Bonjour tout le monde.
Cet été je prévois de me rendre au festival Sziget en Hongrie. Le festival a lieu du lundi 6 au lundi 13 août 2012.
Je n'ai encore personne avec qui y aller, je profite de ce forum pour lancer un appel aux motivés. Le but est de former un groupe de français et passer la semaine ensemble.
J'ai 24 ans, je suis de Tours. Je suis désireux de voyager et de passer une bonne semaine :)
Au niveau de l'ambiance : festive, à l'image de la tranche d'âge 20-35 ans 😎
Je sais que je m'y prend très tôt mais il vaut mieux trop tôt que trop tard. J'ai regardé les billets d'avion, prix d'appel pour un aller retour Paris Budapest : moins de 100€. c'est plus qu'intéressant :)
Ayant vécu the Sziget Expérience en 2009, je peux te dire que tu as fais le bon choix... pour une semaine festive, musicale, dépaysante....
Une expérience inoubliable à vivre au moins une fois dans sa vie (même si le marketing y prend un peu plus de place chaque année...)
Cherchant à faire le "Tour du monde des festivals" (débuté par le Sziget !), cette année je pars pour le Lollapalooza à Chicago... et je ne pourrais être de la partie..
Quoi qu'il en soit, tu trouvera je pense à coup sûr du monde, des motivés (je te conseille de chercher également sur le forum français du Sziget, et sur pleins d'autres forums/pages Facebook car les annonces en ce genre pullule.... il est vrai sans doute un peu plus en mars/avril quand le lineup sera annoncée et des pubs pour le festoch pulluleront dans le métro parisien)... J'en suis assuré, car de mon expérience discussions post-Sziget : beaucoup de gens aimeraient y aller... et sont à la recherche de compagnons de fête et de voyages...
L'option "VoyageEnBus" que je ne recommande guère (pas d'assistance, un vrai service ultra low cost et pas tjs ultra fiable) ! peut être une solution pour s'intégrer aussi à un groupe de frenchies...
A défaut, d'y être je serai ravi de pouvoir te donner des conseils ou répondre à tes questions pratiques...
A ce sujet, j'ai recensé quelques infos pratiques dans le document suivant http://scr.bi/ideesfestivals (p 37)
Choose your future, Choose life...
Passionné par les voyages et les festivals, je n'ai qu'une envie : découvrir le monde en musique (http://scr.bi/ideesfestivals)
Bonjour InsomniacJ Merci de ta réponse et de tes conseils.
Je suis également désireux de vivre un maximum d'expériences à l'étranger à commencer par l'Europe.
En attendant Avril je vais regarder le forum sziget
Encore merci pour ta disponibilité!
A+
J'aime bien ton idée! Mon frère est allé au Main Square cette année et il m'a dit que c'était génial et qu'il voudrait faire le Sziget pour l'année prochaine..et moi ça me tente pas mal aussi...mais le soucis reste encore et toujours les sousous dans la popoche... donc bon je ne prétends pas venir à 100% mais sache que cette idée me branche bien et je pense qu'elle pourrait brancher mon fréro qui m'avait parlé du voyage en car.
Bref, on peut toujours se tenir au courant...mais ce n'est vraiment pas sûr.. Tu penses qu'on doit donner une réponse avant quelle date butoire ?
En tout cas, je pense que tu vas bien t'amuser! Enjoy mec! :D
😉😉😉😉😉 DiamanT37, je partage complètement cette envie d’expériences festives en Europe ... : festochs, streets party à la Koninginnedag, nouvel an...
Wep, la solution du bus est intéressante économiquement/convivialement mais de mémoire ne laisse pas de réelle marge en terme de timing pour profiter de la ville qu'est Budapest : classée au patrimoine mondiale de l'UNESCO hérité de l'empire austro-hongrois et à la fois marqué par le communisme, festive là encore et pleines de bars sympas...
