Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Hostel Part 3

Those play all day passes I talked about earlier, allowing me to fly all around the US instead of driving for the same price doesn't exist. They're like $3000 and some cities don't fly to cities a 2 hour drive away for some reason. Sheesh.
Also before I get started I am managing a temp at work for the next couple months and I have no idea how anyone does it. Am I surrounded by idiots or unlucky or what? I'm talking to this girl and about to show her a project. Someone stops me to ask me for a pencil and as I pull one off my desk to hand her, I turn around and the temp is gone. Back to her desk 3 floors down, in the time it takes me to turn around. WHY??? So I go get her, bring her back, really time saving.
Anyway, another visit to the dentist today, AMEX has started asking for money again, I owe them $2800, and income tax denied by request to waive the penalty of $300 on my account, so I now owe them $600. I may have paid for my ticket to Berlin, but will I be sleeping under the street when I get there???
I need some hostels, let's see what's available!
Krakow - May 14 & 15 - I found the Tom and Greg Hostel for about $20 a night. There was another one for about $10 a night but this said you can walk to the main train station which is where I need to go to get to Auschwitz on the 15th and to Prague on the 16th. I'm most scared about trying to get around in Poland where I know nothing of the language. Oh and Prague I guess as I don't even know what language they speak. :(

Prague - May 16, 17 and 18 - Here I'll be staying at Sir Toby's Hostel. The reviews for this place were nuts, everyone loved it. For $26 CDN a night I get a single bed (no bunks! - bunk beds were available for $20 a night, it's worth $6 to not have someone on top of you all night.... wait a minute....). When booking I'm looking for location to the train or airport and reviews.


Also Prague Castle looks like a cool place to visit, the biggest castle in the world.

Berlin - May 19-24 - The most difficult thing even booking is the currency. In one week I will be in three countries, each with a different currency. 1400 CZX seems like a lot of money. Eeek!
Ok, Berlin. The #1 Hostel is apparently The Circus. Doesn't it sound rowdy? I tried booking online but it didn't work so I submitted an inquiry. About $25 a night. If it doesn't work I can stay here.

Shall I try for the trains now? I'll leave an itinerary for another day, this has taken me about 2 hours so far. The site I'm taking this all from is Trip Advisor, it's what I use to plan all my trips. Type Prague Hostels and it gives you 75 specialty accommodations in Prague, sorted by popularity, all with traveler reviews and prices. It was great for places like Pittsburgh where you've got 2 motels for $40 a night, which one do you pick?
Trains:
I need a train from Krakow to Prague on May 16-
The trains are very confusing. This site says you can get an overnight train and sleep in a bunkbed for $17 CDN. How can that be correct? Is it a cattle car? Ok so the train leaves at 22:25. You buy tickets in the Orbis office on rynek głowny, at the station. You cannot prepay. Yipee. Yippeeeeee...... Ok so I'm doing this, wish me luck. Here's me in Poland without a hostel or train ticket at 10:30 at night... So I just emailed the Prague hostel to change my reservation, what do you want to bet they speak English?
Train from Prague to Berlin on May 19-
Will this one be easier? 30 minutes later... nothing. This sucks. The travel agency offered me $89 to Prague and $111 to Berlin. They didn't mention a sleeper train for $17 for some reason....
It says I can book a train here 89 days in advance (the end of February) for 56 euros, $82.50 CDN. I think I'll do this.
That wasn't difficult..... (5 hours later...)

2 comments:

Danny said...

You are in looooove with your temp!

Erick said...

Since The Velvet Revolution of 1989 Prague has become more visited. There are plenty of hotels, pensions, hostels and private accommodation available. Number of stars does not usually correspond with international regulations because the owners class their businesses by themselves. Accommodation in a four stars Prague hotels can be, therefore, cheaper than living in a three stars hotel. Thanks favorable value is sometimes better to find accommodation further away from the centre because in comparison to other world metropolises Prague is quite small and its public transport is effective so you do not have to worry that you will spend most of your time on trams and buses. If you plan going to Prague in the high season (April to October), around Christmas and New Year as well as for a weekend or at the time of public holiday, you should book your accommodation ahead, preferably by at least a few weeks.