Post: #1

Reading Mixx's poll thread made me realise I need to do some more planning.

I just arrived overland from Asia into Europe (bus from Istanbul to Bulgaria which is where I am now) and over the next 4-6 months I am basically going to visit all of the european countries I have never been to or have not properly explored which are mostly eastern european and scandi countries

Its clear from Mixx's thread that Poland empties and is dead during the summer months.

I am presuming Croatia is not like that as it has the beaches. I also assume that the Greek islands will be busy but not with the kind of action I am looking for (boorish drunk Brits).

Here is my list of countries coming up. Which ones are going to be totally dead and empty during summer and which ones are going to be ideal places to spend time in during the summer months?

Romania
Greece
Moldova
Ukraine
Serbia
Croatia
Albania
Hungary
Austria
Slovakia
Poland - Dead during summer months
Russia
Belarusia
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Sweden
Norway
Slovenia

Post: #2

You're spot-on about dead countries, but do not get too carried away with generalizations. The size of the country, its economy, and the length of the tourist season all count. You might find surprising exceptions and it's a hard topic to accurately research.

Italy - Ferragosto in most of August, a mass holiday - empty country.
Slovenia - Very small but affluent so most people vacation outside - empty country.
Croatia - don't be fooled, the tourist season is brief. From June to September, the country is bursting. Outside those months, it's dead (even now as I write this in Split, everything closed, deserted streets)
Serbia - no sea there, but Serbia is much less affluent, so it doesn't empty as much during summer months.

Post: #3

I can personally confirm Slovenia being empty during summer months. I was there Aug/Sept. 2010!!! Everyone goes to Croatia for the summer, and all nightlife is pretty much dead in Ljubljana. Unless you call a nightclub packed with 200 men, and 30 women "very good" as the bouncer at the door told me one club was.

Avoid Slovenia from June until October 1st!

Mixx

Post: #4

Sweden - Especially Stockholm is best during the summer months. Sun will be up for most of the day, and it gets dark for only about 5 hours a day more or less. Everyone is out and it is generally the best time of the year to have a good time.

Post: #5

http://www.springbreakeurope.at; June 2-5th, 2011, Rovinj, Croatia. To go or to avoid?

Spring break in Zrce/Novalia, Croatia, June 2-5th, 2011, http://zrce.eu/en

Anyone going?

Post: #6

Updated list :

Romania
Greece
Moldova
Ukraine
Serbia
Croatia - From June to September, the country is bursting.
Albania
Hungary
Austria
Slovakia
Poland - Dead during summer months
Russia
Belarusia
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Sweden - Best during the summer months.
Norway -
Slovenia - Very small but affluent so most people vacation outside - empty country. People go to Croatia.
Italy - Ferragosto in most of August, a mass holiday - empty country.

So thumbs down for Italy, Poland and Slovenia during summer.

Thumbs up for Croatia and Sweden so far.

Anyone have the lowdown on Russia and Ukraine during summer?

Post: #7

(05-11-2011 05:43 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  Updated list :

Romania
Greece
Moldova
Ukraine
Serbia
Croatia - From June to September, the country is bursting.
Albania
Hungary
Austria
Slovakia
Poland - Dead during summer months
Russia
Belarusia
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Sweden - Best during the summer months.
Norway -
Slovenia - Very small but affluent so most people vacation outside - empty country. People go to Croatia.
Italy - Ferragosto in most of August, a mass holiday - empty country.

So thumbs down for Italy, Poland and Slovenia during summer.

Thumbs up for Croatia and Sweden so far.

Anyone have the lowdown on Russia and Ukraine during summer?

I cancelled my trip to Ukraine in the summer...for the same reasons as Slovenia. Everyone travels throughout Europe to beach destinations. Every girl I spoke to was going away for the summer - not good news.

Mixx

Post: #8

(05-11-2011 10:01 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

(05-11-2011 05:43 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  Updated list :



Sweden - Best during the summer months.

Thumbs up for Croatia and Sweden so far.

Anyone have the lowdown on Russia and Ukraine during summer?

I cancelled my trip to Ukraine in the summer...for the same reasons as Slovenia. Everyone travels throughout Europe to beach destinations. Every girl I spoke to was going away for the summer - not good news.

