City Hall, Bamberg on the river Regnitz
The more I study our alternatives for Spring 2019, the more I am convinced we will have a fantastic time. The only certain piece of this puzzle is our river cruise from Budapest to Prague. I’ve been juggling what to do when before and/or after the cruise. I know we want to visit Berlin, Croatia, and Slovenia. Then there’s Germany’s Castle Route which is a drive through Germany’s castle region.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia, Bavaria
To the extent that I can, I hope to keep our costs for connections to a minimum while balancing travel time. One train route caught my attention, the Balkan Express that runs from Belgrade, Serbia to Bar, Montenegro with the option of cutting out at Podgorica. I’m having some difficulty finding an “easy” connection between Prague and Belgrade. RyanAir does not service the Dalmatian Coast countries at all. Most flights connect through another city (some as far as Paris!). There are no direct trains, though a connection through Budapest is possible. Next up is seeing if there are direct connections from a city closer to Prague. RyanAir does service Bari, Italy with ferry connections to Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia, but the ferry is a 10 hour trip.
Stock Images, The Balkan Express
If you search images for Montenegro, you cannot help marveling at the picturesque small island, Sveti Stefan. The island is owned by Aman Resorts. It is private and open to guests only. A one night stay on the island is pricey at $1000.00. We will marvel at when we stop by on our way to Kotor Bay. I have found lovely romantic bay side apartments right on the water near old town Kotor that are reasonably priced at $35 per night! Granted we will not have a pair of 60 minute spa treatments included, but that’s OK.
Orthodox Church Saint Jovan Vladimir, Bar, Montenegro
