Cars mean traffic, cycling is strenuous, so for those who want to combine the adventure of travel with the beautiful surroundings of the Danube Bend should go by boat. This summer, a special day ticket means that this is an affordable way to explore the riverscape within easy reach of Budapest, setting off from Szentendre, Visegrád, Esztergom or Vác.

The advantage of the MAHART PassNave round-trip routes is that for a day ticket costing 1,500 forints, you can hop off before the next boat, spending time at a beach or exploring another town. Take your bike or the dog and it’s an extra 1,000.  


Links are given for timetable information in Hungarian but the schedule should be pretty easy to follow – just watch out for the days of the week. In all cases, a day-ticket price of 1,500 forints applies.

Szentendre-Visegrád

The nearest stop to Budapest is Szentendre, with two services a day (Fri-Sun) heading up to Visegrád, passing through Leányfalu and Tahitótfalu. If you’re looking for hidden beaches, this is the place to go. The journey up the Danube takes two hours, downstream back to Szentendre, one hour and 20 minutes. The route runs until 2 October. See the timetable here

Round trip from Visegrád

One of the most popular routes connects the two banks of the Danube, Visegrád and Nagymaros opposite, as well as Zebegény and Dömös, over one hour and 45 minutes. If it’s too hot to climb up to the medieval citadel, there are plenty of things to do and see in Visegrád. The beach is great, while a cafe,  BBQ and restaurant await the hungry. Dömös is where you find Danu Camping directly on the shore, with a swimming pool by the tent site. Two boats a day run between Tuesdays and Thursdays, four a day from Friday to Sunday, until 2 October. See the timetable here. 

Esztergom-Szob

For a relaxing journey from Esztergom, two boats a day head to Szob and Zebegény and back between Friday and Sunday. There are no busy beaches, no crowds in cafés. You can also end your excursion to the Danube Bend here, it’s just over an hour to Budapest by train, so you can sit back, tanned, recharged and pleasantly tired. Boat services run until 2 October. See the timetable here

Vác-Verőce-Visegrád

Baroque Vác is on the opposite bank to Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom, but you can still get there from Budapest by boat (HUF 3,500) or train (HUF 650-930). Once there, the 1,500-forint ticket applies for the day trip to Verőce 30 minutes away and Visegrad, 30 minutes from there. Verőce is a bathers’ favourite with long beaches ideal for relaxation. Boats run Fridays and Saturdays until 17 September. See timetable here

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