Mixx

Mixx and guys,I would like to know more about summer in Sweden..why in that case the girls stay there?It's not like in Poland where every girls goes away to some beach/mediterranean destination in Europe?

Post: #9

Hungary (Budapest) rocks in the summer which I believe ends mid-august. There are two fairly large open air clubs, an island on the danube river which houses most of the clubs.

Post: #10

(05-12-2011 08:51 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Hungary (Budapest) rocks in the summer which I believe ends mid-august. There are two fairly large open air clubs, an island on the danube river which houses most of the clubs.

I've heard this same report from quite a few travelers, Hungary might be good to explore in combination with a trip to Croatia. I don't recall if Czech Rep. was on your list, but anyone know if Prague is a good choice June-Aug ?

Post: #11

Prague is a played out now! Way too many tourists in the summer.

Budapest, Hungary - clubs, bars, spa's, Lake Balaton resort and sexy women wearing short skirts.

Post: #12

(05-10-2011 09:05 AM)MiXX Wrote:  I can personally confirm Slovenia being empty during summer months. I was there Aug/Sept. 2010!!! Everyone goes to Croatia for the summer, and all nightlife is pretty much dead in Ljubljana. Unless you call a nightclub packed with 200 men, and 30 women "very good" as the bouncer at the door told me one club was.

Avoid Slovenia from June until October 1st!

Mixx

I was planning on hitting Ljubljana in mid-June. Do you really think it will be dead already? I was hoping it would be like most of Europe where the traveling months were mainly July and August.

(05-11-2011 10:01 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

(05-11-2011 05:43 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  Updated list :

Romania
Greece
Moldova
Ukraine
Serbia
Croatia - From June to September, the country is bursting.
Albania
Hungary
Austria
Slovakia
Poland - Dead during summer months
Russia
Belarusia
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Sweden - Best during the summer months.
Norway -
Slovenia - Very small but affluent so most people vacation outside - empty country. People go to Croatia.
Italy - Ferragosto in most of August, a mass holiday - empty country.

So thumbs down for Italy, Poland and Slovenia during summer.

Thumbs up for Croatia and Sweden so far.

Anyone have the lowdown on Russia and Ukraine during summer?

I cancelled my trip to Ukraine in the summer...for the same reasons as Slovenia. Everyone travels throughout Europe to beach destinations. Every girl I spoke to was going away for the summer - not good news.

Mixx

Wouldn't Odessa be good during the summer... or is it not a popular summer spot for the rest of Ukraine?

Anyone been to Romania and Bulgaria in the summer? Being 2 of the poorer countries I'm guessing they don't get away all that much, and it might be even better as they start breaking out all their skimpy outfits!

Post: #13

(05-14-2011 03:25 PM)Brazmerican Wrote:  Anyone been to Romania and Bulgaria in the summer?

I heard people in Bulgaria go to the Black Sea coast during the Summer. The capital Sofia is supposed to get dead. Right now Sofia's nightlife is decent.

Post: #14

Right now am in sofia

Nightlife rocks 7 days a week here

I asked the chick i am banging about summer and she said nightlife is still busy during summer and she was born in sofia and lived here all her life

Post: #15

(05-14-2011 03:25 PM)Brazmerican Wrote:  Anyone been to Romania and Bulgaria in the summer? Being 2 of the poorer countries I'm guessing they don't get away all that much, and it might be even better as they start breaking out all their skimpy outfits!

Hey,u mad brah?People in Romania go abroad often,especially after it's so cheap with the low-cost airlines,but still,most of the ones going abroad head to the Turkish and Greek resorts.The majority goes to the Black Sea,yes.And I don't think Odessa would be anything special,the beaches are ugly and of course every beach everywhere is full in peak season,but a lot of Ukranian head South

Post: #16

So it sounds like Sofia might still be good then...
I had my route all planned, but now I'm second guessing it because of this thread. If I bumped up my schedule so most of my travel was in June, do you think most of the cities still have their local night life? All the Europeans I know talk about July and August being the heavy travel season. Does anyone have any more opinions on Lumiere's list with respect to June? I'm specifically avoiding most of Croatia just because I'm trying to bang the locals and NOT the tourists. I already own a hostel in Buzios, Rio, and the last thing I want is to be limited to partying with the same same type of crowd! Sorry for generalizing here...
OR... Should I blow off the Balkans and head for the Baltics?

