May in Europe. Super budget (almost). With elements of time management
The decision to visit Europe for the May holidays came on a cold and turbulent February, when news from the east came one more terrible, and our hryvnia seemed to be already flying into the abyss. This was partly due to the desire to invest at least somewhere the hryvnia, and on the other hand, to try to visit Europe (rumors of a possible closure of the border by Europe with a de facto warring country did not turn out to be so unrealistic. The song about a visa-free regime with the EU then seemed simply inappropriate).
Not all of us had visas, so the choice for the May voyage fell on Slovakia. Including because of the relative budget of the country itself and one of the few non-fatiguing opportunities to travel non-air. Judging by the reviews of the time (January-February), cartoons were not massive, annual ones were generally rare, but one-time trips (during the ski season itself - when the Slovak consulate was usually very loyal) and semi-annual ones were the most common.
At the beginning, we decided through a major MOT in Slovakia. The price was calculated at 36 UAH / EUR. But when an hour later they sent an invoice by e-mail, the amount increased (it was already calculated at 36.7). The answer is such an MB course. We decided to take a break. Then there was the well-known MB at 40+ and the cash rate in exchangers at 49, closing the MB for 3 days, during which TO (already others continued to count at 47 - this was the rate at the time the MB was closed). In general, it was postponed until March. As you know, on February 24, the NBU introduced certain currency restrictions and managed to return the exchange rate to reasonable figures (around 26-27).
By that time, we managed to find a TA who agreed to take payment for the hotel in euros (it was bought back in the fall at the normal rate of 16+), because had its own program, and decided to use the services of a travel agency only to open a visa. Maintenance requirement - 100% hotel payment. Tickets for the train (Kyiv-Uzhgorod-Kyiv) and the bus (Uzhgorod-Kosice-Uzhgorod) were bought independently.
It turned out 942 UAH and 664 UAH, respectively. Since May is considered high season in the company where I work, and there are quite a lot of people who want to take a vacation / day off between 5 and 9, I was given a vacation for only 2 days - 5.05 and 6.05. Because from 7.05 one of my colleagues in the department went on vacation. Therefore, I had to be at work from 10-00. There were some problems with this, because the Uzhgorod-Kosice bus (the earliest)
Arrived in Uzhgorod at 17:20, and from there it was only possible to catch the train number 13. The latter arrived in Kyiv only at 10:06, which absolutely did not suit me.
Therefore, a combined option was chosen with a return transfer Kosice-Uzhgorod by taxi in order to catch the train number 99, which leaves for Kyiv at 16:15 and arrives at 07:21. The price range of Uzhgorod taxis was very wide - from 700 hryvnia to 70 euros. Many demanded a 50% prepayment by replenishing the card. As a result, a compromise was found for 40 euros. Without prepayment. Return tickets for the Uzhhorod-Kyiv bus (the consulate required a visa for RT tickets) were already in Slovakia (I didn’t dare to do it before crossing the border, I decided to play it safe) with a commission of 16 UAH per ticket (sent an e-mail with scans of tickets, which prudently made back in Kyiv). For which special thanks to the operator of international bus transportation "E-travel".
So, on May 01, on one of the first really warm spring days, we moved to Kyiv Pass. Boarding the well-known train No. 99 was ordinary (I bought tickets on the first day the sale began, then it was 30 days in advance, via the Internet, the demand for all May dates to the Lviv and Uzhgorod directions was huge, UZ added to the 3 regular trains 3 additional), from Kyiv the occupancy was 100%. Several school-student organized groups were traveling (they did not reach Uzhgorod, they left at night somewhere in the Carpathians). The first car (immediately behind the locomotive) was an international trailer sleeping car Kyiv-Bratislava (it was unhooked from the train in Chop), the fare to the final destination was about 80 euros. On the way back, it is not on the train 99/100, they are attached to one of the later ones - 81/82 or 13/14. In Uzhgorod, cool after a night rain, we arrived on schedule at 07:02.
