1st time Europe: Poland, Austria, Czech; advice?

In My Humble Opinion
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Time for another Family Vacation with Anya (13) and Grant (9). This is my first time going to Europe! When visiting Yosemite, we met some folks at the hotel from Poland while traveling. Then we saw them again in Sequoia. We became friends and agreed to house-swap in the future. That day will finallly arrive this July: I’ll go to his Poland, he’ll come to my Hawaii. I’d say I came out ahead on that deal, yeah?

Anyway, he’s in southern Poland near Wroclaw (pronounced Rish-laff naturally). We’re flying into Prague* and renting a car, driving to his home in Poland and swinging down to Austria. I’m not ashamed of being a tourist, so it’s probably not best to advise me to take a backpacking train to this tiny town with great perogies. So any advice on the following:

Auschwitz: Appropriate with prepared kids? I figure there’s not-too-graphic exhibits and the kids are behaved enough to avoid playing monkey-bars on the “Arbeit macht frei” signs. Have any of you seen it as families? I plan on taking photos, but want to avoid international incidents.

Prague: I didn’t think much about the Czech Republic before planning, and now Prague looks like an incredibly surprising city! I plan on the Castle->Charles Bridge->Old Town Square exploring through town. Any special sites and (especially) restaurants?

Salzburg: Our road trip, and I unashamedly consider the Sound of Music one of the best movies of all time. Not the least because of the scenery, I plan on skipping and singing through the Mirabelle Gardens and even hiking up to the Do Re Mi picnic mountain. Done my movie scene location homework here. Any neat places to/from Vienna?

Vienna: The great unknown. Yes, it’s a famous city, but there seems to be too much to see. We have two full days here, including reserving an 8pm Mozart concert at the modest State Opera House. The crown jewels intrigue me, can I just visit that section of the Hofburg? Spending all day in a museum, while fascinating, is not this kind of trip. What would you recommend seeing? Yes, I’ve seen The Third Man and mapped the doorway and ferris wheel.

Now for some general questions:

  1. I got a rental car all set (ensuring it’s automatic) through American Express, picking up in Prague. I got an Intl drivers license just to be safe, although am told my US DL is good enough. Is it easy to drive between Czech-Poland-Austria? Do I have to pull over and go through customs at each border, even on return trips? I’m reading up on the Schengen Agreement, but maybe I need simpler answers from those who visited.

  2. Coming from the USA, do I need an electrical adapter OR converter? Most the connections are needed for recharging phones, ipad and camera batteries. If I read on my phone or USB plug “110-220V”, does that mean only an adapter is needed?

  3. Pickpockets: Is this really a big thing in these cities like Prague and Vienna? I read about stories in Paris where they harass you for petitions or forcefully tie on bracelets, sometimes while pickpocketing your wallet or phone. I can be better safe than sorry with a money belt, but am concerned with a camera backpack and purses.

  4. Where to eat? While sometimes the kids will get McDonalds**, I prefer to each Polish, Czech, and Austrian food. I realize these may be touristy places in touristy areas, but that’s not a concern. One of our fondest meals on a past trip was a tour-bus size Amish kitchen near Lancaster. And the Aux Anciens Canadiens in Quebec City by the hotel. So where can I get a good Sachetorte, Svickova na smetane, goulash, and schnitzel with noodles?

  • We are basically flying halfway around the world to Prague. The antipode of Honolulu is Botswana, the same longitude as Poland!!

** Not always a bad thing as most countries have unique McD items

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I’d suggest cutting back on the Rick Steves since that seems to be where most of the pickpocket and travel scam horror stories come from. Obviously don’t carry a bulging wallet in your back pocket, especially one that hasn’t been emptied since Bill Clinton was president and has everything from a social security card to receipts from defunct restaurants to a gym membership card.

I think moneybelts are uncomfortable and unnecessary. I agree to be aware of your surroundings, but no need to be paranoid. I’d divide up the cash you’re carrying and have a spare credit card kept separate in the unlikely event of pickpocketing.

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This was nearly 20 years ago, but don’t wear camouflage. A co-worker did when we visited Prague, and evidently that marked him as American, and someone interested in a multitude of money-changing schemes between the train station and the Powder Tower.

