Trains: Miskolc and Eger

We just did train trips to Szentendre and Godollo from Budapest. In each case, we visited the train station, bought our tickets in about 1 minute flat, and were on the train. We also bought tickets at Keleti station for a trip to Pecs. We arrived at the station 10 minutes prior to the train departure. We easily purchased train tickets, got to the train, and were on board within 5 minutes.

The trains that go to Szentendre and Godollo are HEV suburban commuter trains, not the same as what you take when going elsewhere, such as Pecs, or in my case as well, to Tata or Vienna. I waited about 10 minutes in line at Keleti for a ticket to Tata, Pecs and Vienna I had purchased in advance, with a seat reservation.

I had a fun surprise when I visited Pecs last year, had purchased my ticket easily in advance from the Mavcsoport website, turned up plenty early for my train, which left from Kelenfold station, only to see a blank platform number. A nice young man managed to convey to me that I would be taking a bus...a BUS?! For a 3 hr train trip? Still, I headed out to where the buses were and saw a white bus, unlike Budapest's typical bus, and sure enough, it was the connector bus that would take me to a little town called Szazhalombatta where there was an eerily deserted train station--starting to feel like something out of the Twilight Zone--with just 1 train waiting for us. We arrived in Pecs exactly on time, so they have this figured out to a T. Same thing in reverse coming home.

As for finding the bus at Keleti, there should be signs.

Hello from Wisconsin,
Eger is a great place to spend a night or two. Very compact. Try booking the Hotel Senator.

I think most people try to do Eger in two hours and that is too bad. Slow down savor this place.

On one December visit to Eger we took a bus out from Budapest and returned to Budapest by train. Both were fun. The bus trip was my first time traveling with chickens. Traveling by rail across the dsrk Hungarian landscape with Hungarians in our compartment was thrilling.

Szentendre and Godollo were both busts for us. Szent. Might have been a great artists' colony at one time but not now. And Godollo being a world class palace? Give me a break.

Wayne iNWI

I really enjoyed both Szentendre and Godollo. Perhaps YMMV, but for us, they were fun and quirky places. Szentendre has about 20 small museums, each of which is different, and mostly could be toured in 15-20 minutes. You could buy a combo ticket for the whole thing. Godollo was also fun. I have family history in A-H, so it spoke to me.

Given that Miskolc is further to the east than Eger, should I split my
stays between the two cities? If so, what is the optimal way to do
this?

I would say that Eger is a two night place on its own. Rather than Miskolc proper I would look at staying in Lillafüred at the Hotel Palota; at least on night, possibly two.

Are there any tips about buying train tickets online? Seat61 website
says that the lines may be super long at the train station. Are seat
reservations needed? Any issues with buying tickets for immediate
departures?

I would buy them on line a day or two prior to departure.

https://www.mavcsoport.hu/en is a confusing website. I punched in
"Budapest" (origin) + "Miskolc" (destination) and found many results.
Yet, some of the non-stop options actually involves a change via
Hatvan. Then, some other results with 1 or 2 changes.

I looked and saw the train stopped in Hatvan, but not a change.

I was planning to visit these lovely places back in April, but a
sudden switch of schedule forced me to abandon the idea. I would like
to reconsider this impromptu trip this weekend.

Go have fun

We were treated very nicely at the Senator Haz, nice breakfast, also restaurant. We stayed 2 nights. Enjoyed dinner at Cherry Etterem Es Kavezo and also liked Foter Cafe.

Edit: It is Foter Cafe. Just looked, we’re were there October 2017.

Senator Haz; if you were treated "nicely" that too bad. Means the old guy that owned it isnt there any longer. He was "abrupt" (at best) when communicating. It was just his way, I always saw him as a great old guy. But the reviews they got years ago were very pointed in the critizism of him. Excellent hotel. Would be my first and second choice in Eger.

Thanks very much for the quick replies so far.