Interesting diary for anybody that likes to do a bit of travelling.
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/balkanbikers/
In Trap we trust
Myself plus 5 interested in the Budva to Podgorica bus.Originally Posted by Green Tribe
Two questions -
1. Is there anyone on the flight Aer Lingus Dublin - Dubrovnik on Wednesday 10th September arriving approx 11:45 am?
2. Is anyone staying in Budva that needs transportation to Podgorica and back to Budva on the day of the game? We are running a bus.
Many thanks
GT
For those at a loose end on Sept 9th (day before our game) Montenegro U21s play Bulgaria U21s at 4pm in Niksic. Niksic is 50 KMs north of Podgorica. This is in our group as well. Both countries are in a battle with us for the wooden spoon.
Italy U21s are in Croatia the same night and France U21s are in Bosnia but with venues tbd.
I may be giving away a good tip here if I don't get tickets myself but I would imagine this would be a good bet to pick up a ticket for the senior game the following night.
I'll be driving to Podgorica after the game and will know closer to the date if there is room in the car to give people a lift.
Fantastic, thanks for the tip. I'll definitely look into getting to one of those games (France game in Bosnia might fit better into my plans, depending on venue).
Last edited by stiofain; 28/07/2008 at 3:40 PM.
http://www.hotelevropa.cg.yu/engleski/Prices.htm
So which bed are you going to go for Sligo. I think the last one will be perfect.
In Trap we trust
I think you'll find all of those "options" are actually in the SAME ROOM......they only have ONE
With the hoards of us all "Booked", it will be very interesting once the lights go out!
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Abi Normal , is that 6 in your party? Cheers
Greetings from Podgorica!
Can't make the game, but said I'd come out here for a few days anyway to see the place. Lovely and warm (34 today), but not a huge amount to do really. I'm sure visiting hoardes of Irish fans will find some way of passing the time though.
Few tips for yez when ye're travelling -
Arrival
If you're coming into Podgorica airport, I think the only way into town (bar walking) is a taxi. It's a set E15 (not sure if that increases per person).
DO NOT under any circumstances let the driver take you to your final destination if it's outside Podgorica!!! I was quoted E120 to go to Kotor on the coast; this was down to E50 by the time I got to the bus station, where I got a ticket for E7.
There's a bus from Podgorica to Tivat via Cetinje, Budva and Kotor every 30 to 60 minutes. It's about 75 minutes from Podgorica to Budva, and another 45 on to Kotor.
Driving
If you're driving -
Petrol is about the same price as here.
Montenegrins are insane drivers. Road signs, speed limits and seat belts are all suggestions rather than rules. Don't be surprised if a taxi pulls out from behind you into oncoming traffic and cuts into a gap you didn't think was there.
There are no motorways (for the same reason there's no motorways in the Faroes or San Marino - this is a seriously hilly country!) so for longer journeys, plan on an average speed of no more than 30mph. The scenery is superb, but the drop over the edge is even farther, so pay attention!!
Auto Stop - 069 858555. If you go from Podgorica to Budva, you'll know what that's about.
Beer
Important stuff now. Niksicko is the local. I don't drink beer much, but it tastes like beer usually tastes. I paid E1.30 for 330ml in Podgorica and E1.60 in Kotor. It's about E2 for 500ml, though that's not always available. Imported beer is hard-ish to find, and about E1 more expensive.
Towns
Podgorica is an absolute hole. Seriously. And I thought Bratislava was quirky. This place is a typical communist capital without an stylish Old Town really to speak of. Ladas, Yugos and Zastavas abound (as throughout the country in fairness), flats are everywhere and you'll probably come across a few horse and traps. The nicest thing I can say is that it's an absolute hole in the most interesting sense of the phrase.
The main bit is in the centre. The ground is at the end of Ul Slabode (one of the main roads in the town centre), which also has "St Patrick's Irish Pub" (closed for holidays at the moment, so I don't know what it's like) and a couple of decent places to eat. Note Podgorica is one of the few capitals in the world without a McDonalds! Near enough to the ground on Marka Miljanova are another OK drinking holes including Laterna and Calabria. They both have a kind of old-style Irish pub feel to them and are two streets over from Ul Slobode. They're technically cafes, but it's as near as you'll get to a pub. The ground is about a 20/25 minute walk from the bus station. Apart from that, there's not much doing really, which explains why I'm back in the hotel on the internet at a quarter to nine! In, match, out is my advice.
I'm currently in the Hotel Europa, which is a nice enough spot with everything you really want. It's about 100 yards from the bus and train station too, handily enough.
