Anybody done the backpacking/hostel thing through Eastern Europe?

[memphis]

I've saved up some money and I want to go in the early fall after the peak tourist season but before cold weather hits. I'm estimating about 3 weeks. I want to visit Warsaw (with a day side trip to my Grandmother's birthplace, Goworowo), Krakow (with a day side trip to Auschwitz), Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. I'm going to have to be very efficient with time and money, but I think I can make it work. I've been working on learning extremely basic Polish on Youtube. I only want to be understood, not master complex Slavic grammar or write the great Polish novel. :-)  I'm sure I'll get a lot of grief for saying it, but Czech looks pretty much the same as Polish. With a heavy American accent, I doubt there's much difference at all. I took German in college, not that people in Vienna speak anything like textbook German, but I think communication should be less of an issue there, both because of more English availability and my somewhat decent Hochsdeutsch. I can say Servus at least. Hopefully, the Hungarians will work with me. Their language is out of my intellectual league and I'm sure I'm not the only one. If anybody has any tips for exploring Hapsburg Europe on a budget, I'd love to hear them. Ditto for blending in as well as possible. I don't want my appearance to scream American tourist.  I'm already working on being less friendly. I've heard using a messenger bag instead of a backpack will help me fit in tremendously. I also understand Europeans smoke a lot. Are there no smoking hostels? I would greatly prefer one if such a thing exists. 

[opebo]

I went to Paris, Prague, and Vienna on backpacker-level jaunts from my home base in Geneva when I lived in Europe.  I didn't like it - you just feel too poor and exhausted to enjoy anything.

That said,I recall that I made out with a very attractive French girl on the bus on the way back from Prague to Paris.  She was fantastic, even cried when we parted, knowing we'd never see each other again.  So, that was fun.

[memphis]

Opie, what did you enjoy more, making out with her or making her cry?

[opebo]

Opie, what did you enjoy more, making out with her or making her cry?

Making out with her, buddy!  I'm no sicko.  I was just really surprised that she teared up like that.  I have to admit I felt the same way (cause we couldn't consummate).

[Lief 🗽]

Czech is basically the same as Polish. Also when people realize you have an American accent in that part of the world they just start speaking English to you, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

[morgieb]

Honestly thought that was mostly Aussies that did it.

Ummm I think it'd be a cool thing to do, but I haven't had the opportunity to do so.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'm sort of planning a trip to Romania where I intend to do the whole hostel thing. Not yet sure on the backpack.

[Gustaf]

I did it a few years ago. Berlin-Prague-Bratislava-Budapest-Vienna-Munich. It was lots of fun.

Communicating in English should be all right in most places.

[Tender Branson]

You should consider this travel plan maybe:

* Start your travel in Frankfurt and either go to Hamburg or directly to Berlin.

* Down to Dresden, then Prague, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Krakau, Auschwitz, Katowitz area, Warshaw.

* Fly directly home from Warshaw, or travel through west-Poland to Berlin and fly home.

What do you think ?

[Tender Branson]

I took German in college, not that people in Vienna speak anything like textbook German, but I think communication should be less of an issue there, both because of more English availability and my somewhat decent Hochsdeutsch. I can say Servus at least.

Almost anybody understands and talks English in Vienna, especially in the hotels/hostels.

Of course, only people in Northern Germany talk like text-book German, and Vienna dialect could be harder to understand if you can only speak text-book German (try not speaking German in Western Austria or Switzerland then ... ).

But if people hear that you can only speak text-book German, people here will usually switch over from their local dialect to text-book German anyway to make it easier.

So, don't worry ...

[Franzl]

If they're capable of real German, Tender....not all are

[Tender Branson]

If they're capable of real German, Tender....not all are

Sometimes, "real" German is like a foreign language for me as well ...

[Bacon King]

All I can advise is to bring a bit of extra money with you- I hear there are great investment opportunities in some of the areas you'll be visiting.

[Frodo]

Opie, what did you enjoy more, making out with her or making her cry?

Making out with her, buddy!  I'm no sicko.  I was just really surprised that she teared up like that.  I have to admit I felt the same way (cause we couldn't consummate).

So that was the reason shy was crying? Out of frustration?  I'll bear that in mind next time....    

[memphis]

I've been to Germany before, so it's out. Except for Vienna, which is too important to skip, I want to stay behind the Iron Curtain. Do  people really say Grüß Gott? I was looking around online, and Transylvania looks pretty darn interesting as well. Maybe if a have a couple of extra days.  Also, any ideas for keeping food costs reasonable?

