May next year Margaret and I are going on a Scenic cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, we would like to look around Amsterdam B4 we go and Budapest and Prague after the trip.
I have been to London and Belgium on work conferences in my other life and know nothing about these countries on this cruise, if you could give us some advice re say Amsterdam/Budapest/ Prague /Hotels/what to see, via the Forum/PM/Your Blogs, it would be most appreciated, as our leave/return flights have to be finalised in the next week.
Margarat and Peter hi you will be pleasantly surprised a lot of commercial people speak better English then we do, our humor is the thing that will get us into trouble.
eg. don't say take a chair, they will look at you, right word is please be seated.
A lot of areas it's compulsive to learn English from early age 8 I think. pick pocket, beggars are unbelievable good at it.
Mostly Australian are really welcome I want add more but I really did not want to go for that reason but now I can't wait till next year to spend time in my Daughters inlaws home town in Austria going into Italy and My son talking about sending us to Portugal for a long weekend in September while we are over in the UK.
A smile is the some the world over, it works every time. You want more just ask.
Approach people with "hello" from that, most times you will know very quickly if they speak English.
-- Edited by Radar on Wednesday 31st of July 2013 08:03:22 AM
PeterInSa hi good day first off I don't want you think I am expert but we have been darn lucky over the last few years and have had some wonderful travel with the help of our junior in the UK and his Austrian wife, so hear goes.
Budapest Hotel Carat right near the center of Budapest trams, hope on hope off tourer buses, boat cruises, close to the river. A very old city (rule one don't look like a tourist be aware of pick pockets they love the tourist season), currency Florin I think spelling might be wrong. 300 Euro of it went a long way. cheap as.I think I was millionaire for short time. Great place to walk around. baileys Irish cream $10 Aust. 3days and 2 nights we travelled from Vienna.
Amsterdam Eden Hotel well priced nice food. about Kilometer walk from the railway station, 10 minutes to the hop on hop off buses, check out the Zoo we were there for about 4 hours, we had been on the go for about a month took time out, just down the road is the boat cruises around the canels, walk about kilometer square find some wonderful restaurants, accidentally dined in one that had been nominated in the top ten, Italian one. But the hotel barman told us later out the back door to the right is where the locals go,lots cheaper. We had 2 nights to fill in enjoyed.
You did not have Vienna on list but I found the name could come in handy. Hotel Brillantgrund a very short walk to the trams into the city, once again hop on hop off buses. buy a few day pass for the trams low cost, and not far from the underground rail net work, we got clever at it, we walk for while then catch train or tram back same ticket. They didn't make any money out of us. we had 2 x 3 days there found heaps to look at. Love to go back
Belgium- Brugge we stayed at the Verdi B&B restaurantand Hotel nice breakfast right near the Market Square Really great place lots of adventure food walking tour of World War one site, market Square is where it all starts to happen, breakfast is late and the reason given people like to go out and take photos of morning. boat rides around there channel systems.
Hope this will help we booked most on line as we needed it except for the first and last night, we did stay other places but these I would pass on.
Euro rail travel is good value, first class quick comfortable, buy before you go, we had no real plan except a wedding to attend in the middle.
We are off again as retirement present with 2 tickets to the UK first and last night accom. the rest we are wing it with our note book and have fun.
Thanks for your replies,
Radar your first hand info is quiet helpful and Trip Advisor with their reviews also very helpful.
With English not the first language in these countries Margaret is wary that we may get into difficulties, so will do the research re what we want to see, how to get there and where to stay prior to us leaving.
