Tips for upcoming trips please - Europe/Middle East

[Keith009]

Hi folks,

Just looking to pick your brains here about tips and tricks of various cities I'd be visiting in the coming months and some of which I have no clue about.

My priorities will be looking out for good food, cafes, exploring local nightlife, and "absolute must see" sites (but no museums or art galleries please). I will of course also be attempting to singlehandedly save the world from recession by shopping as much as possible.

So with all that in mind, what do you folks recommend in the following places? I will be doing Stockholm in December, and the rest over Jan and Feb 2009.

Stockholm - 4 nights (well, effectively 3 as i arrive at midnight)

Muscat - 2 nights (doesn't seem like much here and I'm really there because it's a long DONE segment from LHR, maybe coughtails by the beach? I do enjoy Middle Eastern food)

Istanbul - 3 nights

Prague - 2 nights

My parents will be joining me for the following. Mum shares a similar interest in compulsive and totally frivolous shopping (why else are we going to Milan? ) and hunting for the world's best coughtails, additionally she'd be interested in "nice scenery." Dad loves his pints (not so much wine/bubbles/coughtails -- hence the stop in Munich), and will be similarly attempting to revive the world economy - at casinos around the world.

Berlin - 5 nights

Munich - 3 nights

Madrid - 4 nights

Milan - 5 nights

Budapest - 3 nights


Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

 

[vitaminp]

Ahhh, QF009, an excellent post to give me an excuse to re-read my Europe diary and avoid the horrible affliction that is exam study

Prague - Sights: Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and I enjoyed studying the freakiness of the 'Dancing House' partly designed by Gehry.

Nightlife: Went to the '5 Floor Disco' which is huge..but did have a large amount of tourists. (The sign at front of the club has a picture of a grenade, pistol and bomb with crosses through them!) But some of the more local places include Roxy (hardish dance music) and a good bar called Double Trouble

Food: Don't really remember eating in Prague - There was far too much liquid refreshment

Munich - Sights: Hofbrauhaus was amazing as a sight and for beer and food! Just walking around Marienplatz in the city center was good fun. I am a bit of a sports fan, so went to Olympic Park which was amazing fun. It's a cycle friendly city and a good way to see the city is on bike!

Food/Nightlife: We were beerhalling it in Munich, so not much nightlife..but I never thought I would get to say "hmm..it's 10.30am, I'm not sure that bratwurst with mustard hit the spot, I'll have to try another" Everything I ate from street vendors was fantastic.

Hope some of that helps!

 

[RB]

In Munich I had a great time at this beer hall. Found it a better spot to see the locals having a beer at lunchtime! Brewers enjoying their lunchtime beers & pork knuckles at the beerhall where all the beerhall horses were stabled during Oktoberfest. Understand this was where monks originally brewed. Reckon your dad (and all family) would enjoy as a beer lover & its easy to get to.
Augustiner Braustuben Landsberger Straße 19, 80339 München, Tel.: 089 / 50 70 47, Fax: 089 / 502 25 69, E-Mail: Bitte hier klicken

 

[medhead]

Munich - I'd normally say go to the beer gardens rather than the beer halls but I'm not sure they're open. But anyway, beer hall or garden. Augustiner is definitely a must go. My brother reckons it's the best in munich and also rates the beer (he's only lived there 7 or 8 years so he could be wrong).
I'd say check out the english garden, which is supposed to have winter type activities (maybe skating). The chinese turm (tower) in the english garden, which has a beer garden at the bottom.
Maximillian Strasse for you shopping needs.
Kunst Park Ost (means art house park or something) for nightclubs - I'm not much of a nightclubber anymore but they seemed fair to middle-ing. There was 5 to 10 different establishments in one central park area. Slight mark down for playing milli-vanilli. But then german musically taste .....

Budapest - Bath houses - Szechenyi Spa House in City Park, Gellert Hotel spa.
City Park - Vajdahunyad Castle, has a big lake next door which is used for skating.
Also in City Park there was an amazing airplane mueseum (breaks the no mueseum rule) but it was amazing. But very ordinary looking, in fact I thought the staff from still from the old soviet system. This is your job, you get to live in the meuseum and we send you meals everyday. Entry was free with the Budapest card. I'll have to look for a name.
I'd recommend Hotel Victoria Budapest Hotel: Hotel Victoria Budapest **** Hungary - Hotel Budapest
Great views, within easy walking distance of the castle and fisherman's bastion and St Mathias church.
Shopping Vorosmarty Ter - just across the river from hotel victoria. But there are all the big name hotels on that side of the river. Has a "mall" with all the shops.
Night life - not sure but possibly around Vorosmarty Ter.
Gundel Hotel for afternoon tea - or something, apparently it's famous. Did it, and the venue and service were great!
St Margaret's Island - another spa house there but also just great to check out
Budapest card is worth considering it gives free public transport and free entry to heaps of things. But then you said no museums.

That's about all my ideas for the moment.

 

[Keith009]

Thanks guys.
Yes I put up this thread in an attempt to procrastinate...

I hear grog in Stockholm is horrifically expensive. Does anyone know how much the average drink would cost there? Say a pint, house wine or a mixed drink. S'pose I'd have to avoid the fancier drinks there.