Certes, on peut visiter durant le festival, on peut quitter l'île d'Obudai où se déroule le Sziget (pour visiter, faire des courses, bien qu'il a y a un mini-supermarché à tarif hongrois "majoré festoch" sur l'île)... Mais en dehors du "warm-up (J0 et J-1), Sziget, c'est des concerts 24/24 avec en réalité la plupart des groupes des 4/5 scènes "majeurs" qui se concentre en 15h et 03/4h du mat... (15h/00h pour la grande scène, 18h/04h pour l'Arena Electro...)... donc je pense qu'un peu de marges extra-festoch pour visiter en dehors est pas plus mal...
Quant au fait, que je suppose qu'en Mars/Avril il y aura plus de motivés (publicité pour Sziget, plus de visibilité sur le budget, les vacances pour ceux qui taffent), ça ne t'empêche pas de démarrer dès maintenant tes recherches et efforts, pour réussir au mieux à motiver du monde fiable, à optimiser le budget... Mais avec un peu d'effort sur le net (y compris les réseaux sociaux)... je suis confiant que des groupes peuvent se monter... Si tu savais "l'intérêt portée" au fait que j'ai vécu Sziget (les "oooh trop bien", je reverais de le faire...)... ! Y'a pas de raison que tu trouve pas du people (moi même, je compte bien le refaire tot ou tard !)... Ah oui, le prix du pass Sziget est chaque année minorée jusqu'au 30 Avril donc ça serait un vrai plus que tu y arrives dans les prochaines semaines...
Enjjjjjjjjjjjoy
Choose your future, Choose life...
Passionné par les voyages et les festivals, je n'ai qu'une envie : découvrir le monde en musique (http://scr.bi/ideesfestivals)
Salut !
Certains sont 100% festoche, d'autres préféreront visiter, moi je suis entre les deux, j'aime aussi voir un minimum de choses de la ville où je voyage.
InsomniacJ, j'ai justement passé mon 1er nouvel an à l'étranger cette année (Danemark). C'était awesome^^
Je souhaiterais juste vivre cette semaine intensément et rester qq jours pour "décompresser" et visiter un peu.
En tout cas vos messages font plaisir 😉
S'il y a des interressés n'hésitez pas à écrire ou MP.
Ce festival me tente tellement depuis que j'en ai entendu parler y a quelques années !
Je t'aurais ben suivi, mais malheureusement je ne pourrai pas l'été prochain...
J'espère y remédier en 2013, j'ai vraiment envie de le faire au moins une fois !
J'espère que tu trouveras des compagnons ! ;)
"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." - John Steinbeck
Salut
ça faisait des années que je rêvais d'aller au sziget, pour cet été ce sera enfin chose faite!
Je pars du 6 au 13 avec plusieurs potes, dont certains nous rejoindrons pour 2/3 jours seulement. Je n'ai pas encore pris mes billets d'avion car j'hésite à m'attarder dans Budapest après le festival. Sachant que je compte déja profiter des 6&7 pour visiter brièvement... Je me demande si je ne devrais pas prolonger les vacances dans un pays frontalier sinon.
Enfin quoiqu'il en soit, si tu n'as toujours pas de "groupe" auquel te rattacher à J-1, ne t'inquiète pas c'est blindé de français (et d'autres heureusement !) et la plupart des gens se rendent là bas dans un état d'esprit plus qu'ouvert aux rencontres.
Je flippe juste un peu pour ma tente et mes affaires. Je ne compte biensur pas partir avec quoique ce soit de précieux ou de valeur aussi bien sentimental qu'onéreux; mais bon bref on verra bien et j'ai tellement hâte d'y être!
Pour les affaires que tu ne veux pas égarer, ou te faire subtiliser (même si c'est très bon esprit)... De mémoire, il y a des services de consignes (souvent inclus dans les forfaits : campings VIP ou "French Camping")
Choose your future, Choose life...
Passionné par les voyages et les festivals, je n'ai qu'une envie : découvrir le monde en musique (http://scr.bi/ideesfestivals)
Simpa pour l'invite Vacuumgaze, de mon côté je n'ai toujours pas de groupe mais je ne me fais pas de bile a ce niveau-là, rien qu'à voir l'activité du groupe "Sziget france" sur Facebook.
Une chose me fait un peu peur c'est la prog de cette année.. On dirait bien qu'il n'y a pas énormément de bonne têtes d'affiches, j'entends des groupes qui mettent tout le monde d'accord...
