day trip to Gyor

How are train tickets best purchased?

From the Hungarian National Railroad https://jegy.mav.hu/ Do use their mobile app.

EDIT: Or from RejioJet. I always forget about these guys. Its a private train company: https://regiojet.com/

Is the additional fee for a seat reservation suggested?

Yes

Or, are seats plentiful?

Yes, Except when they are not. But the issue is when you get on the train you will sit in an empty seat until someone who reserved it tells you to move. You will move to another empty seat and you will be told to move at the next stop when someone gets on. Or pay the 2 or 3 euro. Or if you are over 65 the ticket is free and the whole trip just costs 2 or 3 euro.

Is there a better train station in Budapest? Or, is the Keleti station
as good as any?

You use the station from which the scheduled train leaves. Not like you can choose. Yes, for Gyor, it is Keleti. Although the train does stop in the rural Kelenföld station on the way out of town. Conceivably you could board there ... but why?

EDIT: The Rejiojet service runs out of the Budapest-Déli suburban station. It will take you 20 to 25 minutes to reach from the city center by public transportation (Metro Line 2)

Is downtown Gyor easily reachable on foot from the train station? Are
taxis readily available in Gyor?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ccQWhP73byAKezeA7
Yes there are taxis. Use google.

What sites or attractions are recommended in Gyor? Esterházy-palota?
Jedlik-csobogo fountain? Kaptalandomb neighborhood? Szechenyi Ter?
Others?

And Pannonhalma Archabbey
https://visithungary.com/category/gyor-and-pannonhalma

What restaurants are recommended in Gyor? Lamareda? West Kiraly BRGR?
Others?

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g274893-Gyor_Gyor_Moson_Sopron_County_Central_Transdanubia.html

Köszönöm

You are welcome

This is an excerpt from my trip to Gyor Oct 2024. I don’t think I would have wanted to do it as a day teip, but then my primary reason for going was to see Panonhalma Abbey.

Weekend trip to Györ:
I took the train to Györ for 2 nights with a day trip to Pannonhalma Archabbey. Györ has a small and charming city center, with more great architecture and a couple of beautiful churches and squares. I also found the small but really interesting “Permanent Exhibit on the history of tile stoves”. I probably only spent about 30-40 minutes there but it was a unique gathering of pretty things!

For the train: I bought a ticket on the MÁV app, and after choosing my train, entering my info including birthday (I am in the 65 & over group), it charged me about $2 each way for a seat reservation, and took about an hour from the Kelenfold station.

Bus to Pannonhalma: The central bus station is right behind the train station. More on busses below, but if you choose the route with the smallest amount of walking upon arrival, you wind up at the front of the Abbey. The ride is only about 30 min. There is a stop that shows @ 20 min of walking, but in actuality it is at the bottom of the hill very near the gardens. So it would be a good stop if you are walking through the garden and perfumery area at the end - maybe not good to start with.

Pannonhalma Abbey: First founded in 996, it is the one of the oldest historical monuments in Hungary and on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of course, it has been damaged, rebuilt, refurnished, added on to through the centuries but is historical and impressive. The library is reminiscent of other lovely abbey or monastery libraries I have been to (Admont, Strahov) but a little smaller. It holds the oldest surviving document using the Hi variant language (from 1055). Also less crowded in October. For 10-15 minutes I was the only person in the library!

I spent about 2 hours, plus lunch, in total - and in summer with the lavender and herb gardens blooming, I could probably have stayed an hour or two more. If the winery had not been closed for a special event, maybe an hour more.

With an extra day, I would have day-tripped to Esterhazy Palace.

Bus to Pannonhalma: The central bus station is right behind the train
station. More on busses below, but if you choose the route with the
smallest amount of walking upon arrival, you wind up at the front of
the Abbey. The ride is only about 30 min. There is a stop that shows @
20 min of walking, but in actuality it is at the bottom of the hill
very near the gardens. So it would be a good stop if you are walking
through the garden and perfumery area at the end - maybe not good to
start with.

I cant find the one that goes to the abbey. Only the one at the bottom of the hill. How is it marked or bus number or ???? See this is where you are so gooooood. Me, I took a taxi. So i paid 7000 forints where you paid 700 forints.