Austria
The following are bits and pieces of information which I have collected during my travels through Europe. Some of the information listed may be in some of the newer guide books. However, most of this information are tidbits that I found useful in addition to what was in the guide books. I have included dates on the information so you can judge how reliable the prices and information may be.
Note that the use of any information which is listed on this site is done solely at your own risk. Times and prices may have changed since this information was written. By using this information you agree not to hold Jeff Mahn liable for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any traveler as a result of information or advice on this web site.
Austria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Hungary
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Return to the Denmark Adventure
Scanrail Pass (February 2003)
The cost of a Scanrail Pass purchased in Denmark is DK 1720 if you are over 25 years old. The pass is good for five days of travel within 15 consecutive days. Only three of the days may be used in Denmark.
Note that even with a Scanrail Pass, you must often book seat reservations on many of the trains. The cost of the reservations will depend on whether you book a seat or a sleeper.
Vienna (August 2003)
Hostel Ruthensteiner offers rooms in a great environment. There is an open courtyard where you can hang out and laundry facilities as well. About a ten minute walk from the West Bahnhof Train Station and close to an assortment of grocery stores and bakeries.
Hostel Ruthensteiner
Robert Hamerling Gasse 24
1150 Vienna
43-1-8934202
[email protected]
A museum that is worth checking out is the Haus der Musik. The Haus der Musik is an interactive sound museum which covers six floors. Visitors can use the interactive displays to learn about sound, to create their own music and to learn about Vienna's famous composers. Plan to devote at least half of a day to the museum.
Seilerstätte 30
A - 1010 Wien
+43 1 516 48 0
Open 10 - 22
www.hdm.at
Prague (August 2003)
Pay close attention to the menu for surcharges on your meal, especially in the Prague Castle area. Look at the bottom of the pages for surcharges for the use of the salt and pepper which you find on the table when you sit down whether you use then or not. The charges may be around 40 Kc per person which adds up quickly! Complaining after then meal will get you no where since the waiter will simply show you the cost listed in the menu.
Sir Toby’s offers great rooms and has a helpful and friendly staff. Please be aware that there are two Sir Toby’s, the hostel and the pension. Also be aware that the internet booking staff are not as careful as they should be and may book you in one place and tell you another. So, it is best to confirm before you arrive. Also note that if you have a room with a private bath, you will be charged extra.
Sir Toby’s
Dělnická 24
17000 Praha
+420 283870635
www.sirtobys.com
Be advised that if you have a large backpack, you must purchase a ticket for the backpack if you want to take it on the public transportation. The ticket for a backpack is only 6 Kc.
Train from Copenhagen to Stockholm (February 2003)
Tallinn (August 2003)
A nice place to stay in Tallinn is the Tihase Bed & Breakfast. The B&B is about 2km from the city center in a residential area, but don’t let that put you off. There is a bus stop 100m from the B&B and you can easily get back and forth from the Old Town. The B&B is clean, quiet and well run. The owners are helpful and free internet access is included with the price. However, the cozy cabin is best avoided due to smoke from the sauna. Note also that people with allergies should know that there is a friendly cat on the premises.
Tihase Bed & Breakfast
Tihase 6a
Tallinn
Estonia
372 6552 171
[email protected]
It is strongly advised that if you plan to be in Tallinn in early August you should book your accommodations ahead of time.
You can create maps of Estonia on www.maporama.com
To purchase a ticket once you board one of the trams, you put your money through the little slot in the conductor’s door and the conductor will give you the tickets. You can pay for the bus tickets once you board the bus. Tickets cost 15 EEK. To validate your ticket, put it into one of the green boxes you can find at the front and the back of the bus. However, the stamping of your ticket is not automatic. You must slide down the lever at the top of the box to stamp your ticket.
A better option than buying your tickets on the bus or tram is to buy a pack of ten tickets at any of the new stands in the city. A pack of ten tickets costs 70 EEK.
Merchant Museum: The museum is a collection of scale models, photos, paintings and displays showing a history of fishing and sailing in Tallinn. The models are neat and the collection of paintings showing ships sinking is dramatic. The initial displays in English are encouraging, but the lack of English explanations throughout the rest of the museums makes justifying the cost of admission difficult for all but the fishing enthusiast. Descriptions of a great view of the Old City from the roof of the museum are exaggerated. You do, however get to see some roof tops. However, the views of the harbor are quite nice.
It is best to avoid the Arizona Salon on Visu 6. The food is not that great and too expensive for what it is.
There is a Rimi grocery store just outside the Old Town, across from #10 Aia. You can stock up on food and water for picnics in the parks.
