Skip to content
Pack & Quest
The Hungarian Parliament Building on the bank of the Danube in Budapest

Side quests

Day trips from Budapest

3 easy escapes, most by public transport.

Photo: Efrem Efre / Pexels · Pexels License

Heads-up: this page contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our picks. How we make money.

Suburban trains, regular trains and Danube boats make easy day trips. Times are approximate; check the timetable for your date.

Side quest 1

Szentendre

A colourful artists’ town on the Danube with Serbian churches.

How to get there
H5 HÉV from Batthyány tér (Budapest ticket plus an extension ticket)
Travel time
About 40 min

Side quest 2

Danube Bend: Visegrád & Esztergom

A hilltop citadel above the river bend and Hungary’s biggest basilica.

How to get there
Train or bus, or a tour or summer boat
Travel time
About 1–1.5 hours

Side quest 3

Gödöllő Royal Palace

The Baroque palace where Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) loved to stay.

How to get there
H8 HÉV from Örs vezér tere
Travel time
About 1 hour

Get the free city map + checklist

A printable highlights map and 48-hour tick-off plan (Amsterdam, Porto, Prague and Edinburgh ready, more cities soon) plus our best money-saving tips, straight to your inbox. One useful email a week at most. Unsubscribe any time.

By signing up you agree to receive emails from us. See our privacy policy.

Plan your next step