HUNGARY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 307

For a night on the town, you have the option of a Goulash Party with wine and
a show, or you can pull out all the stops with the “Budapest by Night” tour, which
offers dinner, a floor show, dancing, and wine tasting accompanied by folk music. If
visiting in August, plan ahead for the Buda-Fest by contacting the tourist office for
a list of highlights for this summer cultural event. If you can work it in, the full-day
Danube Bend bus tour on the right bank of the Danube to the towns of Esztergom,
Visegrád, and Szentendre is well worth the expense for the experience. The area
is not accessible by train, and the vistas along the river are captivating.
Day Excursions
Four day excursions from two of Hungary's nine tourism regions have been selec-
ted for your Hungarian explorations. (Call the Hungarian Tourist Board or visit their
website for further information on the other regions.) Two excursions are to Balaton
and Siófok, resort towns that border what the locals call the Balaton, the long, great
lake lying south of Budapest. Two other excursions, Kecskemét and Szeged, take
you south through the Great Plains region.
Although Lake Balaton is shallow (12.4 meters at the deepest point), it actually
has waves created by the wind over the northern hills and offers water sports such
as boating, yachting, sailing, fishing, and hunting, as well as horseback riding, and
giant slides for kids of all ages. Visit www.balaton.gotohungary.com . You may ex-
plore a number of beautiful towns and villages, including Siófok, purportedly the
best bathing resort on the Lake. Visit www.siofok.hu .