It's hardly original but I loved Rome, there really is something for everyone. We were only there for 4 days so we had to rush things a bit more than we would have liked but I'd love to go back and spend more time just wandering.
Based on places I've been to in the last few years I'd recommend Montpellier, Udine and Valencia. I've also done a few of the usual suspects; Rome as mentioned above, Berlin and Barcelona and would recommend all of those as well.
Results 31 to 60 of 69
Thread: City Breaks
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16-08-2019 03:38 PM #31PM Awards General Poster of The Year 2015, 2016, 2017. Probably robbed in other years
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16-08-2019 05:21 PM #32This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I was there for 3/4 nights and as you say, struggled to see everything. Baffles me that people get off a cruise to go there for an afternoon!Mon the Hibs.
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16-08-2019 08:19 PM #33
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Just booked up for Marrakech again...Will probably head out to the coast too but love the city...So cheap in November too..
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16-08-2019 09:14 PM #34This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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16-08-2019 09:16 PM #35
If I was booking a city break today it would be a straight choice between Florence or Copenhagen.
Every gimmick hungry yob,
Digging gold from rock and roll
Grabs the mic to tell us,
He'll die before he's sold.
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18-08-2019 08:24 AM #36
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Malaga is great. Excellent public transport, great bars and food in the city centre at good prices.
San Miguel at 2.5 Euro a pint in the best bars, craft beers like Brew Dog, 5 euros tops for a pint.
Real Spain, and still glad to welcome visitors. Go now, before it is ruined by over tourism.
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18-08-2019 11:52 AM #37
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I was pleasently surprised by Malaga. Very nice old town to wander round, the port area is cool and there's a real buzz about the place. And I got a pint for €1.50 in the city centre, unreal!
Granada was nice but way too touristy for my liking. Shout out for the science Park though, an amazing place for kids.
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19-08-2019 10:46 PM #38This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Never been to Florence but it is very high up on the list of future breaks. If we book, I will be back on here asking you for recommendationsThere's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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20-08-2019 12:44 PM #39
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22-08-2019 04:08 PM #40
We had a weekend away in Bergamo and it was excellent. Lovely place to walk around and plenty of restaurants and bars to fill an evening.
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23-08-2019 01:14 PM #41
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23-09-2019 07:10 PM #42
Has anyone been to Milan for the weekend? For non footballing purposes I must add...
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23-09-2019 07:21 PM #43This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Definitely recommend it
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24-09-2019 06:42 AM #44This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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24-09-2019 08:44 AM #45This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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19-10-2019 12:10 PM #46
We went to Palma Mallorca in the end, had a fantastic time, lovely place, great bars and restaurants weather in the high 20s, highly recommend for a mini break.
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19-10-2019 12:59 PM #47This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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19-10-2019 08:26 PM #49
Florence is utterly utterly stunning and beautiful. I'd happily live there if I could speak Italian, the learning of which is also on the to do list!
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19-10-2019 08:52 PM #50
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19-10-2019 10:53 PM #51This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show QuoteThere's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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19-10-2019 11:48 PM #52This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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We are over the Tuesday to Sunday so plan on spending the first few days exploring, taking in the sights, scenery etc. Both the mrs and myself enjoy a beer so some nice bars to grab a cold one (or two in) would be nice. I've already got a wee list of late night more cocktail style bars from a few mates... I definitely want to head to an Absinthe bar at some point also..
Food wise, we're both pretty open minded. We will be out exploring alot during the day so for lunch will either be grabbing quick stuff we can eat on the go or try and find somewhere nice for a few beers and a light lunch. Night time food spots will be looking for nice surroundings, a nice steak joint perhaps. Any recommendations would be appreciated!!
Also if you know of any wee hidden activity gems the city has to offer, I'd seen online you can take a wee train style thing up to the castle, looked quite nice.
We plan on going out to a few clubs Friday night into Saturday morning, seems to be a decent scene over there!
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20-10-2019 07:27 AM #53This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Last edited by HUTCHYHIBBY; 20-10-2019 at 10:48 AM.
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20-10-2019 09:46 AM #54
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20-10-2019 04:28 PM #55This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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20-10-2019 06:18 PM #56
MagicSwirlingShip, I am a wee bit older than you and my clubbing days are a bit of a memory, so hopefully someone else can throw in a few options
As for the other recommendations, I will break it up over a few posts, so it isn’t too much reading.
Pubs - no shortage in Praha! It’s worth looking out for ones that do tank beer 🍻. This is where the pilsner is stored in a tank rather than a keg, on the basis it develops a better taste. If you haven’t been to Prague before then be prepared to accept that a beer is served with a massive head, typically a third of the glass. It is just the way it is. Given that it is the best tasting beer I have ever had and given that in some bars it really is costing pennies, then that seems okay.
Not sure where about you are staying. An old favourite pub is U Pinkasu. It is very central, in a sort of alley not far off Wenceslas Square. Despite the location it was never very touristy, it felt more like somewhere that was a real Czech pub. I think it has got more of a profile now though and it is one of the oldest pubs in the city I believe.
There is a bar close to the river Vltava, which runs through the middle of the city, called Pivobar Národní. It is right beside the national threatre which is called Národní Divadlo. It is good because it has a massive beer garden out the back, I think maybe the biggest in Praha. They do beer flights, where you can try four or so small glasses of different beer. The food isn’t that great though, so stick to the beer.
