Has this question jumped the shark yet?
This past Sunday, The New York Times asked "Is Newly Liberated Kiev the Next Prague?" (hat-tip- Neeka)
I think I can take a stab at answering that question.
NO
Why not?
Do European Budget Airlines like RyanAir, Easyjet, etc... fly here? No.
Can you get in the country without having to obtain a visa? Not yet.
Can you get Western quality food here at reasonable prices? No.
Are any of the older buildings in this city as well maintained or attractive as the ones in Prague? No.
For that matter, is there anything in Kiev that even approximates old-town Prague? No.
Is it easy to find people here that speak English? Not even close.
Are locals willing to offer foreigners fair prices and not gouge them just because they might have money and they want to make a quick buck? Not that I've seen.
Are bus-loads of drunk English punters planning on flocking here for bachelor parties? Nope.
Don't get me wrong here, I like Kiev. I think it's a neat city with a lot of potential. But is it the "next Prague?" Not remotely.
And can we PLEASE stop throwing that moniker on any European city with an airport that's east of Vienna? Please? How many freaking new Prauges are there? Budapest was not the new Prague. Bratislava was not the new Prague. Krakow was not the new Prague. Sofia was not the new Prague. Kiev? C'mon. I think at the rate we're going I'm going to be reading earnest articles in the Washington Post travel section in 2015 insisting that Omsk is the new Prague. Enough already.
I think I can take a stab at answering that question.
NO
Why not?
Do European Budget Airlines like RyanAir, Easyjet, etc... fly here? No.
Can you get in the country without having to obtain a visa? Not yet.
Can you get Western quality food here at reasonable prices? No.
Are any of the older buildings in this city as well maintained or attractive as the ones in Prague? No.
For that matter, is there anything in Kiev that even approximates old-town Prague? No.
Is it easy to find people here that speak English? Not even close.
Are locals willing to offer foreigners fair prices and not gouge them just because they might have money and they want to make a quick buck? Not that I've seen.
Are bus-loads of drunk English punters planning on flocking here for bachelor parties? Nope.
Don't get me wrong here, I like Kiev. I think it's a neat city with a lot of potential. But is it the "next Prague?" Not remotely.
And can we PLEASE stop throwing that moniker on any European city with an airport that's east of Vienna? Please? How many freaking new Prauges are there? Budapest was not the new Prague. Bratislava was not the new Prague. Krakow was not the new Prague. Sofia was not the new Prague. Kiev? C'mon. I think at the rate we're going I'm going to be reading earnest articles in the Washington Post travel section in 2015 insisting that Omsk is the new Prague. Enough already.
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