Ever fancied going to Auschwich

leftieM

Was it Helen Lewis? I saw her speak about 15 years ago.

Jaime-V

leftieM wrote: »

Was it Helen Lewis? I saw her speak about 15 years ago.

That name does sound familiar to me! It was about then too, it was in Monkstown school I saw her.

Yes was definately Helen Lewis.

Ginger_Nuts_2

Good grief, the point I was making was that I am sure, like me before I researched it, I considered the visit to be far too dear for a short break, what I was saying was that the cost , which I beleieved this forum was supposed to be about, is very affordable compared to so many other things you could do that wouldnt have such a profound affect on you. If you are really sitting there in front of your computer believing that I meant that I was comparing a visit to alton towers to Auschwich you really are a sad bunch. In fact I am quite insulted and in complete disbelief that you could draw such a comparison, what I was saying is, instead of me taking a ferry to scotland and driving round aimlessly, or if you were to go to a major attraction you would spend more than likely more than I was able to spend on something that has changed my appreciation of life. And to say that, great link, if i'm ever looking for a cheapy to poland but i'll miss the guided tour stuff, i'm stunned that you have dropped the meaning of this post to that, goldfish attention span comes to mind.

Anyway, to those who understood what I was saying, with this company above I stayed in Hotel David, nice very quiet hotel, right in the middle of the Jewish district, with several synagogs (hope I spelt that right) beside it, which you can visit and reading the memorial stones around the insides it's stunning to see only one member of a family of 48 who survived and theres so many like that which is such moving thought. there are walking tours and short small bus tours around this area, but we found the signage very easy to follow and completed most of the paying tours of the area by ourselves and just as informative. My point is that it sounded like such an expensive place to go, but really with it being so reasonable it isnt somewhere you should put off as I did for many years. And to the poster who mentioned that her school would run trips, my daughter's school does do a trip there as well, but although it's for the same amount of days hers costs £600. I would imagine your whole family could visit for less than that, just something to keep in mind.

Ginger_Nuts_2

miserly_mum wrote: »

I was fine with it untill I read the bit above.

Its saying to me, yes it was a moving experience, educational blah blah blah ......but best of all it was cheap and I bet nobody could get a weekend to Alton Towers for less?

Mind you purely from an MSE point of view .........if I ever fancy a cheapy holiday to Poland for a few days, I could book with them and just skip the guided tour bit.

Good idea, just ignore the fact the holocaust took place while you're dandering around:rolleyes:

Jaime-V

How far in advance did you book? and sorry to ask again did you book your flights separate with Easypeasyjet?

Ginger_Nuts_2

Jaime-V wrote: »

Did you book the flights separate? Also what hotel did you stay at?

We were hoping to go to Krakow this year or beginning of next and wanted to go on the tours also. Yes it is very sad and harrowing but imo forgetting it happened is worse.

Many years ago when I was at school a lovely lady came to speak to us, she was a holocaust survivor, her story was very moving.

Yes they dont supply the flights, but they do research them, a bit like the cheap flights thing thats on here, they gave me a couple of options and I managed to get the flights for I think £90 for us both, booked through easyjet, a fella I work with is going now in November and managed to get the flights for £50 for him and his wife as soon as they appeared, and as I said, we chose Hotel David, which was very clean and super quiet. In fact, the air conditioning in our room ( it was really warm there I was expecting Poland to be cold, over 20 degrees during the day and sun all day) was a bit feeble and to cool the room we had all the windows open, I expected not to get a wink of sleep, but if was really dead quiet and we were woke by the binmen next morning at about 7am. Also the main police station was just around the corner so we felt very secure too;)

Auschwich really was an eye opener, you get a real insight into the horrors there, the walls of pictures with arrival dates and date of death most of which were only a couple of weeks apart were hard to comprehend, and theyre the ones who escaped immediate gassing. But Birkenhau, it was the sheer scale was stunning, as far as the eye could see were the lengths of the train tracks which brought the prisoners in, and as soon as they came off the train it was straight to the chambers for execution, and I wont go into it as it was very moving, but if you have a family you wont believe how they were seperated, I just couldnt imagine it:mad:

I also got information before I went that the camp did not allow under 16 year olds in. I emailed the camp direct, got a very nice reply the next day and they say that, you know your kids better than a fixed age rule, if you feel your kids are mature enough to understand thats fine, as I mentioned my daughter is 12 and understood fully what she was seeing, it's presented in a very tasteful way and not gory really, I say that just so you can make your own minds up.

