because, as an American, you are only technically allowed to apply for a visa in Bulgaria if you are a resident of Bulgaria, so you have to prove residency.
• 240 leva. You must pay in cash in Bulgarian leva.

Other websites told me that I might need the following, but I didn't:

• Plane reservations
• Hotel reservations
• Bank statement
• Summary of health insurance benefits
• Photocopy of passport
• A 2nd photo

I applied for the visa on 25 February, and it was ready for pick-up on 14 March (they will tell you in person when to come pick it up, and it's also on your receipt). You have to leave your passport during that time. They will give you a receipt when you pay for the visa. KEEP THIS RECEIPT. When you return, you need to show the receipt and identification when you pick up your passport from Information Window #2. Note: The visa does not have a photograph on it; the Russian text in the photo spot reads, "Valid without photographs."

Upon arrival

Flight attendants will pass out a landing card that you must fill out. Immigration will keep the left side and you have to keep the right side until you exit the country - they will collect it at passport control on your way out.

If you are staying in Russia for longer than 3 days, you need to register your visa. Usually your hotel or hostel will do this for you, sometimes for a fee ($15-20 is common at the smaller hostels). You are required to carry your passport, landing card, and registration with you at all times; in theory the police can stop you for no reason and ask for your papers and you will be fined if you don't have them.

Moscow

Transportation

Airport

Moscow has 3 different major airports. If you are flying from Sofia, you will likely be arriving at Sheremetyevo. Probably your best bet to get to the city center is to take the Aeroexpress train, which departs every 30 minutes (on the :00/:30), costs 320 rubles, and takes about 35 minutes. Ticket machines are located in the terminal. There are local buses and taxis waiting to rip you off, but this is quick, direct, easy, and plenty of Russians take it so it's not just a tourist trap. The train arrives at Belorusskaya station, at which point you can transfer to the metro and easily get wherever you need to go.

There are also Aeroexpress trains serving the other airports, they just terminate at different metro stations, all on the brown line (circle line) for easy connections.

Trains

Moscow has several train stations for almost any trip you'd want to make. There are tons of train options to get from Moscow and St Petersburg: several overnight trains that all seem to leave and arrive at basically the same time, a faster express train during the day, etc. You can often purchase tickets in advance online, though they will likely be more expensive, but you're assured of getting the right ticket/itinerary, vs. trying to buy in person at the station where nobody will speak any English. Red Arrow (Krasnaya Strela) is a well-known company for the overnight train, but be aware that the conductors and staff don't generally speak English and don't make any effort to communicate with you if you don't understand their Russian. All announcements are in Russian only. There are some more tourist-friendly trains that are probably pricier. All trains from Moscow to St Petersburg depart from Leningradsky station (Komsomolskaya/Krasnite Vorota metro stop).

See "Sergiev Posad" for details about that train trip from Moscow.

Metro

The Moscow metro is an adventure and a tourist attraction unto itself. Trains arrive every 1-2 minutes yet are always packed. Note that transfer stations have separate names for each line that passes through, e.g. Kuznetsky Most and Lubyanka are essentially the same station but Kuznetsky Most is the station name for the purple line and Lubyanka is the station name for the red line. Signage in the stations is exclusively in Cyrillic. The history of the metro is pretty fascinating as well. Some especially interesting stations to visit:

• Ploshad Revolutsii (blue line) - Soviet-style statues along the platform. Look for the shiny spots on the dogs' noses and the girl's boob where people have rubbed.
• Kurskaya (brown line) - Beautiful temple-like lobby, one of the few places you can still see Stalin's name in Moscow in its original propaganda use, although they have removed the statue of him in the recess (and replaced it with a security camera)
• Komsomolskaya (red line) - Soviet propaganda mosaics on the ceiling
• Novoslobodskaya (brown line) - Art Nouveau stained glass along the platform
• Belorusskaya (brown line) - Pastoral scenes of Belarus painted on the ceiling
• Mayakovskaya (green line) - More mosaics on the ceiling

Accommodation

Godzillas is mentioned in the NY Times "36 Hours in Moscow" and a bunch of guide books/websites. It's a totally acceptable hostel but not especially standout in any way. Close to the metro (Tsvetnoy Bulvar) at Bolshoi Karetny 6. The staff is quite nice and speaks English.

I also stayed at Apple Hostel, which is adequate but has misleadingly excellent reviews on Hostelworld. My review is the 87% one from March 29, 2013.

Restaurants

Khachapuri - Georgian food with 3 locations, the most central of which is Bolshoi Gnezdnikovsky 10, off of Tverskaya Street and close to Tverskaya/Pushkinskaya metro. Relaxed atmosphere, tasty food, and relatively affordable by exorbitant Moscow standards. Accepts credit cards, including for tip. Popular with locals.

Shesh-Besh - Sturdy Azerbaijani food (think kebabs and other grilled meats) south of the Moscow River. Accepts credit cards. Pyatnitskaya 24, metro: Novokuznetskaya.

