A
friend of mine and I decided to do 3 countries in 5 days. I'll tell
you right now, this trip is not for everyone! However, we had a blast
and these countries definitely merit being visited.
Our
journey began in Budapest Hungary. One word: Awesome! It's not like
your typical large Western European capitals. It's a smaller city but
has a lot of life. The cheapest and best way to get around is by
walking. In classic European form, there is always a major body of
water close by, and for Budapest it's the Danube River. Walking along
the riverbank at night with the lights of the city offers you
some spectacular views. Budapest is relatively inexpensive. A
delicious typical Hungarian meal can easily be found for less than 10
euros. Castle, cathedral, bridges, unexpected fun nightlife, friendly
locals, and the desire to spend more time here, Budapest has it all.
The
cheapest and easiest way to get from Budapest to other areas in
Eastern Europe is by taking a shuttle van. They offer door to door
service and are cheap. The downside is that, they are not always on
time. Once we had to wait over an hour for them to finally show up...
However, the ride was smooth and comfortable. We met other locals and
tourists that were using the same service and gave good advice on
what to see and do. There are a few companies that offer this shuttle
service; Google or contact your hotel to find the one that best suits
you but be sure to read their reviews.
From
Budapest it took about 4 hours to reach Belgrade. We spent the night
there and then another 6 hours driving through the mountains to arrive in Sarajevo. One word: Wow! Sarajevo's city center was smaller but
was packed with so much life and history. Over 20 plus years ago this
city was ravaged by war. It's wonderful to see how Sarajevo has
rebounded and is now bustling with life.
A
true mix of Muslim, Christian, and Orthodox adds a lot of spice to
this city. Once being a part of the Ottoman Empire, there is still a
strong Turkish influence in Sarajevo. It's very easy to walk around
and visit the main attractions, including walking up a small mountain
for a breathtaking view of the city. I'm not a huge fan of visiting
museums, however I wanted to educate myself about Sarajevo's rich
history. The Gallery 11/07/95 told a very informative story about
the country.
Sarajevo was the cheapest city
along our trip. Local food, tea, and anything else that you could
imagine was surprisingly inexpensive. Telling people that we were
going to Sarajevo usually evoked "Is it safe there?" Yet,
hands down, this was my favorite stop on our trip.
Back
on the shuttle and 7 hours later (lots of traffic through the mountains and delays at the border), we arrived in Belgrade. This is
another city with a rich history and an interesting story to tell.
Unfortunately while we were there it rained most of the time thus
dampening our desire to spend much time outside.
Our
night was spent exploring Skadarlija, a cool bohemian street that
tourists and locals flock to. The street is packed with restaurants
serving local Serbian cuisine at reasonable prices. Our average
meal was between 10-15 euros but we left completely stuffed and well
satisfied. Belgrade offers a few Free Walking Tours, which is the
cheapest but most informative way to see the city. Ours was a 2 hour
walk through the city center which included all of the major sites.
Budapest,
Sarajevo, and Belgrade: three amazing cities bubbling over with a rich
history and culture and that won't break the bank, they definitely need to be added to your “Must Visit” list.
BUDAPEST
SARAJEVO
BELGRADE
Telling people that you're traveling around The Middle East always evokes a wide variety of responses. It's a region of the world that's not always fairly portrayed by the media. Yet, I love the Middle East and hope to see of it as much as possible. Certain countries are fairly wealthy thus not making it a cheap getaway. 