The railway and bus stations in the regional center of Transcarpathia are separated only by a 200-meter square, so it was easy to get to the bus departure to Kosice (07:40), the bus was about 50-60% full, there were very few tourists, mostly locals. Bus with Ukrainian numbers. The border was crossed in total in 2 hours (one of the three lanes was under repair), everyone with luggage was forced to leave, the suitcases were opened, but the control was purely visual, the customs officers did not touch things with their hands. The journey from the border to Kosice (97 km) also takes 2 hours, there was only one stop - in Mihailovice. The center of the city of Kosice is located, as it were, in a valley, but on the slopes of hills (after all, not mountains - the Tatras begin 50 kilometers to the northeast, immediately behind Poprad - residential areas of new buildings. New buildings (houses built in the last 10-15 years in In a city of 400.000, there are quite a few. In Kosice, the railway and bus stations are (as in Uzhgorod) actually on the same square. But the only surprise was the repair of roads both in the area of the station in particular, and in the center of the city in general, resulting in our hotel ("Centrum" 3 *) had to walk about 1 km. The hotel turned out to be a monumental hotel of the 70-80s in the style of late socialist realism. But, obviously, not all the building is a hotel - because in in the lobby there were signs to various offices, and on the other side of the building there was a separate entrance (I suspect from the evacuation exit to the driving school). The hotel is not bad, it fully corresponds to its three stars, the twin area is 17m2, the furniture is new, according to the site - renovation of the rooms in 2014 of the year. The only inconvenience was that there was a tram stop right under the windows, but it didn’t really interfere, because. finished walking around 23 pm.
The hotel was not as full as possible. There were enough empty seats in the breakfast restaurant. Breakfast is decent, in addition to the standard cuts, muesli, juices and yoghurts, they also served pastries and grapes, hot dishes - scrambled eggs and sausages. Friendly staff.
Directly opposite the hotel was a large shopping center "Aupark". There are many inexpensive shops, in particular C&A, H&M, CCC, etc. On the ground floor there is a food market "Billa". The presence of many products of the "Clever" brand attracted attention (as is known, such products are also present in the Ukrainian "Bill" - I thought it was exclusively our invention, as it turned out, no). At a distance of one square (also partially renovated) is the historic pedestrian center of the city. For the whole decade, May 1-10, Kosice celebrated the day of the city (a round date, I don’t remember exactly), so the center was crowded and noisy - many stalls of various cuisines of the world (up to France inclusive), a stage on which musicians performed, etc. And if you take into account that in the neighboring Czech Republic in those days the World Hockey Championship was held, in which the Slovakian team also took part, then the evenings in the city, you know, were not quiet. It was considered good manners for street cafes to install a widescreen plasma TV on the facade next to the open veranda, so that visitors could enjoy the game with beer and a good snack. The center of Kosice is famous for its beautiful Cathedral and the Opera House, between which there is a small square with fountains illuminated in the evenings. Naturally, being a place of rest for locals and tourists. Another pleasant place to relax can be considered a small park with a lake not far from the station. There are also fountains on the lake, but they are exclusively figurative. I recorded the spectacle on video. I'll try to post it. Regarding shopping, I recommend the large Optima shopping center. Located on the outskirts of Kosice (in the area of student hostels). You can get from the center by bus number 10 (to the final stop "OS OPTIMA"). The fare in public transport is 1 euro, the ticket after purchase (sold by the driver) must be stamped in the electronic composter in the cabin. The ticket is valid for 60 minutes. There were also plans for a trip to Poprad, but it was rainy those days. We decided not to go. The large shopping center in the center of Kosice also attracts attention, which, most likely, 20-25 years ago was a classic city department store. But now it looks more like a clothing market. All products are from China, sellers, mostly too. The quality is very average, the prices are appropriate.
Food. In the historical part of the city there are many cafes of various levels and different themes. Lunch for two (first, second, herbal tea) will cost 12-15 euros. If with alcohol (local tinctures) - it will be about 20 euros.
We got back without incident. The taxi picked us up at the agreed time. The borders were passed in 40 minutes.
If you have any questions about Kosice, I'm ready to help
