Where's a cool spot to park up for 1-3 months this summer? I'd like to rent an AirBnB, get some writing done, and have an adventure or two.

What I'm looking for:

-Decent-sized dynamic city
-Pretty english-speaking girls who will be interested in a 29yr old tall, goodlooking american guy
-Relatively cheap
-Fast WiFi and 3G

Current shortlist:

-Polish City
-Belgrade, Serbia
-Bulgarian City
-Estonia/Latvia?

Not interested in:
France, Germany
Mediterranean cities with super-cliquey locals (spain/italy/portugal)

Cheers guys

Slightly off topic but most major networks are running 4G Europe wide so your internet speed is going to be fast if you can get enough data for your needs.

Quote: (05-30-2016 08:37 AM)RichieP Wrote:  

Where's a cool spot to park up for 1-3 months this summer? I'd like to rent an AirBnB, get some writing done, and have an adventure or two.

What I'm looking for:

-Decent-sized dynamic city
-Pretty english-speaking girls who will be interested in a 29yr old tall, goodlooking american guy
-Relatively cheap
-Fast WiFi and 3G

Current shortlist:

-Polish City
-Belgrade, Serbia
-Bulgarian City
-Estonia/Latvia?

Not interested in:
France, Germany
Mediterranean cities with super-cliquey locals (spain/italy/portugal)

Cheers guys

We're not cliquey
Check Polish-Czech Mountains. They're very pretty, and may help your writing.
Tallin in Estonia is cool and cheap, but very small. Talent in 2012 was enormous and you can even go to Russia for a quick travel.
Greece should be very cheap as well. (But falls into Mediterranean category)
You have Odessa or Varna.
And Slovenia.

I hear good things about Malta, but I haven't been there, so I can't say for sure. Naughty Nomad did a very positive datasheet on it.

Quote: (05-30-2016 11:03 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

You have Odessa

Odessa isn't cheap, despite the currency drop. Of course if you go to public beaches, eat kebabs, ect, you can make it cheap, but as soon you go to private beaches, dine out comfortably on Deribasovskaya and go party to Arkadia clubs, you even now very easily blow 150 €/day (and that's without spending like a baller) - plus accommodation, whose prices skyrocket on July/August.

I would range Odessa in the "cliquey" category - definitely not a good place to spend summer on the cheap.

I would recommend something in Greece. I was there month ago and that place is atleast 2x cheaper then Estonia/Latvija. Good street food goes for 2.5 euros while in Estonia you would pay 6-7 euros for basic burger, iced coffee 1.3 euros, in Estonia same thing 3-5 euros. Same for beer, rent, transportation etc.

Edit. There were 3 of us having bottle fo local Greek vodka, snails, french fries and something else. Plus few beers. The total bill was about 20 euros. Same thing in Estonia would have been atleast 50+ eur.

Quote: (05-31-2016 02:53 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

Quote: (05-30-2016 11:03 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

You have Odessa

Odessa isn't cheap, despite the currency drop. Of course if you go to public beaches, eat kebabs, ect, you can make it cheap, but as soon you go to private beaches, dine out comfortably on Deribasovskaya and go party to Arkadia clubs, you even now very easily blow 150 €/day (and that's without spending like a baller) - plus accommodation, whose prices skyrocket on July/August.

Just like every place in Europe that has sun and sand in the summer. If you want you can also blow 150€ per day in Poland (even without sun and sand), Greece, Portugal, Spain etc. It's not hard to blow money if you want to go to private places or dine comfortably in the chic places.

avoid slovenia during summer time, all talent head to seaside resort in neighboring countries.

150 Euro a day in Odessa and even Poland? Seriously? Is it really that expensive? I'd love to see that breakdown.

Airbnb has plenty of options in Odessa for less then 1000 for a whole month, I just checked that out yesterday.

Love to hear any ideas from the fmr yugo.