Eurolines busses depart from the long distance bus station. To get to the bus station, take bus #17 or #23.
If you take the Eurolines bus, note that you can find your seat assignment on the ticket.
The Eurolines bus from Tallinn to Riga cost 200 EEK. There are multiple departures each day.
Helsinki (August 2003)
The Hostel Lönnrot is well located and about a ten minute walk from the train station. Breakfast is included with the price. The hostel is clean, but a bit tired.
Hostel Lönnrot
Lönnrotinkatu 16
00120 Helsinki
Finland
+358-96932590
[email protected]
A great place for slurping down delicious noodles for under €10 is Wrong Noodle Bar
Wrong Noodle Bar
Annankatu 21
09-2486 2442
www.wrong.fi
There are several competing ferry services to Tallinn from Helsinki. The slow boats take 3 1/2 hours, the hydrofoils take 90 minutes and if you are really impatient the helicopters take 19 minutes. One company is Tallink: www.tallink.fi
Budapest (August 2003)
A very good, inexpensive restaurant, slightly off the beaten path, but still close to the castle district is Clifton
Clifton
Batthyány u. 63
Budapest
212-2494
Open 11-23
Dobbiaco (August 2003)
A very nice hotel with an English speaking, but scattered staff is:
Hotel Tschurtschenthaler
Viale San Giovanni 22
Dobbiaco, Italy
+39 (0)474 972477
[email protected]
€35 per person per night
Be sure to confirm if breakfast is included with the price or the staff will tell you that it is not.
Florence (August 2003)
If you make the climb up to the Forte di Belvedere in search of views of the city, be prepared for a sticker shock. Your long climb up the hill to the fort will be rewarded with an €8 entrance fee (€6.50 if you already have a ticket to the Giardino di Boboli). As a bonus, the sign at the entrance brags that entrance to the café is free if you buy a ticket (food and drink are extra).
Plan to visit Academia to see David first thing in the morning when it opens. I went during the crowded August season, but by being at the museum when it opened, I could walk right in to purchase my ticket and I even had David to myself for about ten minutes before others started to arrive. Definitely worth getting up in time for.
Sienna (August 2003)
The HI hostel may be inexpensive, but it is a fair walk from the train station along a busy, winding road which does not have sidewalks in some places. A much better option than walking is to take bus 77 to the hostel neighborhood. However, the bus does not pass in front of the hostel. The staff is blunt, but the rooms are clean.
The public busses stop running to the HI hostel at 20:00, so be prepared to make the long walk in the dark.
Venice (August 2003)
Dormitory rooms on the Grand Canal and a very helpful staff all within five minutes walk of the train station can be found at:
Ca’Croce
Santa Croce 555
Venice, Italy
+39 347 4346544
[email protected]
cost is €30 per person for a six person dorm
A 24 hour ticket for the water bus is only €10.40 and the best deal
When you are looking for a restaurant to eat in, be aware of cover charges and service fees listed at the bottom of the menu.
Verona (August 2003)
Left luggage at the train station is €3
Riga (August 2003)
The Hotel Viktorija is about a 20 minute walk from the bus and train station. The hotel offers clean, inexpensive rooms with shared baths. The rooms in the new part of the hotel are big and nice and the shared bathrooms are brand new.
Viktorija
A. Čaka ielā 55
Rīga, Latvia
+371 7014111
[email protected]
www.hotel-viktorija.lv
A great restaurant is Staburags which offers cozy surroundings and great tasting food. Definitely try the Rupjamaizes Kārtojums (rye bread dessert). Staburags is located in the same building as the Hotel Viktorija
A. Čaka ielā 57
Rīga, Latvia
Busses to Klaipėdia depart several times a day and are operated by a company called Nordeka.
Klaipėdia (August 2003)
The information office is located at:
Klaipėdia Tourism and Culture Information Center
Turgaus Gatvė 7
Klaipėdia, Lt 5800
+370 46 412186
The ferry to Smiltynė is 0.75 Lt one way. Note that tickets purchased in Klaipėdia are roundtrip tickets and will cost 1.50 Lt. Tickets purchased in Smiltynė are only one way.
We had no problem finding ATMs in Klaipėdia and Visa seems to be accepted at most restaurants.
The menu in restaurants will have two prices listed for each item. The higher price is for a large portion, the lower price is for a small portion.
Many of the restaurants in Klaipėdia have English or German translations.
There is a great fish restaurant at Sukilėlių 8 Telephone 31 44 70. The restaurant is connected to the Taravos Anikė restaurant.