Always wanted to try U Flecku, or some other fantastic beer bar in Prague. Didn’t get a chance to.

Prague cathedral is amazing.

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I’ve traveled around Europe a lot, and returned from a trip to Munich and Prague a week and a half ago.

  1. Is Poland in the Schengen block? If so, you won’t be stopped at the border. When my bus drove from Munich to Prague, we passed a road sign that said we were entering the Czech Republic. The road narrowed to one lane as if we might be stopped, but we weren’t, nor was anyone else. Traffic kept right on moving. Same when I drove from Belgium to Netherlands several years ago.

  2. I checked, and every one of my electronics is rated for European current. That includes my cell phone, my laptop, the charger for my camera battery, and my Kindle. So I just carry the cheap plug adapters. I carry really small simple ones like these:
    Amazon.com
    I’ve never been to Poland, but this type of adapter worked for me in Austria and the Czech Republic. Yes, “110-220V” is the magic code you want to see. Bring lots of adapters. They are cheap and light, and you will accidentally leave one plugged into an outlet at the airport or on the train or something.

  3. No, pickpocketing happens, but it’s not all that incredibly common. The Charles Bridge is a likely place for pickpockets only because in the height of tourist season people are so crowded it’s easy, but pay attention, keep a little distance, and don’t worry too much. I sometimes wear a money belt for my peace of mind. I carry money for a couple of days in my pocket, and the wad-o-cash in the belt. But if you are staying someplace where it’s safe to leave valuables, you can just leave the wad-o-cash there. Or skip it altogether – credit cards work in most places. The whole “carry a lot of cash while traveling” thing is mostly obsolete. Germany is still surprisingly cash-based, but everyone uses cards in the Czech republic. You might want to find out about Poland and Austria. (I do remember being told by an Austrian waiter that if I wanted to leave a tip it had to be cash, or the waiter wouldn’t get it. In Prague I just had to tell the waiter how much to enter (including tip) before he ran my card though the machine.

Do have a backup in case one of you is pickpocketed (like, the other one is ALSO carrying a credit card). But don’t stress over it. Oh, and if your credit card doesn’t have a PIN, ask your bank if they can give you one. Some places (mostly automated ticket machines and such) won’t work if your card doesn’t have a PIN.

Also, check with your bank as to how it charges for cash withdrawals abroad. My bank gives me a great exchange rate, and I routinely stop at an ATM in the airport and withdraw cash in the local currency. (DON’T let them do the conversion, let them charge you crowns and let your bank covert it.) I’m told that some US banks charge a lot for that, though, so it’s worth checking.

  1. I ate at a great place for roasted pig knees in Prague. If that appeals, I might be able to get the name and address from the friend who took me there.
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We holiday in this area every summer, 3-4 weeks at a time, and there is a massive amount to do. Salzburg is great but I’d also recommend the Castle at Werfen which is the twin of the one at in Salzburg. You may well have seen it in “Where Eagles dare” (broadsword calling danny boy - broadsword calling danny boy etc.). It is also the valley above which Julie Andrews does the whole “The hills are aliiiiiiiiiive…with the sound…etc”

Best advice I can give is to look at buying this card. Available at all tourist information places you can get an adult card for 66 euro for 6 days and it gives you free entrance into acouple of hundred of attractions including museums, cable-cars, castles (Werfen included), swimming pools and spas. You also get a 24 hour pass included for Salzburg itself which gives you access not only to pretty much every important site but free public transport. Even if you are only there for a few days it is a bargain. We get the 12 day version, have done for many years, and have not come close to running out of stuff to do.

I will say that, of course you should hunt out your favourite locations, but Austria is jammed full of achingly beautiful mountains and valleys that are easily accessible (if you have a car you’ll be spoilt for choice) and always with good food and a cold beer somewhere along the way.

