{"id":9916,"date":"2018-12-28T13:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=9916"},"modified":"2019-01-04T13:48:37","modified_gmt":"2019-01-04T13:48:37","slug":"5-amazing-self-drive-day-trips-from-budapest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/5-amazing-self-drive-day-trips-from-budapest\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Amazing Self-Drive Day Trips From Budapest"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll be honest with you, Budapest is one of my favourite cities in all of Europe, but I can\u2019t stay there for more than a week or two. The Hungarian capital moves at breakneck pace, and I had to arrange several day trips on my last visit to escape the madness and recharge my batteries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this article, I\u2019ve collected five of my favourite self-drive day trips accessible from Budapest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Lake Balaton<\/h4>\n

\"Budapest-Lake-Balaton\"<\/p>\n

About two hours to the southwest of Budapest lies Europe\u2019s largest freshwater lake, Lake Balaton<\/a><\/u>. I remember the first time I drove down from Budapest through vineyards, quaint historical towns and lush rolling hills. I swear, my mouth was open the whole way there! When I arrived at Balaton, I accidentally chanced upon Balatonf\u00fcred, a painfully pretty resort town on the northern shore of the lake.<\/p>\n

I managed to find a hotel with a private pool and, to my surprise, a jacuzzi and spent the best part of two days unwinding from the madness of the city by floating in a pool on the shores of a gorgeous lake sipping some fizzy Hungarian wine. Saying it was like heaven is a bit of an understatement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Velence Lake<\/h4>\n

\"Budapest-Velence-Lake\"<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re travelling from Budapest to Balaton, the chances are that you\u2019ll pass its smaller cousin, Velence Lake. While not as large or as well-known as Lake Balaton it is a super chill alternative if Balaton proves too busy for you.<\/p>\n

I only discovered Velence Lake recently and fell in love with the warm summer waters at once. After a few face plants, I decided wakeboarding wasn\u2019t for me and retreated to the shores for a spot more relaxing! Oh, watch out for the swans too! They are super territorial and will hiss if you get to close.<\/p>\n

The concierge at my nearby hotel recommended I return in the winter when the lake freezes over and turns into a huge skating rink!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Holl\u00f3k\u0151<\/h4>\n

\"Budapest-Holl\u00f3k\u0151\"<\/p>\n

My favourite trip in Hungary was driving up into the Cserh\u00e1t mountains on the edge of the Slovakian border to Holl\u00f3k\u0151 Village; a hidden gem few tourists ever hear about let alone visit. The road is fantastic, especially if you\u2019re a car fan like me! From the foothills at the base of the Cserh\u00e1t mountains to the village, I had a smile plastered across my face, and I threaded my little hire car (an Opel Astra, in case you\u2019re wondering) through tight twisty roads.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the road levelled out, and I was shot into 1500s Hungary! It honestly felt like flying back in time. The old-fashioned houses are so beautiful, and everyone is still wearing traditional Hungarian clothes. If I\u2019m honest, I felt a little sorry for bringing a car into the village so I parked up as quickly as I could and explored the rest on foot.<\/p>\n

Only about 380 people live in the village, and they\u2019re all super friendly and keen to share their culture with you, especially the food which is fantastic! I had a couple of meals at the castle restaurant Var Etterem, and the best dish by a country mile was the Hungarian gulyas. Huge chunks of meat coated with a creamy spiced sauce and piles of dumplings on the side! My mouth is watering just thinking of it!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Aggtelek National Park<\/h4>\n

\"Budapest-Aggtelek-National-Park\"<\/p>\n

The Aggtelek National Park is an Another UNESCO World Heritage Site up in the northeast of the country, straddling the Hungary-Slovakia border.<\/p>\n

While the park is superb, I went because of the Baradla Cave, a vast underground labyrinth of stalactite caves. I think it\u2019s the longest in Europe! Walking into the giant stone mouth of the cave was both awe-inspiring and scary, especially when the natural light started to fade behind me, leaving just the small lighting fixtures to illuminate the cave.<\/p>\n

Walking out of cave felt like coming back to planet Earth from some strange planet. It was a fantastic experience and one I\u2019ll treasure forever!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Eger<\/h4>\n

\"Budapest-Eger\"<\/p>\n

It took me about three hours to drive from Budapest to Eger<\/a><\/u>, one of Hungary\u2019s best-known wine regions. Like Holl\u00f3k\u0151, visiting Eger felt like stepping back in time \u2014 this time to the 1100s or 1200s!<\/p>\n

The town is stunning, and the surrounding landscape is beautiful but what struck me about Eger was the people. Every single winemaker I spoke to was so welcoming and friendly and couldn\u2019t be more delighted to tell me all about their vineyard and their wines.<\/p>\n

The most famous wine of the region (and my new favourite Hungarian wine) is Egri Bikav\u00e9r, which translates as Bull\u2019s Blood<\/em>. Don\u2019t worry, though; it\u2019s much more beautiful than it sounds!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go, Explore!<\/h4>\n

So there are my five favourite self-drive day trips from Budapest. You\u2019ve got sprawling lakes, majestic mountains, bustling lakeside tourist towns and a little snippet of Hungarian history.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, I\u2019ve included something to please everyone. However, if I\u2019ve missed out your favourite day trip, tell me all about it in the comments as I love to learn about new travel tips.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Guest Blogger<\/strong>:\u00a0Tom Butcher is a freelance writer, covering a wide range of topics, including finance, business and motoring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day trips that hit the spot<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":9935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[937,58,12],"tags":[77,82],"yoast_head":"\n5 Amazing Self-Drive Day Trips From Budapest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Budapest is an incredible city. Head out of town, and you'll find even more amazing places to discover. 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