Ginger_Nuts_2

Jaime-V wrote: »

How far in advance did you book? and sorry to ask again did you book your flights separate with Easypeasyjet?

Yes with easyjet, and we got ours about 2 months before going as far as I can remember. As I said, mate in work managed to get the first released flights in november a few days ago during their sale and got two adults for £50 I think he said

miserly_mum

Ginger_Nuts wrote: »

Good idea, just ignore the fact the holocaust took place while you're dandering around:rolleyes:

Well if you bother to read my post in context you'll see it was aimed at your delightful little wager that nobody could get 2 days at a mainland tourist attraction for the price of your holiday to a death camp followed by the smiley face.

Your posts until that point were very imformative about the subject, but that comment just made me feel very uneasy when I read it.

When I said about missing out the guided tour just to get a cheap holiday in Poland it was said sarcastically .But I have no doubts that there are people who will do just that. Because after reading a few of the Posts it seems as long as its Money Saving then wether its in bad taste or not doesn't seem to come into it.

Ginger_Nuts_2

miserly_mum wrote: »

Well if you bother to read my post in context you'll see it was aimed at your delightful little wager that nobody could get 2 days at a mainland tourist attraction for the price of your holiday to a death camp followed by the smiley face.

Your posts until that point were very imformative about the subject, but that comment just made me feel very uneasy when I read it.

When I said about missing out the guided tour just to get a cheap holiday in Poland it was said sarcastically .But I have no doubts that there are people who will do just that. Because after reading a few of the Posts it seems as long as its Money Saving then wether its in bad taste or not doesn't seem to come into it.

'erm so the bit wher you said 'Mind you purely from an MSE point of view .........if I ever fancy a cheapy holiday to Poland for a few days, I could book with them and just skip the guided tour bit.' was just tongue in cheek, well, try using a sarcastic smilie next time. And I cant see where I am passing on information on how to visit such a place without it costing a fortune could be taken in bad taste. Perhaps it's one of those places where to fully appreciate it you must pay a lot of money. Complete drivel, and the smile face was to reflect that after many a year thinking it wouldnt be possible for me to go, I had completed it and on a budget that almost anyone could afford, even those who say, ohh I cant afford that, then go to on a ferry to the mainland or go to a tourist attraction.
Getting off the point tho, so it's very clear for those with very small attention spans and wit, the point of this thread was to show that you can go and visit this incredibly moving and interesting place, without having to spend a small fortune, it was to pass on my experience on how I managed to accomplish a lifetimes wish and my experiences whilst there in the hope that perhaps, someone else who honestly had an interest in the camps, rather than those who just like to stir over nothing, would read it, think thats interesting and much more achievable on a budget and also visit, it really is something that should make you appreciate life more.
Now can I use a smilie face now without seeming inappropriate, perhaps a emo or goth one would be better:rolleyes:

By the way, if anyone who genuinely has an interest and would like some pointers feel free to send me a message, i'll be more than glad to help out

SouthernSoftie

Hi Ginger Nuts, just to say we did that trip earlier this year.... and I think some people are being a little bit too sensitive about the Auschwitz thing.

Yes it is an 'attraction', it has to be to enable it to be preserved and to educate. But it not an 'attraction' in the way that there is only a book shop there, no 'I've been to Auschwitz' t-shirts and the like. The cafeteria is the same kitchen where they cooked for the prisoners, and yes they serve soup, just better than the prisoners got.

The company 'escape to poland' do not market it as a tourist thing either. All they do is book your hotel for you, and very well I might say. We were at a superb one just off of the square and yet quiet and very very comfortable.

What they can also do is organise any extra tours you wish to do whilst you are there, and it's not compulsory, so no one would have to 'skip' them. We did the Auschwitz/Birkenau one and the Salt mine( very beautiful). They also arranged pick up and drop off from the airport as well which was superb.

We are hoping to go back next year as it was very beautiful and very good value. We were also saying how well behaved everyone was. There we were, in the biggest town square in Europe, late on Friday night and not a peep. In fact the police rushed past us at one point, why... someone had knocked a window box over. If that had been my local town on a Friday night there would've been people drunk and shouting at least.
It was very family orientated too, carriage rides, living statues in the square, live shows etc, always lots to do, and it was very hot, over 30degrees.

We went with Ryanair and found the flights ourselves although they were exactly the same as the ones recommended by escape to poland. It was just over £200 for both of us, with baggage, priority boarding and travel insurance.

My stepmother is Jewish and would love to go, and speaking to her when we got back she was so pleased they do do the tours so as never to forget.