Our kids are much the same age as yours and they love it, they spend their days scrabbling up mountains, across glaciers and through forests and swimming in lakes and pools. Austria is a very sporty and active country and they are set up incredibly well to cater for tourists and the outdoorsy person. (And it is generally cheaper to do all of that stuff than you’d imagine)

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I went to the Czech Republic with Mom (Dex 6 in the DnD scale) and Bro; Prague is gorgeous (we didn’t steal the cathedral because it was too large for our suitcases; birthplace of Mucha); the day trip including visits to a glass factory and to Karlstejn was great. I bought a small art deco vase in one of the museums (and I generally like vases about as much as most people like kidney stones): it’s not a reproduction piece but overstock.

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We are doing Brno because I’m a history buff and want to see the Austerlitz battlefield. The estate in Slakov looks pretty neat, too. In fact, our hotel is in Brno, and we’re taking the train to Prague to give the kids a Euro-train experience.

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Dumb question, but what if I put my iPhone 7 directly into a USB port, like on that adapter I referenced above (not a converter). The wire goes from my phone into the USB slot. Will that affect my phone? Or is USB not affected by voltage from the wall?

Say we’re on a train or plane, and I stick that blue thing into the wall, should I have a separate USB plug-in that is 120-240 on top of that?

Another question, how about using a car charger, the simple round ones that go in a cigarette lighter. Do the cars work on different 120 vs 240?

Yes please!

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Plug the adapter first, then the cable, you should be ok. Depending on which plug types the countries you’re traveling to use it may be cheaper to just buy a local adapter when you first land.

What for? :confused: And a lot of trains and planes have plugs in the arm-rests. Please don’t block the bathroom to charge your phone.

Car currents don’t get anywhere near that high. And unless your car is old enough to be called “vintage” it’s probably going to have one or more USB plugs, no need for an adapter. Mine is an extremely not-fancy 7yo C1 and has a USB plug. Just carry a long cable.

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Checked plug types and they’re all “type C or E” or “type C or F”. A local adapter whose jack is not round will work in all three (it’s a C, Cs can go into both E and F).

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I lived and worked in Prague for a few years and it’s still my favourite city in the world.

For traditional Czech food and very good beer I would suggest http://umedvidku.cz/en/

It’s just off National Avenue (Narodni Trina) and only a few minutes walk from Charles Bridge or the Old Town Square, yet it seems to stay off the radar of most tourists. You sometimes get a coach party of Japanese tourists in there, but the place is huge and can cope.
The bar part has an old copper vat converted into a booth which is quite unusual. They claim to brew the strongest beer in the world, but it’s only available at certain times and the barman has to like your face before serving it to you.
The main restaurant part has a habit of not letting your glass run dry, so you can easily lose an afternoon in there. The brewery upstairs is worth a visit too.

If you can manage a 10 minute tram ride, you can get to what I call Pizza quarter. Pizza West at Namesti Bratri Synku opened a few months after the fall of communism. Some people claim it is the best pizza in town, but they are wrong! A few yards along the street is this place: http://www.baretta.cz/pizza/
Their shtick is that pizza was invented by Native Americans due to the buffallo and mozzarella connection. The pizzas all have Native American sounding names and some odd ingredient choices. But I’ve tried every one and not found one that wasn’t delicious. Cash only, but there are loads of ATMs in the area. I’m not sure how comfortable you will feel as Americans surrounded by Native headdresses and art though.

If you want an unusual Cold War attraction there is a bunker under a hotel. The hotel was built in the 50’s on a site that was bombed by Americans who thought it was Dresden. It was the hotel that VIP Westerners stayed in and every room was bugged. The bunker was operated by the secret police and the hotel had no access until the 90s. It’s now a cold war museum and quite cute. http://www.hoteljalta.com/en/fallout-shelter/

If you’re a fan of funicular railways the trip up to Petrin is worth it. The views from the top are amazing and there’s some pretty rose gardens. You can also climb to the top of the Czech answer to the Eiffel tower. Or cheat and use the lift. You’ll pass through the Hunger Wall which was a make work project to keep peasants employed during hard times. No Mexican money was used in its construction!

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Vaguely native.

  1. That is Shengen area, no stops at border. You might be pulled off more often around border areas, but that still counts as “g’day to you officer, no weapons or fugitives in my car.” Different money, although. Euro still accepted everywhere, cards too. Might need to buy some local card to go somewhere or do something.