C'est vrai que la programmation de cette année a beaucoup de mal à mettre tout le monde d'accord.
Lors d'un interview dans la presse Hongroise du directeur du festival , il soulevais ce probleme. Il prècise que la perte de leur plus gros sponsor et l'augmentation de la tva leur a fais subir une perte de pas loin d'1 millions d'euros. Malgrès tout la scene world reste fantastique et quelques gros noms viennent quand meme satisfaire une grande majorité. Sur la page facebook si tu observe un peu tu te rend compte que c'est souvent les meme qui se plaignent et ils sont loin d'etre la majorité à peine 50 mécontents qui s'exprime sur 19 800 fans cela fais peu .
Ne t'inquiete pas je suis sure que tu rentreras ravi de ton festival
La vie c est cmme une patisserie on peux la regader sans cesse mais pour connaitre ces saveurs il la faut croquer... les gens sont seuls parce qu'ils construisent des murs au lieu de construire des ponts
Concernant la programmation, de mon constat c'est régulièrement 2/3 grosses têtes d'affiches, et pleins de noms intérmédiaires... (il faut contenter tout le monde et les dizaines de nationalités précédente)...
Il faut pas perdre de vue que Sziget, est plus qu'un festoch... C'est une expérience, un cocktail : musiques (tête d'affiche, découvertes, musiques du monde), des bars, de la fête, un cadre, du divertissement...
J'espère que tu trouvera de joyeux gens motivés.
Quoi qu'il en soit, comme j'ai pu l'exprimé dans mes précédents messages... J'ai bien envie de réitérer l'expérience rapidement, et continuer à découvrir le monde autour de beaux festivals, ou de gros événements....
Choose your future, Choose life...
Passionné par les voyages et les festivals, je n'ai qu'une envie : découvrir le monde en musique (http://scr.bi/ideesfestivals)
Je suis sur toulouse et avec ma colloc nous seront sur le festival cette année.
Elle connait deja le site mais pour moi c'est une premiere!
Je ne sais pas comment tu t'es organisé pour le trajet mais pour nous ce sera camion avec des haltes sur le trajets pour se reposer et visiter les environs!
As tu trouvé des gens pour t'accompagner?
Si ce n'est pas le cas n'hésite pas a me contacter!
Salut SvenLN !
Ton projet a l'air super! Pour ma part je n'ai encore pas trouvé de groupe, il faut dire que j'avais laissé un peu de côté le projet. En tout cas ton projet est séduisant, je serais quasiment tenté de vous accompagner, si cela est possible.
Je reprends le taf mercredi 1er, il faut que je voie si je peux caler des vacances aux bonnees dates. Peux-tu me préciser tes dates de départ et de retour ?
S'il y a des infos perso à passer, tu peux m'ajouter sur facebook : Simon Marsal
Bonsoir à tous !
Je serai à Budapest dès dimanche soir, et j'y resterai jusqu'à mercredi ou jeudi, si tout va bien. Je devais partir avec une amie qui a eu un problème familial au dernier moment, aussi, je devrais être logée seule en couchsurfing durant ce temps.
Je prévois peut-être de passer un jour sur le festival. Y a t'il des gens qui y vont finalement, et que je pourrais rejoindre là-bas ? (ou si vous sortez du festival, histoire de rencontrer et de parler un peu français ?!)
