So, we finally booked our flights. Now I can get serious about apartment rentals.

We are flying into Budapest on the 19th of June (our 36th wedding anniversary). A week in an apartment in Budapest.
Then a train to Belgrade where we will change trains for Kolasin, Montenegro.
Five nights in an eco-tourism program.
Then on to Budva for a 12 night apartment rental base while we explore the rest of southern & western Montenegro.
Then train from Podgorica to Bucharest for our final week. Flying out from Bucharest.

Anyone with suggestions for these areas?

Nicki?

Deborah, very good friends of ours rented this apartment for one month last year and were very satisfied with it and with the local contact:

Location: Strada Batistei No. 9 , scara A , across from the Intercontinental Hotel.

("Strada" means street in Romanian, "scara" translates literally as ladder but the meaning in this case is entrance). The US Embassy is on the same street.

Contact: Doamna (Mrs.) Simona Cioroianu, Tel. 40-720-906-725 or 40-745-500-676, e-mail : contact@in-bucharest.com

Some additional details: there is a small elevator, comparable with those one finds in Rome, good bed in the bedroom, a sofa in the living room, Internet connection available on request, a small but practical kitchen. The apartment is clean and the contact person is very pleasant to deal with and very approachable. She lived for a while in Canada and speaks good English.

If you contact her, check the issue of air conditioning: July can be very hot in Bucharest.

Our friends paid EUR70/night, but this was last September and the rental was for an entire month.

Personally, as a native of Bucharest, I can attest that this is an excellent, central location. I studied at the University, not far from there, basically "around the corner", and I worked at a newspaper nearby.

I also undertand that Mrs. Cioroianu can recommend other apartments if this one is already booked. Her name is pronounced "Tchoroianou" , all vowels like in Italian.

Here is some useful travel health information.

Deborah, what happened to Puglia and Croatia?

Doru--Wonderful information. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice! I'm sure I will be asking you more questions.
The first being...why don't you two come visit your old home town while we are there? We'll have our own GTG!

Jane -- What can I say? we're fickle. From a timing point of view, budapest has always been the best fly-in option. We decided that we really wanted to see both Budapest and Bucharest for such a long time, and since we were in the 'neighborhood' we checked out the airfare for an open jaw. It turns out that it was the cheapest routing of all the ones the considered by a good $300 per ticket.

Typo fixed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doru,

quote:

Originally posted by Deborah:
Doru--Wonderful information. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice! I'm sure I will be asking you more questions.
The first being...why don't you two come visit your old home town while we are there? We'll have our own GTG!

Ask away, Deborah, but my info is dated. I wasn't back since 1961!!!

On the other hand, we do consider a trip in September 2009, to coincide with the musical festival and competition George Enescu. I look forward to asking you questions about Bucharest in due course.

Dear Deborah,

I know very well Budapest (I go there with my husband quite often)

For visiting, I suggest:
You have to visit: The Parliament, Buda, Szecheny Thermes, The big market, vaci utca, Andrassy and the Opera House.

For eating, I suggest:
Italian food (done by italians): Fausto - Pomodoro - Taverna - Trattoria Toscana
Hungarian food: Fatal - Pesti Vendeglo - Paprika

I'm at your disposal should you need further details,

{edited to remove commercial content}

Ciao,

Fufffi (Margherita)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shannon,

Hi Deborah. I can't recommend the apartment we rented in Budapest a couple of years ago, but I can definitely recommend staying on the Pest side of the river. A lot of folks at Fodors recommend Marriott's Millennium Court apartments -- just go to the Hungary forum and search for "Budapest apartment" and you will find loads of suggestions. And enjoy your stay there - I know it's heresy, but we enjoyed Budapest much more than Prague.

Thanks Ann, We are really looking forward to Budapest.
Could you tell me where your apartment was and why you can't recommend it?
The Marriott you linked to is too "American" for our taste.
As weird as it sounds, we actually like to choose apartments that are closer to what locals live in on a daily basis.

Hi Deborah. I know exactly what you mean by "too American" - you will definitely find that this apartment will allow you to see how locals live their daily lives, since the apartments are located around a central courtyard. It's a great location but I made my comment based on the construction in the neighborhood, which may be over by now, and because of the pretty dismal entrance to the building. If you're interested, I'll email you more photos with some more info.

These apartments may be too American, too, Deborah, but they're lovely.

