To Gyor or Not to Gyor, that is the question

I wouldn’t stop between Budapest and Vienna, they’re just too easy to get between.

If you want to do a one-nighter “out” somewhere (like more small town than these big cities), you might consider Melk or somewhere else out in the Wachau Valley outside Vienna. You can go out by train, come back the next day by boat or something.

I’ve been to Gyor many a time. I don’t know that I would specifically stop to spend a night there (and to me, it’s not a “small town,” either, it’s a decently sized city. And I don’t personally think Bratislava is worth spending a night in either, but I know I’m a bit of a snob about Bratislava.

I liked Gyor. It has an attractive historic center and a bunch of small museums (many art-related) I found interesting. It's a good base for a visit to the Pannonhalma Archabbey, too.

We stayed in Bratislava for one night, it was enough to see the small old town. Not much outside of this area. We took a lovely ride down the Danube from Vienna. You could go the opposite direction obviously. If you decide on this route, the Slovakian boat was 1/4 the price of the Austrian and while not as nice, it was nice enough. It’s a short ride. We got there early and sat in the front seats.

Gyor is on the Budapest to Vienna Train line, so it's not a detour. You would want to arrive early and stay at the Hotel Klastrom in the old district. The hotel is a converted 18th-century convent. Check in and call a taxi to take you to the Pannonhalma Archabbey. That's 3 to 4 hours of sightseeing. Check the website for tour details and the history. In some ways, it's better than Melk. Then late afternoon and evening in the historic center. Early train the next day to Vienna. I would do I, have done it, in a heartbeat.

Thank you for the replies. What I am hearing you say is that it may be worth staying a night in Gyor, but especially so if I visit Pannonhalma Archabbey, about a 30-min car ride from Gyor. This looks like an amazing place. 300K books in the library, including the oldest Hungarian language book. I think we are onto something here...
Also - I've not posted on the Austria thread yet, but we are planning to visit Melk as well, when we are in Vienna.

The differences are that Melk is a bit larger, but Pannonhalma is religiously more active. Both are beautiful.

Oh, and Melk is a side trip and Pannonhalma is on the way.

I am aware that Gyor is on the train line between Budapest and Vienna, since I started going to Gyor in 1993. I still consider that stopping over there breaks up what is a terrifically easy (when not all things are) journey between Bp and Vienna on a visit that already is not that long. If I had 11 (or 12) nights in Central Europe, I wouldn't use one of them for Gyor. That is all my answer reflected. I enjoyed my times in Gyor very much, but I lived in Hungary two different times, so I had more "nights" at my disposal.

And the fact remains that Gyor doesn't meet this stated criteria at all:

Looking for a small town to do a 1N in between Budapest and Vienna.

Enjoy Pannonhalma, indeed it is very cool. And your visit to Gyor will give you the flavor of a mid-sized Habsburg city, which is fun in and of itself..

Thank you, Kim! I see that Gyor is actually one of the largest cities in Hungary. So when I said "small town" I guess I meant small-ish compared to Budapest and Vienna and Prague. It does not sound like Gyor will be riddled with tour crowds, unless everyone reads this thread and heads there next May. Ha!
I'm still working out the itinerary, but I feel like my heart is set on staying in Gyor, for better or worse. But I am one that tries to put a square peg in a round hole, if that makes sense.

Yes, it's a city, but staying in the historic center and the train station is near the center, so you won't be aware of the size of the city. Tourism was there on my visits. But wasn't bad. Tourism in Budapest has been light this year too, who knows in the Spring.