Sean emailed a friend...

My brother's friend asked for advice about planning a trip to Europe. This post is Sean's response--the pictures are what I felt corresponded:

If you want my personal feelings about the trip, listen up... or read up.

I started by moving to London, so that doesn't really count as a stop on the trip. Although, if you want to go there you should. It's pretty cool, but the weather is rough, and unless you have a lot of money, you're going to end up drinking wherever you are staying. (there is a bar near Oxford Circus called The Cock (not making it up), which is actually really cheap, go there!). The picture is of Little Venice, where my sister lived.

Things to see in London if you are touristy are Buckinham Palace, Parliament, the London eye, Covent Garden,  etc. Otherwise just take the Tube around the city and you'll find some cool places. Again, VERY expensive.

Next we went to Brussels, Beglium to see my dad. If you go there on a good day (weather wise) it is amazing. Great night-life if you know where to go (I recommend O'Reilly's, an Irish bar which also has a mini 'club' next door called Nua O'reilly's.) Cool people, good vibe, and you can sit on the terrace and look at some epically old architecture. I grew up there, so I love the place, but again, it's more about who you go with and when you go. Beer capital of the world!!!! Must see's are La Grand Place, Mond des Arts, and the maniquin pis... all spitting distance from each other.

Next stop was Berlin. Go with friends, and go to clubs, otherwise the place is BORING and not very scenic. I was there with my sister and was bored out of my mind. Avoid commercial hostels at allllll cost. Go to private ones, they're funner and better value. (That goes for everywhere if possible)

From there we went to Prague, which is pretty epic, has a nice Bridge and river, but again... not toooo much to do. (see blog for more details).

Budapest, Hungary is pretty sweet. First real fun I had on the trip since Belgium! Stay at the Maverick Hostel... it's AMAZING! I would live there if I could afford it. and go out to Buda (across the river) and see the old town... pretty stunning. At night, there is plenty to do, but I recommend a bar called Szimpla. It is the sweetest bar ever...trust me, if you are in Budapest... go there.

DO NOT GO TO SERBIA... (see my post on sister's blog)

There is a place in MonteNegro called Kotor which is beautiful and has a surprisingly good night-life, though I don't know if it's worth going to because it is out of the way. If you go, stay in the Old town. That's where its all at.

GO TO DUBROVNIK!!! It's in Croatia, and it's friggin sweet. Nough said. It is the most beautiful place on earth, and everything is dirt cheap.

OK, now I will go into some of the places you might actually go to haha.

ITALY:

Rome: go there. It is overwhelming, and go on a pub crawl... you will have the time of your life (they're illegal, but just meet at 9pm at the bottom of the Spannish Steps. EPIC.) Everything you see is older than time, and is still unbelievable. See the Vatican.. see the Sistine chapel... see the Colisseum. Trust me, it's a must see.

Florence: Unless you like art a LOT... skip it. It's only fun if you do what I did; find a group of Aussies, a group of Irishmen, some pretty girls, and roam the city at 4am.

Venice: Go. Don't argue, just go.

Now back to some more obscure places...

Milan is the fashion capital of the world, which means everything is very stylish, and too expensive... not my thing. Bologna is the food capital of the world, but be careful where you eat, because everyone there is competing for business, and we ended up somewhere rather disappointing.

Next, I went off with a bud to Nice, on the French Riviera. I was there two nights and it just kept getting better and better. Whoever claims that it is boring and filled with old people is an idiot. By that logic, avoid Florida while you're at it. I had an amazing time, both at night and during the day... it's awesome.

From there, we went to Toulouse to see some friends. It's kinda ugly, it's kinda dirty, there's not much to see, but I had a good time. I think the prettiest people in the world got collected up and thrown into Toulouse for an experiment... maybe to see if an ugly city could produce ugly people despite the best genes available.

Paris is Paris. I didn't go on this trip, but I've been before. Just ask anyone and they'll tell you you have to go. So listen to them, because my opinion is skewed by prejudice.

I went to the countryside in the South of France next. This was more of a necessity than a choice, because we have some family friends there that we had to see. It's really nice and quiet, but that's not really my thing either...

Spain! Spain is awesome and full of Spaniards... they don't speak English, they don't even speak French, and they don't like people who don't speak Spanish (understandibly... being from Florida where it's the exact opposite.) Just make an effort and they'll be nice enough. Didn't see Madrid, heard it's great, but it's landlocked... which is fine, unless you've heard of Barcelona.

BARCELONA! Go to Barcelona. I had never heard a bad thing about it, and I don't think I ever will. Go, stay wherever... best bet might be the Surf Hostel in Barceloneta, purely due to location. This is where I live, and I wake up with a smile on my face every... afternoon. (Living hours are rather strange here... wake up at 12, siesta at 2, then work til 11, go out at about... the next day). I love this city... walk around, it's not too big... see everything, or don't. Whatever, it's the chillest place on earth.

Places I didn't go to on this trip but have been to before are... well, several. I'll just mention Amsterdam because that's what you probably want to know about. It's ok. That's right I said it. If you're a pothead, you'll just appreciate the legality, not necessarily the quality of the weed. If you're not... well there's not much else to do. Drink... avoid hippies on their bikes, and try and find an umbrella to deal with the crappy weather. Night life is fine.

