Where to after Budapest?

You have many options depending on what form of transportation you are open to choose. If you will be flying out of Budapest and don't wish to fly to another location within Europe, I suggest going somewhere relatively close to Budapest. Vienna and/pr Salzburg/Prague.

You could visit Northern Italy, with Venice as a start.

Sorry, but the beaches in Europe are generally not so wonderful, in my opinion, except for the Greek Islands.

The few European places I have been (Croatia, Greece, and Spain) have had great beaches so I'm really hoping to find another similar destination. I was thinking Venice.. Do you know what the easiest way to get there would be? Are beaches there nice? It looks beautiful in photos. Thanks!

I answered on your other post, but here is some more detail.

Montenegro: Most people don’t go beyond the Bay of Kotor. Perast is beautiful, but the town of Kotor is becoming a Disneyland like its bigger twin brother Dubrovnik. Head south down the coast for beautiful beaches and inland for beautiful mountains, beautiful nature. The non-stop flight to and from Podgorica is about $85 each way.

Great beaches and water that is gin clear. https://www.google.com/search?q=montenegro+beaches&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHnty3j5DTAhWj14MKHVRBBgwQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1

A few hours from the beaches are the mountains and the second deepest gorge in the world. Pretty unspoiled but enough of an infrastructure to make travel fairly easy: https://www.google.com/search?q=montenegro+beaches&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHnty3j5DTAhWj14MKHVRBBgwQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=1028#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=montenegro+mountains&*&spf=389

Budapest to Podgorica to Budapest on Sunday’s https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=BUD;t=TGD;d=2017-07-09;r=2017-07-27;tt=o

Then there is Albania, again with cheap non-stop flights from Budapest. More remote and more unspoiled: https://www.google.com/search?q=montenegro+beaches&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHnty3j5DTAhWj14MKHVRBBgwQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=1028#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=Albania+beaches&*&spf=199

And the overlooked Albanian Alps: https://www.google.com/search?q=montenegro+beaches&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjHnty3j5DTAhWj14MKHVRBBgwQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=1028#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=albania+mountains&*&spf=565

Budapest to Tirana to Budapest on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=TIA;t=BUD;d=2017-07-12;r=2017-07-27;tt=o

For a “European” City, again it all depends on the day of the week, but for under $90 and 1.5 hours flight time there is
Belgrade
https://www.google.com/search?q=belgrade&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIpM3klpDTAhVJ7oMKHRhYB7gQ_AUICigD&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1
Cluj-Napoca
https://www.google.com/search?q=Cluj-Napoca&safe=off&gl=us&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih8aP5lpDTAhVs7oMKHZr8CoYQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1
Sofia
https://www.google.com/search?q=sofia+bulgaria&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiw1ujsmJDTAhUe24MKHeYUCaAQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1
Bucharest
https://www.google.com/search?q=bucharest&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY082TmZDTAhXi1IMKHX-xAD0Q_AUICigD&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1
Skopje
https://www.google.com/search?q=skopje&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih8-WqmZDTAhXnz4MKHTq1C6oQ_AUICigD&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1
Sarajevo
https://www.google.com/search?q=sarajevo&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT66K6mZDTAhUG6oMKHTPBADAQ_AUICigD&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1

Because of the limited dates for the cheap non-stop flights these are best worked out as arrival or departure cities. In other words, fly to Podgorica from the states, then on to Budapest or fly into Budapest from the states then on to Tirana and from there back to the states.

And don't overlook Pecs, just a short train ride from Budapest: https://www.google.com/search?q=pecs,+hungary&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiqgo3ImJDTAhWB3YMKHS4xCPoQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=1028#spf=1

I would either stay in Hungary after the Budapest visit or go on to Poland and the Czech Rep, depending if I had another month to take in both countries. Since it's a week for you, that's a tough call. If you're definite on leaving Budapest, then choose Poland (I know of numerous places to visit there) or the Czech Rep,... several places there too.

Fred, all good places. And I figured there would be a lot of similar suggestions so I opened the box a little wider. So much, so little time. My only issue with Vienna, Prague and the like is that they have become what they will be for the next 20 years. So, if not this year, then next years is good too. These other places are still what they were 20 years ago (with capitalist upgrades); but will not remain so much longer. So see them like this now, or see them later with the other 2.7 million tourists.

Barcelona and nearby beaches. Best of both city and seaside.

Montenegro looks so beautiful! I'm looking into it. Thanks for bringing attention to it. I absolutely loved Dubrovnik and it looks just like it.

And we're going to Barcelona next month or else that would be up there. I was there a ew years ago and love how laid back it is.