Tours

The Free Walking Tour is a good way to orient yourself to the city; the guides are young and energetic, similar to the one in Sofia. I have mixed feelings about their paid tours; I think their Kremlin tour is probably the weakest of the three (I didn't do the night tour).

St. Petersburg

Accommodation

Soul Kitchen Junior is probably the best hostel I have ever stayed in. Fantastic location, super nice staff, and the most well-designed and well-planned hostel I can imagine: it seems like they literally thought of everything you could possibly want/need in a hostel and put it all in one place. It's also incredibly cheap for the quality you get. I cannot recommend it enough. Moika embarkment 62, metro: Sadovaya/Spasskaya/Sennaya Ploshad

Hostel Life - I only saw the reception area of this hostel (it's the meeting point for Peter's Walking Tour), but I was impressed with what I saw - it looks like a well-run place. Nevsky 47, metro: Mayakovskaya

Restaurants

Clean Plates Society - Near the Soul Kitchen hostel, friendly staff who spoke the best English of any waitstaff I encountered in Russia. Sort of simple continental comfort food with a bit of a Russian twist. Quite affordable by Russian standards. Recommended by both the hostel and the walking tour guide. Gorokhovaya ulitsa 13, metro: Admiralteyskaya

Kilikia - Armenian food. Staff doesn't speak much English but is pretty friendly as far as Russian service goes. Note: no non-smoking section. Moderate price range. Accepts credit cards. Gorokhovaya 26, metro: Sadovaya/Spasskaya/Sennaya Ploshad

Tours

Peter's Walking Tours, mentioned in the NY Times "36 Hours in St Petersburg," was a really interesting introduction to the city. It costs 650 rubles (about $20) but mine also lasted for about 4.5 hours with a quirky guide who didn't just take us to the obvious tourist sites that you can find by yourself (actually he took us to very few of those). We wandered through courtyards and into banks with restored architecture and sampled cranberry liquor at a Russian canteen.

There is also a free walking tour that looks like a similar set-up as the Moscow free tour company, but I didn't do it so cannot comment on quality.

Sights

The Hermitage - a must-see, even if you're not that big a fan of art museums; the actual buildings and rooms are incredible. Admission is free on the first Thursday of every month. An amateur photo permit costs 200 rubles on top of admission, although honestly I don't think the guards really check.

The State Russian Museum in Mikhailovsky Palace came very highly recommended in the guide book, but if you're doing Moscow also I would do either this or the Tretyakov Gallery; I don't see the need to do both unless you're a Russian art/history fanatic. For some of the famous works the original is in one museum and the copy is in the other. I think I personally preferred the Tretyakov, but I also visited it earlier in my trip, so museum fatigue might have been a factor at that point.

Entertainment

Mariinsky Theatre - You can buy tickets in advance, and unless it's a really popular show you could probably manage to get some upon arrival. Some cheap tickets supposedly available if you get them enough in advance (and/or are Russian), but even the mid-range tickets (i.e. I paid 1500 rubles or $48) are still a bargain compared to London or New York prices, especially given that you're sitting in a historic theatre and seeing a world-class performance. For a ballet the balconies are great, and cheaper than the stalls anyway. Closer to the stage on either side gives you a better view, but be aware that there are private boxes/tech equipment at the side of each balcony row that do not show up on the seating plan on the website and that obstruct the view a little for the seats at the very ends. I sat in Belle-Etage Box 20, Seat 2 and downstage right was slightly obstructed from my view, but overall I was thrilled with my seat. However, Seats 4, 6, and 5 in the same box had a pretty hard time, I think. So in Box 20, I would stick with seats 1, 3, and maybe 2, and in Box 1 - Seats 3, 5, and 6. Anything from Box 2/19 and moving toward the center should be fine as far as the view, but note that the 2nd row seats are not elevated in any way, so if you get stuck sitting behind a really tall person in front of you, you may have a somewhat frustrating night.

Serbia

Belgrade

Restaurants

Comunale

[[1]] is a wonderful Italian place, built in an up and coming, redone-industrial building on the banks of the Sava River, just south of the fortress. Highly recommended, the best place we ate at in the city. Lavish meal, 2500 din. per person including tip. 2-4 Karađorđeva (Essentially the port of Belgrade if you look at Google Maps, although there is also a comically poor map on their website)

Radost

[[2]] is a vegetarian restaurant hidden in an apartment building just off the southern tip of Kalemegdan Park. Easiest to spot by looking though the windows, the door is entirely unmarked. Fantastic choice for vegetarians and omnivores alike. Pariska 3

Kopaonik

Big ski town but beautiful (and quiet) in the summer as well.

Novi Sad

Accommodation

Hotel Panorama is quite posh for a totally reasonable price (35-40 euro for a double room). Not quite in the old town, but an easy walk anywhere you want to go, and as the name suggests, great views from the 6th floor rooms.

