• INFO: Czech Center, 212-288-0830, www.czechcentres.cz/scc/novinky.asp, or Czech Tourism Board, www.czechtourism.com.
Estonia
• WHERE: Northern Europe, on the Gulf of Finland, bordering Latvia and Russia.
The open market in Ljubljana is more than just shopping, it's also about the architecture in Slovenia's capital.
(J. Skok - Slovenian Tourist Board)
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On a Tour of the New EU, Take Two or More
Those trying to tick off the new EU members before the next crop is added on should consider a combination trip that visits several of the countries in one big swoop. Examples:
• A Baltic capitals tour is a popular option, and Nordique Tours (800-995-7997, www.nordiquetours.com) offers eight days in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia for $799, including first-class lodging, guided tours and breakfast. Air extra. Depart Fridays May 28-Sept. 24. Company can also arrange airfare, with round-trip fares from Dulles costing $826 to $910.
• Crown Travel (800-853-6453, www.crown-travel.com) lets travelers experience Hungary and Slovenia with a six-night, $1,338 package that includes round-trip air from New York to Ljubljana (add $30 for Philly or $125 from Dulles); first-class train between the two countries; three nights each in a four-star property in Budapest and the Slovenian capital; and breakfast. Book by June 28 for midweek November-December travel. Taxes of $135 additional.
• Summit International (800-527-8664, www.summittours.com) can pair Prague with a new EU state, such as Poland (Warsaw, Krakow) or Hungary (Budapest). Prices start at $752 and include international and inter-city flights, three nights' lodging in each city, breakfasts and a tour in each destination.
• Odysseys Unlimited has a Discover Eastern Europe package that covers Poland, Hungary, the Czech Replublic and (oldie but goodie) Austria from $3,395. The 17-day trip includes round-trip air from Washington to Warsaw (arrival) and Prague (departure); 15 nights' accommodations; some meals; and a full plate of excursions, such as the Danube Bend, dinner with a Polish family and a night at a restored Jesuit school in Cesky Krumlov. Departures are in May, July, September and October; add $122 in taxes. Info: 888-370-6765, www.odysseys-unlimited.com.
• Rail Europe is offering multi-country train passes (as well as single countries, such as Czech Republic or Hungary flexipasses from $48 for three days and $76 for five days, respectively) that crisscross many of the new EU countries. The European East Pass, for one, chugs through the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Austria for $158 (second class) to $225 (first class) for five days of travel within a month. Info: 888-382-7245, www.raileurope.com.
-- Andrea Sachs
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• WHY GO: The concentration of medieval buildings in the capital city of Tallinn offers a total immersion 600 years into the past. The rest of the country, particularly the 162,500-acre Lahemaa National Park, boasts a wealth of greenery adorned with ancient manor houses and peaceful churches. For travelers looking to escape even further into raw nature, the hundreds of islands scattered off the coast take you about as far off the tourist path as you can get in Europe.
• DON'T MISS: Kadriorg Park, which runs along the Baltic Coast and is home to the Estonian Art Museum, noted for its striking baroque facade. . . The pristine period buildings of Pikk and Lai streets in Tallinn . . . 600-year-old Tallinn Town Hall, one of the best examples of medieval buildings in northern Europe . . . Olde Hansa restaurant, where waiters in medieval garb plop down platters of pork, potatoes in thick creamy sauce and rye bread. . . . Bog walking or paddling a haabja (Finnish wooden boat) in Soomaa National Park (watch for witches) . . . Puhtitsa Convent, home of vegetarian nuns . . . Hiiumaa and Saaremaa islands, lined with basket-weave fences and home to ancient lighthouses.
• SAMPLE PACKAGE: Spend four nights in the capital of Tallinn, with round-trip air from Dulles, lodging, breakfasts and half-day city tour, for $1,124, through Crown Travel (800-853-6453, www.crown-travel.com). Tack on such optional excursions as the Puhtitsa Convent, the island of Hiiumaa and bog walking for $29 to $159 extra. Book by June 28, and travel midweek, November through December; about $145 in taxes extra.
• INFO: Estonian Embassy, 202-588-0101, www.estemb.org or www.visitestonia.com.
Hungary
• WHERE: Central Europe, bordering Austria, Romania, Ukraine and Croatia.
• WHY GO: After Prague, Budapest is the biggest and most attractive city in the New Europe. Art and architecture are the capital's major draws, and both are fabulous. A visit to the thermal springs and spas spread across the city is a must. More than any of the other new EU countries, Hungary is also a culinary destination, with a varied cuisine and one of the best-known collections of wine in Central Europe.
• DON'T MISS: The Royal Palace complex, a magnificent cluster of Renaissance and Gothic buildings perched atop Buda Hill, and its spectacular museums . . . Budapest's Gerber Banya-Tanya restaurant, for traditional Hungarian fare . . . Lake Balaton, a resort and spa area 60 miles southwest of Budapest, for shopping and folk art . . . horseback-riding in the Great Plain, or Puszta region . . . Villany-Siklos Wine Road, for eight ancient towns and 18 miles of vineyards . . . the folk costumes and medicinal waters of Palocland.
• SAMPLE PACKAGE: Blue Danube Holidays (800-268-4155, www.bluedanubeholidays.com) has a Budapest package that includes three nights' lodging, breakfasts, a Hungarian dinner and a three-hour city tour, with land-only prices ranging from $160 to $490. Optional activities can be tacked on, such as a 10-hour Danube excursion by boat and foot ($60). The outfitter can also arrange airfare, with May fares from D.C. around $810 round trip. Also check Gate1Travel (800-682-3333, www.gate1travel.com) for its four-night Budapest trips (from $679 to $1,286, plus up to $170 in taxes), with flights from New York.
• INFO: Hungarian National Tourist Office, 212-355-0240, www.gotohungary.com.
Latvia
• WHERE: Northern Europe, on the Baltic Sea between Estonia and Lithuania.
• WHY GO: The capital city of Riga is what St. Petersburg must have been like before the Soviet era began to drag it into decay. It smells of clean salt water and hums like the trading center it has been for centuries, and art nouveau buildings are everywhere. Latvia is a land of lakes, with about 3,000 of all sizes -- some large enough to hold multiple islands, with never-crowded beaches and dunes. Sigulda, the Switzerland of Latvia, meets all your outdoor needs (without on-trail people jams).
• DON'T MISS: A walking tour of Riga, starting with the stately residential houses along Alberta Street and proceeding down Smilsu Street and Kalpaka Boulevard . . . The bright and airy town of Sigulda, in the Gauja Valley, for adventure sports like cycling, horseback riding and bob-sledding . . . The 14 remaining villages of the ancient Livs, on the Kurzeme coastline . . . The Zemgale region, for its cluster of palaces, including Rundale Palace, built by the same architect as the Hermitage . . . Tervete, a scenic forest park with sculptures of magical characters and 300-year-old pines . . . The contemporary wood structures and beaches of Jurmala.
