Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
> * in Banja Luka the closest ATM to the bus station is inside the bus > station (no Master cards, only VISA) Just to add, if you try Mooray aproach, take in count the ATM at Bonsa Hotel is also VISA only so I ended pating more for the taxi, as had to go couple of blocks to locate a bank, with ATM that accept Master Card, also to add minimum amount it's 50, Taxi was like 7 and ended 10 and the taxist hadnt change for a 50KM Also Zagreb airport drivers more or less understand english. At main bus station, on ticket also english is spoken, but drivers don't speak or understand english/italian/french or spanish, same for taxists at BL :/ > * the distance to the venue is around 3 kilometers, so taking a bus or > taxi is recommeneded, bus stop is a bit further along after the bus Going for breakfast! and then nap and meeting! See you soon! -- The only constant is the change ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss
Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
The actual distance is around 20 meters (the bus is right at the exit from the airport, which 5 meters from the exit from the customs area), but if multiple flight land at the same time, it could take up to a half an hour, mostly due to waiting for bags. I can only fully support Moray's account adding that: * hustlers could try to get you to ride to Banja Luke in their minibus - do not go there * bus drivers do not accept any cards, but there is a plenty of ATMs at all ends of the bus journeys * the luggage cost was 1 € for us (actually marked on the ticket) * bus drivers can give you change for large bills as well * in Banja Luka the closest ATM to the bus station is inside the bus station (no Master cards, only VISA) * the distance to the venue is around 3 kilometers, so taking a bus or taxi is recommeneded, bus stop is a bit further along after the bus station and some shops, the ticket costs 1.5KM and you get off right after you see flashing sign 'Casino' and white sign 'Hotel Bosnia' on your right, then walk back the 150 meters from that bus stop Photos and a blog post coming tomorrow after breakfast On 17 July 2011 21:14, Norman Garcia Aguilar wrote: > On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:44:26 +0100 > Moray Allan wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> I just arrived in Banja Luka a little while ago, after beta testing >> the connections from Zagreb airport. I of course wanted to make sure >> that this was a fair test, so: >> >> - It was arranged that the plane escaped from London Heathrow an hour >> late after a long wait for a take-off slot following boarding, >> reducing my two hour connection time in Zagreb to one hour. >> >> - To make sure that I was tired out, I spent the flight reading a >> novel in Spanish while the child next to me distracted me by singing >> and trying to draw on my arm, and the baby two seats over cried >> loudly. >> >> On arrival at Zagreb, I as usual chose an appropriate standing >> location on the bus from plane to terminal so that I was towards the >> front of the queue for passport control, and was then lucky that my >> bag was one of the first onto the conveyor belt. These bits might >> seem like cheating, but, sorry, I did want to try to catch the first >> bus to Banja Luka. > > Someone knows how long does it take from plane arriving to getting to the bus > stop at Zagreb airport? normally waiting for luggage, customs and inmigration? > > Regards, > ___ > Debconf-discuss mailing list > Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org > http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss > -- Best regards, Aigars Mahinovs mailto:aigar...@debian.org #--# | .''`. Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.debian.org) | | : :' : Latvian Open Source Assoc. (http://www.laka.lv) | | `. `' Linux Administration and Free Software Consulting | | `- (http://www.aiteki.com) | #--# ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss
Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:14:05 -0600, Norman Garcia Aguilar wrote: > Someone knows how long does it take from plane arriving to getting to the bus > stop at Zagreb airport? normally waiting for luggage, customs and inmigration? We landed at 13.50 or .55 and made the bus at 14.30 including withdrawing money and (going to the toilet|smoking a cigarette). Cheers, gregor -- .''`. Homepage: http://info.comodo.priv.at/ - PGP/GPG key ID: 0x8649AA06 : :' : Debian GNU/Linux user, admin, & developer - http://www.debian.org/ `. `' Member of VIBE!AT & SPI, fellow of Free Software Foundation Europe `-BOFH excuse #264: Your modem doesn't speak English. signature.asc Description: Digital signature ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss
Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
> Someone knows how long does it take from plane arriving to getting to the bus > stop at Zagreb airport? normally waiting for luggage, customs and inmigration? > > Regards, > ___ > Debconf-discuss mailing list > Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org > http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss > >From Arriving to get luggage like 10-15 min, passport 5-10min, I just passed at 21.40hrs, bus to main station bus cost 31hrk (one ATM on bag line and several just passing passport and customs). The bus took time to get in motion I must got it at 22.15 and until 22.45 got running at main bus station you must know that the tickets are sell on the upper floor. Maybe earlier on it's more busy. I got the idea that was very fast (except for the wait for the bus to get moving). I'm waiting for the 02.00 hrs bus to Banja Luka. Regards. -- The only constant is the change ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss
Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:44:26 +0100 Moray Allan wrote: > Hi, > > I just arrived in Banja Luka a little while ago, after beta testing > the connections from Zagreb airport. I of course wanted to make sure > that this was a fair test, so: > > - It was arranged that the plane escaped from London Heathrow an hour > late after a long wait for a take-off slot following boarding, > reducing my two hour connection time in Zagreb to one hour. > > - To make sure that I was tired out, I spent the flight reading a > novel in Spanish while the child next to me distracted me by singing > and trying to draw on my arm, and the baby two seats over cried > loudly. > > On arrival at Zagreb, I as usual chose an appropriate standing > location on the bus from plane to terminal so that I was towards the > front of the queue for passport control, and was then lucky that my > bag was one of the first onto the conveyor belt. These bits might > seem like cheating, but, sorry, I did want to try to catch the first > bus to Banja Luka. Someone knows how long does it take from plane arriving to getting to the bus stop at Zagreb airport? normally waiting for luggage, customs and inmigration? Regards, ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list Debconf-discuss@lists.debconf.org http://lists.debconf.org/mailman/listinfo/debconf-discuss
Re: [Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
Trying again, as it seems this didn't get anywhere yet: On 7/17/11, Moray Allan wrote: > Hi, > > I just arrived in Banja Luka a little while ago, after beta testing > the connections from Zagreb airport. I of course wanted to make sure > that this was a fair test, so: > > - It was arranged that the plane escaped from London Heathrow an hour > late after a long wait for a take-off slot following boarding, > reducing my two hour connection time in Zagreb to one hour. > > - To make sure that I was tired out, I spent the flight reading a > novel in Spanish while the child next to me distracted me by singing > and trying to draw on my arm, and the baby two seats over cried > loudly. > > On arrival at Zagreb, I as usual chose an appropriate standing > location on the bus from plane to terminal so that I was towards the > front of the queue for passport control, and was then lucky that my > bag was one of the first onto the conveyor belt. These bits might > seem like cheating, but, sorry, I did want to try to catch the first > bus to Banja Luka. > > Reverting to non-cheating mode (and since I had some, but not much, > Croatian money with me) I left the airport terminal and put my luggage > in the bus directly outside and got on it, around 21.15, after being > assured by the driver that yes it was going to the bus station and it > would leave in "five minutes", instead of looking for a taxi to the > bus station. After a while the driver came through the bus selling > tickets (30 Kn each). I noticed that one couple didn't have local > currency, and the driver appeared to accept €10 for the two of them > instead. > > The bus left between 21.25 and 21.30 after it was almost full, and > took 20-25 minutes to reach its terminus at the bus station, arriving > about 21.50. It stopped a couple of times on the way, but these were > fairly obviously just brief roadside halts. The bus stopped in an > overspill car park outside the main bus station area, and the obvious > pedestrian entrance/exit from this area was closed (perhaps just > because it was the evening), so I left via the way we'd come in, > crossing over to the main bus station. After checking the way with > someone waiting for a bus, I then went upstairs (just taking any of > the stairs going up from the bus 'platforms') and followed the "exit" > signs along to the ticket desks. There was some complicated signage > above these, but the guy at the first desk I tried was happy to sell > me a ticket for the 22.00 bus to Banja Luka (108 Kn, as the wiki had > said). He pointed out to me the platform number (marked "PERON" on > the ticket). > > After going back along and down the stairs to the right place, I found > the bus waiting, and put my bag in the hold. This time there was a 12 > Kn fee for checking a bag, in return for which I got a receipt > matching a tag put on the bag. (This is fairly standard on Balkan > buses, but doesn't apply to the bus from the airport to the bus > station.) The main ticket had something that may have been a seat > number, but if it was then people were ignoring them to spread out -- > the bus was about half full. > > We arrived at the Croatian border about 23.40, and left the Bosnian > border about 00.20. At the Croatian border we all had to get off the > bus, show our passports, then get back on one by one, while at the > Bosnian border someone collected all the passports from us on the bus, > and took them off to stamp, then someone from the bus company gave > them back to us after we had started driving again. > > At about 00.40 we stopped at a cafe for people to smoke/use the > toilets/stretch their legs, departing again about 1.05. > > We arrived at the Banja Luka bus station at about 1.35. Some time > before this we'd passed a big sign for the city and a second sign with > a long list of twinned towns; the bus station itself was mostly just > an open-air car park, but they announced "Banja Luka" over the bus > speakers as we drove in, and it was the first major stop of the > journey. (A few people had got off immediately after the border > earlier.) > > At this time of night it wasn't completely obvious which way to go > from the bus, but while I was looking around, a taxi driver spotted me > and offered his services. By the end of the ride to Hotel Bosna the > meter was at about 8 KM. As I didn't have the right money for this, I > told him to wait -- he didn't speak English, but mentioning 'bank' and > leaving my bags in the car gave the right message -- and popped into > the hotel lobby to use the ATM there. (If I hadn't known there was an > ATM in the Hotel Bosna lobby, I'd have asked him to stop at a bank on > the way, given that I hadn't waited around to look for a possible ATM > around the bus terminal.) > > After paying the taxi-driver and collecting my bag, giving my passport > (along with a greeting) was sufficient for the guy on the hotel > check-in desk to find me on a list of DebConf people and