Je lance une discussion sur le sziget festival 2007 qui se déroulera du 8 au 15 aout 2007 à Budapest. Pour ma part je vais aller découvrir ce festival pour la…
Voila on a prevu a 4 de se faire un petit road trip de 5000 km en europe de l est afin de rejoindre le festival Sziget on partirai le 27/07 au soir pour…
J'ai entendu à la radio parler d'un festival, celui de Budapest qui a lieu du 10 août au 17 août. Sziget festival. Je trouve leur site, il l'annonce comme le…
Oy, 2eme sejour sur budapest, premier sejour durant le sgizet festoch...debut aout 2011 entrain de rechercher un logement, voudrais bien un appart, pour une ou…
voilà je cherche à savoir le prix d'un billet de train pour allé de geneve à budapest au alentours du 10, 11 aout. comma vous l'auraez sans doute deviné c'est…
Bonjour j'hésite entre ces deux destinations si on va en Crète on ira plutôt dans la région de La Canée et dans le sud qui a l'air plus sauvage sur 10 jours en voiture ça devrait se faire, si nous allons à Sardaigne on n'a pas trouvé le coin encore où on pourrait aller nous aimons bien marcher nous baigner bien manger nous avons 10 jours pour fin septembre et nous préférons qu'il n'y ait pas trop de foule cette année en mai nous sommes allés à Minorque et on a beaucoup aimé marche très belle plage nourriture sympa pas trop de voitures
Bonjour,
Je cherche un transfert privatif pour relier l’aéroport d’Istanbul au centre historique Serkeci, quelqu’un connaît t’il une compagnie, j’en ai trouvé plusieurs :
Getyourguide,
Istanbultour24.fr (plus interessant car ils proposent des transferts A/R moins chers
Si vous avez utilisé un de ces services, j’aimerais avoir votre avis
Merci d’avance
Hi,
I'm looking for info on the Pristina–Skopje bus route.
Can you leave from the main bus station in Pristina?
I’ve also heard about a bus station near the theater...
If anyone has details, I’d love to hear them—thanks!!!!
We want to book our tickets to visit the Acropolis site and the associated museum. For these reservations, we need to specify entry time slots.
For the Acropolis alone: the first slot is at 8:30 AM.
For the museum: 10 AM? 11 AM?
We like to wander around, so here’s our question: if we haven’t finished exploring the site after 1.5 hours, is it possible to go back in after leaving the museum?
We’ll be buying tickets from the official websites—audio guides are mentioned. Any feedback on those? On sites like Get Your Guide, the prices are much higher with the audio guide included, but does that mean better quality?
I'm currently planning a trip to Cyprus for late October. I have a few questions:
- I plan to visit Nicosia, Paphos, and Ayia Napa. What do you recommend in Ayia Napa?
- Is it easy to get around by bus from one city to another? Or do you have any private drivers to recommend?
- Do you have any hotels to recommend?
Any tips or advice is welcome!
Thanks in advance
Hello,
We're heading to Istanbul from October 7th to 12th. I’d love to do a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus on a more intimate boat (no show) with a private table and alcohol (wine, since it’s a birthday dinner). Could anyone recommend a reliable company (I’m not looking for a private yacht either) that organizes this kind of evening?
Thanks in advance,
Hi, I’d like to buy a ticket to go to Terezín from Prague using the Pid Litacka app, but I don’t know which zone to get the ticket for. Thanks for your help! 😊
Hi there,
After booking an Airbnb last January for this summer’s vacation in Sarajevo... My "host" canceled our reservation without any reason—this has never happened to me before.
Of course, now it’s impossible to find a place to stay at a "normal" price in Sarajevo with parking...
So we’re falling back on the capital of the Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, which had already crossed my mind before I booked Sarajevo.
I already have quite a few ideas in mind, without having dug too deep into the region yet.
But if anyone has already been there and has suggestions? Even for restaurants—I’m all ears!
And even if it’s not right next door, I’m planning to spend a day in Sarajevo!
Hi, I’m going to Turkey for 3 weeks. I’ve heard that you can’t book through Booking.com once you’re there and that everything has to be reserved in advance. Is it true that Booking.com doesn’t work in Turkey? Thanks to anyone who’s already been or is there—if it’s true, how do you handle bookings?
I’d love to get your opinions and advice on a destination.
It’s actually for my 19-year-old son who wants to go to Greece with his cousin, who’s the same age.
They’re looking at leaving on October 24th for 7 to 10 days.
For their trip, they want gorgeous beaches where they can swim, beautiful typical villages and historic cities, stunning landscapes, but also lively spots for their nights out. In short, they’re not just going there to laze around—they want to make the most of it...
But here’s the thing: will the weather be too iffy at that time, especially for swimming?
Also, would Crete be the best choice for what they’re looking for?
Then, a travel agent suggested Tenerife instead because of the weather at that time of year—he said the climate there is the same all year round. But will they find landscapes and beaches as beautiful as in Crete?
