LoriS

I just booked tickets for a 9-day trip to Hungary (in/out of Budapest). We're planning on spending a few days touring the Tokaj wine region and a few days in Budapest. We prefer the country, rather than big cities, so we're planning on spending the majority of the trip outside of Budapest. We're also considering crossing into Romania for a few days.

What were your favorite things to see/do/eat/shop/etc. in Hungary and Romania?

easytraveler

If you are going out of the big city, I would highly recommend doing a trip around the great bend of the Danube to towns like Szetendre.

I also enjoyed a day trip to Kutna Hora.

gregeva1

I have tons of favorites to do in Hungary. I love visiting the following cities:

Szeged, Eger, Szentendre,Tihany,Lillafüred,Szilvásv& aacute;rad, Esztergom, Heviz, Pecs

I love the spas in Hungary, the little restaurants for gulyas, and crepes( palacsinta), the goose liver pate, the bakeries ( dobos torte etc...)

I enjoy shopping at the flea market and the other open market places. The antique shops near the Parliament building in Pest were interesting.

Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Michael

The beginning and end of my trip report to Hungary and Romania might give you some ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34659808

Between a few days in the Tokaj region and in Budapest, I do not see crossing into Romania for a few days as a feasible option.

Debs

The Terror Museum and Statue Park are quite interesting to see in Budapest, and Aquincum makes a nice 1/2+ day trip (via the train). For some R&R, enjoy Margaret Island (situated between Buda and Pest)-it gets very crowded on Sundays! There are limitless dining options so finding a place to enjoy a good meal will be easy. The food at Baglovar (Owl's Castle) was quite good. It's on the Pest side of the Danube. ENJOY!

LoriS

Update:

Looks like the itinerary will be as follows:

3 nights in Tokaji Hungary,
2 nights in Bukovina Romania,
2 nights in Brasov Romania, and
2 nights in Budapest Hungary.

Michael

It will be a very long drive to Bukovina and a longer one from Brasov to Budapest.

bilboburgler

I think Gregeva's trip is pretty good and I would reduce the Roumanian bits.

There is a fault line that runs along the rail and motorway from Tokai to Budapest and some lovely spas pour out of the ground along this line. Some are literally white rock in a field and some are in caves. So for me the trip needs to be Tokai, then spas to Eger (valley of the virgins and Bulls Blood) then more spas to Budapest

Bukavina (why?)
Brasov is a bit dull as well.

MilenaM

If I spent only 1 night in Romania it would be Sibiu, definitely not two nights in Brasov unless it's winter and you ski.

aeiger

Hi
Are you renting a car? The Danube bend is a very nice area to spend some time. Eger [from which my surname comes from] is also a very nice small city to spend a day. Pecs is also very nice. Have to drink the "Bulls Blood" wine when there. We went from southeast Hungary to Romania from Arad to Deva. Granted it was several years aho but the amount of porno shops and houses in Arad were startling. The drive was not very pretty, not much to see. We stayed in Deva and were unable to find a restaurant other than a pizza place. The hotel had no hot water the next morning and the staff didn't care as they were busy arguing with a german tourist. We drove back to Hungary at that point. I hope it's changed since then. Sopron is another very nice town in western Hungary. I'm sorry that I included my lows for the vacation but that's the way it was then.

JudyC

Last year, I stayed at Eger several nigths for touring around Tokaj area, the most fascinating daytrip is the underground caves(miles of them, some huge as cathedral)in Aggteleki National Park. If you are not driving, there is early direct bus from Eger to the park.

If you are interested in architecture, perhaps you might like to visit the Romanesque church in Belapatfalva (a short bus ride from Eger), a beautiful setting in a green valley.

LoriS

Thanks for the suggestions. We'll have a car and will be driving. We're not adverse to the main motorways/highways.

LoriS

Ok, you all have convinced me to do some additional research on Romania, and after consideration, I've crossed it off this trip. Maybe the next one!

We're slowly narrowing down this itinerary and have purchasing air tickets, booked rental car, and some hotels. Still looking for something different to fill in the gaps:

-Fly into BUD and pick up rental car
-Tokaji: 3 nights at Grof Degenfeld and appts at various wineries
-Open: 3 nights - looking at possible trip into Slovakia. My great-grandparents were born in Losie in southern Poland- just over the border- so considering a daytrip from somewhere in Slovakia and then something else possibly in Slovakia to fill the in gaps.
-Budapest: 3 nights
-Fly home from BUD

The hungarian spas do not look inviting to me, although I love private, personal treatments at spas I've visited in France, Italy, etc. The hungarian spas look very impersonal. Any spa experiences to convince me otherwise?

Thanks!

bilboburgler

http://www.gotohungary.com/brochures...e/gyogy_angol/

I think start with this web site and down load their catalogue.

Best ones for me are the underground spas

aeiger

Hi
Have you considered visiting Krakow in southern Poland. We visited iy several years ago driving from Slovakia through the Tatras. We stayed in Stary Smokovec at the Grand hotel. Had a great time there. It was a turn of the 20th century hotel. I don't know if the restaurant across the road is still open but I found it in Fodors, it was the Koliba restaurant. Plenty of music, wine and friendly people who spoke no English.
Enjoy your trip.

LoriS

Thanks for the High Tatras suggestion. Just book the remaining 3 nights at Grandhotel Praha.