Umm... other places I would recommend  are Edinburgh, Scotland. It's really old and dark and scenic and I love it. I personally like Glasgow, but mainly because I have family there. Never been to Scandinavia... so I can't help you there. Dublin is cool... OH GREECE! Never been, but desperately wanted to. Shame, looks amazing. Haven't been to Portugal either, but I imagine that Lisbon is nice.

That's about it. If you have any questions, let me know. Have fun! Go with friends!   

Half a day and one night in Prague

Next stop on the 'Mad Dash through Europe' travel tour was Prague. There are direct trains from Berlin to Prague twice a day so we took the morning train and headed towards the Czech Republic. Sean and I knew we'd have some serious train journeys on this trip so we killed a lot of time playing cards and looking out the window at the rolling countryside. 

Prague's train station is pretty ancient but there are beautiful stained glass windows as you come off the platform and into the main station. It certainly felt like we were in Eastern Europe at last. We had booked Hostel Downtown, two minutes from the famous Wenceslas Square in the Nové Mesto (New Town) on the right bank of the River Vlatva. Definitely an improvement on the Berlin hostel with free internet and a far more comfortable sleeping arrangement. There was also a kitchen which meant we could cook in the evening - it's really the little things that make you happy when you're on a budget... and when you're in need of a bed to lounge on.

We knew we didn´t have long in Prague as we were planning on heading to Budapest around noon the next day so as soon as we dropped off our stuff we headed out to explore.

We strolled down to the riverside and made our way up to the Charles Bridge, which is a beautiful stone bridge lined with statues and is, in my opinion, the most impressive site in the city. 

On the other side of the bridge we grabbed a couple of Pilsner Urquell's (couldn't possibly be in Prague for more than an hour without indulging in some Czech beer) made our way up the narrow, winding streets towards Prague castle. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of Irish pubs in Prague, and in every European city it seems, so we took advantage of the backdrop for a good ol' posed shot

!

The sunshine was coming out and after three days of rain, it was a welcome change! At the end of the climb, the view overlooking the city is stunning and even Sean was alright with looking slightly touristy as we took a few pictures from the top

After a quick bowl of pasta back at the house, we headed out to the Old Town square, Starometske namesti, a 12th century marketplace which is definitely a rival for Brussels' Grande Place. It really is stunningly beautiful, with a towering astronomical clock as the main feature. 

At the end of the night we found ourselves in (I'm ashamed to say it) an English pub, mostly because it was one of the first matches of Champions League. All in all, Prague is gorgeous. I could definitely see myself coming back at a later date, perhaps with a group of friends for a few nights out on the town, treating myself to a nicer meal than pasta and questionable tomato sauce in a hostel kitchen...

I have left the office

And now the serious work begins. Yesterday was my last day in the office, which was awfully strange and probably won't fully sink in until Tuesday when I don't have to wake up to go in to work. My wonderful colleagues bought me an amazing leaving present package (not to mention the excellent send-off drinks on Thursday night), which consisted of the Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget, a lock for my back pack, a very handy head torch and a sleeping bag liner. Yay for excellent friends!

This morning I decided to start searching for a few tips on Prague, one of our first stops on the trip, and found a great article on the Hostel Bookers website. Here's what it had to said about the Czech republic's capital city:

Prague

With charming cobbled streets and Gothic spires, it’s no surprise that backpackers think Prague is one of the best cities in Eastern Europe. Prague is enchanting. Winter months are spent popping in and out of cosy cafes for a steaming hot chocolate or sitting in bars with roaring fires. It might be a popular stag destination but there’s plenty of nightlife that avoids these crowds.
History: Wandering between the tombstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský hřbitov) can be both a haunting and peaceful experience.
Culture: For a miniature entrance fee of €3, marvel at artworks inside the Museum of Miniatures (Strahov Monastery). Some fit inside the eye of a needle and require a microscope.
Cafe: For that serious cup of steaming hot chocolate, Cukrkávalimonáda cafe (7 lázeňská) offers a gloriously rich 70% cocoa variety. Sip this devilishly delicious drink beneath an ornately decorated ceiling.

Bar: Beer is what the Czechs do best. Pivovarský dům (15 Ječná/Lípová) is a micro-brewery where you can sample an assortment of wonderful light, dark, sour cherry or banana beers. Inside, two large copper vats dominate the bar and the rest of the brewery is visible through a small window. If you’re feeling strong Prague is the place to visit the Green Fairy (drinking absinthe) and since this place is off the tourist route, the barman has time to show you how to prepare the 70% ABV drink.
Area: Laze on the grass beside the watermill in Kampa near Újezd and enjoy a cold and refreshing beer in summer months.
Top Tip: Hop on tram no. 9 (line 58 at night) for a cheap tour of the city. Take your pick of some of the best bars that pass by.
Youth hostel Prague: The brand spanking new St Christopher’s at Mosaic House is a budget traveller’s dream. Top reviews compliment the staff, cleanliness, live music, terrace garden and the historic city centre location. Private and dorm rooms from €12pppn.