Holidays for wheelchair users   
                                                  
Extending horizons • Sharing memories • Enabling adventure
Aiming high • Having fun • Discovering the World       

Hungary - taking in Budapest, Vienna, & Bratislava

We have found the perfect point from which to take in the Central European capitals of Hungary, Austria, & Slovakia.
Győr is only just over an hour's drive from all three, and is an attractive Baroque town in its own right.
We think this could be the perfect balance - visiting the huge touristic attractions is undoubtedly amazing, but staying in a relatively undiscovered town makes a relaxing complement.

Budapest is regarded as one of Europe's most beautiful cities, whilst also being one of its most politically significant.  Reaching its zenith of power in the 15th Century, the Turks then invaded and stayed for 150 years (for which they are still not forgiven), followed by the Hapsburgs (who were also not as welcome as you may presume).  Finally, as a focus of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest regained its grandeur, and it's probably this era that provided its most loved characteristics.  The Soviet era is, let's say something out of fashion these days, but certainly adds a certain fascination to outsiders like us.  And 20 years of frantic reorientation to the west have not been without some pain, but add yet another dimension to our visit, and undoubtedly make it a more comfortable experience.

Bratislava, a mere small town compared with its neighbours, has certainly had a tumultuous recent life.  Surprisingly, having had a mainly German population for most of its history, it also had a turn as Hungary's capital (as the Turks didn't quite make it this far), finally becoming predominantly Hungarian in nature in the 19th century.  The story did not stand still, however, with 20th Century politics changing its population once again, this time into Slovakian, finally adopting the title of capital of Slovakia in 1994.

Vienna has a formidable reputation - palaces, coffee houses, riding, cold war intrigue, and of course its music.  As the former home of the Hapsburg court and its various empires, the city still has the trappings of the imperial capital it once was, and the historic city centre is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The three capitals are closely connected by history, and by the mighty Danube.  The river runs through each of them, and indeed lies a mere 8 miles to the north of our hotel.  Not far downstream from us lies one of its most picturesque sections, the "Danube Bend" around Visegrád.

Győr, the town in which we will be based, has a history no less intricate than its more famous neighbours.
With a roll call of "visitors" already having included the Celts, Romans, Slavs, Magyars (Hungarians), Czechs and even Mongols(!), the Hungarian commander of the town, clearly having had enough, felt that the Turkish invasion was the last straw, and burned the whole place down before they could get their hands on it!
This was fortunately followed by a rebuild by Italians, with a distinct Renaissance influence, and gained a Baroque makeover during the Hapsburg era.  Much appreciated by Napoleon, no doubt, when he stayed there (as an uninvited guest), as he had the town's name inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe (is that a kind of reverse graffiti?).
By now you may, like me, be wondering how come you'd never heard of it before!
And just to bring its history into the present day, have you ever fancied driving around in a reliably German Audi TT sportscar?  They're put together here, not Bavaria!



Accommodation & Dining
It's still not easy to find hotels with 4 well adapted rooms for our groups, indeed there are entire countries where the search is still on.  You can therefore imagine our excitement to first establish Győr as our preferred town in which to be based, and then go on to find exactly what we need in the Hotel Famulus, where all our rooms have roll-in showers.
The hotel is less than a mile from Győr's centre, which gives greater flexibility for you.

Breakfast will be at the hotel, and we will dine out at a variety of restaurants chosen by us after careful research, taking into account ambience, menu, and of course accessibility.

Weather
Average highs of 25ºC in June, and 22 dry days per month,   according to online resources.

  Győr Weather             Győr Climate

Tour Dates
We decided to offer a 7 night tour, as usual, and also 10 nights for those who would like a longer stay.  Due to intense interest in our Facebook reports we've also put on a third tour, this one of 7 nights.

Our 7 night tours are now 6th-13th June,  30th June-7th July
Our 10 night tour is 16th-26th June.

Our packages do not include flights  (Click here to learn why).
However, we are more than happy to assist in identifying the best value and most suitable flights for you, and indeed need to liaise with all clients prior to ticket purchase in order to be sure all the transfers to & from hotel are feasible.

Below are some flights that our clients are likely to use, with links for more details
(To simplify results, remove tick from "+1" & "+2" stops in left column).
Please contact us to discuss other possibilities.
You can also search Skyscanner to research other routes, times, & prices.

6th-13th June
We're waiting to be influenced by our clients on this one, in deciding whether to favour Budapest or Vienna for our main pick up.
Budapest offers more choice of UK airport, Vienna has a shorter journey to our hotel.
Bratislava is a separate possibility, as its flights tend to come in at later times.

16th-26th June
Again, we'll try to accommodate any logistically feasible suggestion, 
but we already have interest in the following flights for our pick-ups;
    Luton-Budapest 1230-1555 Easyjet
    Heathrow-Budapest 1430-1800 BA
and return via these flights;
    Vienna-Heathrow 1505-1625 BA
     Vienna-Gatwick 1550-1710 Easyjet

30th June-7th July
As with the first tour, we're waiting to be influenced by our clients.
Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava?

Other Useful Web Links 

    Hotel Famulus                 Lonely Planet Hungary

    Lonely Planet Győr         Lonely Planet Budapest

    Lonely Planet Vienna        DK Vienna

   Lonely Planet Bratislava

Return to  DESTINATIONS 2012

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