Restaurants

Cafe Veliki, on a quiet side street in Old Town, has really interesting decor and a varied menu that reflects the blended Austrian, Hungarian, and Slav/Serbian heritage of the Vojvodina region. Large portions for reasonable prices, nice service. It also has rooms available for rent.

Pirot

Accommodation

We stayed at the JollyKop and they were so nice to us--when we asked to pack up part of the enormous breakfast spread, they gave us 4 extra meat banitsa (DELICIOUS) so that we could each have two, and gave us a wildberry banitsa on the house. The restaurant up the road whose name I forget was also wonderful and gave us dessert on the house.

Sukovo and Poganovo

This is a day trip out of Sofia to see two monasteries. (Or the start of an adventure going north.) Go to the Serbian border, drive through Dimitrovgrad. 13 kms beyond Dimitrovrad is a left turn off for "Sukovo". Drive through the town and follow the sign to "Poganovo Monastery" (also called St. John the Theologian Monastery. Try it in google images.). About 1 km past, Sukovo is another monastery on the left called Sukovski Monastery. Check it out when you see it, or save it for the return. Poganovo is about 10 kms. The 800 year old monastery sits in a beautiful valley/canyon. There's a restaurant, full of Sofians, that serves reasonable fare. After your meal, walk along the road into the canyon (flat comfy hiking) for as long as you like. The trip could be 4-7 hours total, depending on how long you want to linger. The drive is 90 minutes.

Slovenia

Ljubljana

"Cute" is the word everyone uses to describe Ljubljana, but it really does have a nice youthful energy and vibe, like a mini-Vienna that isn't too crowded or expensive. Very pleasant to walk around in and probably a very nice place to live, with plenty of cultural events and lots of bars, restaurants, etc.

Accommodation

Alo Rooms Vrbinc B&B was a great stay for us. It is outside the city center, but it's an easy 4 km drive to the center and parking in Ljubljana is a snap - we went in at 8:00 pm on a Saturday night and had no problem parking at a lot downtown, 3 hours for 1.80 euro. Staff at the hotel were very nice and the rooms are surprisingly posh given the pleasant but simple exterior.

Restaurants

Cantina Mexicana was not perfect, but might be the best Mexican we've had in the Balkans. Also, they actually put ice in their cocktails and give you free tap water.

Spain

Barcelona

Accommodations

The Rambla

Casa Consell – an awesome hostel about 4 blocks from Catalonia Square and a 10 minute walk to Casa Mila ( one of the Gaudi apartments) or the Rambla (a very famous walking street). Very nice rooms and a great common area with an outdoor patio. Continental breakfast is included and the kitchen is available if you want to cook any meals. The owners are from New Zealand and Argentina and are extremely friendly and helpful in recommending places to go.

Dining

Cat Bar Vegano - A quirky little vegetarian bar in the Gothic area with great food.

Entertainment

Flamenco Cordobes Good Flamenco show on the Rambla. It’s a small venue and they seat you according to the date you bought the ticket. You can book online. You can order dinner and a show or a drink and a show. The show is a little over an hour.

Sweden

Stockholm

Accommodation

Castanea Old Town Hostel - A bit crowded, but you absolutely can't beat the location. Kindstugatan 1

Turkey

Istanbul

Airport / Transportation

Havatas is a good shuttle that will take you from Airport to Taksim Square for 10 TL each. And then back. 40 min. ride.

Sights

Fatih

(across the Golden Horn from Beyoğlu) Hagia Sophia is a must see no matter how long the line. Cisterns (right near the Hagia, underground reservoir; awesome) Bazaars: The Grand Bazaar may be worth a look, but it's too crazy; the Spice Bazaar is better and amazing.

Restaurants

Dinner

Munferit (high class Turkish) Must Go.

Lokanta Maya may be the best restaurant in town. You'll need reservations a few days in advance

Mikla (Top floor) Best views. Probably best for drinks rather than dinner due to expense

Litera (nice restaurant on the top floor of Goethe Institute. Good views)

Breakfast / Coffee

gram Simdi

Nightlife

Araf is named for the Muslim concept of a borderland between Heaven and Hell. It is on the top floor of what seems to be an apartment building. It features live music and frequently hosts Gypsy bands. It seems to be a popular study-abroad hangout.

Shopping

Book Shops

Homeri Kitaberi is an excellent little bookstore just off of İstiklâl Caddesi. It is has a very strong collection of academic books.

Pandora has two stores across the street from one another, one Turkish, one English.

The Arasta bazaar behind the Blue Mosque is one of my favorites. I basically want to buy the entire thing.

United Kingdom

England

London

Accommodation

Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage - Beautiful old building, a bit outside the center but near Regents Park. 40 College Crescent, tube: Swiss Cottage (Jubilee line)

Scotland

Edinburgh

Accommodation

Globetrotter Inn - 4 miles outside the city, so not the most convenient location and it's very large and can feel impersonal in that way, but it has cool bunk beds and the view out the back over the Firth of Forth is spectacular. 46 Marine Drive.