We tend to avoid the bars that cater for U.K. groups wanting live football, but occasionally it has to be done. The best IMO is the James Joyce, just on the northern fringe of the Old Town. Easily walking distance if you are in the city centre.
We tend to stay in an apartment just to the east of the Old Town. It is fifteen minutes walk to Old Town Square, so no distance at all, but it is just a couple of blocks far enough out to mean you don’t get the stag dos and birthday bashes. If you are over that way there is a craft beer pub on a street called Soukenická. The pub is called Gulden Draak. It is small, mostly locals, but very friendly and a host of great beers. Again they do the beer flights.
Also in the area, there are two rooftop bars, Tanku and Fashion Club. They are about seven or eight storeys up, on top of a shopping mall called Kotva. The mall isn’t easy to spot, strangely enough, but it is right across the road from an even bigger mall called Palladium, and the Námęstí Republiky metro station, which is a big, big station. The street is called Revoluční.
But genuinely, there are no shortage of places selling good beer, very cheaply, and especially as you get ten to fifteen minutes away from OTS, you start finding places with courtyards etc that are very pleasant. And if you are prepared to venture further out than Praha 1 then there are even cheaper pubs!There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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20-10-2019 06:48 PM #57
Restaurants -not sure what budgets you are working within but there is something for everyone. What I would say is that generally speaking, and especially outwith the immediate environs of Old Town Square, and especially when ordering ‘traditional’ Czech cuisine, the portions tend to be absolutely massive.
You mentioned steaks, there are two places in particular I like. George is in the city centre, just to the West of OTS, in the bit with the posh shops - Louis Vuitton, Rolex etc. As you will have guessed, it is expensive! Casa Argentina is close to the area I described where I stay, on Dlouhá. It is also expensive by Prague standards, actually expensive by Edinburgh standards but the food is very good. If you do go there ask if you can get a table in the conservatory, it’s like the conservatory you get at the Botanics rather than the one you have on the back of your house!
At a much more affordable point is La Boca on Truhlárská, which is actually where the apartment I use sits. It is quite an eccentric layout but the steaks were really good. And there are a couple of decent pubs on the street as well.
I would throw in Vŷtopna. The original branch is on Wenceslas Square, the second, which I haven’t been to, is in the Palladium shopping mall at Námęstí Republiky. It is exceptionally cheesy but a must-visit at least once. Basically the entire restaurant is built around a massive model railway line. You sit at your table, order the drinks and they are delivered right to you in the wagon of a model train. As I say, exceptionally cheesy and the food is basic (pizzas, schnitzels etc) but you can’t go to Prague and not do it!
A couple,of other mentions -there is an Asian (and I mean Asian, it fuses Japanese, Chines, Thai etc) place called Asian Temple, in the Jewish Quarter. It is absolutely massive, very stylised and ornate design and just a bit of a treat for all the senses. It isn’t particularly cheap but not ridiculously expensive, and worth visiting for the experience let alone the food.
If you like Indian, there is a Punjabi place called Five Rivers, central but close to the river. It is gorgeous inside, the food is great and hugely-portioned and the service is brilliant.
My only other recommendation would be Enjoy on Soukeniká. Asian fusion, and pretty cheap but very tasty. It is never busy which makes me wonder, but the food is always fresh and delicious. That and El-Emir, which is Lebanese and in the Palladium mall. Basically you can pick one dish and share between two because the portions are so massive.
If you do go to a restaurant promising traditional Czech cuisine, bear in mind that ordering starters and mains is a challenge. I like my food but I have lost count of the number of times I have sent a plate back half-finished just because of the sheer quantity.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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20-10-2019 07:03 PM #58
MSS, you asked about the less-obvious gems. If you go to the Castle (which is worth it) there are a bunch of museums and galleries (‘palaces’) on the path up the hill. There is one called Lobkowiczkŷ that has a terrace cafe with stunning views across Prague. The food is basics - paninis, toasties, pasta etc - but tasty.
Not sure if it is a hidden gem, but the Communist Museum is really good and well worth a visit. It covers the history of the country during that period and is fascinating.
My other recommendation would be an ice hockey game. The Czechs love their hockey and the atmosphere is always brilliant. Prices are dirt cheap and you can get a beer and a hot dog to take to your seat.
Just more generally, the trains, Metro and trams are efficient and cheap and easy to get tickets for. Just make sure you validate your ticket - there are plainclothes inspectors on the trams and the fine for an unvalidated ticket is hefty! While we use the public transport system we also use Uber and it has never been anything other than cheap and easy.
Final thing, everybody in central Prague especially, but also the outskirts and the likes of Plzen speaks English. It is the common language that the likes of the Russians use here (even though Russian and Czech are similar in many regards!), and the Germans and everybody else. However, almost all Czechs really appreciate it if you make even the smallest effort to speak their language. Please, thank you, hello, goodbye goes a long way. Also, though it is a changing country it is still very formal and polite, so knowing how to formally say a few phrases goes a long, long way.Last edited by Mibbes Aye; 20-10-2019 at 07:14 PM.
There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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20-10-2019 07:09 PM #59
Last thing MSS, I hope you and your partner have a fantastic time on your trip. Praha and Česká Republika are gorgeous places to visit, with some lovely people, great history and culture.
The beer is amazing but if you like wine, their white wines are great and if you order Czech wine in a restaurant the staff are almost always delighted (which I still don’t understand because it is really good!)There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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20-10-2019 07:36 PM #60
Top effort Mibbess Aye Im off to Lisbon for a few days to bring the New Year in, you havent got a travel guide for there too have you?
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