Quote: (05-30-2016 11:03 AM)Wreckingball Wrote:  

Check Polish-Czech Mountains. They're very pretty, and may help your writing.
Tallin in Estonia is cool and cheap, but very small. Talent in 2012 was enormous and you can even go to Russia for a quick travel.
Greece should be very cheap as well. (But falls into Mediterranean category)
You have Odessa or Varna.
And Slovenia.

Tallin is not that cheap, I have been, and a quick travel to Russia includes the making of a Visa, plus there it is also not cheap.

Greece is not cheap by all accounts, quite the opposite.

Like Vronski wrote, Odessa also far from cheap. I have been, if you do not want want to spend money there then you will be a nobody, I had quite a decent bankroll back then and still felt it (it was pre-Maidan or the local currency crash) and according to numbeo, Varna is more expensive.


To the OP, though never been to, seems Bucharest hits all of your points. Would recommend Ukraine, but english levels are very low.

Kyev will be hot as a mo fo and smell a bit like trash but god damn will it be cheap right now and interesting! Here now and enjoyment comes in waves but when its on its on!

Quote: (05-30-2016 11:09 AM)Running Turtles Wrote:  

I hear good things about Malta, but I haven't been there, so I can't say for sure. Naughty Nomad did a very positive datasheet on it.

Malta is amazing, i got so much pussy there, unbelievable. The thing is that it's a place you can love as much as you can hate, it depends on the person. It's a party spot in the mediterranean like there are many others, but with less clubs than locations like ibiza, magaluf, lloret, kavos etc.

Quote: (05-31-2016 05:05 PM)Rocha Wrote:  

Tallin is not that cheap, I have been, and a quick travel to Russia includes the making of a Visa, plus there it is also not cheap.

Greece is not cheap by all accounts, quite the opposite.

Like Vronski wrote, Odessa also far from cheap. I have been, if you do not want want to spend money there then you will be a nobody, I had quite a decent bankroll back then and still felt it (it was pre-Maidan or the local currency crash) and according to numbeo, Varna is more expensive.

I don't know what places you're comparing it with, but Odessa and Varna are pretty cheap.
Greece also isn't expensive unless you go to the higher end islands (Santorini, Mykonos etc)

I don't think places where you can get decent airbnbs or hotels for under 30E/night can be considered expensive.
Of course if you want to eat at high end restaurants, party it up every night etc, that's gonna cost you no matter where you go.

I also think one of the major cities in Polands or Romania would tick all the boxes in OP's wishlist.

Quote: (05-31-2016 04:43 PM)godzilla Wrote:  

150 Euro a day in Odessa ? Seriously? Is it really that expensive? I'd love to see that breakdown.

It's quite simple. As Rocha just said, in Odessa, either you have some cash to blow and you join the party, either you are on the cheap and you feel like a nobody.

As per example ....... the private beaches of Arkadia (Itaka, Ibiza, Bono) is where the 8's + congregate, therefore where you want (and need) to be. Entrance plus your deckchair/sun umbrella is 10 €. A mojito costs 8 €, a jug of sangria 25 €, a pizza 10€, ect. Those prices are at today's currency exchange. Of course you also have the choice to mix with the ukrainian proletariat on public beaches, drink Baltika, eat kebabs and chase 5's or 6's moldovian skanks - as usual to each its own, but personally, I'd rather stay home than spend this kind of vacations.

That's just for your afternoon. Same rule (trendy spot vs. cheap spot, or, if you prefer, 8's + vs. 6's) applies for your evening and your night. From there, do the math.

Quote: (06-01-2016 04:07 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

Quote: (05-31-2016 04:43 PM)godzilla Wrote:  

150 Euro a day in Odessa ? Seriously? Is it really that expensive? I'd love to see that breakdown.

It's quite simple. As Rocha just said, in Odessa, either you have some cash to blow and you join the party, either you are on the cheap and you feel like a nobody.

