Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna

Just back from the 3 above Cities and I can't remember who was asking but here is my feedback on the 3 different places.

We arrived in Bratislava last Tuesday and spent 3 days, of which 2 of the days tempretures peaked at 31 degrees. Our hotel was right slap bang in the middle of the old town of the city, within a stone's throw of St Micheal's Gate. First impressions were good, it is an old, historic place which hasn't been ruined by today's soulless corporate buildings. The 12th Century Church is crumbling away like a goodun, just how it should be! The people were generally very friendly although some of the service staff could be a tad surley however no real complaints. Food was good and beer very cheap, managed to find a pint for 90 cents which compares extremely favourably to the 5 Euro a pint I pay in Luxembourg! Bratislava compares favourably to Prague in that there are no groups of drunk twats anwhere near the place, however the standard of women is very very high. 3 days was probably a tad too long as you can walk about and see all you need to see in a day, the walk up to the castle and to the Russian memorial would probably take it out of the old legs however. Overall, I would definately recommend Bratislava to a couple or if you are looking for a quiet few days away.

Next we went to Budapest and this is so much different. For a start getting parked anywhere was a fecking nightmare and in the end we had to pay 8,400 Forints (30 quid) a day. Our hotel was right next to a strip club right in the heart of the City and the guys in the long black coats were constantly badgering me and my dad. The 'service' industry hasn't crossed over to Hungary yet, the staff seem to make an effort to not offer you any service whatsoever and do their best to avoid eye contact at all times. The place itself is much bigger than Bratislava and there is more to see. Some great old buildings and the Parliament which is based on the London version is a must see as is heroes square. Overall Budapest is worth a visit but both myself and my dad can't abide being bothered and unfortunately we got the feeling that we weren't especially safe, even though we saw nothing too bad.

Finally we went to Vienna and apparently this is the top 5 visited places in the world. And you can see why. If you like grand opulence then you will love Vienna which has grandeur all over the City, without being pretentious or arrogant. Once you have been amazed by the Hapsberg Palace and surrounding buildings, check out the amazing Greek style parliament building. Personally, if I was to recommend one of the places to visit I would choose Vienna over Budapest. Bratislava was different and much smaller but each place has its own merits and I am sure you would have a good time in each.

When we left Bratislava Airport yesterday, it was 1 degree, a drop of 30 degrees in a little over a week!!