Ann, those really do look lovely! And the location of Max sounds like a dream.
However, I've already confirmed for the Saint Stephen Apartment you stayed in.
I had a long and delightful telephone conversation this afternoon with the owner. He's an expat New Zealander living in Napa Valley.
He's given me some really great tips for special things to do while there, and is willing to offer more ideas as the time for our trip gets closer.
He would be an ideal addition to our SlowTrav family. So I gave him the url and encouraged him to check us out.
By the way, the construction is completed.
Thanks Ann, I would probably not have found this apartment without you.

Margherita,
Thank you so much for your help with the info on places to visit and eat.
I'm sure I will be asking you very many questions.

"Italian food (done by italians)" Says it all for me!

Hi Deborah. Yes, Laurence is a delight - we had several long conversations, and I hope he does join the ST family. Glad I could help, and I'll email you my notes on Budapest (restaurants, etc.) if you'd like.

Ann, we expect to be in Budapest in late September so I am interested in your recommendations for "restaurants, etc." too if they are not posted/reviewed elsewhere.

Not sure yet where we are staying.

Hi Cubbies. My notes are slightly dated, but I'll email them to you now. I collected the restaurant recommendations from places like eGullet.com and ChowHound. Have a wonderful time!

quote:

Originally posted by Ann:
Hi Cubbies. My notes are slightly dated, but I'll email them to you now.

Ann, would you consider posting the notes here, as an attachment, in case other travellers may be interested?

Okay, Doru, here goes - remember, though, that the restaurant recs (based on a lot of research at places like eGullet and ChowHound) are 1 1/2 years old, and things can change quickly. Like the exchange rate, which is now 180 forints to the dollar, compared to 215 when I wrote my notes! I should note that we especially enjoyed Abszint , which has the advantage of being open on Sunday. I believe that anyone lucky enough to visit Budapest will have a wonderful time, with extraordinarily friendly people and loads of interesting things to do.

BUDAPEST.doc (32 KB, 443 downloads) Budapest

Thanks, Ann! Excellent information.

I will surely save it for myself but mostly, when members ask, I will direct them to this post, and this way they will also be able to note your qualifiers.

Dear Deborah,

I have found the correct addresses of all my favourit restaurants in Budapest:

Fausto's Étterem
Budapest, Dohany utca 5 (the best Italian food)
Budapest, Székely Mihály utca 2 (more chic)
Cuisine: Italian

Két Szerecsen
Budapest, Nagymező utca 14
Cuisine: International

Pampas Argentine Steakhouse
Budapest, Vámház körút 6
Cuisine: Steakhouse

Salaam Bombay (special place to me)
Budapest, Mérleg utca 6
Cuisine: Indian

Taverna Pomo D'oro
1051 Budapest, Széchenyi utca 14
Cuisine: Italian

Trattoria Toscana (very good: food from Tuscany)
Budapest, Belgrád rakpart 13
Cuisine: Italian

Fatal
Budapest, Vaci utca 67
Cuisine: Hungarian

Pesti Vendéglő
Budapest, Paulay Ede utca 6
Cuisine: Hungarian

Then I have some addresses I have never been (I would like to try next time):

Chez Daniel
Budapest, Szív utca 32
Cuisine: French

Menza Étterem és Kávézó
1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 2
Cuisine: Hungarian

I suggest to book them in high season. They normally eat early, compared to the Italian habits, so they start at 7 p.m. and the kitchen normally cloese at 10 p.m.

Have a nice holiday,

Margherita

Margherita, thank you SO much for the list of restaurants in Budapest. I've printed it off, punched holes in it and added it to my trip planning folder!

I also appreciate your warning about the early dining hour. That will take some getting used to.

We've booked the apartment that Ann stayed in and linked to in her post above.

Now I need to turn my attention to Bucharest. A more difficult challange I'm finding.

Thank you, Deborah.

Please on return let me know if my advices have been useful.

Ciao :-)

Margherita, thanks from us also. We plan Budapest stay in late October so these recommendations are timely.

Deborah, blaze that trail for us!

Hi Deborah,

Whilst in Budapest, don't miss out on having a meal at "M" (yes, it's just called"M") which serves contemporary hungarian cuisine (with french influences) and at which I ate one of my top 10 meals on my 3 month trip around Europe last year! A divine roast duck portion (crispy, rich goodness) with a cinammon and nutmeg infused cabbage and apple confit... mmmm

Amazing setting also - curtains and paintings and coat racks and shelves literally drawn on the wall. Cosy tables and friendly chef and waiters.

The address is: VII. Kertész utca 48.

Martine who took us there will probably kill me for giving away her favourite restaurant details - she still mainatins that it's "M for Martine"!

Hi,
we have just come back from Budapest, a wonderful town!!! We have chosen a flat to rent in the town center, in Vaci Utca, the pedestrian street. Here the site:


www.budapest-flat.com


For eating, recommend the Fatal, Edel ( cooks vegetarian ).