I've heard lots about Gundel in BUD, specifically their fab looking Sunday brunch! Unfortunately I leave BUD early Sunday morning but will pass on the suggestion to my parents. I'll DEFO go there for a meal - the goose liver platter looks SO good! Basically goose liver done in a few different ways - liver fried with truffles, pate etc. <drools>

 

[medhead]

I found the aviation museum it's the Repulesi Muzeum. English translation is Exhibition of the HIstory of Aviation and Space Flight. They did have a couple of amazing aircraft in there. But the thing that also entertained me was it kind of turned into a exhibition of how Hungary is responibile for the history of aviation and space flight, even to the point of somehow being involved in the russian space shuttle. (my hungary isn't that good, but I'm sure it also said that the russian shuttle was superior to the US shuttle because of hungary - or I could be reading to much into it )

I was very impressed with the grundel service, Picture heat wave and 3 aussie's just out of the spa. We rock up to the grudel very low rent and they didn't bat an eyelid - full silver service. Amazing. (I would have told me to get lost)

 

[tuapekastar]

I hear grog in Stockholm is horrifically expensive. Does anyone know how much the average drink would cost there? Say a pint, house wine or a mixed drink. S'pose I'd have to avoid the fancier drinks there.

Not Stockholm but I'd imagine we're in the same ball park. Drinking beer in an Oslo bar (just a bar, daytime) in 1996 cost roughly AUD8 for a pot (middy).

Seasonal differences may render this next bit irrelevant for your trip, but I fondly remember a balmy evening during my brief time in Madrid sitting outside a bar consuming inexpensive (but very quaffable) red wine, eating the tapas they kept bringing me with each glass, and watching Euro 2000 soccer (not that I'm a big soccer fan - it was just a very pleasant situation)

 

[medhead]

Madrid tip just in from my sister in law. Nightlife - go out near Malasana, around plaza 2 de mayo. (malasana has a ~ over the n).

Also check out www.madrid.es

I'd also suggest seeing Picasso's Guernica painting at the Reina Sofia - but that's a museum.

 

[Brettmcg]

If you have a bit of time in Berlin I would recommend tagging along on one of the New Berlin Tours. They are free and run for app. 3.5 hours, but often you will find they are hosted by Aussie ex-pats now residing in Berlin and surrounds. Highly informative with just the right touch of quirk and charm.

NEW BERLIN TOURS - HOME OF THE FAMOUS FREE TOUR! - The New Berlin Free Tour

Other things worth taking a look at are the KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) to satiate your mother's need for frivolous shopping; the Sony Centre; Hohenschönhausen Stasi Prison (really interesting especially when the guide is a former inmate); Unter den Linden and the Bundestag; and dinner in the rotating restaurant of the Fernsehturm am Alexanderplatz.

 

[Keith009]

Thanks for all that guys, v helpful!

I like the sound of that New Berlin tour. I went on a similar one in Rome which was hosted by expats from the US and it was pretty informative and refreshing. Also more interesting than the standard tours as you have people who are incredibly frank about everything and hence are able to offer more insights.

I especially like the sound of the Berlin pub crawl.

 

[TheFergus]

Dunno about Stockholm, but two weeks ago I ordered a bourbon + coke and a mineral water in Prague... AUD$73.

I wasn't much thirsty after that.

It was caused by a pitiful AU dollar + strong Czech Crown and compounded by an expensive town.

If I did the trip again, I would have ducked Prague and spent more time in Vienna, but with travel, ya need to find some things first hand, I know.

Have a ball on your trip - all travel is good experience

 

[Evan]

Dunno about Stockholm, but two weeks ago I ordered a bourbon + coke and a mineral water in Prague... AUD$73.

I wasn't much thirsty after that.
<..>

Oh SH** thats not nice.... then again i have had my share of $20 normal drinks in Singapore and almost start to think thats normal !

What was probably silly about that order is the water cost the same amount as the bourbon and coke !

E

 

[medhead]

Dunno about Stockholm, but two weeks ago I ordered a bourbon + coke and a mineral water in Prague... AUD$73.

A bourbon was expensive in that renowned home of bourbon

How much was local beer per chance? Perhaps if you ordered a pils it might have been a bit more resonable. Just a thought.....

 

[JohnK]

Dunno about Stockholm, but two weeks ago I ordered a bourbon + coke and a mineral water in Prague... AUD$73.

You must have been really thirsty. :-|

How much was local beer per chance? Perhaps if you ordered a pils it might have been a bit more resonable. Just a thought.....

If you go into a supermarket the beer is dirt cheap. I tried a lot of different Czech beers and I found out for myself the statement about Czech beers being the best in the world is not even remotely close to being true....

 

[medhead]

Did you see the travel section in the last weekend Oz. Destination Europe bit has a run down of rooftop bars at europe's fanciest hotels. In particular

La Terraza Del Urban, Hotel Urban, Madrid - www.derbyhotels.com
The Penthouse, ME, Madrid www.memadrid.travel
360, istanbul www.360istanbul.com
Bazaar Mediterranee, Prague No website but bookings essential! +422 5752 5050
Champagne Bar, Clarion Sign Hotel, Stockholm www.clarionsign.com

I can't recommend any of these, but they paid a lot of money to advertise in a paper on the other side of the world.

If you go into a supermarket the beer is dirt cheap. I tried a lot of different Czech beers and I found out for myself the statement about Czech beers being the best in the world is not even remotely close to being true....

While beer can be both cheap and good. my general rule of thumb is that all cheap beer is good.

seriously pilsner is an aquired taste but then I can drink my homebrew

 

[Keith009]

I missed that article - so cheers for that. Lookin' good indeed.