tour Magnificent Europe with "let's rest"
I must say right away that I have something to compare with. I have already been 3 times in similar tours with only a chord, and they lasted much longer.
So everything is in order, one of the pluses is that we were taken from Zhytomyr and not from Lviv. The second + is the cheapness of the tour, bought for 125 euros with a visa (sorry, I won’t specify what and how, but it happened). And 3rd + the fact that the tour fell on March 8th. + in all these cities already 3-4 times they just went to meet spring with dignity and, as they say, drink beer.
Departure 05.03 about 12 hours (from Kyiv at 10). The group is large 50 people. Bus 2-storey. Well, as always, stops along the way, tea, toilet and all that. around 7 pm were in Lviv picked up the remaining tourists. From my own experience, I will say that a lot of things on the tour depend on the guide, and so we were not lucky with the guide. Sasha (guide) immediately told us 3-4 times that you can’t drink, that he has a scent like a dog’s eyes like an eagle’s. Dry law in a nutshell. I will say right away that both are clearly lame.
They were doused with champagne, did not smell it with their nose and did not blink an eye. In short, he scared all the way that he would leave without us and we would have to get there at our own expense and wouldn’t let him on the bus with a fumes, and all sorts of nonsense, in short, we weren’t seduced))) We didn’t make tea on the bus, but even boiling water. There was also a 2nd girl guide Oksana, but I didn’t understand her functions at all, probably she was only for electives.
So about the tour.
Day 1 and 2. . We drove all day and night, only at about 9 in the morning we arrived in Budapest, there were a couple of hours of free time, who went to plunge into the Szechenie baths, who went to have breakfast in Paprika, we went to the zoo, to be honest, we did not regret a bit. All animals are well-groomed and the territory is large enough. Having walked a lot in the zoo, we went on an overview of Budapest, the guide was generally no, mumbled, not expressive.
This is the 4th time I've been in Budapest, to be honest, a lot of things are forgotten and sometimes you listen to refresh your memory, in short, this is not the case. The guide just mumbles, in a monotone. The parallel group had a young boy (he told me very interestingly, and without detailed dates, whoever was already on tours will understand me after 2-3 countries, you just don’t remember the dates, and you don’t really need them). Then we got on the bus and went to the fisherman's bastion. There he quickly told everything for 20 minutes and gave 20 free time. In short, it’s very mean for a fishing bastion, and for Budapest in general. Didn't mention many places. Although this, probably, does not depend on him, but on the time for which he was hired. In short, sparingly, very sparingly for Budapest Heroes Square + Fisherman's Bastion. Further to the hotel. The hotel is good GOLDEN PARK **** near the railway station, a few meters away a huge supermarket (and clothes and tesco) in short, a paradise for shopaholics. The metro is right 10 meters from the entrance to the hotel and 4-5 stops to the center.
In short, the most for a tourist. I will not hide the check-in was at 5+ literally 10 minutes and we were in the rooms. We quickly took a bath (after all, almost 2 days on the road), changed clothes and went to look at Budapest not by running, but by enjoying ourselves. We went to the so-called attraction near the Fisherman's Bastion, there is an entrance to the caves (if you stand with your back to the plague column, then you need to go straight and the first turn to the right, then along the street on the right side there will be a gas lamp hanging, here you are) that they give you a kerosene lamp and you walk with it through a labyrinth in which it is dark and all this to the sound of a beating heart (try unforgettable sensations especially if you walk alone or 2). Well, of course, if you go to the Arava, it will not be the same at all. in short, we wandered at first, my heart almost flew off my heels, then we got used to taking pictures and even went to watch the wine fountain. We left and went to consolidate our impressions of Budapest at the Fisherman's Bastion.
The wind is certainly very strong but it's worth it, the view is unforgettable. Then we got on the bus, got to the center, walked along the embankment and went to taste the Hungarian goulash. Mmmmmmm yummy, for 850 forints per serving they paid another thought about the second, but it didn’t fit. And with peace of mind went to the hotel.
Day 3 Vienna
Oh Gods! ! ! breakfast is not possible. for such a large enough hotel, the kitchen was not up to the mark at all. shorter than half an hour. About an hour we were already in Vienna, as usual we drove around the ring. They dropped us off at the usual place where everyone is probably dropped off, and went to the survey, the guide was normal (well, not a fountain, but our girls who were there for the first time didn’t like it), I want to say right away that a very big minus of this tour company is the guides and, as I understand it, the money allocated for guides, they are probably hired for an hour or even half an hour saving in this way.
These were the most inconsistent reviews I have ever seen. So Vienna, we got to St. Stephen's Cathedral and decided to break away from the group. We went inside and thought to climb the spire, but a young man came up to us in time and showed us photos from there, and said that it was wasted money. We are happy that we saved money we went to try baked chestnuts, well, so to speak, for an amateur, but it’s worth trying once. The taste is something between potatoes and corn, if oil and salt are the same thing. Then we went to try the Viennese sausages right behind the chestnut kiosk near the zarra shop on the square where the cathedral is located. Well, you can eat, but our Russian soul does not understand why there is to pay 3-4 euros for 2 sausages. We go on to watch the opera and just walk and enjoy. I went to my beloved Rozhenberg, but it was closed for repairs, I was right at a loss.
