First ever road trip into Eastern Europe - what to see & do?
Discussion
Hi guys, im a long term reader here but this is my first actual post. 
Cars and Travel are two my favourite past times so I try to do a decently long European roadtrip at least once a year. For the past two years its been travelling down with the family to Spain to the Costa Blanca (Altea, Moraira, Denia, Javea etc) via France and a seperate trip to South Germany (to see friends in the Black Forest) for around four weeks in August.
However, this year Ive accepted an invite to join a friend, possibly two, who is proposing something a little different - Eastern Europe! Ive never previously ventured outside of France, Spain, Italy and Germany so I really dont have a clue of specific places/areas that are worth visiting. TBH this one makes me feel a little outside of my comfort zone but then thats no bad thing once in a while anyway! We will be taking two vehicles (my Skoda Yeti and his Jeep Wrangler for anyone thats interested) and plan to camp unless there are any favourable cheapish hotels enroute. We head off at the end of July for just over two weeks (I need to finish up around Venice (hence the finish for me on this leg at Slovenia) on the 12th of August to meet up with my partner and daughter for a tour or northern Italy before heading back to Calais a week or so later) so the Eastern European route is looking (loosely!) like this:
So visits to:
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
Hungary
Montenegro (possibly skimming through Serbia)
Croatia
Slovenia
We are trying desperately not to make them total whistle stops, ideally at least getting a feel for each country and the people and culture whilst there but at the same time we are keen to see as much as possible on the journey also! Ive estimated two nights in each of the above countries but ultimately we are flexible in what we do and when we do it - as long as we can do it in 16 nights. We are both interested in decent driving roads/scenery etc and would really appreciate the opinions and views of fellow PH'ers. We'd place an importance in seeing the 'real' country rather than the touristy parts but also appreciate August will be peak holidaying season.
Any help or advice on what to see, where to go/drive/stay would be grealy appreciated,
Many thanks in advance.
Cars and Travel are two my favourite past times so I try to do a decently long European roadtrip at least once a year. For the past two years its been travelling down with the family to Spain to the Costa Blanca (Altea, Moraira, Denia, Javea etc) via France and a seperate trip to South Germany (to see friends in the Black Forest) for around four weeks in August. However, this year Ive accepted an invite to join a friend, possibly two, who is proposing something a little different - Eastern Europe! Ive never previously ventured outside of France, Spain, Italy and Germany so I really dont have a clue of specific places/areas that are worth visiting. TBH this one makes me feel a little outside of my comfort zone but then thats no bad thing once in a while anyway! We will be taking two vehicles (my Skoda Yeti and his Jeep Wrangler for anyone thats interested) and plan to camp unless there are any favourable cheapish hotels enroute. We head off at the end of July for just over two weeks (I need to finish up around Venice (hence the finish for me on this leg at Slovenia) on the 12th of August to meet up with my partner and daughter for a tour or northern Italy before heading back to Calais a week or so later) so the Eastern European route is looking (loosely!) like this:
So visits to:
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
Hungary
Montenegro (possibly skimming through Serbia)
Croatia
Slovenia
We are trying desperately not to make them total whistle stops, ideally at least getting a feel for each country and the people and culture whilst there but at the same time we are keen to see as much as possible on the journey also! Ive estimated two nights in each of the above countries but ultimately we are flexible in what we do and when we do it - as long as we can do it in 16 nights. We are both interested in decent driving roads/scenery etc and would really appreciate the opinions and views of fellow PH'ers. We'd place an importance in seeing the 'real' country rather than the touristy parts but also appreciate August will be peak holidaying season.
Any help or advice on what to see, where to go/drive/stay would be grealy appreciated,
Many thanks in advance.
In 2010 I did
Liege
Kaiserschautern- lovely place, stay here the people are fantastic http://www.saegmuehle.de/index.php?id=index&L=...
Munich- book hostel well in advance though. Avoid 'Meiningher' it's crap. Hostel4U very good.
Lake Bled, Slovenia- beautiful
Plitvice national park, Croatia- Google images- it really does look that amazing.
Trieste- ok.
Venice- Not a fan.
Lake Como- Camping Spiaggia. Good, but get there early it's packed.
Lucerne, Switzerland. Stunning place and stayed in a lovely log cabin for cheap.
Paris- ok.
2011
Stuttgart- good but quiet, though we were there on a Sunday
Budapest- amazing, can't wait to go back. 11th hour cinema and hostel- brillant.
Sibiu- Romania. I think it was here...Strada Garii
Ocna Sibiului. Had to find it on Google maps satellite view haha.
Arefu- found a place with hotel, camping and log cabins on the left far down the Transfargasan- an epic road up until the centre- then pretty awful tbh.
Belgrade- long way from Romania..bad roads and we accidently went via Bulgaria. You have to pay green card for Serbia which is a ball ache.
Then here... http://www.naturacamp-kranjskagora.com/index2.php?... Absolutely fantastic, cheap, plus pure spring water and lovely people. Toboggan down the mountain opposite is a must!
Then Munich and Trippstadt on the way home.
Any questions or photo requests ask away.
