Looking for Good Travel Guides (esp. Eastern Europe)

[Wolfeye]

Hey, everyone. I was just looking into good travel guides & wondered what you guys would suggest. I'm heading to Eastern Europe (Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria- if I can swing all of it). Figure I'll land in Prague first & work my way out from there (I need to get to learn the language, too).

I'm heading to Southampton, England by boat first. Then to continental Europe- not sure if I'll take the Chunnel, a boat, or a plane (likely not the last one). Any tips on how to get there? Good spots to see along the way? I think I'd prefer a train for more space to move around & more bathrooms.

[Voyager1]

Most of the countries you mentioned are not Eastern Europe. They are considered Central Europe.

Eastern Europe is Russia, Ukraine, Belarus.

What is the purpose of your trip? Sightseeing?

[Voyager1]

It used to be that people would use travel guides such as Frommer's, Let's Go, etc. but now they just google things.

[Kradmelder]

Used to be years ago when I used to travel the lonely Planet guides were the best. But that was before Internet and jewgle. Guides are outdated as soon as they are published.

These days I just pull into a small town on my bike, stop at a pub and ask where to stay, eat etc. That won't work in europe.

Google town you are going to plus backpackers then once there ask around. Don't overplan. You will see things and meet people that will make you want to change plans anyway.

[Wolfeye]

Voyager1: Really? I'm surprised- I thought it was one of those "Go east until they speak something else" kind of things. The purpose is kind of like an extended vacation, but I'm also hoping to turn this into living there. I have to figure out work & student visas or getting around them (I figure manual labor might be a possibility off-the-books & I might be able to take language classes privately without a visa). I've heard about needing to get these in your own country, but then the embassy is technically foreign soil.

Kradmelder: Good advice, but why wouldn't stopping at a pub & asking not work in Europe?

[Kradmelder]

Voyager1: Really? I'm surprised- I thought it was one of those "Go east until they speak something else" kind of things. The purpose is kind of like an extended vacation, but I'm also hoping to turn this into living there. I have to figure out work & student visas or getting around them (I figure manual labor might be a possibility off-the-books & I might be able to take language classes privately without a visa). I've heard about needing to get these in your own country, but then the embassy is technically foreign soil.

Kradmelder: Good advice, but why wouldn't stopping at a pub & asking not work in Europe?

People just seem a lot more cold there. You rarely get invited to their homes, or maybe their homes are simply small.

In third world places with a white minority, hospitality is the norm and people will invite a white stranger, or at least help out. I have never been offered a place in europe, even by colleagues who stay with me when they come to SA. For example, if i see a white person on the side of the road in africa I will always stop. I have even invited some young travellers a room for the night. In america or europe you would never do this.

It seems to be even more common on a bike, as maybe people somehow see you as vulnerable, or just have a curiosity. It may work in eastern europe where people are more open than in the west.

One thing about america, is they do invite you to their homes. canadians never. The french never.

[Wolfeye]

Yeah, I heard about the French & the Canadians. They seem to have a bit of an attitude, honestly. Them & a lot of the Israelis, it seems.

I remember one time I was talking with one of my neighbors who had lost the key to their car (they have transponders in them & it seems they don't generally give out more than one), so one of the guys from the dealership was over there working on it- I guess he had to make a new one to that code. I was talking with him a little bit & I asked where he was from, he said he was from Israel. I had said I though he was from somewhere else because of his accent & he said "Yeah, that's how you guys do it." I paused for a few seconds & asked, "Well, how else would someone do it?" Now HE paused for a few seconds & said "I don't know." So he's offended by my gauging where he was from by his accent & didn't even know how else someone would do it! What the f**k was he pissed off about, then?!

Yeah, the American is the asshole of that situation. It's not like you would know the address of a building by the number on it, either. Was honestly expecting him to go on some kind of tirade about antisemitism & how oppressed his people are. Speaking of which, where are all the Jews getting cranked-up about all the muslims? They're basically invading Europe & there are even a few "no-go zones" in America now. The one fuckin' time, currently, that they actually DO have a reason to get worried about mounting threats with the goal of annihilating them & they're nowhere to be found. But let someone make a comment about cereal bowls or even that their tradition of "not working" during whatever holiday that is & burning their houses down by leaving the oven on (can't cook their food when they want it, that'd be work- much like eating it or wiping themselves)... .

[Wolfeye]

Yeah, I heard about the French & the Canadians. They seem to have a bit of an attitude, honestly. Them & a lot of the Israelis, it seems.

I remember one time I was talking with one of my neighbors who had lost the key to their car (they have transponders in them & it seems they don't generally give out more than one), so one of the guys from the dealership was over there working on it- I guess he had to make a new one to that code. I was talking with him a little bit & I asked where he was from, he said he was from Israel. I had said I though he was from somewhere else because of his accent & he said "Yeah, that's how you guys do it." I paused for a few seconds & asked, "Well, how else would someone do it?" Now HE paused for a few seconds & said "I don't know." So he's offended by my gauging where he was from by his accent & didn't even know how else someone would do it! What the f**k was he pissed off about, then?!

Yeah, the American is the asshole of that situation. It's not like you would know the address of a building by the number on it, either. Was honestly expecting him to go on some kind of tirade about antisemitism & how oppressed his people are. Speaking of which, where are all the Jews getting cranked-up about all the muslims? They're basically invading Europe & there are even a few "no-go zones" in America now. The one fuckin' time, currently, that they actually DO have a reason to get worried about mounting threats with the goal of annihilating them & they're nowhere to be found. But let someone make a comment about cereal bowls or even that their tradition of "not working" during whatever holiday that is & burning their houses down by leaving the oven on (can't cook their food when they want it, that'd be work- much like eating it or wiping themselves)... .