The Baltics or the Balkans?

[Bramco]

So we are thinking about our trip this year, probably heading off in late May and like previous years will be away for anything up to 6 weeks or longer. (For those of you not yet retired - spend 5 or 10 minutes each day thinking about ways you can retire earlier - if you don't you won't).

Anyway, ew can't make our minds up whether to head for the Balkans or the Baltics (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia). One thought is to get across the channel and head roughly east until we hit the edge of the EU, so southern Poland or Slovakia and then based on what the weather looks like doing head north or south.

Heading south looks like there are more ACSI sites around but heading north feels like it would be more interesting (we were in Slovenia and norther Croatia last year.)

Heading north we could come back via Helsinki and Stockholm - lot's of miles and extra expense for the ferries but heading south we can come back through Italy and the Dolomites (and fill up with wine and other treats).

I know beer and wine are expensive in Sweden - is it cheap in the Baltics and Poland? Not that that matters of course ;-)

I know loads of people on the forum will have done the Balkans (tips appreciated of course) but has anyone done the Baltics?

 

[Amarillo]

So we are thinking about our trip this year, probably heading off in late May and like previous years will be away for anything up to 6 weeks or longer. (For those of you not yet retired - spend 5 or 10 minutes each day thinking about ways you can retire earlier - if you don't you won't).

Anyway, ew can't make our minds up whether to head for the Balkans or the Baltics (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia). One thought is to get across the channel and head roughly east until we hit the edge of the EU, so southern Poland or Slovakia and then based on what the weather looks like doing head north or south.

Heading south looks like there are more ACSI sites around but heading north feels like it would be more interesting (we were in Slovenia and norther Croatia last year.)

Heading north we could come back via Helsinki and Stockholm - lot's of miles and extra expense for the ferries but heading south we can come back through Italy and the Dolomites (and fill up with wine and other treats).

I know beer and wine are expensive in Sweden - is it cheap in the Baltics and Poland? Not that that matters of course ;-)

I know loads of people on the forum will have done the Balkans (tips appreciated of course) but has anyone done the Baltics?

We've done both.

We enjoyed both but preferred the Balkans. Transylvania is a gem. Further south and into Bulgaria not so lovely.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Bramco]

Thanks.

We had heard Transylvania was worth the effort of getting there - what were camp sites like?

And did you explore the Baltics, beaches, islands etc. or just motor slowly through?

 

[Amarillo]

Transylvanian campsites are cheap and basic - their competition is wild camping and wild sites are in abundance. We stayed on Vampire Camping in Bran - bar and snacks in summer, EHU, but not much else. Toilet block was clean, shower cubicals a sensible size.

Baltic beaches are very nice but also very crowded. The Baltic states are much more expensive than Romania.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Velma's Dad]

We've never camped in Transylvania but wew found it a really interesting area of 'old' Europe to tour, a few years back. Some of the high alpine villages seem like Switzerland in the 1930s - still scything grass by hand. The old 'Saxon' (ethnic German) and Hungarian villages are intriguing. Unfortunately you'll still see pockets of grinding poverty, especially in the Roma communities.

The mountains are a true wilderness - we found bear hair on a back-scratching tree, and huge bear claw scratches on the door of a sheep shelter. Although the most dangerous animals are in fact the sheep dogs... carry a big stick if you walk in the mountains. Seriously.

 

[Bramco]

Transylvanian campsites are cheap and basic - their competition is wild camping and wild sites are in abundance. We stayed on Vampire Camping in Bran - bar and snacks in summer, EHU, but not much else. Toilet block was clean, shower cubicals a sensible size.

Baltic beaches are very nice but also very crowded. The Baltic states are much more expensive than Romania.

Thanks. Transylvania does sound tempting and I guess we could do the Baltic states using Ryanair for a fly drive type of holiday. Also there's still a lot we want to do in the Dolomites so could take some of that in on the way back.

The mountains are a true wilderness - we found bear hair on a back-scratching tree, and huge bear claw scratches on the door of a sheep shelter. Although the most dangerous animals are in fact the sheep dogs... carry a big stick if you walk in the mountains. Seriously.

Will take a sturdy walking stick - always useful when travelling in any case ;-)

 

[EuropeanVanderlust]

@Amarillo I get an error message when trying to access your blog- is it still up and active? We are planning a trip to the Baltics and I would love to read about your experience.
Thanks much!

 

[Amarillo]

@Amarillo I get an error message when trying to access your blog- is it still up and active? We are planning a trip to the Baltics and I would love to read about your experience.
Thanks much!

My .eu domain was lost after Brexit.

Fortunately I still have this.

Campervan farewell tour of the European Union

This is the home page's excerpt

aurevoireu.wordpress.com