Liege
Kaiserschautern- lovely place, stay here the people are fantastic http://www.saegmuehle.de/index.php?id=index&L=...
Munich- book hostel well in advance though. Avoid 'Meiningher' it's crap. Hostel4U very good.
Lake Bled, Slovenia- beautiful
Plitvice national park, Croatia- Google images- it really does look that amazing.
Trieste- ok.
Venice- Not a fan.
Lake Como- Camping Spiaggia. Good, but get there early it's packed.
Lucerne, Switzerland. Stunning place and stayed in a lovely log cabin for cheap.
Paris- ok.
2011
Stuttgart- good but quiet, though we were there on a Sunday
Budapest- amazing, can't wait to go back. 11th hour cinema and hostel- brillant.
Sibiu- Romania. I think it was here...Strada Garii
Ocna Sibiului. Had to find it on Google maps satellite view haha.
Arefu- found a place with hotel, camping and log cabins on the left far down the Transfargasan- an epic road up until the centre- then pretty awful tbh.
Belgrade- long way from Romania..bad roads and we accidently went via Bulgaria. You have to pay green card for Serbia which is a ball ache.
Then here... http://www.naturacamp-kranjskagora.com/index2.php?... Absolutely fantastic, cheap, plus pure spring water and lovely people. Toboggan down the mountain opposite is a must!
Then Munich and Trippstadt on the way home.
Any questions or photo requests ask away.
Wow, fantastic, thanks for the replies so far. :-) The common recommendation from a number of friends is to make sure we hit the Croatian coastline with time to spare as its supposedly gorgeous! Lake Bled has also been mentioned more than a few times on these boards as a 'must see'. I'll plot these recommendations (and any others?) 
onto the google map to hopefully give us a fuller, more detailed route. :-) Please keep the suggestions coming, thanks again.
onto the google map to hopefully give us a fuller, more detailed route. :-) Please keep the suggestions coming, thanks again.That sounds exactly like my sort of thing! 
Thanks.
If any other PH'ers could offer advice, even for one of the specific countries on the list, it would be a great help. My main concern overall is the language barrier but I am almost world renowned for my 'mimes' so think I should just about get by! 
So any specific where to drive, what to see, what camp sites to stay at etc when in any of the countries or if a country isnt worth seeing and Im missing a nearby one thats worth a visit then please also feel free - all input is appreciated, thanks again.
Thanks.If any other PH'ers could offer advice, even for one of the specific countries on the list, it would be a great help.
My main concern overall is the language barrier but I am almost world renowned for my 'mimes' so think I should just about get by! So any specific where to drive, what to see, what camp sites to stay at etc when in any of the countries or if a country isnt worth seeing and Im missing a nearby one thats worth a visit then please also feel free - all input is appreciated, thanks again.
bit of a dull trip through germany, i'd be tempted to go further south, at least through Nuremburg on to Pilsen (home of Pils!) and then Prague
I know you're not on the return leg, but back through black forest etc would be better too
Ljubljana (I think that's right) is a great city, but not like the other eastern european strip-clubs etc stag-do towns - there's a wine-cellar-bar thingmy called (phonetically!) Monster Clits
I quite enjoyed Skopje too, macedonia
I know you're not on the return leg, but back through black forest etc would be better too
Ljubljana (I think that's right) is a great city, but not like the other eastern european strip-clubs etc stag-do towns - there's a wine-cellar-bar thingmy called (phonetically!) Monster Clits
I quite enjoyed Skopje too, macedonia
Thank you Mr A Gogo.
I spend a fair bit of time around the Black Forest as we have some great friends that live right down south on the German/Swiss border - agreed - its a great place to go through BUT for this trip we've agreed that we'll literally hammer through to the first country on the 'Eastern Europe' agenda - probably just taking the straightest route there and stopping over in Germany for a night at a campsite. Then its two nights at each of the above country's but anything is up for change at this stage!
Macedonia sounds great - probably only dropped it due to time tbh but I'll revisit the option now. Thanks for taking the time to post - Im certainly looking forward to it more already!
I spend a fair bit of time around the Black Forest as we have some great friends that live right down south on the German/Swiss border - agreed - its a great place to go through BUT for this trip we've agreed that we'll literally hammer through to the first country on the 'Eastern Europe' agenda - probably just taking the straightest route there and stopping over in Germany for a night at a campsite. Then its two nights at each of the above country's but anything is up for change at this stage!
Macedonia sounds great - probably only dropped it due to time tbh but I'll revisit the option now. Thanks for taking the time to post - Im certainly looking forward to it more already!
16 days for all countries? I don't know, but only for Montenegro 16 days will not be enough and we are the smallest country Btw our coast is very similar to croatian, albeit several times shorter
http://www.visit-montenegro.com/ for further reading
Btw our coast is very similar to croatian, albeit several times shorter http://www.visit-montenegro.com/ for further reading
This place is on route in the Czech Republic, trust me it is worth a visit! assuming you can still in, it was still deserted the last time we went there. The largest ex Russian airbase in central Europe, you can spend days rummaging, silos, bunkers, underground tunnels, you name it its got it.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&client=fir...
fficial&q=mimon%20czech%20republic%20airbase&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=630&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&client=fir...
fficial&q=mimon%20czech%20republic%20airbase&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=630&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wlYetiMan said:
Hi guys, im a long term reader here but this is my first actual post. Cars and Travel are two my favourite past times so I try to do a decently long European roadtrip at least once a year. For the past two years its been travelling down with the family to Spain to the Costa Blanca (Altea, Moraira, Denia, Javea etc) via France and a seperate trip to South Germany (to see friends in the Black Forest) for around four weeks in August.