Hello!
I’m planning a trip to Greece in May or June 2027. We’re independent travelers.
We’ll rent a car after our stay in Athens and book accommodations through Booking or similar sites.
What do you think of this itinerary? We’re taking our time (beach and swimming if the weather allows in May—is the water too cold?)
Athens, 3 days
Nafplio, 3 days (Mycenae, Epidaurus, Archaia)
Mystras, 2 days or Monemvasia, 2 days (Laconia peninsula)?? Dilemma between the two
Return trip from the Peloponnese via the Rio-Antirrio bridge
Nafpaktos, 1 night
Arachova, 2 days (Delphi, Osios Loukas Monastery)
Return to Athens and departure
Is it crowded in May or June for visits to archaeological sites?
Thanks for your suggestions or corrections!
Hi there,
Our first trip to Greece as a couple. We're planning to spend 7 days in Greece from August 30th to September 5th. We'll reserve 2 days for Athens at the end of the trip. For the remaining 5 days, we want to visit an island—any recommendations? Thanks for your tips and details, we really appreciate it.
Hi,
What tips can you give me for dealing with a car rental scam attempt in Lithuania?
In our case, it’s the Avis-Budget agency in Vilnius trying to scam us.
We rented a car at Vilnius Airport for 2 weeks on July 28, 2019, to return it in Tallinn on August 11.
We brought it back on August 11 at the airport, in perfect condition, and with a full tank at the gas station right by Tallinn Airport.
On the parking lot, the receptionist’s booth was closed. So we had to leave the car in the lot and go to the counter inside the airport. The person at the counter told us their colleague had gone for lunch!
But they refused to come out and do the inspection with us because they were alone at the counter.
They told us we could leave and that everything was fine!!!!
Two days later, we got an email from Avis-Budget with two invoices saying the car was damaged—scratched on both sides—and charging us for a full tank of gas. That’s two bills totaling 800 €!!!! Coincidentally, the deposit was 900 €!
It’s clear this isn’t over!!
Have any of you been through the same nightmare? How did you handle it?
Thanks in advance!
I’m spending 2 weeks in Crete in September and will need a rental car.
I usually go with Europcar, but comparing their offer to what Aegean Rentals has, I see Europcar is charging no less than 400 € more for the same car and similar insurance!
I’d love to hear if others have experience with Aegean Rentals, and if so, whether it was a good one?
Hi,
We’re heading to Greece in early October and will be staying in Kineta, north of the Saronic Gulf, and renting a car.
Is it feasible to visit Acrocorinth, Mycenae, Nafplio, and Epidaurus in a single day?
Thanks for your recommendations!
Hi there!
I’m sharing our itinerary for May/June 2027—23 days. This is our first time in Greece, so we’re starting with the must-see spots. We’re planning another trip later to explore the north, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, and some islands.
- Athens, 4 nights
- Corinth area, 2 nights (Heraion of Perachora, Canal, Acrocorinth)
- Nafplio, 3 nights (Mycenae, Epidaurus, Methana peninsula)
- Gefira, 2 nights (Monemvasia)
- Areopoli, 2 nights (Mani). Maybe add an extra night and stay on the peninsula??? Based on my calculations, the Mani loop is about 100 km—doable in a day, but it’d be a quick trip.
- Sparta or Pikoulianika, 2 nights (Mystras)
- Dimitsana, 2 nights (Lousios Gorge, monasteries)
- Olympia, 2 nights (via Lagkadia?)
- Delphi or Arachova, 3 nights (via the west coast, Galaxidi bridge) (Delphi, Hosios Loukas Monastery)
- And back to Athens.
This is just a rough draft for now. We’re planning to stay in hotels or book through Booking.com. What do you think? Thanks for your feedback and suggestions!
Over the past twenty-five years, I’ve traveled the roads between France and Moldova a good ten times, sometimes via Central Europe, other times via the Balkans.
It was while traveling like this—what I call "hitting the road the slow way"—that I realized something simple: our neighbors' neighbors are very clearly our neighbors too. And that’s not insignificant.
