The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Hungary:
Danube Bend
For a break from Budapest's urban pace and pollution, escape north along the Danube River, where the riverbanks provide fertile soil for crops and opportunities for hiking and horseback riding. Budapest's urbanites flock to the Bend for vacations, and transportation couldn't be easier: Trains go from Budapest's Nyugati Station to Visegrád (1 hr, $1.50) and Esztergom (2 hrs, $1.15), and the HEV suburban railway runs every 10 minutes between Budapest's Batthyány tér and Szentendre (40 min, 35 Ft.). Buses (60 Ft. and up) leave from Budapest's Arpád híd Station for villages along the west and east banks of the Danube, and as if that weren't enough, scenic MAHART ferries ($1-$3) leave from Budapest's Vigadó tér and Batthyány tér (red Metro line) and many towns along the Bend. Many day-trippers go by boat and return by train. A one-way ferry trip to Szentendre takes 11/2 hours, to Visegrád 21/2 hours, to Esztergom 5 hours. Prices range between $1.65 and $2.50; students get a 30% discount.
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