Travel in Eastern Europe.

Yes, it's true, although I'm not sure how common it actually is. Some trains have chain locks in the sleeping-cars, so no one will get in while you're asleep.

By the way, if you want to save money, the bus lines are usually cheaper than trains (they're slower too). Another way of saving money is taking a local train/bus to the border, then walking across the border, then taking a local train/bus at the other side as well. This is usually much cheaper than using international trains. This works between Budapest and Bratislava, probably between Budapest and Vienna as well. For other cities, Lonely Planet has more info.

Anything very different about it than western Europe?

Prepare for the fact that people speak very bad English or no English at all, even at international ticket counters. If you speak any Russian or German, good.

Well, in a lot of countries people resent Americans, because they are thought to be arrogant and loud (I'm not saying you are). I've heard many stories of Americans traveling in Europe pretending to be Canadians, so people would be nicer to them.

>Prepare for the fact that people speak very bad English or no English at all, even at international ticket counters. If you speak any Russian or German, good.

I speak a little Ukrainian - the reason I am going to Lviv is because I have family (whom I've never met) there. I have notice that the words for food in the Slavic languages are all similar, at least I will be able to order off a menu.

It's called Kiasma, and I like it too. When it was built some people objected, because it was situated right next to a statue of a local World War II hero. Me, I couldn't care less; the aforementioned war hero also slaughtered a lot of leftists during the Finnish Civil War.

náclavskė [wenceslas] náměsti [square] is the centre of the nové [new] město [town] and not square. it has plenty of nice shopping and eating places around it. radio free europe has been at the south end of this since nineteen ninety-five.

the pražský [prague] hrad [castle] and catedralá [cathedral of] sv. vita [st. vitus] are on one of the two hills on the west side of the river and definitely worth a visit.

the žižkov TV tower is further out but pretty cool.

there are lots of reminders/museums about communism/prague spring/velvet revolution.

they have an irish-cuban pub: 'o'che's'. but, just around the corner, is the nicer and more WESTERN 'james joyce'.

the marquis de sade bar IS nice [YOU ARE WELCOME TO UPSTAIRS].

the underground & trams are simple to use and cheap, especially if you get a few-days ticket.

krakow is nice and easy to get trains to. if you can, do not stay in youth hostels--I have had a couple of...funny experiences. the square and around the centre of town is nice and there are lots of places to go. I was only there for a couple of days and with a group of friends, so I didn't see so much. auchwitz is near to here. lots of people offer tours from krakow but it is a lot cheaper and not much more complicated to buy your own train tickets there.

budapest is lovely. but, again, have, haha, accommodation worked out. we turned up with nothing and, eventually, some friend of a hostel worker turfed a woman out of her apartment for a few nights so we could stay there. I'm sure she was fine, though. it's a very nice city to walk around. especially the pest-side of the river. and margaret island is great, too.

the royal palace on the buda-side is a must see, even with lots of steps to and from.

there's a statue park out of town. a bunch of old communist-era statues from around the town. it's not as cool as it could be. there are too few and they are all spaced out and on orange brick pedestals and in good condition. there should be LOTS and just DUMPED and partially-SUNKEN into the ground and shit. but. it's still funny. and some of them are pretty humungous. they sell latex lenin masks at the ticket box and many other corny, communist almost associated merchandise.

but, yeah, lovely town.

vienna is very expensive. especially after the czech republic and poland and hungary. but it's still expensive otherwise. very nice and more modern, etc. than the other ones so far. points of interest are quite far apart. againm, most people [staff in places, esp.] are only too happy to speak english for you. or they pretend to be, at least.

český krumlov is, apparently, one of the most beautiful towns in the czech republic.

I'd suggest that you could go via bratislava on your way from the hungary to austria. but if you can't do everything.

I'd also recommend a visit to brno. easily my favourite town in that area of the world. I lived there for four months last year. [not the only reason I love it]. it has a lot to offer and is v. pretty, etc., in its postindustrialness and w/ all its functionalist buildings. it's a bit smaller [in a good way] and more foreign [in a good way] than the capital and more exciting [in a good way]. OK.

the trains are slow and difficult to find at times. border inspector guys are, for the most part, unfriendly and, I guess, especially so to further foreigners. I wouldn't recommend sleeping on trains. unless you are very confident about the lock that might be on one in a hundred doors.

in all of these places [and, maybe, every other place]: be vigilant at all times and WATCH OUT FOR GYPSIES.

I was kinda just happy not to have had my head pounded.

but, yeah, my only encounter of that KIND.

don't worry about the gassing in trains, but do make sure you chain your bags to something secure in the sleeping-berth, and lock the doors as well. i have heard that rumor about gassing, but only from people who came from romania.

If you have extra time, Slovakia is very nice. It's very untouristed and has some interesting spots like the Tatras Mountains [shared with Poland], Ssissky Hrad [sp?], Kosice. Quiet, Pretty.

I had Slovakia and the Tatras in my trip until I found out about my relatives in Ukraine - I will probably spend more time in Ukraine because its my heritage and all that. Alas, not enough time to see it all.

I will be in Vienna in early June, which i heard is evil tourist season. Are the wine bars what they say they are?

i think Ukraine is one of those countries that have raised visa prices for Americans [wait.. are you american?] to $100... This, in retaliation for the US State Department raising visa prices to $100 for ALL applicants... i was pretty sure you couldn't get visas at the border, but maybe at Kiev airport - though maybe with contacts in ukraine, you'll be lucky! i hope so! ex-soviet embassies are a terror to deal with

ditto what other people said upthread ... it's good to know either the native language or german. (i guess russian, too, but i know that a lot of poles really don't like being spoken to in russian, for reasons too lengthy to go into here.)

yeah, people in eastern europe can be far more receptive if you speak to them in german

wroclaw was really nice! stopped there on the way to krakow. they have a lovely big square with lots of narrow-fronted almost canal house-looking buildings. it was really sunny when I was there, too. they have a T.G.I friday's. I didn't go in. oh, and they have a wendy's in budapest.