I sent you a PM with our itinerary in September / October. The towns are beautiful, the beaches are beautiful, the mountains are beautiful, but best of all we can do a little serious fishing. Our first trip to Montenegro started in Dubrovnik then a leisurely drive along the bay front with some stops in the towns along the way to Perast. Then two nights in Perast with a little fishing in the Bay, then a stop in Kotor (not hugely impressed - a small Dubrovnik) on the way using the high road over the mountains to Cetinje then Podgorica where we flew from back to Budapest. Back then, before the direct flight we had to spend a night in Belgrade, and happy we did. Belgrade now deserves a repeat trip. That's as far as we made it. Now we are picking up the second third of the Montenegro. As for the trip, the Budapest airport is pretty easy for a major airport and the airport in Podgorica is a snap to navigate.

@ James.. Note that I intentionally omitted Vienna from my suggested places. One could make a case for that historically, an esoteric one but still historically valid. After visiting Budapest I would stick with Poland and the Czech Rep. Your point about the Balkans as SE Europe in historical transition compared to Hungary, CR and Poland is well taken.

Fred, I have listened to you harp on Poland.....................appreciatively so, for a number of years. I will have to move it up on my list. I trust your judgment.

"....Sorry, but the beaches in Europe are generally not so wonderful, in my opinion, except for the Greek Islands....."

I've never read anything so ridiculous on a travel forum! Evidently the author hasn't travelled throughout Europe much.

JC, responded to my comment:
"....Sorry, but the beaches in Europe are generally not so wonderful, in my opinion, except for the Greek Islands....."
I've never read anything so ridiculous on a travel forum! Evidently the author hasn't travelled throughout Europe much.

Contrary to what JC thinks, I have been to 80 percent of the countries in Europe and seen a lot of its beaches, including, Costa del Sol, Costa Brava in Spain (perhaps the Baleric Islands are better), Cascas in Portugal, Nice, Monaco and Cannes in France, Rimini, Capri and the Amalfi Coast in Italy, some places in Croatia and Slovenia. The Greek Island beaches are rather impressive, but for some of the above stated beaches, I found polluted water, some with what appeared to be sewage odors. Other beaches like in France, Spain and Portugal had some impressive things to see near the beaches, beautiful casinos, hotels and of course the palace at Monaco, but the beach itself and water was not impressive.

The Adriatic coast of Yugoslavia, not Slovenia and Croatia was impressive, but the beaches we discovered were basically rocks.

I live on an island off the coast of Georgia and have been to some wonderful beaches in Florida, California, Texas, Mexico and the Caribbean and was far more impressed with those beaches than what I encountered in Europe.

Just compare the Gulf Coast of Florida or the beaches at Cancun where the water is o clear you can see your feet while standing the surf up to your chest. No comparison in my opinion. I haven't even gotten into the fantastic beaches in the Caribbean. I can see from others that mentioned places that I have not visited, perhaps those places are great, but I stand by my general statement.

In my opinion, if you want to enjoy great beaches, why waste your valuable time in Europe, considering the cost of getting there, etc, when North America and the Caribbean have wonderful places.

beautiful beaches

Why not try Lake Balaton?

geovagriffith, at times I suppose, the beach can somehow be culturally or visually unique or have some other attribute worthy of the trip. From time to time I go fishing on vacations despite the fact that there are more, and larger, fish in US waters. So, i guess your time at the beach is the equivalent. As for beaches, those in Montenegro and Albania look pretty sweet and I will find out for sure in a few months. Not that I am going to spend any time laying on them. Just not my thing, but we are all different and that's a good thing.

Also, not sure why someone can't disagree with out being so .... what word am I looking for?

You mentioned Venice. My dad spent the day at Lido beach while my son and I went sightseeing. he loved it. That might make a nice trip- you can both sightsee and do beach.

I've been to plenty of beaches in Europe where the sea was as clear, if not clearer than the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico. I've been to beaches that are far more interesting, in enclosed, hard to reach coves that are far more impressive, interesting and beautiful than vast swathes of Floridian beach. I've been on the much hyped beaches of Hilton Head, South Carolina where the sand was hard and compacted and the water so murky that you couldn't see your hand in it. There are some truly amazing beaches throughout Europe that to write them all off (with the exception of Greece) is absurd.

@JamesE. "Judgemental"? I had a few others but would become too familiar with the Webmaster/Webmistress.

James,
Agree, different strokes for different folks. There are very scenic places in Europe on the water where the beaches are nonexistent or not impressive such as the Croatian coast, Amalfi Coast, Capri and Sorrento. The French Riveria has lots of history and scenic places as well. My statements are just my opinion, for what it is worth to others, I certainly am not offended if others don't agree.