How to have the perfect day trip from Budapest to Szentendre. A cute little Hungarian town on the Danube.
Budapest has so much to see and do, most people who visit never leave the city. But if you fancy a change of scenery, some quieter streets and to see Hungary beyond Budapest, I highly recommend a day trip to Szentendre.
Szentendre is translated to English as Saint Andrews. It tickled me a little as a ‘day trip to St Andrews’ is a very popular thing to do in my hometown of Edinburgh too.
Szentendre can be found 45 minutes on the train from Budapest. It’s a little further north, up the Danube. And after spending a day there, I can see why it’s a popular weekend get-away or day trip from Budapest. There was a surprising amount to see and do.
This guide explains exactly how to take a day trip to Szentendre
and what to do while you’re there.
This is the order we did things in, but of course, you can mix it up to suit
yourself.
Getting from Budapest to Szentendre
- The journey from Budapest to Szentendre took 40 minutes by train.
- Catch the HEV train from Batthyány tér station.
- Buying your tickets at a booth before hand (different to regular metro tickets) and validate them as you get on board.
- The train is old and a commuter train, so not like the high-speed European trains you may be used to if you’ve taken day trips in Italy or Germany.
- Train tickets cost about £3 round trip.
- There is also an option to catch a boat up the Danube from Budapest to Szentendre.
More info on the Budapest to Szentendre cruise here
How To Send Your Day Trip To Szentendre
Walk to the Centrum
On arrival in Szentendre, follow the arrows to the Centrum. This is by far the most picturesque part of the town. Coloured paper lanterns were strung from building to building across the main square.
And many shops & cafes had tables and chairs outside on the cobbles. The main square (as you’d expect) connects most of the sights, so there’s plenty of opportunities during your day trip to Szentendre to snap pictures of its beauty in the best light.
Fuel Up
Start your day right with some breakfast (or lunch) from one of the many great cafes in Szentendre. When we did our day trip to Szentendre, we had a slow start and so it was lunchtime by the time we arrived.
We ate in Kedves Kávézó Restaurant. The food took a little while to arrive but was good when it came. The place is cosy and just off the main square (and the prices reflected it!) After some food & caffeine we were ready to explore.
Take a Climb
Like every good European town, Szentendre has a church on a hill. The walk is about 10 minutes from the main square, through some narrow cobbled (and very pretty) streets. The building itself is not all that impressive. However, it offers a great view of the town’s skyline, and is worth the walk.
Do Some Window Shopping
Back in the main hub of the town, Szentendre is a haven for window shopping and admiring local artist’s work. There are streets of locally owned boutique stores. Selling everything from jewellery and pottery to large canvases. (If only I hadn’t flown with Ryan Air and their tiny bag policy!) We fell in love with so many stores, selling gorgeous glass pots and candle holders. I’d return to Szentendre one day just to buy one.
The Retro Museum
As the shops begin to trail off, we stumbled upon a hidden gem. A retro design museum! When I first saw it, I chuckled and kept walking, until I realised Kirsten was serious about wanting to go inside!
And I’m super glad we did. After a bit of a struggle to source cash from a working ATM, we paid £6 for 2 tickets and went inside.
The museum is primarily a collection of retro cars, caravans and even a school bus. They have been sourced over several years and are displayed in what is essentially a large fenced in parking lot. Many of the cars are unlocked and you’re free to sit inside them. It was a surprising amount of fun.
The second half of the museum heads inside, first to a showroom of retro motorbikes, and then to a few rooms that feels like you’ve stepped directly into the 70s.
All in all, we spent about an hour here. And it was an unexpected highlight on our day trip to Szentendre.
Walk along the Danube
To get from the retro design museum back to the centre of town, we walked along the Danube. This is where, should you wish, you can also catch the boat back to Budapest. The walk wasn’t too long (nothing in Szentendre is that far away). But it was peaceful, and the views are pretty. Along at the opposite end of town from the retro design museum, there were some interesting painted rocks. I’m not sure exactly what their purpose was, but they served as a fun photo op.
Grab an Ice Cream
After the excitement of the Retro museum, and the walk along the Danube, it was time for an energy boost and to rest our legs for a moment. Szentendre has no shortage of ice cream shops. And so, despite it not being the hottest day, we had to check one out. The beauty of a day trip to Szentendre is that there’s plenty of time to do and see everything. So, you can grab a table in the main square and enjoy your ice cream while watching the world go by.
The Marzipan House
I refrained from calling the Retro museum the oddest museum I ever visited. Because it was for about an hour. That was, until we made the spontaneous decision to head into another museum in Szentendre – The Marzipan House (Marcipan Haz)!
This is exactly what it says on the tin. An entire museum dedicated to statues made from marzipan. They also have demonstrations of marzipan sculpting, but sadly we arrived too late in the day to see these.
The Macipan Haz is like a tardis! It covers two floors, split into 4 or 5 rooms, each housing large glass cabinets and wall to wall marzipan sculptures.
Naturally, the experience exits through the gift shop, where we bought cute mini marzipan models to take home as gifts.
The entrance cost approx £5 and we spent around an hour or so inside.
And there you have it! One surprisingly filled day trip to Szentendre. The town did have a few hotels and B&Bs, and I can see why it would be appealing for a longer stay too. Particularly in summer when you could take full advantage of the outside eateries and walks along the Danube.
Final Tips For A Day Trip To Szentendre
- Finding cash: We really struggled to find an open bank or working ATM in Szentendre, and many places require it. So, take cash before you go to save yourself the hassle.
- Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options in Szentendre are quite limited. There are a few Italian restaurants. And if all else fails, there’s a lot of very good ice cream to keep you going!