[Debconf-discuss] Beta testing Zagreb-Banja Luka bus
Hi, I just arrived in Banja Luka a little while ago, after beta testing the connections from Zagreb airport. I of course wanted to make sure that this was a fair test, so: - It was arranged that the plane escaped from London Heathrow an hour late after a long wait for a take-off slot following boarding, reducing my two hour connection time in Zagreb to one hour. - To make sure that I was tired out, I spent the flight reading a novel in Spanish while the child next to me distracted me by singing and trying to draw on my arm, and the baby two seats over cried loudly. On arrival at Zagreb, I as usual chose an appropriate standing location on the bus from plane to terminal so that I was towards the front of the queue for passport control, and was then lucky that my bag was one of the first onto the conveyor belt. These bits might seem like cheating, but, sorry, I did want to try to catch the first bus to Banja Luka. Reverting to non-cheating mode (and since I had some, but not much, Croatian money with me) I left the airport terminal and put my luggage in the bus directly outside and got on it, around 21.15, after being assured by the driver that yes it was going to the bus station and it would leave in "five minutes", instead of looking for a taxi to the bus station. After a while the driver came through the bus selling tickets (30 Kn each). I noticed that one couple didn't have local currency, and the driver appeared to accept €10 for the two of them instead. The bus left between 21.25 and 21.30 after it was almost full, and took 20-25 minutes to reach its terminus at the bus station, arriving about 21.50. It stopped a couple of times on the way, but these were fairly obviously just brief roadside halts. The bus stopped in an overspill car park outside the main bus station area, and the obvious pedestrian entrance/exit from this area was closed (perhaps just because it was the evening), so I left via the way we'd come in, crossing over to the main bus station. After checking the way with someone waiting for a bus, I then went upstairs (just taking any of the stairs going up from the bus 'platforms') and followed the "exit" signs along to the ticket desks. There was some complicated signage above these, but the guy at the first desk I tried was happy to sell me a ticket for the 22.00 bus to Banja Luka (108 Kn, as the wiki had said). He pointed out to me the platform number (marked "PERON" on the ticket). After going back along and down the stairs to the right place, I found the bus waiting, and put my bag in the hold. This time there was a 12 Kn fee for checking a bag, in return for which I got a receipt matching a tag put on the bag. (This is fairly standard on Balkan buses, but doesn't apply to the bus from the airport to the bus station.) The main ticket had something that may have been a seat number, but if it was then people were ignoring them to spread out -- the bus was about half full. We arrived at the Croatian border about 23.40, and left the Bosnian border about 00.20. At the Croatian border we all had to get off the bus, show our passports, then get back on one by one, while at the Bosnian border someone collected all the passports from us on the bus, and took them off to stamp, then someone from the bus company gave them back to us after we had started driving again. At about 00.40 we stopped at a cafe for people to smoke/use the toilets/stretch their legs, departing again about 1.05. We arrived at the Banja Luka bus station at about 1.35. Some time before this we'd passed a big sign for the city and a second sign with a long list of twinned towns; the bus station itself was mostly just an open-air car park, but they announced "Banja Luka" over the bus speakers as we drove in, and it was the first major stop of the journey. (A few people had got off immediately after the border earlier.) At this time of night it wasn't completely obvious which way to go from the bus, but while I was looking around, a taxi driver spotted me and offered his services. By the end of the ride to Hotel Bosna the meter was at about 8 KM. As I didn't have the right money for this, I told him to wait -- he didn't speak English, but mentioning 'bank' and leaving my bags in the car gave the right message -- and popped into the hotel lobby to use the ATM there. (If I hadn't known there was an ATM in the Hotel Bosna lobby, I'd have asked him to stop at a bank on the way, given that I hadn't waited around to look for a possible ATM around the bus terminal.) After paying the taxi-driver and collecting my bag, giving my passport (along with a greeting) was sufficient for the guy on the hotel check-in desk to find me on a list of DebConf people and give me a room key. I'm just writing this note from the hotel wireless while I remember details, and look forward to meeting up with everyone here in the morning. :) -- Moray ___ Debconf-discuss mailing list