As per example ....... the private beaches of Arkadia (Itaka, Ibiza, Bono) is where the 8's + congregate, therefore where you want (and need) to be. Entrance plus your deckchair/sun umbrella is 10 €. A mojito costs 8 €, a jug of sangria 25 €, a pizza 10€, ect. Those prices are at today's currency exchange. Of course you also have the choice to mix with the ukrainian proletariat on public beaches, drink Baltika, eat kebabs and chase 5's or 6's moldovian skanks - as usual to each its own, but personally, I'd rather stay home than spend this kind of vacations.

That's just for your afternoon. Same rule (trendy spot vs. cheap spot, or, if you prefer, 8's + vs. 6's) applies for your evening and your night. From there, do the math.

So you're saying you need to buy jugs of sangria in the most expensive place in the city to get access to 8's?
Do you realize how many hot girls are in Odessa? Or how big the city is? Do you think they all hang out in Ibiza?
You're acting as if the only choice is between the super expensive places and drinking Baltica on public beaches, when in fact there are plenty of normal middle class bars/restaurants.

I also thought Odessa was one of the cheapest places I've visited and your prices didn't sound right to me, so I went and checked it.

http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/bar/
http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/menyu/

1€ = 28 UAH

Mojito - 5€
Sangria jug - 12€
Beers - 2-3€
Cappuccino - 1.25€
Pizzas - 5-6€

That doesn't sounds expensive to me, not to mention Itaka and the others are even cheaper.

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Do you realize how many hot girls are in Odessa?

Yes

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Or how big the city is?

Yes.

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Do you think they all hang out in Ibiza?

Yes. Ibiza, Itaka and to a lesser extent Bono. The hottest girls hang out in the best and most trendy places, it's a simple fact of life in this part of the world.

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

I also thought Odessa was one of the cheapest places I've visited and your prices didn't sound right to me, so I went and checked it.

http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/bar/
http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/menyu/

I guess that the menu on Ibiza's site has not been updated since a loooooong time.

On the Itaka site, it's definitely the 2014 prices (spent each and every day there during two months, and can say for sure that this is exactly the two years ago prices): http://itaka-club.com.ua/en/menu-beach/ (note that even in 2014, a classic mojito cost 170 grv - therefore at this time some 8€- and a black fruits mojito an outrageous 300 grv !!!!!!). Haven't been in Odessa last summer, but from a friend living locally, prices were much higher in 2015 ........ and unfortunatly they have since then again tremendously raised, and not only at Arkadia clubs (as per exemple, a Filet Mignon at Steakhouse that cost about 160 grv two years ago is now 350 grv : http://steak.od.ua/steak.pdf )

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Quote: (06-01-2016 04:07 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

Quote: (05-31-2016 04:43 PM)godzilla Wrote:  

150 Euro a day in Odessa ? Seriously? Is it really that expensive? I'd love to see that breakdown.

It's quite simple. As Rocha just said, in Odessa, either you have some cash to blow and you join the party, either you are on the cheap and you feel like a nobody.

As per example ....... the private beaches of Arkadia (Itaka, Ibiza, Bono) is where the 8's + congregate, therefore where you want (and need) to be. Entrance plus your deckchair/sun umbrella is 10 €. A mojito costs 8 €, a jug of sangria 25 €, a pizza 10€, ect. Those prices are at today's currency exchange. Of course you also have the choice to mix with the ukrainian proletariat on public beaches, drink Baltika, eat kebabs and chase 5's or 6's moldovian skanks - as usual to each its own, but personally, I'd rather stay home than spend this kind of vacations.

That's just for your afternoon. Same rule (trendy spot vs. cheap spot, or, if you prefer, 8's + vs. 6's) applies for your evening and your night. From there, do the math.

So you're saying you need to buy jugs of sangria in the most expensive place in the city to get access to 8's?
Do you realize how many hot girls are in Odessa? Or how big the city is? Do you think they all hang out in Ibiza?
You're acting as if the only choice is between the super expensive places and drinking Baltica on public beaches, when in fact there are plenty of normal middle class bars/restaurants.