Traditional Lithuanian food can be found at a restaurant called Būrų užeiga which is located at Kepėjų 17
Litinterp can arrange accommodations in Klaipėdia. The rooms are very nice and modern on the inside (don’t be put off by the way the outside looks).
Litinterp
Puodžių st. 17
5800 Klaipėdia
+370 46 410644
www.litinterp.lt
Buses run to Kaunus every hour. Some of these are operated by Eurolines
Kaunus (August 2003)
The overnight bus to Krakow, Poland is operated by a company called Kautra for Eurolines. The departure time is 18:45. www.kautra.lt
Trains
The cost to reserve a 2nd class seat on a train with a Scanrail pass in October 2001 was NOK 30 for a seat and NOK 120 for a sleeper.
Oslo (October 2001)
The telephone number the for Cochs Pensjonat is 23 33 24 00. The pensjonat can be reached on the subway west to Nationaltheateret.
The Albertine Hostel closes in August at which time it becomes university housing. If you call the number, you will be directed to the Anker Hotel.
The Anker Hotel has rooms including a huge breakfast for: 1 person NOK 495, 2 people NOK 680 and extra beds are NOK 150.
As of the end of October, the rail lines between Oslo and Bergen were under repair and therefore several of the night trains were canceled. The cancellations resulted in several of the day trains being fully booked, so plan ahead.
Trondheim (October 2001)
Bergen (October 2001)
An option when staying in Bergen is Jacobs Apartments: Kong Oscarsgt 44 (982 386 00 Fax 55 55 91 49). A five minute walk from the train station. Jacobs offers fully furnished, two story apartments including kitchens and a varying number of beds. The listed prices are: single room NOK 490, double room NOK 700 and for each extra person NOK 100. However, we found the prices to be slightly reduced in October and they can fit 5 people in one room, so call ahead.
Travel to Northern Norway by Train Train from
Stockholm to Narvik, Norway (February 2003)
The train from Stockholm to Narvik, Norway is not operated by the Swedish train authority (SJ), but rather by the private company, Tågkompaniet.
The train to Narvik departs from Stockholm at 17:00.
You can not make reservations or purchase tickets through either SJ or the Danish train travel agency (DSB).
It is possible to book reservations on the Narvik train from the Tågkompaniet web site: www.tagkompaniet.se
Reservations made on the web can be picked up and paid for in Stockholm prior to departure.
It is also possible to call the Tågkompaniet, but the line is almost always busy and the web site is the best method: 020-444111
There are three classes of seat reservations on the Narvik train:
seats near the dining car
six person sleeper compartments which are separated into compartments for males and compartments for females
three person sleeper compartments which may be reserved for one to three people of mixed sex
It is important to note that if you are departing from Stockholm, you can not pick up your tickets for the train at the Swedish Train Ticket counters (SJ). There is a private travel company located on the same floor, near the Forex exchange shop.
If you are leaving from Stockholm, you must pick up your tickets by 15:45. If you do not pay for your reservations by the deadline, the reservations will be canceled.
It is possible to pay for tickets on the train and it is possible to use a credit card on the train
Note: there is a big difference in what you will pay if you purchase the tickets on the train and if you purchase the tickets at a travel agency.
From Stockholm to Narvik we were told the cost of reserving a private sleeper compartment for two people was 800 SEK. However, we missed the deadline to purchase our tickets in Stockholm and so we had to pay for the tickets on the train. We paid only 400 SEK on the train, a savings of 400 SEK.
From Narvik to Stockholm, if you purchase your tickets at the Narvik train station, you must pay the same price, but in Norwegian Kroner. This is a very bad arrangement since the NOK is worth more than the SEK. The people at the train station will acknowledge that they are charging you too much, but they don’t have any other way of doing it. You may be better off purchasing the tickets on the train, but we did not try this.
During the winter, the air in the train is terribly dry. Plan to pack lots of bottled water with you.
The train to Narvik will not proceed from Riksgrånsen which is the last station before entering Norway if it is raining. The Norwegian rails are closed due to concern of mudslides. If this is the case, the train company will arrange for a bus to take you to Narvik.
If you are planning on taking the bus from Narvik to Tromsø and your train arrives in Narvik late, the train company may arrange for a taxi to take you to the next bus stop. We wound up being in the taxi for 45 minutes until we caught the Tromsø bound bus. What is very important is that the train and bus companies will pay for the taxi since it is their fault that you missed the connection. Do not pay the driver since this will have been arranged. Instead you pay the bus driver as if you had caught the bus in Narvik and not where you actually catch the bus.
