#94 Bratislava, Slovakia

Sometimes known as the 'little big city', Bratislava is definitely little. As regarding tourism, it has enough to keep you busy for a weekend, but not much more than that. It's just an hour train ride away from Vienna, and less than 3 hours from Budapest, so it's a good stopover on the road to somewhere else.

The positives: cheap, centrally located, different.
The negatives: A bit too small, not very tourist friendly

Bratislava, or even Slovakia, aren't usually the top of everyone's holiday list, so it's a bit different and special to say you were there. It's a cheap country, and even when you are getting ripped off in restaurants it's still far cheaper than the equivalent in Ireland.

The main attractions in the city are all quite centrally located so can be walked to, or alternatively you can grab a bus. What are the main attractions? There's an old town, although much smaller than the likes of Stockholm. In it you can find a blue Church, a castle on a hill, a palace, a fountain in a little square, and a few other buildings of mild interest or significance.
Just a few minutes outside the city centre there's a good sized zoo (and Dinosaur park!) which is very cheap and a good idea for a day out with children. There's a monument on a hill (Slavín) which is purported to give good views (but I just wasn't bothered trying to get there), and there's also another castle (in ruins).

View from the above castle

The negatives; It was a bit small, but due to it's close proximity to other cities that can be easily forgiven. My biggest shock was the general rudeness of people I met. As an Irish person I get hit with the "Oh Irish people are so friendly" thing all the time, but after visiting Slovakia it does make me wonder that what I had always considered as basic manners is regarded as something special. It could have been the language barrier - but let's face it, Slovak isn't exactly Spanish or a language that can be practically learned or used widely, so I don't think I should be blamed for not knowing it.

Overall, for the value it was great. I wouldn't recommend going solely to here - to make it worth your while you should avail of the cheap trains to nearby Vienna (€13 return) or Budapest (€20 return).

#91 Slow on the old posting-front I'm afraid

This is a courtesy post to let you know I'm still here, but won't be posting so much for the time being.

Please feel free to browse through my other posts using the blog archive or search labels to the right >>

I know many people are heading over to Japan around now for the JET programme, so for my Japanese related posts look from 2012 to January 2013, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to comment :)

Anyway, here's a picture of beautiful Ireland to brighten up this post a little!

#74 France: The Travel Show

I have been to Paris four times. Once during Halloween with a youth group when I was 11, again with my family for New Years when I was about 13, with a youth group at Halloween again when I was 14, and then during Easter on a school tour when I was 16.

Shamefully, I have never been outside Paris, and I have a keen interest in returning to France, this time without a visit to the capital. I think this is probably an issue for the country - tourists fly in to Paris, stay a few days, see the major sights, and leave. France is quite a large country with a lot to offer, and I am embarrassed to have been there so many times without seeing the rest of the country.

Paris, and the Eiffel Tower

That being said, Paris is a really beautiful city. Some say the French (and in particular Parisians) are rude, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that I had a wonderful time there each time I visited. Since it uses Euro it is convenient for the Europeans out there, and although prices aren't cheap and a tiny coffee could cost you €6 or more in one of the quaint cafés, it isn't too unreasonable if you know where to look.

The most obvious highlights in Paris include the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre Museum and Disneyland. Although Disneyland has been criticized for being an eyesore etc etc, I think it is a magical place to visit on a day out, especially if there are children or young people involved. It's impossible not to have a good time there!

Halloween decorations at Disneyland Paris

I'm not sure if things have changed much in the past 5 or so years, but the lines to go up the Eiffel Tower used to be a massive pain - you just had to line up and wait to get in. Newer attractions like SkyTree in Tokyo have a system where you buy a ticket straight away and are given a time, one or 2 hours, to return, and then you can go almost straight up without hours of queueing. Hopefully they have brought in a similar system in Paris! Also, for anyone who thinks walking it could be fun (or because the wait is shorter for the stairs than for the elevator) it's very tiring and takes a lot longer than what you think.


One of the really cool places outside Paris is Mont Saint Michel. Basically, it's like a really old town and castle built on a little island. It reminds me of something from Lord of the Rings! You can easily get to Mont St Michel from Paris, either using a day tour operator (expensive but convenient) or going yourself by getting a train and then a bus. You can get there in about 3 hours or so. I haven't been there, but since I discovered it (embarrassingly, only last year) I can't wait to visit it.

Mont Saint Michel

France also has a lot of nice lovely and quaint villages and towns, and the further south you go, you can also find some really warm weather and gorgeous beaches.

Since I am in Ireland, I have two options to get to France, I can fly to Paris and then get a train or bus, or I can get the ferry to somewhere like Cherbourg, and then go from there. France has an excellent train network, and also buses which take longer but are often much cheaper.

This article is linked to my student radio show - The Travel Show. To listen back on the show (originally aired 4th October) click here http://www.ulfm.ie/week-4-listen-back/#tabs-1701-0-4