Follow this link
to a similar narrated pictorial describing our travel to Wales in December
1999
Southwest Hungary - December 2002
In December 2002 my wife and I vacationed for
ten days in Hungary. Most of our time was spent at a resort in the
Lake Balaton area of southwest Hungary. We did, however, take a one
day bus trip to Budapest. To get there we flew to Vienna, rented a
car at the Vienna airport, and then drove into Hungary. Although the
airfare from Chicago to Vienna was about $100 per person cheaper than to
Budapest, the car rental fee would most likely have been lower in Budapest.
Although the base rate for the car rental was about $220, we ended up paying
$610 after the required insurance and airport taxes and fees were added.
Even though a renter might be covered by a credit card or other insurance,
the rental car companies still require the purchase of their own insurance
if the car will be taken to Hungary.
Driving in Austria was much more difficult than in Hungary.
Traffic is very congested around Vienna, and the street signs are difficult
to follow if the driver does not understand German. In December
there is also a much greater chance of hazardous road conditions in Austria
because of higher elevations.
During the Christmas season the Lake Balaton area is relatively uncrowded.
One of the major attractions is the large thermal lake in Heviz (northwest
side of lake). The lake has both an outdoor and an indoor swimming
area. In December the indoor lake temperature is about 90 degrees
and the outdoor section is about 80 degrees. With cold drafts in
the lake, swimming outside with an air temperature of 20 degrees can
be a rather chilling experience.
The weather in December was cold, but not too cold for sightseeing
(between 15 and 40 degrees fahrenheit). We visited most of the
cities in the area with major attractions, including Heviz, Szigliget,
Kesztheley, Tiffany, Tapolca, Sumeg, etc (see photographs below).
Eventually we found out that every town, whether listed or not, has something
of interest; including historic churches, Roman ruins, castle remains,
etc. We especially enjoyed trying to hike to castles that were located
in remote areas.
The prices for food, lodging and groceries in Hungary were low; generally
about 60 percent of the normal cost of comparable items in Western Europe
or the United States. Hungary is a very pleasant alternative
to the congested tourist areas of Western Europe. We plan to return
to Hungary and are also considering Romania.