Post: #17

(05-15-2011 11:00 AM)Lumiere Wrote:  Right now am in sofia

Nightlife rocks 7 days a week here

I asked the chick i am banging about summer and she said nightlife is still busy during summer and she was born in sofia and lived here all her life

i was in Sofia in the summer (June) and it was fine.

Post: #18

All right, I live in Sofia now, so I'll share my thoughts.

A lot of clubs close in July-August to either remodel, or just because there is not enough business. People go to the beach generally for 1 or 2 weeks, but take weekend trips pretty often. Now that gas is expensive they may or may not cut it down a bit... more likely they will cut going out during the week so they still have the cash to drive down to the beach where the party's at.

If you are visiting, head straight to the beach. Not just Bulgarians there, but lots of people from Germany, Scandinavia, Brits (stag, unfortunately), Israel (these guys are real dogs and pull caveman style mostly, so they scare a lot of the girls away), and Russia. I almost always hook up with a Russian girl or two at the beach.

There was a separate thread on which I wrote club suggestions, etc. - should be searchable, but if there is interest I can post here too.

Post: #19

(05-16-2011 01:28 PM)K-man Wrote:  All right, I live in Sofia now, so I'll share my thoughts.

A lot of clubs close in July-August to either remodel, or just because there is not enough business. People go to the beach generally for 1 or 2 weeks, but take weekend trips pretty often. Now that gas is expensive they may or may not cut it down a bit... more likely they will cut going out during the week so they still have the cash to drive down to the beach where the party's at.

If you are visiting, head straight to the beach. Not just Bulgarians there, but lots of people from Germany, Scandinavia, Brits (stag, unfortunately), Israel (these guys are real dogs and pull caveman style mostly, so they scare a lot of the girls away), and Russia. I almost always hook up with a Russian girl or two at the beach.

There was a separate thread on which I wrote club suggestions, etc. - should be searchable, but if there is interest I can post here too.

What's your opinion on most other cities in the Balkans in June? Do they start emptying out in June or do most people wait until July or August?

Post: #20

(05-16-2011 02:01 PM)Brazmerican Wrote:  What's your opinion on most other cities in the Balkans in June? Do they start emptying out in June or do most people wait until July or August?

I can only speak of Bulgaria, as the rest of the Balkans I've just visited occasionally, but never lived there.
Most people in Europe have 4 to 6 weeks vacation, so around 2-3 of them are being saved for going out of town during the summer. In some countries, it's even more, and when you add weekend trips to the beach, the cities are visibly emptier during the summer months. Clubs recognize that and some close, so that narrows your choice of spots to game.
However, you can turn this disadvantage into an advantage, by going a beach town instead of a major city.

Post: #21

So general consensus is that Croatia is the best place in EE to be this time of year? What cities specifically?

Post: #22

Croatian cities are drop dead this of the year. Everybody is enjoying their summer holidays. If you want to go Croatia, head to the coast or the islands!

Post: #23

useful post...summer is comming soon!

what can you tell me about baltic countries during summer?(the capitals)

Post: #24

I have a small house in Greece, currently will be working to death this month and probably May also and then will have 3 months lots of spare time most of which will be spent in Greece.

But my plan won't be to overstay in Greece. I am in Bulgaria now, was to Poland(just Warsaw) from 1st/7th March: big disappointment. Considering how my last country visited prior to Poland was Sweden couple of months back Poland was terrible in comparison...frankly - didn't get my flag in Poland. But again: just my opinion and experience...pretty sure most guys on here will disagree and rate Poland over Sweden etc.

To conclude...my plans for this summer are: some online game in June using apps like meetme or facebook (just for Bulgarian chicks), then in July/August visit Greece just for the beaches not for the girls. Then at some point visit the Canary Islands where my main target again will be Swedish/Scandinavian girls OR visit Israel which is a place I've heard lots of controversial things about....so that's why I am going there! lol.

By the way: It's Belarus, not Belarusia .

Post: #25

so concluding...which places of Eastern Europe are good to visit during June-August?