I also thought Odessa was one of the cheapest places I've visited and your prices didn't sound right to me, so I went and checked it.

http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/bar/
http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/menyu/

1€ = 28 UAH

Mojito - 5€
Sangria jug - 12€
Beers - 2-3€
Cappuccino - 1.25€
Pizzas - 5-6€

That doesn't sounds expensive to me, not to mention Itaka and the others are even cheaper.

Just like in all places you visit, if you want to burn money, you can find a way.
You can go to Monaco and "Live on the cheap" and at the same time you can go to Bangladesh and roast money.

That is more or less the same price (probably cheaper) that you will find south Portugal and Spain, with much better talent. Lisbon is cheap, there's no doubt about it, but if it's also possible to spend 150€ a day if I want to. I pay 5€ for a Mojito in Martim Moniz (low tier plaza), and 6€ for a (cheap) Gin and Tonic in Park (high tier bar).
Also 10€ for an umbrella and deckchair is not that expensive, being the same as in a "family-oriented" beach south of Portugal.

As for Tallin, I was there in 2012. Prices were quite similar to Lisbon (cheap by Euro Standards). Quality of Girls, Beer and spirits was far superior.

PS: OP wanted a cheap place to chill, and by all means Odessa is a cheap place and I'm pretty sure you can definitely chill on the cheap. When he feels like not chilling, he can spend whatever money he has left and burn it in the ultra high end places.

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:38 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

So you're saying you need to buy jugs of sangria in the most expensive place in the city to get access to 8's?

Yes

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Do you realize how many hot girls are in Odessa?

Yes

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Or how big the city is? Do you think they all hang out in Ibiza?

And yes. Ibiza, Itaka or to a lesser extent Bono.



As for the prices, I guess that the menu on Ibiza's site has not been updated since a loooooong time. On the Itaka site, it's definitely the 2014 prices: http://itaka-club.com.ua/en/menu-beach/ (note that even in 2014, a classic mojito cost 170 grv - therefore at this time some 8 € - and a black fruit mojito an outrageous 300 grv !!!!)

Anyway prices have tremendously raised everywhere in Odessa, and not only at Arkadia clubs (as per exemple, a Filet Mignon at Steakhouse that cost about 160 grv two years ago is now 350 grv : http://steak.od.ua/steak.pdf )

The Ibiza website seems pretty well updated.
You still haven't said what places you're comparing it with when you say it's expensive. In which magical city are you getting 3€ mojitos in high end beach clubs?
You can also easily stay on Deribasovskaya where there's tons of good cheap food options and plenty of hot girls roaming the streets.
If you "need" to go spend big every day in the beach clubs in order to meet girls then I'm sorry to break it to you but you're probably meeting a lot of gold diggers.

Quote: (06-01-2016 07:07 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

The Ibiza website seems pretty well updated.

Quote: (06-01-2016 06:14 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/bar/
http://ibiza.ua/en/menu-beach/menyu/

Sangria jug : 335 grv

That doesn't sounds expensive to me, not to mention Itaka and the others are even cheaper.

Just to quibble a bit ........if the Ibiza site seems, according to you, pretty well updated, and if Itaka is cheaper (which is true), then why the sangria jug is at 315 grv on the Ibiza site and at 600 grv on the Itaka site ?

http://itaka-club.com.ua/en/menu-beach/ (2014 prices)

Quote: (06-01-2016 07:07 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

I'm sorry to break it to you but you're probably meeting a lot of gold diggers.

Ok, let's leave it at that.

.............

So you say let's leave it at that but then you edit your post to further push the discussion.
I'm not here to quibble about slight differences in menu prices. Fact is if you find second tier cities in Ukraine expensive (right now with the currency exchange no less), where is it cheap for you? You keep saying it's expensive...expensive compared to where?
OP wanted a city where he can post up for a few months, there is a difference between living somewhere and going on a holiday somewhere. You seem to think that you need to behave as if you're on holiday and spend big at the beach clubs every day which is not the case. Odessa is a large city with more to offer that just a few beach clubs.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:02 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

.... where is it cheap for you? You keep saying it's expensive...expensive compared to where?