I stayed in Kotor from Saturday till this morning; it's a UNESCO heritage walled city at the end of the Bota Kotorska fjord. Very atmospheric (no cars allowed in, seriously narrow, windy streets) with a superb hike up to a fortress at the top of the cliff overlooking the whole bay (costs E2). There's no street names in the walled city, so wander in, get completely lost and soak up the atmosphere. Bar a Maritime Museum (if you 're into that sort of thing), there's not a huge amount to do. The place comes alive at night though (helped by this week being an international Kotorska Carnival week), but everyone's out in the streets drinking and chatting. Most caffe/bars have loud dance or Europop music if you're into that sort of thing; there's one place near St Tryphon's where some local singer plays guitar instead; it was the first place I found on Saturday, but I didn't find it again till yesterday evening! There's a serious buzz about the place, helped by the compactness of it all, and if you plan on getting to sleep before 1:30am (not likely I know, but anyway), it ain't going to happen. Definitely worth out for a day trip for the hike alone. No beaches though.
I passed through Budva on the way to and back from Kotor; looks a nice place, very Club Med-dy. Bikinis are the standard dress code, plenty of beaches, a big island out in the bay with trips out to it, water skiing and all sorts of water activities. Probably not as cultural or as Montenegrin as Kotor, but still a nice place.
Food
Pasta, pizza and seafood are the order of the day, which can get a bit repetitive. There's usually something else on offer though; try the "Montenegro steak" - an eight inch long, rectangular, flat steak of (I think) chicken, filled with ham and cheese. Very nice. There's ice cream stands all over the place for about the price of a beer.
Other stuff
You're going to find EuroPop and dance music pretty much everywhere; it's kind of like a walking Eurovision. I did come across a Serbian (I assume) band on the ENTER channel playing what was clearly an Irish reel though in concert. When they finished, they introduced (in Serbian) the next song to the crowd of a few hundred and then broke into The Irish Rover. Wierd stuff.
Currency is the euro. They don't have their own coins though; they "use" German coins (apparently, they used the Deutsche Mark beforehand; if this wasn't on the BBC website though, I'd dismiss it as a hoax).
Most people, especially in cafes and hotels, can speak fairly good English. A bit of Serbian is always nice though! Zdravo, pivo and hlava (hi, beer, thanks) should get you by.
Cyrillic letters are common on street signs in Podgorica; outside that, it's mainly Roman letters.
Generally, things are fairly cheap here. I picked up two bottles of wine and a carton of pineapple juice for E5.14 at the market this morning in Kotor. If you really want, you can pick up a photocopy of the the Irish Independent for E4.30 in Kotor too. Only if you're really bored though!
Overall, a nice country; scenery is superb, ground is nice, everything's cheap and there's no real sense of danger on the streets or anything like that. Enjoy!
Last edited by pineapple stu; 29/07/2008 at 8:37 PM.
fair play pineapple stu, did hear that podgorica was communist style with not much in it, and quite small. Thanks, great report!
Fair play, great report. I am staying in that hotel too as are a few of the people on this site as far as I know.
Thinking of heading out of Pod on the Thursday after the game and heading to Budva but might check out Kotor too. Great info too on the local buses. Fair play Stu.
In Trap we trust
what are the women like stu? would they be susceptible to a bit of an ear burn from a drunken irishman..?
'How can I hate women, my Mums one!!!' Chris Finch
Excellent report, pineapple stu. Thanks.
How's the weather there? Worth packing shorts for September?
Today looks very nice!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=1465
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Well Done Stu, great account. Is there any sort of a square out in Podgorica for a gathering of fans or any such area that you think would be good for a mass gathering of singing and booze etc.
Thanks Stu. Great report.
Definate six
Thanks
Jeez! Podgorica is gonna see an invasion of green-shirted lobsters...
Doesnt matter if they are or not they'll get it
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
good man abi normal
Not having been in September, I don't know! It was 34 yesterday (my last day; back home now), but there was a nice thunderstorm on Sunday (which rolled really coolly in a dark mist along the fjord and in dark clouds over the mountain peaks, with lightning in amongst it); I'd imagine it'll be about 5-6 degrees cooler in September, but still nice.
There's the Central Square off Slobode, but there's no cafes backing on to it, so it'd be good for a bit of ball, but would be awkward for drink. But the cafes all have outdoor parts on the streets, which would be the best bet.Well Done Stu, great account. Is there any sort of a square out in Podgorica for a gathering of fans or any such area that you think would be good for a mass gathering of singing and booze etc.
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