Good journey!

As my new thread indicates, this trip has taken a left turn.

See thread: Our Plans Have Changed

We will still be in Budapest for a week; we are still doing that glorious train ride from Belgrade into Montenegro; & we will still be in Montenegro for a week. But instead of Romania, we are going to spend our last two weeks in Italy - relaxing in Montemigiano.

Romania gets her very own visit next year.

quote:

Originally posted by Deborah:Romania gets her very own visit next year.

We're thinking September (George Enescu Competitions and Festival).

I think this is a good decision. I'm looking forward to hearing about Montenegro.

Doru, you are going THIS September? Then you can catch up on your connections in Romania and offer us all kinds of insider tips when we go next year.

Marta, here is the web site for the apartment we've rented on the Bay of Kotor. http://www.gokotor.com

quote:

Originally posted by Deborah:
Doru, you are going THIS September? Then you can catch up on your connections in Romania and offer us all kinds of insider tips when we go next year.[/URL]

No, Deborah, if we go, it's September 2009. We can meet at Capşa (pronounced Capsha), on Calea (Via) Victoriei! (Capşa is the Bucharest equivalent of Les Deux Magots or Café de la Paix...)

Drat! It will be another 4 years before we will have the freedom to travel anytime we want during the year.
For now, we are limited to my slow times at work. That means June & July or February.

Three weeks to go. Or as SlowTravellers say: 22 more sleeps.

Hello!

We just returned last month from our trip that took us to Montenegro..

Just 2 tips for you ...

In Kotor make sure while in town you exit out the North gate, turn around on the bridge and face town..KODAK moments galore

FREE Bathrooms are located behind the clockt tower

In Perast..go into the main Cathedral (not the island) and view the treasury...the embroidered vestments are stunning!

If you would like to view our Montenegro photos I've posted them on our website...

Also, if you go into the trip reports section I have embedded a video on Montenegro that you might enjoy viewing

when.do.we.leave.googlepages.com

If you have any questions, please let me know!

K.

Hi K. nice to hear someone has been to Montenegro.
How long were you there? Did you do any of the interior, or did you stay on the Bay?

There was an apartment in Perast that was our first choice for rental, but I took too long making up my mind and it was taken when I finally tried to book.
I'm really excited about our apartment in Muo, however.

Five more sleeps!

Hello!

We hired a driver from our base in Dubrovnik to take us...we left at 7am and return around 7pm

The drive around BOKA was fabulous, Perast was great and trip out to island with Rock Church was great, the fee for that was 5 euro pp..we then continued to Kotor..which is very small compared to Dubrovnik...but packs in as much charm and history as possible! The plan then was to drive to Cetinje for the stunning fjord views...we had been dodging rain the whole day and finally it hit...we still headed up there but the views were socked in with clouds and mist and the road was getting a little trecherous..so we turned around and heading back around the bay...there is a ferry that we could've taken back to Dubrovnik BUT it's pretty small and our driver (who was NOT paid by the hour) said it wasnt a good idea to be on the ferry in the weather.

The short time we were there we found food to be very inexpensive ...sandwhiches 1-2 euro,pizza slice 2 euro

Sadly, we dont have time to be slowtravelers YET
but I love how everyone on this board seems to immerse themselves in planning, which is what we tend to do!

Deborah,

Just got back from Croatia, and we included a day trip from Dubrovnik to Kotor.

I truly thought that it was a highlight of our trip. The whole trip around the bay and the fjords are simply gorgeous - rugged beauty. Kotor town was a wonderful place to explore, and plenty of opportunities for eating, shopping, and photos.

We followed the bay past Kotor to take the ferry across on our return trip. The ferry ride was only about 10-15 minutes, but the road there was hair-raising - only one lane wide, very curvy, and "interesting" to drive. Good to have a small car, which I think you will have, right?

Just an amazingly beautiful part of the world. You will love it - enjoy. I'm working on my photos and will post soon.

Yes, Terry. As little a car as we could get. A Punta. Actually, our car is being provided by the apartment manager. Apparently, this is common practice in Montenegro where the Rental Car business is in it's infancy.
We've been assured by the British owners of the apartment that it is perfectly safe and fully insured.

Well, I've started reporting on this year's trip on my blog. Hopefully I'll be better about getting the info up sooner that I did for last year. (I still haven't finished Portugal!)

Anyway, today's blog post is about our apartment in Budapest.

How lucky can you get. I am going to Budapest in 2 days. And here you are giving all kind of information. I will be staying here http://rammy100.webs.com/ and will post a review when I am back after 5 days.