  2. Adapter or standard USB charger.

  3. Pickpockets in euro tourist traps (which are basically all the places you heard about) are like grizzlies in 'murrica. As long there is some one more looking touristy than you in your vicinity, you are safe.

  4. Genuine food in tourist traps in no-no. But you might get it just around the corner couple of blocks away. Even tourist trap employees must eat something and in those places even poor people (mostly) eat quality.

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those things that stick into the wall outlet and have a USB port already adapt the current. You should be fine.

I’m not familiar with the particular thing you linked to, but if it converts to something USB-friendly, your electronics should be fine. USB is its own standard, and even the “strongest” ones are only a couple of volts.

Likewise, the round thing in a car is usually 12 volts. I think that’s an international standard

from my friend:
The restaurant is “U Pečeného Kolena,” (at the Roasted Knee), U Michelského mlýna 75/37, in Prague 4. It’s at the Pod Jezerkou tram stop on the #11 tram.

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If you go to the knee place, there were four adults and two children, around the same ages as your children, in my party. (Both kids pre pubescent, although the 12 year old boy had begun to grow). We ordered three knees and a bunch of sides, and took home some leftovers.

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Gregor Mendel did his seminal work on genetics in Brno. The abbey where he did his experiments is now home to the Mendel Museum, where you can walk the gardens where he grew his pea plants.

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Auschwitz: Appropriate with prepared kids? I figure there’s not-too-graphic exhibits and the kids are behaved enough to avoid playing monkey-bars on the “Arbeit macht frei” signs. Have any of you seen it as families? I plan on taking photos, but want to avoid international incidents.
**They should see it. It is a somber reminder of a world gone mad. There is a large glass bowl full of ashes and three or four displays of glasses, crutches, suitcases etc. You go through a shower and a crematorium. While far from pleasant they do not go out of there way to belabor the point.
**

Prague: I didn’t think much about the Czech Republic before planning, and now Prague looks like an incredibly surprising city! I plan on the Castle->Charles Bridge->Old Town Square exploring through town. Any special sites and (especially) restaurants?
It is an interesting town, well worth the time.

  1. I got a rental car all set (ensuring it’s automatic) through American Express, picking up in Prague. I got an Intl drivers license just to be safe, although am told my US DL is good enough. Is it easy to drive between Czech-Poland-Austria? Do I have to pull over and go through customs at each border, even on return trips? I’m reading up on the Schengen Agreement, but maybe I need simpler answers from those who visited.
    **Once in Europe there are essentially no borders. It is much like driving from one US state to another.
    **

  2. Coming from the USA, do I need an electrical adapter OR converter? Most the connections are needed for recharging phones, ipad and camera batteries. If I read on my phone or USB plug “110-220V”, does that mean only an adapter is needed?
    **Yes. Most chargers that come with computers, phones, chargers etc are good for voltages up to 240. Usually it’s printed on the charger. You do need an adapter which can be ordered through Amazon. You can get multiple country types that will fit most of the outlets in the world for $7-8ish.

  3. Pickpockets: Is this really a big thing in these cities like Prague and Vienna? I read about stories in Paris where they harass you for petitions or forcefully tie on bracelets, sometimes while pickpocketing your wallet or phone. I can be better safe than sorry with a money belt, but am concerned with a camera backpack and purses.

Violent crime is rare but pickpockets can be a problem. I never take a wallet to when we travel out of the country. A money clip in your front pocket will hold all the cash you need plus credit/debit cards. Your wife should do the same, purses are just to easy to lift.

Also, it isn’t necessary to take much money. We often leave the country for two months with maybe $100 on us. Almost anywhere in Europe will take your credit cards. There are a few exceptions. We found out that grocery stores in Poland often only take cash for instance. Mom and pop type places often don’t accept them. But on the whole you don’t need anymore cash in Europe than you do walking around your home town.

ATMs abound. Your bank may partner with banks in Europe. If so you can use your debit cards there for free.