Bus from Narvik to Tromsø
Information
about the buses can be found at www.trafikktriangelen.no
Bus from Tromsø to Alta (with stops in Svensby)
The bus is number 805
Tromsø, Norway (February
2003)
Destinasjon Tromsø is the tourist information office in Tromsø and they can be quite helpful in booking all sorts of tours as well as well as making hotel reservations.
+47 77 61 00 00
Storgt 63, Tromsø
The bus station in Tromsø can book bus and train tickets
Can book tickets on the Tågkompaniet train from Narvik to Stockholm
During the winter, there is an option to take a bus to Skjervøy and then return to Tromsø by ferry. The cost is 400 NOK and the tickets can be purchased at either the bus station or Destinasjon Tromsø.
The Ami hotel has nice, clean rooms and a very helpful staff
email: [email protected]
included in the cost of a room is breakfast and a light, but filling dinner
complimentary coffee and tea are available all day long
Skolegata 24, Tromsø.
The Polar Museum does not offer many English explanations about the exhibits
The Art Museum of Northern Norway has a large, rotating collection of art by artists connected in some way with Northern Norway.
Sjøgata 1, Tromsø
Admission to the Polar Cathedral is 21 NOK. The church is actually much better viewed from the outside than the inside, so you may want to consider saving your money.
If you are in Tromsø for several days, consider renting one of the cabins in Svensby. Especially so if you are in Tromsø during the winter in hopes of seeing the northern nights. Destinasjon Tromsø can make the booking for you.
Svensby, Norway (February
2003)
Buses to Svensby are part of the Tromsø to Alta line and tickets can be purchased at the Tromsø bus station. www.nor-way.no Cost of the bus is 76 NOK (1/2 price with Scanrail Pass) and the ferry cost is an additional 23 NOK.
Cabins can be reserved through the Svensby Tourist Information Office.
The cabins each have six beds and cost 600 NOK per night in February, 2003. The cabins are actually charming little houses with complete kitchens, wood burning stove and large bathrooms. Bedding is provided and there is ample heat from radiators during the winter. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous and the cabins are a fantastic place to spend a night or two.
Krakow (August 2003)
If you would like to eat at the popular Restauracja Chłopskie Jadło during the summer months, it is wise to go the day before to book a table. If you don’t book ahead it can take hours for a table to free up as evidenced by the inevitable crowds sitting on the curbs outside of the restaurant.
A very nice, but inexpensive place to eat is the restaurant at the Hotel Polonia. Highly recommended are the pierogi as well as the beet soup.
Hotel Polonia
ul Basztowa 25
422 12 33
Busses to the Wieliczka Salt Mine depart from in front of the train station and cost 2zl
Beware of the rules about tickets for the public transportation! I know that the signs are in Polish and that the bus drivers will not tell you this, but if you have a large backpack, you MUST purchase a second ticket for the backpack. There are young, plainclothes ticket inspectors who seem to relish catching backpackers who are unaware of this rule. If you do not have the money for the fine with you, the inspectors will be happy to walk you to a Bankomat to get the money.
Tickets for the trams can be purchased at kiosks and must be validated once you board the tram. Tickets for the busses can be purchased from the driver, but there is a 0.5 zl surcharge.
The Synapsis Summer House is a student run hostel offering dormitory rooms during the summer. The hostel can be noisy, even in the early morning hours. Linen is provided by bring your own towel and toilet paper. I wish that I was making up the part about the toilet paper.
Synapsis Summer House
Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University
9a Racławicka St.
Krakow, Poland
+48 602 224 319
www.housing.cm-uj.krakow.pl
[email protected]
It is possible to travel from Krakow to Prague during the day. You must change trains in Ostrava-svin and reservations are compulsory on the first train. You may also want to make reservations for the second train since it can be very crowded. The cost of the ticket is 181.97 zl and the cost of the reservations for the first train is 26.76 zl.
Bratislava (August 2003)
Hotel Spirit is a fun place to stay, especially if you like Dr. Seuss. Conveniently located next door to the train station and at the terminus of several of the trams. Breakfast can be purchased and the price of the hotel includes free internet access.
Hotel Spirit
Vanéurova 1
831 01 Bratislava
00421-2-54777561
[email protected]
Tesco is a great place to stock up on food and water.
Tesco
Kamenné námestie 1
Bratislava
Be advised that if you have a large backpack, you must purchase a ticket for the backpack if you want to take it on the public transportation.
This website and all pictures and text unless otherwise
noted are Copyright © 2003 by Jeffrey
Mahn
Reproduction of the text or pictures without the authors permission is prohibited.
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Poland
Slovakia