After a break of a few years, I’m planning to hit the road again in September, this time heading to Kosovo, crossing through Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Having gotten a bit older, I’ve no intention of rushing—no need to speed ahead of the music! 😄
I’d rather take my time.
I’m not looking to see everything, but to soak in the atmosphere of the places, always leaving room for the unexpected and for encounters.
I’m especially drawn to culturally immersive, authentic, and welcoming regions: lively villages, backroads, preserved landscapes, markets, local festivals, traditions that are still very much alive... and, why not, a few offbeat, forgotten, or slightly secret spots.
If any of you know Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, or Kosovo a little, I’d love to hear your suggestions for itineraries, stops, backroads, homestays, village festivals, or local contacts, for example.
Planning to return to Belarus in mid-August, I just realized that since last September, Poland has reopened several border crossing points, and for buses, this means connections like Białystok-Grodno.
Several bus company routes, like on infobus.eu, take between 3 and 4 hours.
Trains from Warsaw to Białystok take about 1.5 to 2 hours.
This has the advantage of allowing comfortable train journeys with minimal time spent on a bus.
Also, the Terespol-Brest border might have shorter queues if you still prefer a Warsaw-Brest bus.
Note that another route to Minsk, if you have a paper Russian or Belarusian visa, is the Kaliningrad-Minsk train. It’s long—around ten or eleven hours—but you can lie down and sleep. An option if you fly into Gdańsk and then take a short bus to Kaliningrad.
There are also Belavia flights from Minsk to Kaliningrad, but they’re expensive. The route is scenic:
In any case, this adds a few more options compared to what’s been available over the last four years.
Hi there.
I’d like to know what the daily budget is for Greece in December. I’ll be landing in Athens and staying there for a week, then heading to some other islands—I don’t have a set itinerary yet. Also, I’ve heard that in December, or early January, the temperature is around 11–16°C. Is that accurate?
Finally, does anyone have a good recommendation for a cheap but clean hotel near the tourist sites? I don’t need a TV or any other extras. Also, is Greece gay-friendly?
I’d like to know the opening hours of physical stores between Germany and Austria, and between Austria and Slovenia, that sell the PAPER STICKER toll vignettes that still exist for 2026—non-digital ones. I don’t think they’re open 24/7, and I can’t find the info anywhere.
Thanks
Hi there,
We’re planning a 3-week trip in late September with our camper van to explore Bulgaria and Romania.
What routes would you recommend, starting from the South?
Is there an option to take a ferry in Italy, and is it worth it?
Thanks for all your tips!😊
Hi there, we’re a young couple and we’d love to go to the Blue Eye (Syri i Kalter) between today (26/06/26) and tomorrow (27/06/26).
Is anyone heading there and could give us a ride? We’re super friendly!
Thanks so much!
We're back. It's still a bit tough to get precise info, so here's a quick trip report!
A good starting point is Shkoder, a really pleasant city. You can easily explore Shkoder itself in a day or two.
Two accessible spots: Valbona and Theth.
In both cases, local travel agencies in Shkoder or online offer round-trip or one-way access packages. Super handy, especially for Valbona.
Valbona and Theth are both very steep! There aren’t many easy hikes for less sporty folks (like me!).
Valbona: The highlight is the amazing 2.5-hour boat ride across Lake Koman. There are day trips from Shkoder, but you’ll only get a short tour of the lake. The best option is to do the full crossing—so spend a night in Valbona (or two if you want to hike in the valley) and return.
Theth is deeply nestled in the mountains. The village at the end of the valley, which is a dead end, has lots of hotels, but they’re pricey. Other hostels are scattered along the mountainside road, but it’s a steep climb down to the village or to the start of the two easy hikes (waterfalls and the Blue Eye). For us, it was a one-hour descent (and ascent!). It’s fine if you have a car; otherwise, keep an eye out for a taxi (cheap) or try hitchhiking—it works really well.
Access from Shkoder to Theth is through an agency. The road is in great condition, and you can also rent a car for 2-3 days in Shkoder. If we did it again, that’s the option we’d choose.
We didn’t do the trek and returned to Shkoder each time. I can’t speak to its difficulty, but we were there in late May, and even experienced hikers had given up because of heavy rain and snow.
