City Break help please...

[Masbroughlad]

Looking for recommendations for hotels, restaurants and things to do in:

Oslo
Vienna
Bratislava

Anybody able to help please? Travel tips etc welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WestCoast]

I rather like Vienna and Bratislava. They are very close to each other - most train services between them take just an hour. They are two very different cities though, not least because of the iron curtain that separated the two. The price difference of hotels, restaurants, attractions e.t.c is quite substantial. Bratislava is much smaller than Vienna as well.

Oslo is a nice enough Scandinavian city, but fairly small and most sights can be covered within a day or so. The cost of hotels and eating out is notably high - I'd honestly say it was the most expensive city I've visited in Europe. Norway is a stunning country though and I found Bergen to have the edge over Oslo.

 

[Greenback]

Oslo is a lovely city but food and drink are very expensive in Norway. There are lots of thigns to do, though. You can go and see Vigealnd's weird sculptures in the Frognerpark, the Akershaus fortress, and there are several museums a short ferry ride away on the Bygdoy peninsula, where you can learn about Amundsen, Viking ships and more. I also found the Holmenkollen ski jump a fascinating visit, though that probably isn't to everyone's taste. Finally, there are plenty of opportunities to go for a trip down the Oslo fjord.

I spent a week there and I didn't see everything. I can't compare it to the other two cities though, as I haven't been to either Vienna or Bratislava (yet).

 

[185]

Oslo is a fantastic place for a break.

A walk up Karl Johans Gate, the main shopping street takes you past some great shops up to the palace, about 5 minutes away. In winter, the duck pond in the centre doubles as a free ice rink. Bring your own boots if you've got them.

You can either go by boat or bus over to Bygdøy for the Vikingboat museum (Vikingskiphuset) and the maritime museum, a short walk away.

Best time of year to go is February or March, where the snow makes the city look genuinely Scandinavian. Take a jacket

Ryanair fly from the UK to Torp from £20... bus or train fare into Oslo is often more than the flight.

Beer is £7-£8