However, this year Ive accepted an invite to join a friend, possibly two, who is proposing something a little different - Eastern Europe! Ive never previously ventured outside of France, Spain, Italy and Germany so I really dont have a clue of specific places/areas that are worth visiting. TBH this one makes me feel a little outside of my comfort zone but then thats no bad thing once in a while anyway! We will be taking two vehicles (my Skoda Yeti and his Jeep Wrangler for anyone thats interested) and plan to camp unless there are any favourable cheapish hotels enroute. We head off at the end of July for just over two weeks (I need to finish up around Venice (hence the finish for me on this leg at Slovenia) on the 12th of August to meet up with my partner and daughter for a tour or northern Italy before heading back to Calais a week or so later) so the Eastern European route is looking (loosely!) like this:
So visits to:
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
Hungary
Montenegro (possibly skimming through Serbia)
Croatia
Slovenia
We are trying desperately not to make them total whistle stops, ideally at least getting a feel for each country and the people and culture whilst there but at the same time we are keen to see as much as possible on the journey also! Ive estimated two nights in each of the above countries but ultimately we are flexible in what we do and when we do it - as long as we can do it in 16 nights. We are both interested in decent driving roads/scenery etc and would really appreciate the opinions and views of fellow PH'ers. We'd place an importance in seeing the 'real' country rather than the touristy parts but also appreciate August will be peak holidaying season.
Any help or advice on what to see, where to go/drive/stay would be grealy appreciated,
Many thanks in advance.
Hi Cars and Travel are two my favourite past times so I try to do a decently long European roadtrip at least once a year. For the past two years its been travelling down with the family to Spain to the Costa Blanca (Altea, Moraira, Denia, Javea etc) via France and a seperate trip to South Germany (to see friends in the Black Forest) for around four weeks in August. However, this year Ive accepted an invite to join a friend, possibly two, who is proposing something a little different - Eastern Europe! Ive never previously ventured outside of France, Spain, Italy and Germany so I really dont have a clue of specific places/areas that are worth visiting. TBH this one makes me feel a little outside of my comfort zone but then thats no bad thing once in a while anyway! We will be taking two vehicles (my Skoda Yeti and his Jeep Wrangler for anyone thats interested) and plan to camp unless there are any favourable cheapish hotels enroute. We head off at the end of July for just over two weeks (I need to finish up around Venice (hence the finish for me on this leg at Slovenia) on the 12th of August to meet up with my partner and daughter for a tour or northern Italy before heading back to Calais a week or so later) so the Eastern European route is looking (loosely!) like this:
So visits to:
Czech Rep.
Slovakia
Hungary
Montenegro (possibly skimming through Serbia)
Croatia
Slovenia
We are trying desperately not to make them total whistle stops, ideally at least getting a feel for each country and the people and culture whilst there but at the same time we are keen to see as much as possible on the journey also! Ive estimated two nights in each of the above countries but ultimately we are flexible in what we do and when we do it - as long as we can do it in 16 nights. We are both interested in decent driving roads/scenery etc and would really appreciate the opinions and views of fellow PH'ers. We'd place an importance in seeing the 'real' country rather than the touristy parts but also appreciate August will be peak holidaying season.
Any help or advice on what to see, where to go/drive/stay would be grealy appreciated,
Many thanks in advance.
I do a similar trip to this most years. First time we took 5 weeks, but each other time have only had around a fortnight.
Definately spend a good amount of time in Croatia - the scenery is fantastic. And the European-funded motorways are very good. There are many good campsites right next to the beaches. If you want a slight detour from your route, Pula and Rovinj are nice. Dubrovnik is the best part though.
Don't bother too much with Bosnia... Mostar and Sarajevo are worth a quick look, but that's about it. We broke down in Sarajevo and were stuck there for three days. We ran out of things to do after less than one.
Worth camping by lake Balaton in Hungary. There are loads of campsites right by the lake that are pretty much just back gardens so are very cheap.
Hope that helps.
Andrew
Honestly, I think you are trying to do too much. You'll sepnd most of your time driving. So drop a couple of countries, and focus on those you are most interested in.
Kotor (Montenegro), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Mostar (Bosnia) are all close and definitely worth a visit.
Good luck to your mate in his Wrangler. I drove to the South of France once in a Wrangler and it was quite an experience (never mind the horrific fuel consumption).
Kotor (Montenegro), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Mostar (Bosnia) are all close and definitely worth a visit.
Good luck to your mate in his Wrangler. I drove to the South of France once in a Wrangler and it was quite an experience (never mind the horrific fuel consumption).
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