Hope this helps! It’s a stunning region you shouldn’t miss.
We’re a Canadian couple, both 77, and we’re already planning our vacation for fall 2027.
Timeframe: mid-September to mid-October... dates are flexible, and we might stay even longer.
Initially, I had planned this itinerary:
Athens (3), Naxos (4), Paros (4), Santorini (4), then a flight to Istanbul (7–10 days!!). This would let us maximize our flights and experience another culture.
That’s a lot of ferries, though... I’ve already cut out Milos.
Our second option would be to stay 2 x 15 days on two different islands, but I’d still keep Istanbul as our next destination... or maybe 30 days on one island that offers the chance to take day trips to other islands where the ferry ride is no more than 2 to 2.5 hours. For example, Naxos to Paros only takes 30 minutes. We could return the same evening or stay overnight.
Naxos seems like the best option!!!
For Istanbul, of course we want to do a day cruise on the Bosphorus and see Hagia Sophia. If we stay 6–7 days, what would be the other main attractions? Are there any points of interest we can reach by local bus?
Hi there!
We bought our tickets to Greece at the end of November 2025, and let’s just say the geopolitical climate has really taken a turn since then with the war started by the United States against Iran. Not to mention all the other conflicts happening around the world 😕... Anyway!
Our flight from Montreal is on May 1st, and I was wondering how things are currently being experienced in Greece.
We were planning to rent a car and had already booked accommodations on three Cyclades islands!!
The oil shortage is also worrying us...
If you could share some insights on this, that would be great!
A little trip report from an 11-day journey to Albania at the end of April 2026, with two friends in their early sixties and beyond...
Our route: Berat, Gjirokastër, Himarë, Tirana
Here are some opinions, tips, and great deals to share:
Flight Round-trip Beauvais-Tirana: Ryanair, 260 € with checked baggage (20 kg) and seat selection. Flight was fine and on time. 2h 30min flight.
Exchange: 1 € was worth 95 lek in April 2026. We were advised to exchange in the airport hall at the Illiria counter (98 lek outside the security zone), saying we wouldn’t find a better rate. However, the exchange rate was 93 lek for 1 euro, while in the city it was 95...
Car rental at Tirana airport for 9 days via Booking.com: 144 € (56 € for the car rental and 88 € for optional full insurance deductible waiver).
Wheego agency: the car was fine, but be careful when signing the contract—they tried to convince us that the insurance taken through Booking didn’t cover everything and insisted we take their own insurance for 250 €... We refused.
After reading about driving in Tirana, instead of starting our trip by visiting the capital, we decided to head straight to Berat upon arrival and return the car at the end of the trip to explore the city on foot. This turned out to be a great choice!
Accommodations: All our stays were booked via Booking.com. Everyone prefers to be paid in euros and in cash—they mention this when booking.
Berat: 2-hour drive from the airport.
Accommodation: Vila Arben Elezi: 135 € for 3 nights with breakfast and private parking. The room was decent and clean but a bit dark, located slightly below ground level near the parking. However, the breakfast on the rooftop was excellent, especially with the stunning view of the "city of a thousand windows." Great location.
Berat was our favorite—there are lovely walks through the different neighborhoods on both sides of the river, each with a very different vibe. The citadel visit is also fascinating, as it’s like a small town within the fortress.
The walk along the river is pleasant, with plenty of restaurant choices. Other restaurants in the old town are also very nice. The White House Restaurant, on the first floor along the road, is good and offers a great view of the Gorica district.
Gjirokastër:
Accommodation: Te Ajdini Guest House: 120 € for 3 nights with breakfast. A private home stay. There’s free parking just before entering the city, a 5-minute walk from the accommodation, which is very convenient since the cobblestone streets are narrow and parking is tricky. Yes, it’s a climb to get to the place, but everything in this city is uphill... The room was bright and clean. Breakfast was very good, hearty, and served in the courtyard with a view of the castle. The guesthouse is a 5-minute walk from the city center (the bazaar) but in a quiet area.
Restaurants: Rrapi and Kujtimi—good and affordable with their little pergolas.
