In Sept,2010 my husband and I are traveling to Budapest for 3 nights then on to Heviz Hungary for 7 nights, then on to Kaprun Austria for 7 nghts then on to Rome Italy for 7 nights any suggestions on how to travel from country to country. We plan on biking Lake Balaton when staying in Heviz,any input would be greatly appreciated as this is our first european trip
Posted by
Chicago/Rural WI
811 posts
Hi Peggy,
I'm not sure that a train will take you all the way from Budapest to Heviz. I believe it will only take you as far as Keszthely (near Heviz), and from there you'd need to figure out transport to your lodging. It's not to say, however, that there isn't a direct bus from Budapest but I don't know the particulars about that - you may have to do a little digging around.
The official Hungarian Rail site can be found at:
http://www.mav.hu/english/index.php
I'm uncertain about the train travel for the rest of your journey, but I would suspect the route between Heviz and Kaprun will be a long one.
Because we don't get many questions about Heviz (or Kaprun) here, you may want to consider posting over on TripAdvisor - there are many Destination Experts on that site that could help you plan the transportation particulars.
Rick Steves' Eastern Europe guide won't be of much use to you outside of Budapest, as he doesn't cover much of Hungary in it. Your best bet would be to check out other titles (Lonley Planet, Michelin Green Guides, etc.) to see if they had more information on the places you'd like to visit.
Good luck!
Posted by
Chicago/Rural WI
811 posts
Ok, actually I just did a little digging around and there appears to be a direct bus between Budapest and Heviz. It departs from the Népliget station in Budapest.
The bus website can be found here (Hungarian only):
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
You could definitely do Budapest > Heviz > Kaprun by car. We've done a similar drive - Budapest down past Lake Balaton and then via Graz and Portschach to Kitzbuhel - and it wasn't bad at all. The roads in Hungary aren't bad and the highways in Austria are as good as or better than any in Europe. Plus, with 2 weeks in Heviz/Kaprun, it'd sure be nice for you to have a car available.
Posted by
Chicago/Rural WI
811 posts
The problem I had when trying to run it through Google Translate (before I posted) was that Google would give me an error message when I pushed the "Search" button and wouldn't allow the schedules to be posted.
And Tom (hey - it's the Chicago contingent here!), I really like your idea of the car and that is what I'd probably do. It's just important to note that there will be a hefty drop fee if you picked up the car in Hungary and dropped it off in another country.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
@Angela - when we did our drive through Hungary & Austria we actually started and ended in Munich. No drop fee involved.
But to me a drop fee is well worth it rather than spending 2 weeks in Heviz/Kaprun without a car.
Posted by
Roebling, NJ, U.S.A.
8 posts
Hi Peggy,
You may want to investigate www.raileurope.com, especially for railpasses between countries. It sounds like a Eurail Select Pass may be worth a look. If you do select one of the passes, you can purchase a saver pass, which offers reduced prices. My mother and I recently returned from Rome. I would strongly suggest using the tram, metro, and bus systems as opposed to renting a car and driving. You can buy a weekly transportation pass at any tabacchi shop for 16 euros. It is economical and well worth it.