Weekend break in Eastern Europe.

[andy didcott]

Where to go, cheap food/ cheap accom/ cheap flight. Things to see
Will be flying from Donny.
Poland maybe. ?
Would appreciate it for any info, cheers.
Not this weekend tho, off to Shrewsbury.

[RedJ]

Poland is lovely. Krakow especially, if they fly there/nearby from Donny.

Auschwitz might be a bit heavy for a weekend away... but that's the obvious thing in Poland. Krakow is among my favourite cities and I've been across most of that part of the world.

[Filo]

Theres some Salt Mine thats a tourist attraction around the Krakow area

[IDM]

I dunno about flights, but I went to Prague on business last year, and i would go back for a visit..

[Dutch Uncle]

Theres some Salt Mine thats a tourist attraction around the Krakow area

https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/visiting/make-time-for-your-adventure?gclid=CjwKCAiAqIHTBRAVEiwA6TgJw63K_vSwJgLGgcWqmbI2D0_xvSbOZsn1LkhcTRW6fOqlVrnCf4ItwRoCKdIQAvD_BwE

IMHO well worth a visit, and I found whole City interesting, and not expensive (although that was some years ago)

[German Rover]

You'd have to go to Manchester for the flight but helsinki is awesome. Id go back there tomorrow!

[Geoff Blakesley]

You can also fly to Krakow from Leeds Bradford Airport

[wesisback]

I did Krakow last October and rank it as the best City break I've ever done.
We did both Auschwitz and the Salt Mine.
Value for money wise, I struggled to spend what I'd taken. We'd booked into higher end restaurants, had three courses and wine most night and my bill never got above £60.

[mushRTID]

Went Krakow last Christmas. Amazing and cheap.

My second favourite city break after Rome (expensive)

[andy didcott]

Kraków it is then, cheers all for the comments.

[Donnywolf]

Hold that decision just a second

Krakow - yes brilliant and if you go and like Beer Google CK Browar and go there ***

BUT Tallinn (Estonia) Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania) are all sensational. All flights from Donny - very good all of them and they were good value for anything you needed

We should have a poll to help but if I could go back to just one of those 3 I would pick Vilnius. Sensational

Vilnius v Krakow is a hard one to call - so you may have to go to both for a weekend !

*** this should do it ! You can get beer in Acrylic Drainpipes. I believ this tip was popular with StocktonRovers https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pl&u=http://ckbrowar.pl/&prev=search

[Donnywolf]

Here is what I posted on Krakow 2 years ago almost !


Rynek is the main Market Square and is great
The Bugler plays in the Tower Clock on the corner instead of Bells ringing
There is a Green Park which runs round the City Centre and is worth a walk for sure
Jewish Quarter is OK and leads to a Shopping Mall but much smaller than Frenchgate Centre
Fantastic little Flea Market just outside the Green Park and the ladies who have Bras and Shoes and enormous Knickers to sell but don't have stalls line the route simply holding up their wares.

Auschwitz is a Coach ride away but I avoided it. Mrs DW wanted to go and tried to convince me but I said I did not need to go to know what happened there.

Salt mines are another trip you can go on

Airport Café in the corner WAS when I went the cheapest place I had ever eaten and drunk at - but perhaps will have gone up a lot . I could not believe the value

Now anyone who REALLY knows me will be thinking I cant believe he has got all that way and not mentioned Beer. Well if you want Beer find a place near the Flea Market underneath what was  a Supermarket with a large illuminated Elephant as an advert. It brews its own Beer (several types) and they serve them in Acrylic "Pipes" of 3 Litres or 5 Litres and they carry them to your Table and mount them on a base with a Tap and you fill your glasses as and when. Large parties of people share one of each type and have a great time

I will post the Name of the place once I have found it for you and a Photo if I have one. Its great !

EDIT : It is CK Browar and is under the Elefant Building
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g274772-d657997-Reviews-C_K_Browar-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html#photos;geo=274772&detail=657997&ff=283733742&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=283733742&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7&autoplay=

Have a look at these photos and you will get the picture AND see the Drainpipes of Beer 3 or 4 times
First one in sequence is the Google Street view so you can look up at the building and Left and right to see what you will be looking for but dead easy to find

Those photos reminded me of how good that Pub/Restaurant was and Krakow too !

[RedJ]

Wish I'd known about that pub when I was last there...

[hoolahoop]

You can also fly to Krakow from Leeds Bradford Airport

Why ? We have a perfectly good airport here that will become cheaper to use when the volumes don't go elsewhere !
Use our airport or lose it , I know folks who would travel and stay over in Manchester to save £ 1-200 now taking into account travel, fuel , parking and sometimes an overnight stay - it's utter madness !!

Check out Wizzair to WROCLAW........

[Donnywolf]

Wish I'd known about that pub when I was last there...

Its a belter I have to say. Sat in there with a "drainpipe" of their Beer - brilliant

Also Katowice Airport Cafe was unbelievable. 2 sandwiches 2 Crisps a Beer and a Wine cost just about £2 but as I say that was a few years back

Its a bit of a drag into Krakow about 45 Mins I seem to remember - but Wizz have their own "branded" Bus that takes you to Krakow Railway Station and its a compact City Centre. So anywhere within the green park that circles the Centre is an easy walk from there - or a very short Taxi ride

[andy didcott]

Flights booked,weekend in Riga it is then, £35 return flight from Donny, bargain. Who's been.?

[Donnywolf]

From reply 10 above

BUT Tallinn (Estonia) Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania) are all sensational. All flights from Donny - very good all of them and they were good value for anything you needed

Riga base on a wide River with a very compact heart to it. Walk everwhere !Some great "Pubs" especially in the City Square - and lots move outside in Summer

There are some shown here http://www.latvia.travel/en/city/riga-8

It is the a Train ride to The Baltic Sea but cheap and well worth it. You can see where the Soviets built their Hotels and private villas. If you plan it correctly you can get off at one Station (might be Majori) and walk a now very posh path to the Sea - then go along for a mile along the Beach if I remember the distance correctly - and back up a different Road and see more Shops Bars etc - and depart back to Riga from a different station (name coming later) Search Jurmali and you will find everything !

The Beach was full of pop up Bars and I saw the most fantastic "Night Club" complete with Restaurant massive Dance Floor and even a Swimming Pool - and it was the poshest thing I had ever seen made with Marquees etc. All white and all right I have to say

If you are off soon it will be cold but all in all a great place even when freezing !

[GazLaz]

Riga is good. One of the best places in Eastern Europe that I’ve been too. The women are the best I’ve ever seen.

[Donnywolf]

Yes - I agree - all across the 3 Baltic States - they are very aesthetic !

Very nice people too although as my Google Guide Book said you cant go in a Cafe or Pub and hope to meet the locals as you will be greeted only by rows and rows of Desktop Lids ! AND it was true

They are so Tech savvy now and there was free WiFi wherever you went in Tallinn and that was 7 or 8 years ago !