We wandered around, went into the bila and bought a martini asti (champagne costs about 200g) there it is 6 euros (we ran to 2 stores because we didn’t have enough to take a lot, we devastated all stocks). Well, that's all goodbye Vienna, we get on the bus and go to Prague, especially tomorrow March 8th. Late arrival at the hotel.
Day 4 Prague (or optional in Dresden)
Hotel Juno *** is a good 3k, a normal breakfast is not continental, even with soup. Friendly staff, 4-5 stops from the center. to the subway 10 minutes on foot, near tesco. From the metro you can drive 1 stop directly to the hotel on the 175 bus or to Tesco to the end. Here I did not understand at all those people who made up this tour, the group went to an elective course in Dresden. WHY? ? ? ? Before that, there were 3 days of a difficult move, 4 days remain in Prague, it makes sense to take people to Dresden on the first day if part of the group remained in Prague. Make an overview of Prague on the first day, people are tired after all.
no, they did the 4th day of the optional course in Dresden, the 5th day in Karlovy Vary, on the 6th day after lunch, a survey of the center of Prague and the 7th day of its old part. People have already seen everything! ! Why do a review on the last day if we have been walking here for 4 days already. So the guide didn’t even explain to us how to get to the center, but there were people who practically didn’t go anywhere. The most interesting thing is that the guide did not even take the phone numbers of his tourists, although he repeated 4 times on the bus that he would now start up the list and everyone had to fill it out without fail.
Come on. 8th March 4th day. We walked all over Prague on foot, changing money with the Arabs at the rate of 1 euro-24 crowns (no commission, this is a very good rate, I’ll tell anyone who needs it). We went to the eagle, watched the clock strike, walked along the Parisian street, returned back to the square and went towards the Charles Bridge. We walked across the bridge, crossed to the other side and climbed to Prague Castle.
We went to St. Vitus Cathedral, went around all the sights and boarded the tram and went to the Beer House. I don’t remember the address, but it is located on Echnaya Street, on the corner, decorated in the old fashioned way. There you can taste about 12 beers. We took the so-called pinwheel (8 beers) for each, boar's knee 1 for all (there are about 1.3 kg), garlic soup and french fries who did not try dumplings took them. Well, here we spent March 8th, dinner for each cost 15 euros with beer and everything that I listed. There is a menu in Russian and the waitress speaks Russian.
Day 5 Prague (optional in Karlovy Vary)
After breakfast and sending our part of the company to Karlovy Vary, we went shopping. We walked around the center, bought souvenirs for friends and some things for ourselves in the New Yorker, H&M and so on. Once again we walked around the center of Prague, went to the sex museum, went to the Novomesky brewery and tasted beer from the brave Schweik.
As for the elective, the guys were very pleased with both the bathing and the Krusovice factory. The most important thing is that the guide was interesting and did not mumble, they came straight in delight. Go you won't regret it.
6th day Prague
Well, we don’t understand this, but finally a survey took place in the center of Prague, where half the group had already been wandering for 2 days. We didn’t go to it, we went wandering around ourselves, a dancing house, a pendulum, an evening Charles Bridge and a pub near Flint (well, just very good prices for strudel 40 kroons, soups from 25 to 35 (course 1 Euro-24 kroons)) I don’t remember the address, but if stand with your back to the Charles Bridge (without crossing the bridge from the central part), then you turn left to the tram stop that goes towards the pendulum, on the signboard is a pirate, go down because there is a beer house on top and a restaurant on the bottom.
7th day Prague after 14.00 departure to Ukraine
Early breakfast, check-out from the hotel, packing of suitcases for the bus (they have already multiplied : ) and a sightseeing tour of Prague Castle. The tour guide was not happy.
Boat at 12 o'clock. As soon as we heard the guide, we decided not to spoil the impression of Prague and ran away. We walked around the chosen places, went to Flint's for lunch and went to the bus. Oh how I don't want to go home
So the main advantages of the tour:
Tour 1 is good for its cheapness (in our case)
2 Many days in Prague and you have time to enjoy all its beauties
3 Good hotels
4 Picked up from Zhytomyr did not have to spend money on a train to Lviv (as with a chord)
1 Explicit savings on guides
2 Not informative guide (who takes you from Ukraine)
3 Ill-conceived tour (Sightseeing of Prague in recent days)
Conclusion. As you can see, there are more pluses than minuses, but we are going to watch Europe and want to get the most out of the money we spent. For people like me, who have visited these cities 3-4 times, the guide does not build much weather, and you practically do not depend on him.
If you are going for the first time, then think about it, my advice is to go with a more experienced chord but 20 euros more expensive than with this tour operator. Or wait, another year, until they gain momentum, after all, leaving Zhytomyr (Kyiv or another city) is oh what + especially on returning back with large bags of clothes, gifts and other things.
Good luck! ! !
