It’s fun to think of special ways to really connect with Back Door destinations we recommend in Europe. If you’re heading for these favorites, here are a few tips to do it right.
Mostar — A must-see town when visiting the former Yugoslavia, just a three-hour drive from Dubrovnik
Local guides give intimate insight into the war and its aftermath and are inexpensive for the service they provide.
While a major road links Mostar with Dubrovnik and the coast, taking the rugged-but-scenic backcountry route through Serbian Herzegovina (Dubrovnik-Trebinje-Nevesinje-Mostar) is far more interesting.
Since six young villagers had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1981, more than 30 million Roman Catholics have turned the farm hamlet of Medjugorje (just south of Mostar) into a thriving pilgrimage center.
Bistro Verona sits along the bombed-out but increasingly revitalized Boulevard, Mostar’s former front line. While as charming as a strip-mall diner, it’s a chance to eat dinner surrounded by a humble, friendly, and perfectly authentic scene without a hint of tourism.
Tallinn — Spice up your Scandinavian itinerary, just a two-hour boat crossing from Helsinki
For the best information, skip the official tourist office and use the student-run “Travelers’ Tent” just across the street. This creative service offers cheap tours, bike rentals, and candid insider tips you’d never get elsewhere.
Ever since communist times — when private enterprise was risky — local women have supplemented their family income by selling handmade knitwear at the “Sweater Wall.” They still do.
While hotels are no bargain in Tallinn, staying with locals is. The Rasastra Bed & Breakfast agency, run by Urve Susi, provides a wonderful referral service (www.bedbreakfast.ee).
Venice — One of the most popular and visited cities in Europe, it’s also a challenge to do smartly
To cross the Grand Canal like a local, ride the traghetto. Good maps locate the handful of these gondola crossings that save you lots of needless walking, provide a very cheap memory, and leave you feeling pretty savvy.
Take advantage of the free Rick Steves’ audio tour of the Grand Canal. Just grab a front seat on the vaporetto at the train station or car park, sit back, and enjoy the cruise with full narration.
St. Mark’s Basilica comes with a notoriously long line — and no one is let in with large bags. Those checking their bag at the nearby Ateneo San Basso (a free service in a former church a block from the basilica) use their claim check to enter St. Mark’s directly without waiting in the normal line.
The Doge’s Palace is also plagued by long lines. These lines are not for entry, but to buy a San Marco Museum Plus Pass to get in. Buy your pass instead at the nearby Correr Museum (where there’s never a line) and walk directly into the Doge’s Palace.
Rick maybe in one of your blogs you could address all the European airline strikes. I have friends who have tickets on British Airways next week and we have Luftansa tickets in about 6 weeks. Do you think this will continue on most of spring and summer?
I don’t get Venice. Crowded, hot, loaded with pickpockets, pigeons. Maybe the romance is in saying you have been there? The strikes at BA and Luftansa are, on the other hand, understandable. Their cabin crews provide professional, even upscale service even in coach most of the time. Why shouldn’t they be paid appropriately? Rick Steves’ guides are and deserve it. Raise the price to consumers. Don’t penalize hard working workers.
I don’t get Venice. Crowded, hot, loaded with pickpockets, pigeons. – did you go in the summer? I went in November, for six nights, and could have stayed longer. It was still crowded during the day on St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto bridge and a couple of main routes (wretched cruise ships), but otherwise not. At night parts of Dorsoduro were deserted. Cool and misty rather too hot. I was traveling alone and not looking for romance, but found Venice magical anyway. Now I did spend three hours in Venice between trains in June to check whether I wanted to go back later for longer (obviously I did), and it was hot and crowded, but even then you could walk just off the main streets and find a quiet square.
I second your opinion, Kathy. It is hot and crowded, as is much of Italy in the summer, but in the evening when the cruisers have gone back to their ships, what can be more lovely than to sit at a table in St. Mark’s Square, with a cool drink, listening to the music? Each time I’ve been there, I say goodbye, yet I always manage to return one more time.
Ah, romantico !! My next trip will be in rubber boots when the square is flooded. No crowds, small whitecaps.
We were in Venice last June and if you stay there overnight, the crowds mostly clear out and it is a great experience. And I also endorse the Grand Canal Audio Tour (and selfishly ask for more tours, as they were a great addition to our visits to Paris, Rome and Venice!)
While on a trip to Austria and Germany in September, my Wife mentioned that some day she would like to see Venice. Although I never had the desire to go there, I managed to arrange for a surprise one-night visit, staying at one of Rick’s haunts – the Alloggi alla Scala. Spending an entire day wandering Venice was great, but nothing compared to having the entire St. Mark’s square to ourself in the morning, as the sun was just beginning to rise . . . That visit changed my mind about Venice – I will be back again, some day.
Hey Rick, have you been to Kosovo yet? I would love to see an episode done there, I caught the last half of your Bosnia,Croatia, and Serbia trip, did you visit Kosovo as well? Hope to see it soon.