HansHederman

Hi.... I will be visiting my son who will be attending college for Fall term at Corvinus U. and would like some suggestions for side trips, etc. I only have a week (arriving Monday 10/21 and leaving 10/28). Was considering spending 3 nites in Budapest and perhaps visiting a neighboring country. Thinking Monday til Friday and maybe taking rail or quick flight for a taste of Croatia or Slovenia... I've been told that Vienna would make more sense but I'm looking to be off the beaten path a bit and Vienna appears to be a pretty big, busy city. Am I biting off a little too much???? I wish I had more time to spend, but I'm sure my son wants me out after a week so he can resume his "studies". I appreciate your help. Cheers, Friends!

centraleurope

What a wonderful trip. I live in Budapest and my daughter studied at Cornivus last semester. She loved it.... We saw very little of her!

First, the city is huge and can easily consume a week. I like the town of Vac as a day trip. Perhaps Pecs as an overnight. Further a field, we really enjoyed Zagreb.

I have some trip reports on www.centraleuropebeyondprague.com

I was surprised how much travel my daughter did - formally thru school and with friends. (But never with me!)

Those are great dates, as by then your son will give you an insiders view... Btw, he will have Friday off, but lots of travel around that time in the semester.

HansHederman

Julie. Your trip report is outstanding and informative. Thank you so much for sharing. I really wish I had more time to stay. It seems each country has something different to offer. I may try to fit in either Zagreb, Bratislava or Ljubljana in for maybe half of the stay. It will be my son's birthday so I may take him away for a weekend. Great to know he'll have Fridays off. Besides Zagreb, does a train route exist for Slovenia and/or Bratislava? If the train is too time consuming, are flights reasonable? Thank you once again! I have you bookmarked for my boy to read.

centraleurope

Bratislava is very easy by train... It is just under 3 hours and trains go every 2 hours all day from Keleti. I have lots of info on Bratislava as we lived there for a year and a half. It is a one hour bus ride to pop over to Vienna for the day from Bratislava.

Zagreb was more than six hours and a train goes daily from Deli. We went to Slovenia from Zagreb. Ljubljana was a great little city. Slovenia is much easier by car if you are up to renting one. Go to AAA and pick up an international driving permit (a translation of your own license) if you plan do this.

I am unaware of a flight to Zagreb... I could not find one.

For trains to Zagreb, Ljubljana, or Bratislava, you can buy train tickets the same day.

My daughters favorite trip was Berlin. She did fly that time... And I forget if she flew airberlin, ryanair, or wizzair.

Budapest is very central in Europe. You can get most anyplace by a 1 to 2 hour flight.

zalap

There is also a eurolines bus twice in a week as far as I remember every Thursday and Saturday linking Budapest with Zagerab and Ljubljana. Comfortable and fast way of travelling, only 5 hours and cheaper than train (around 24 euros return ticket)
Check this link: http://www.volanbusz.hu/en/search_int.php

centraleurope

The only problem I have with the buses are the departure times... often really early (6AM) or overnight. I just can't (won't?) do that.

But if it works, it is great. For the OP, the bus station is integrated into the Blue line metro... So not at all hard if the times and dates work for you.

Bobandco

I would spend the time in Budapest. We spend over four weeks in Budapest every year. Still haven't run out of things to see and do. But I understand. Here are some suggestions: Gyor and the Archabbey at Pannonhalma (1.5 hours by train, great overnight baroque town center and converted monastery hotel), Eger (2 hours by train) great wine town with a fort looking down on the town, Pecs (3 hours by train, warmer climate, great Turkish occupation architecture, lovely town)

RogerM

There's a lot to be said for keeping your trip relatively uncomplicated and getting familiar with a single culture so I agree with the previous poster - spend your time in Budapest. We've been there three times now for a total of 7 weeks and still feel that there's plenty left for the next visit. If you want to see a little more of Hungary and take a one or two night side trip it's easy to get train tickets and an hour or two will get you to lots of interesting small towns. For a first-timer my recommendation would be Eger.

Bobandco

For an overnight my first choice would be Eger. for a full day trip or an overnight I would say Gyor and the Archabbey (I love them both) and for a half day trip in Summer I would say Szentendre. Half day in the spring I would say Godollo and for a half day trip in the winter I would say Vac.

If you go here there is a sample five day Itinerary http://vasvarirentals.com/budapest.html

centraleurope

I am a Vac fan ... Oddly enough, I work in Vac... Here is a trip report on Vac:

http://centraleuropebeyondprague.com...from-budapest/

I need to get moving on Budapest content!

Great ideas in your website bob... And lovely apartment!

bilboburgler

Eger is a good visit and do pop by the Valley of the Virgins and its open air wine tasting, I'd also fit in Tokjai and Miscolk and its cave based spa, in fact there are about 180 spas along the Budapest fault line many well worth a dip. Lake Balaton is perfectly pleasant

Bobandco

Centraleurope, My impression is that Szentendre is sort of miserable in the winter but Vac can be really beautiful winter and summer. I’m jealous! We will be back in about 6 weeks so try and keep the temperatures down for us. Funny that when we renovated the apartments we got some criticism for putting in air conditioning and even more criticism for putting in such large air conditioning. Now with the 100F days I think the gentleman that manages the places for us gets jealous of our guests comfort. We’re from Texas and we have an appreciation for good AC.

We aren't too many years away from living full time in Budapest so stay in touch. Email on my profile page.

centraleurope

Hey bob... I rarely go to Szentendre ... My husband rides his bike there quite often. It is certainly a town which has been taken over by tourists.... So I can imagine the off season is bleak.

Vac, on the other hand, is a city of historical significance - lovely with a fabulous old town square - but today very much a Hungarian city. There is little tourist infrastructure, as a consequence, I don't think it falls apart in the off season.

I eat lunch every day in a historic old building in town which is filled with Hungarians getting the menu (including that perennially favorite stomached and brains... Yum!)

Vac is my favorite town on the bend.

I will hit up your email. We are back in the US most of September - but then home here thru Christmas.

Bobandco

We will be back there for Christmas as well.
Stay cool

missypie

I am going to be following your travels closely. My daughter will be studying at Corvinus U in the spring term and we plan to visit in mid-March!

Bobandco

missypie, March can be a little cool sometimes but there isn't a month where the sky is more blue or the town more beautiful (or the wind on the banks of the Danube more fierce). Try to be there on the 15th for the celebration of the revolution of 1848. The town is alive and the festivities are numerous. Always a favorite for us.

centraleurope

Just one thing for the Cornivus parents to check.... When are the trips the kids take. They are part of the curriculum. I think my daughter travelled 3 of the 4 weekends in April.

March should be good Missypie. Your daughter will love it. Most of the Americans are from the NE. My daughter was the only Coloradan. I think the kids also learned a lot about how different Americans are by region... She made a lot of American and Hungarian friends.

missypie

Ooh, good info Bobandco. I was trying to decide whether to leave on the 15th or 16th. Sounds like it should be the 16th.

Centraleurope, if your D was the only Coloradan, maybe mine will be the only Texan.

Bobandco

missypie, I should have guessed you were a Texan! We are good folk aren't we! I have always found the people in Budapest to be strangely familiar in a lot of their attitudes, general kindness, and good manners. I felt comfortable there the first day even if I didn't understand (and still don't understand) a word they say. Well I can muster hello, goodbye, thank you, please, excuse me and yes and no; and the name of the street my apartment is on, but that's about it. Just stay away from the guys waving the red and white stripped flags and have a glorious time.

missypie

My husband and I were there for a few days in 1995 - loved it then.