Bucharest or Riga

Officer999

Hi guys, I have some time off next week and am looking at a last minute away break away.

I want to go somewhere cheap and not flooded with tourists so have narrowed it down to Bucharest or Riga. Flights and accommodation both roughly the same for both cities. I’m looking at 4 or 5 nights.

Has anyone been to both cities have a preferred choice? Just myself and my wife so won’t be too mad. We enjoy some food and a few drinks in the evening.

ted1

Riga, Bucharest isn’t great. Very poor city in a state of disrepair. Other than cheap pints not much going for it.

I was there last month and sadly have to go back next week for work.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418088#Comment_119418088

You think? I was there (pre covid granted) and really enjoyed it. Great bars and lods of nice cocktails bars and amazing scenery. Lovely place to walk around for a few days.

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418114#Comment_119418114

Pretty sure you got Budapest and Bucharest confused there.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418138#Comment_119418138

Haha yep! Ignore me so.

Although, Bucharest is on my list. A kip then?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119418138#Comment_119418138

Seems like he did. Then again if you look up things to do in Bucharest, it’s all about getting out of Bucharest, so maybe he took a bus tour there 😂😂😂😂

HerrKapitan

You could always travel to other Romanian cities like Sibiu or Timisoara. Have seen colleagues accounts and photos of the place and they had an amazing time.

donegal_man

Riga by a country mile. Bucharest is okay in many ways but still very run down and not at all safe at night.

As poster above said, Timisoara is a much better bet if you want to visit Romania.

Officer999

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Just back from Riga, and I would definitely recommend it. Great city. Not as cheap as I was expecting but cheaper than Dublin for sure. Average pint cost between €4-€6.

Stayed in old town which is very pretty. But it’s the main tourist part. A cruise ship docks at the port and you can see many of the tourists from that wondering around old town so it does get quite busy during the day.

One of the days, we got a train to Jurmala and spent a day at the beach. It’s stunning there, well worth the trip out. I would also recommend eating in one of their LIDO restaurants. They are dotted around Riga. Local cuisine and very affordable. Old town can be pricey with food as it’s just tourists eating there so LIDO is a brilliant way of eating with the locals without spending a lot.

spurious

+1 on the LIDO restaurants in Latvia. Don't miss the Central Markets in the old hangar buildings.

Jurmala very set up for tourists - kind of like their Temple Bar for rich Russians - I don't know what they are doing now with the sanctions. If you want a cheaper beach option (though with less facilities - much more like an Irish beach), there is another beach near Bolderaja, north of the city.

Once you go away from areas most tourists go, the prices drop dramatically - for example many places have what they call a 'komplex' (sp?) which consists of something like a cold summer soup, followed by escalope of chicken or pork with salad and potatoes and a fruit drink for under 4 euro.

If you happen to know any of the locals the 'vegetable garden' culture in summer is amazing, Day (and week) long barbecues in small allotments.

Nigel Fairservice

I've been to both and both are ok. Having said that I liked Bucharest more than I expected I would and I felt safe there. Jurmala is a lovely day trip from Riga. Bucharest has the option of a trip to Transylvania.