That is just useless polemic. You first stated that Odessa was dirty cheap and was even one of "the cheapest city you've ever been to". I just pointed out that Odessa wasn't that cheap, considering that you can easily blow 150 €/day on average if you want to live the good life (and this without spending crazy like a baller). One can very easily spend 50 € just for an afternoon at the beach in Odessa (just with a few mojitos and a light meal), but I didn't say that a 8 € mojito at Itaka was "expensive" (in Paris I'm used to pay my cocktails 14 €, and when I go to my town of birth in Corsica it's more 18€) ....but it's definitely not "cheap" - as it could be in Tashkent as per exemple, where a three courses diner for two (with multiple drinks) in an upscale restaurant will cost at maximum 30/40 €.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:02 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Fact is if you find second tier cities in Ukraine expensive (right now with the currency exchange no less)

Someone posted recently in the Ukraine thread that "he found that Dnipro wasn't that cheap", on which i totally agree. I guess it depends of your lifestyle (a diner for two -with wine- at The Coast, which is one of the best restaurant in town, costs about 100 €). If my or his lifestyle does not match with yours, no need to lecture us.

http://www.coast.dp.ua/en/contact/

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:02 AM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Odessa is a large city with more to offer that just a few beach clubs.

It's not my opinion. The only reason to go to Odessa is for me the beach clubs .....when I want to do something interesting in the FSU, I go trekking in Georgia, I visit some Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan, ect. But as usual, to each its own.

Arcadia beach club prices are not bad at all by international standards, although it's not a great place to go unprepared for a quick one night stand in my opinion, you should get acquainted with girls elsewhere then invite them there, but be prepared to spend.

Odessa is certainly unspectacular, you end up getting bored of walking up and down deribasovskaya and primorsky boulevard, with the occasional trip to the beach clubs. It's a good idea to invest a lot of time in street pickups, as the nightclubs can be tough to get results from.

We all have a different target market, bankroll. Also I suppose it depends on whether we are tourists or residents/semi-residents - those of us who visit Ukraine for a week or two couldn't give a damn about spending 1000 Euros plus per week.

I will be heading to Odessa soon, I will do daygame and spend time at Arcadia clubs - primarily in the daytime, I will also take my laptop and maybe get a little work done in addition to sunbathing and swimming.

My advice to people considering Odessa for summertime would be include it in your itinerary, but don't spend too much time there. Perhaps head across the border to Varna or go to the Greek Islands too

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

You first stated that Odessa was dirty cheap and was even one of "the cheapest city you've ever been to".

It is.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

considering that you can easily blow 150 €/day on average if you want to live the good life

You can do that anywhere if you want to.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

One can very easily spend 50 € just for an afternoon at the beach in Odessa

One can very easily spend 1000€ if he wants to, what's your point?

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

in Tashkent as per exemple, where a three courses diner for two (with multiple drinks) in an upscale restaurant will cost at maximum 30/40 €

Same in Odessa.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

If my or his lifestyle does not match with yours, no need to lecture us.

Who's us? Now you're building strawman arguments.

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

The only reason to go to Odessa is for me the beach clubs

In that case you're off topic, check OP's requirements again.

Quote: (06-01-2016 12:28 PM)Innuendo Wrote:  

Quote: (06-01-2016 11:48 AM)Vronski Wrote:  

in Tashkent as per exemple, where a three courses diner for two (with multiple drinks) in an upscale restaurant will cost at maximum 30/40 €

Same in Odessa.

You must be joking.

Steakhouse, Jardin, ect prices are on par with a good restaurant in Paris. And as reminder, in Ukraine, decent wine (i.e non ukrainian) is more expensive than in France - 500 grv for the cheapest at Steakhouse, some 900 grv for a quite average Pinot Noir.

http://steak.od.ua/steak.pdf

But asI said earlier, let's leave it at that.