Expert: Sam - 5/14/2009

Question
Hi,

We are two families with two small children each (3 and 4.5 years old), planning to visit Solvakia on teh second half of August for 10 days. We are landing in Budapest, renting two cars and plan to drive to Slovakia. Our plan is to have two (maximum 3) places to stay and each day to drive the minimum to visit soem places. As the children are very small, they are less after the big attractions and we are looking for small and nice things to do with them. We and they love to travel in nature but cannot walk too much.
1. Any recommendations on where to look for places to stay that will fit our requirements (area, specific villages etc.) ?
2. Any recommendations regarding activities and specific places to visit with them ?
3. Shall we make a stop in Hungary on the way to Slovakia or back, not to have too much drivE ? If so, where ?
4. What should we expect in terms of weather at that time of teh year ?
5. Is it high season in terms of vacations (August 16 until August 27) ?
6. Is the Euro already in use ?
7. Shall we purchase a sticker for Hungary highways and in addition to Slovalia ?

Any other tips that might help us are mostly welcomed

Many thanks,
Gil

Answer
Hello Gil,

wow, that's some list of questions! I will try to answer them all.

1.,2. There is a lot to do in the north part of Slovakia, i.e. around places like Ruzomberok, Liptovsky Mikulas, or Poprad. There are beautiful mountains (the High and Low Tatras, ideal for walking, but you may also want to try the funiculars), there are two aquaparks here, outdoor thermal swimming pools - free as well as commercial, there is this historical village called Vlkolinec (old wooden houses, some of them serving as museum of the old lifestyle), you can drop in in Poland... If any of those catch your attention, I can give you more details specifically.

That's my favourite part of Slovakia, and I would recommend maybe even spending all your time there. Especially when you have kids, and don't want it to be too hectic/hyperactive.

Places to stay - I usually start at http://www.limba.com . They have a good offer of places, and I have always been happy with their service. You will probably want to choose Slovakia and then:

Location:
- Ruzomberok-District
- Liptovsky Mikulas-District
- Poprad-District
- High Tatras-Tourist region
- Liptov-Tourist region
... or something like that. These are loosely defined (and overlapping) regions in the area I recommended. It might make more sense to you when you look up Poprad, the High Tatras, etc. on a map.

For "Type of accommodation", you can probably try everything except of "Spa" - these are specific places to stay, offering a kind of health care... Cottages may come cheapest, and may also be the most romantic ones - don't be afraid to try them. They are usually owned by ordinary people who rent them because they don't use them every weekend.

3. It may be a good idea to make a stop. It will probably take a lot of time from Israel to Budapest, then collecting the baggage, leaving the airport, renting the cars... I wonder how much kids of that age can bear. (Have you checked if the car rental can lend you car seats for children?) For a place to stay, you may want to use the website above again - just pick a place on your map and then try to search for a hotel nearby (I don't think cottages will be available for one-night visits).

4. August weather is usually stable: warm, not much rain, around 25°C. But it's weather, so there's no guarantee :-)

5. Not really. All kids in Slovakia have summer holiday all July and August, and there is nothing specific for the time between Aug 16-27, no reason for a vacation peak.

6. Yes, we use the Euro already. Not in Hungary or Poland though.

7. I think if you rent a car in Hungary, it should have the Hungarian sticker. For Slovakia - it depends on where you are going. If it's up to the north, you won't use highways at all to get there from Budapest, so you shouldn't need the sticker. There is a short span of highway between Liptovsky Mikulas and Poprad - but it can be avoided if you don't have the sticker... Your map of Slovakia will show highways probably (see between Bratislava and Zilina).

I've got to be running now, but do ask more if I can be helpful. If we don't talk again, enjoy your holiday in Slovakia!

Sam