The old town of Gjirokastër is charming but very touristy, with streets packed with souvenir shops and restaurant tables and chairs. Lots of people.
-The bunker visit (near the tourist office) is very interesting: Cold War Tunnel.
The castle offers a beautiful view of the city.
-Visit to the Ottoman house Skenduli: very well done. Don’t forget to climb the ladder facing a trapdoor in the ceiling to see the roof’s framework—it’s like a forest of beams: impressive!
-The bridge Ura e Ali Pasha: A steep 45-minute climb from the city to the site is worth it, but once you reach the viewpoint (which is stunning), you have to go back down a path to reach the bridge. You can drive to the viewpoint, but parking is very tricky.
Around Gjirokastër:
-Just outside the city: Lake Liqeni i Viroit: a nice, ordinary-looking lake, but at the end, there’s a natural spring making the water crystal clear and a brilliant blue—really spectacular, like photos of Blue Eye near Sarandë.
-Drive to Përmet along the gorges: beautiful viewpoints along the way and lovely countryside.
Himarë:
Accommodation: Vila Kosteli: 120 € for 2 nights with breakfast—slightly overpriced for this type of place but very close to a small beach and not far from the promenade with all the restaurants. Private parking, but very tight (4 cars on a tiny lot along the road). The "sea view" room is a bit obstructed by the building across the street. However, the rooftop breakfast view is beautiful. Friendly staff.
Himarë is a pleasant seaside resort, quite calm (but it was April...). There’s a cute promenade with restaurants along the beach. The castle on the heights of Himarë is worth a visit.
Around Himarë:
-Qeparo is worth a quick stop, but Qeparo village is really worth the detour: a village lost in the heights after a scenic drive up from the coastal road—narrow but well-maintained. Beautiful view from the top and a charming village.
-The Big Bunker and Llogora Panorama: take a right turn several kilometers after Dhermi—a road that climbs steeply from the start... A breathtaking winding road that reaches 900 meters in altitude. The view is stunning.
-Several small villages between Dhermi and Himarë are worth a quick stop.
-Porto Palermo Castle is somewhat disappointing.
Tirana:
Taxi from Tirana airport to the city center: 15 € with electric taxis (Green Taxi, Bee Taxi, Do Taxi).
Accommodation: Hotel Nevi Apartment: 63 € for 2 nights. A private apartment in an older building but very clean and well-equipped, with a kitchen and small enclosed balcony.
Great welcome and contact—the owner even booked a taxi for our departure. Very well located, close to the main square, shops, and restaurants. A small supermarket nearby is perfect for stocking up on breakfast supplies.
The city is lively and dynamic, with plenty of green spaces and promenades. Buildings are popping up everywhere, often with surprising architecture—like a building shaped like a face, a huge golden cube, and many others under construction.
-Sky Tower: at the top, a rotating bar offers a 360° view of the city and its buildings. Drinks are a bit pricier than usual, but it’s totally worth it (6 € for a beer or a glass of white wine, 3 € for coffee). We were there for sunset, and it was amazing! A must-do. Arrive early, as it fills up quickly.
-The House of Leaves: a house used for secret surveillance and interrogations during the dictatorship... A great way to learn about the surveillance systems of that era.
-Bunk’Art 2: a bunker in the heart of the city—very interesting, covering the dictatorship period and its system...
-The Pazari i Ri Bazaar: the new bazaar district. The large hall is worth a visit, but souvenir prices are often higher than elsewhere... The area is nice.
Restaurant: Kastrati Restaurant—a bit like a canteen with lots of traditional dishes. It’s on the first floor of a building. Excellent value for money, and the waitress explains the dishes in French.
That’s a little overview of our trip and my personal impressions!
Albania is a beautiful and pleasant country to visit.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Hi everyone,
We’re thinking of spending 3 weeks in Crete between mid-August and early September, renting a car, quickly exploring a few spots in the east, and focusing on the west, southwest, and south.
I’m worried about the heavy tourist crowds. Is it really more noticeable than elsewhere in Greece? Is there a way to avoid the crowds without missing out on the iconic places, which I imagine are stunning in Crete? Thanks for your thoughts and experiences!