[Franzl]

I've been to Germany before, so it's out. Except for Vienna, which is too important to skip, I want to stay behind the Iron Curtain. Do  people really say Grüß Gott? I was looking around online, and Transylvania looks pretty darn interesting as well. Maybe if a have a couple of extra days.  Also, any ideas for keeping food costs reasonable?

Grüß Gott is not uncommon in either Bavaria or Austria

[AndrewTX]

I've seen too many movies to know doing this is a bad idea.

[opebo]

Opie, what did you enjoy more, making out with her or making her cry?

Making out with her, buddy!  I'm no sicko.  I was just really surprised that she teared up like that.  I have to admit I felt the same way (cause we couldn't consummate).

So that was the reason shy was crying? Out of frustration?  I'll bear that in mind next time....    

No, prude, that's why I felt down at our parting, good god.  Who knows why she felt that way - probably becuase she felt 'romantic' or something.

[bore]

All I can advise is to bring a bit of extra money with you- I hear there are great investment opportunities in some of the areas you'll be visiting.

Agreed. When my parents got back from visiting the area I had to grill them on why they didn't invest in anything. Needless to say they were overcome with remorse.

[Tender Branson]

Do  people really say Grüß Gott?

Yes, mostly older people.

Other greetings include forms of "Grüß Dich !", or as we say here: "Grias di !"

The 2 other common greetings are forms of "Servus/Seass !" and "Hallo/Hi !".

It is split by about 30/30/30/10 (Grüß Gott) I'd say.

People in Vienna are generally more likely to use text-book German words like "Guten Tag !", which a rural Austrian would almost never use.

People in Tyrol say "Heil !" to greet someone.

More here:

http://www.freizeitforschung.at/data/spectra/Aktuell_5_12_Grussformen.pdf

[Franzl]

Do  people really say Grüß Gott?

Yes, mostly older people.

Other greetings include forms of "Grüß Dich !", or as we say here: "Grias di !"

The 2 other common greetings are forms of "Servus/Seass !" and "Hallo/Hi !".

It is split by about 30/30/30/10 (Grüß Gott) I'd say.

People in Vienna are generally more likely to use text-book German words like "Guten Tag !", which a rural Austrian would almost never use.

People in Tyrol say "Heil !" to greet someone.

More here:

http://www.freizeitforschung.at/data/spectra/Aktuell_5_12_Grussformen.pdf

I doubt he was that interested....

[Tender Branson]

Do  people really say Grüß Gott?

Yes, mostly older people.

Other greetings include forms of "Grüß Dich !", or as we say here: "Grias di !"

The 2 other common greetings are forms of "Servus/Seass !" and "Hallo/Hi !".

It is split by about 30/30/30/10 (Grüß Gott) I'd say.

People in Vienna are generally more likely to use text-book German words like "Guten Tag !", which a rural Austrian would almost never use.

People in Tyrol say "Heil !" to greet someone.

More here:

http://www.freizeitforschung.at/data/spectra/Aktuell_5_12_Grussformen.pdf

I doubt he was that interested....

More information might help him when he's here ...

PS: I should probably mention that the "Heil !" in Tyrol is common and was used already before Hitler and the Nazis came to power.

Much like the "Gaue" here in Salzburg, that were abused by the Nazis later, but still remain until now.

[memphis]

Poles are supposed to be fiercely pro-American, so I have that going for me.  Maybe I can hire Kalwejt to be my translator. I  love learning about languages as well so no need to fear giving too much information.  If anybody else is also, I strongly recommend John McWhorter's The Power of Babel. I took a lot of French in school too, but I doubt that will matter too much for this trip. I used to be pretty good at learning languages, but I'm having a harder time with Polish. Not sure if being older or drifting into unfamiliat slav territory is the bigger issue. Also, I'd love to hear more about the food. What's the best way to experience local food without spending too much money? When I was in Germany, I ate at a lot of little Turkish schwarma/falafal places.

[GMantis]

Czech is basically the same as Polish.

In the same way that Dutch is basically the same as German.

[ZuWo]

For private reasons I travelled to Poland quite often during the last years. I spent most of my time in Krakow and some smaller towns and villages in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, so I can only speak for that region. I also can't comment on the backpacking/hostel thing, but as far as English is concerned you will probably do fine in larger cities. However, as soon as you visit more rural and not particularly touristic places you will notice that it's not extremely common to find many English-speaking people. In fact, the Poles I have met and talked to (both by means of my broken Polish and thanks to the help of one of the rare English-speaking people) often joked about their non-existing knowledge of English. Anyway, this has been my personal experience and your impression might be a very different one depending on what you will do there and who you will meet.