We each take a credit card and a debit card with different numbers in case one of us loses them. We have also set up a checking account that we only use when we travel out of the country and our debit cards are tied to them. This limits potential loss.
**
4) Where to eat? While sometimes the kids will get McDonalds**, I prefer to each Polish, Czech, and Austrian food. I realize these may be touristy places in touristy areas, but that’s not a concern. One of our fondest meals on a past trip was a tour-bus size Amish kitchen near Lancaster. And the Aux Anciens Canadiens in Quebec City by the hotel. So where can I get a good Sachetorte, Svickova na smetane, goulash, and schnitzel with noodles?
If you want real food of the country try to get away from the tourist areas, four or five blocks can make a major difference. It is usually much cheaper also.

Europe is a fascinating place, Enjoy.

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I haven’t been to those cities since the 80s-90s, but it sounds like you’ve got it figured out pretty much. Old Town Prague is very picturesque. There’s a church there with the Black Madonna, if you’re into that sort of thing. The US embassy is in old town and used to be a castle at one time. Stop in a shop and get some ham and cheese and bread and have an impromptu picnic. Lots of hills on that side of the river. There is a particular short tunnel in Old Town that was a location shoot for the movie “Amadeus”.

In Vienna, every pub has wiener schnitzel and fries, and it’s good kid food. If you take the tram north(?) out of the city, it goes to a church on top of a hill where Pope John Paul visited. Vienna also produces some good white wine. There used to be a rib restaurant on a floating platform on the Danube, but I have no memory of the name. It was right off the tram line on the way to the Prater, though.

Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and is full of churches to visit. There’s also a castle on a hill. If you cross the border into Germany, there are tours of the salt mines, which kids would enjoy. The tram takes you down into the mine and to the salt lake.

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Auschwitz: - very glad I went, highly recommend it; that being said, I never want to go again. :frowning: Everybody on our tour bus, myself included, just wanted to go back to our respective rooms & rest for a bit. That isn’t me; I like to go, go, go, & see as much as I can when I’m away, so that’s saying a lot. You know your kids, but it might be too much for some. For something a little ‘lighter’ Terezin is outside of Prague. Terezin (or Theresienstadt) was a concentration camp rather than a death camp. Yes, many people died there, from diseases & lack of food, & many were killed as punishment for various offenses but people weren’t brought there to die like they were at Auschwitz. There was schooling for the kids & culture (music) for the adults; see Defiant Requiem.

Car rental: I rented in Germany & drove to Poland; had an issue getting a car despite thinking I had done everything necessary in advance, including confirming w/ credit card that I didn’t need to purchase insurance. US insurance is tied to a vehicle while German insurance is tied to a person; they wouldn’t waive insurance coverage w/o proof of insurance. Of course this was morning German time, which means overnight US time & that dept isn’t 24x7. Not sure what country you’re getting the car from & how their system operates but it wouldn’t hurt to get that letter from your credit card co in advance.

Don’t blink or you’ll miss the border crossing; much less noticeable than the billboard “Welcome to ___” when traveling between states.

Money: Czech Republic uses Korunas (CZK) while Poland used Zlotys (PLN). Some places will take tourist currency, but at bad-to-you conversion rates. Polish tolls were payable in PLN, EUR, or USD.

Prague: The most beautiful religious building I think I’ve ever been in is the Spanish Synagogue in the Josefov (Jewish Quater) in Prague.
Other sites to see (at least go by & look at the outside of Dancing House).
Wenceslas Square has most of the major American fast food joints if the kids get overwhelmed with adventurousness. (There was even a Hooters in that area; I didn’t do anything more than take a picture of the building, though).
Must go for a drink at Strahov Monastic Brewery (& St. Norbet Restaurant)- monastery complex in between castle and Petrin Hill. It’s in a cave!

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One thing no one has yet mentioned is the Austrian toll highways (all autobahnen). Instead of going through a toll booth, you’re expected to stop at a gas station or store near the border and buy a sticker, called a vignette. I think the only signs explaining it were in German.

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If you want to see the Spanish Synagogue (which is gorgeous) you can buy a ticket to all the “Jewish stuff” in Prague, which includes another synagogue with a good exhibit about Terezin, including a lot of the art the children made. You can also view a lot of stolen ritual Jewish objects.

I spent a few hours at three synagogues (one of which is the Czech holocaust memorial, with the name of every known murdered Czech Jew written on the walls) and the old Jewish graveyard, including the exhibits I mentioned above. That would be a fine excursion with kids.