Euro Destination Suggestions

[Jamier-Host]

A few of us are planning a weekender where we want to combine some sun and general messing about with poker. Looking for destination suggestions that satisfy the following conditions:

• Ideally in France or Spain (weather and language skills)
• Doesn't have to be a major city though - if anything off piste is preferred
• Need an airport vaguely nearby but don't mind hiring a car and driving
• Not during a festival event
• BUT big enough local action that we'll get a E100+ tourno and plenty of cash
• Obv soft games but guessing we won't need to worry about that too much (and will prob donate drunk anyway!)

Any input welcome

[TightEnd]

a couple of suggestions that i have been to

Lloret de Mar in Spain

fly to barcelona, 45 minutes up the coast. nice resort on the coast.

casino is high spec. not sure about size of cash games on a non festival weekend but worth a check. wealthy/retired clientele

http://lloretdemar.org/en/what-to-do/casino

--

off the beaten track

kings casino in Rozvadov

massive casino and huge range of cash games and MTTs. think DTD but bigger

http://www.pokerroomkings.com/

its remote, you fly to nuremberg or munich or prague, and the casino can shuttle you to the venue if you don't want to hire a car.. an hour plus drive from any airport

 

[arbboy]

Malta

[Jamier-Host]

Thanks Richard. That reminds me Raaby recommended Kings Casino a while back too.

Lloret de mar just full of Brits though right? Get enough of those here...!

[TightEnd]

Lloret de mar just full of Brits though right? Get enough of those here...!

in terms of expats living there plenty, in terms of the poker room the weekend i was there, plenty of Spanish.

nice little resort.

[bergeroo]

France sucks for live poker these days with the tax and very high rake. I can't really think of anywhere good in France.

Barcelona
Casino with cash games. Daily tourney. Great city

Would agree with Malta.
Now has four casinos after a new one opened. Choice of daily tourneys and cash games running frequently. Nice island. Language no problem!

Would make a hesitant suggestion for Estoril - just down the coast from Lisbon. Absolutely love that place. However action in the casino is limited. They got a cash game going at around 9 each day, not sure about tournies.

Or Marbella? there is a festival on there right now, casino pretty lively from what I'm told.

Finally, Northern Cyprus?

[titaniumbean]

Marbella has UKIPT on atm and is hilarious for cash. not sure what the action is like outside of the festival.

Kings Rozvadov is meant to be pretty good and Czech Republic is nice so seems a good shout if you want guaranteed action and somewhere not so mainstream touristy.

[bergeroo]

Rozvadov is a great casino, but you are by the side of the motorway on the border, there is absolutely nothing else there! If your trip is only for poker, it could be a great place. If you want other stuff to do then you may need to pick somewhere else!

[arbboy]

Malta is great for numerous reasons.  No car will be needed to hire because the island is so small.  The airport is 20 minutes from the main area of St Julien's where you will need to be based.  Great 4/5 star hotels (including the Hilton complex) where one of the casinos is.  Literally 200m away is a mini strip of restaurants/bars/nightclubs/strip bars.  You will probably never need to even get a taxi during your stay never mind a hire car.  If you are going in the summer the place is rammed with thousands of fit european language students there to study English for the summer mainly from Spain and Italy.

A lot to like about the place having lived there for a year it was a lot of fun believe me.  I am amazed more people don't go there for a stag weekend in the summer.  It is perfect.

[Jamier-Host]

Ok thanks, Malta certainly could be an option then. Barca i've done before and was looking for somewhere smaller/quieter ideally. Lloret de mar might be ok so will check that out as well.

[bergeroo]

Other options. Not sure how old you are, but if you are under 30 you might enjoy Golden Sands, Bulgarian coast... It's not for me though!

[hhyftrftdr]

Lisbon?

[tonytats]

We were just in Malta three weeks ago stayed at the golden tulip Vivaldi hotel just around the corner from portomasso casino n Hilton complex ,ours was a lovely hotel with a roof top terrace n pool I highly recommend it ! Plenty of Italian restaurants around it
If there's not an event on tho it's quiet poker wise

[StuartHopkin]

Malta is great for numerous reasons.  No car will be needed to hire because the island is so small.  The airport is 20 minutes from the main area of St Julien's where you will need to be based.  Great 4/5 star hotels (including the Hilton complex) where one of the casinos is.  Literally 200m away is a mini strip of restaurants/bars/nightclubs/strip bars.  You will probably never need to even get a taxi during your stay never mind a hire car.  If you are going in the summer the place is rammed with thousands of fit european language students there to study English for the summer mainly from Spain and Italy.

A lot to like about the place having lived there for a year it was a lot of fun believe me.  I am amazed more people don't go there for a stag weekend in the summer.  It is perfect.

100% this. Malta is so underrated, great for a lads trip, couple trip or gambling venture!

[Ransom]

I have just moved to Sofia in Bulgaria.

There's a casino in every section of the city. Some places have a casino on each street corner.  Not all offer poker but the bigger casinos do. I have the Royal Palm casino at the end of my road.
Generally it's 1 Lev/2Lev - equivalent to 40p/80p but games go up to 5Lev/10Lev so £2/£4 is going to be the highest stakes.

It's also the cheapest place I have ever been. If you want a meal in a nice restaurant for two, you'll need to actually try hard to spend more than £25 total for a full 3 courses, bottle of wine and a couple more drinks. Beers clock in at about 1.50 lev (55p), big bottles of your name brand spirit (Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Jameson etc) are about £6 from the BILLA supermarkets. 

Expat bars and clubs will price more in line with UK prices, but a little bit cheaper to trick you into thinking you're getting a good deal though. £2 a pint is decent for the UK, but a rip off in Sofia.

Sofia airport is close to the city, about 10 minutes drive and costs 15 lev which is about £3.50. Or you can just take the metro which is 40p for a return ticket anywhere to any stop you want.

Temperature is about 30c all day. Most people speak English. They will claim they only speak 'a little', but will be quite proficient and able to hold decent conversation. Because of all the American TV, the young people have American accents when they speak English, it's quite funny.

According to Bulgarians I've spoken to, there are two types of English people -

повърня прасе - Which translates to Vomit Pigs
Бонд - Which means James Bond

Be a James Bond, and have fun. Be a vomit pig and the men with big gold chains around their necks will have a word with you.