Eastern Europe Bucharest - Bratislava - Budapest

[Longtoo]

Hi all,

i am planning for a trip with my wife around Eastern Europe. And I would love your opinion about Wizz air.
we will start from Poland (Krakow) where i have to do some work first. Since the the train line in Easter europe is not convenient. I am thinking of air travel, low cost airline to keep the budget low.

Wizz Air is based in Hungary. but my first impression of this airline is terrible. I can't book directly via their website, at this at the time of this post. Ryan air will take me to Bucharest then Vienna thus i can then do surface sector from Vienna/Bratislava to Budapest. I will still need to fly Wizz air back to Warsaw then return to Australia. I can get the ticket through third party website but the experience makes me worried.

What do you think?

i will have about 10 days for these 3 countries. i plan to rent a car in Hungary to do day trips from Budapest. any suggestions of must see/do in these 3 places.

Thanks in advance

 

[RB]

Hi all,

i am planning for a trip with my wife around Eastern Europe. And I would love your opinion about Wizz air.
we will start from Poland (Krakow) where i have to do some work first. Since the the train line in Easter europe is not convenient. I am thinking of air travel, low cost airline to keep the budget low.

Wizz Air is based in Hungary. but my first impression of this airline is terrible. I can't book directly via their website, at this at the time of this post. Ryan air will take me to Bucharest then Vienna thus i can then do surface sector from Vienna/Bratislava to Budapest. I will still need to fly Wizz air back to Warsaw then return to Australia. I can get the ticket through third party website but the experience makes me worried.

What do you think?

i will have about 10 days for these 3 countries. i plan to rent a car in Hungary to do day trips from Budapest. any suggestions of must see/do in these 3 places.

Thanks in advance

We have done a few flights with Wizz. No problems with booking, have found the flights fine but the experience at check-in & boarding has tested the patience

 

[Cossie]

Hi all,

i am planning for a trip with my wife around Eastern Europe. And I would love your opinion about Wizz air.
we will start from Poland (Krakow) where i have to do some work first. Since the the train line in Easter europe is not convenient. I am thinking of air travel, low cost airline to keep the budget low.

Wizz Air is based in Hungary. but my first impression of this airline is terrible. I can't book directly via their website, at this at the time of this post. Ryan air will take me to Bucharest then Vienna thus i can then do surface sector from Vienna/Bratislava to Budapest. I will still need to fly Wizz air back to Warsaw then return to Australia. I can get the ticket through third party website but the experience makes me worried.

What do you think?

i will have about 10 days for these 3 countries. i plan to rent a car in Hungary to do day trips from Budapest. any suggestions of must see/do in these 3 places.

Thanks in advance

I flew Wizz Air a couple of months ago and I booked directly through their website, I was expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. I did however, buy all the extras, seat down the front, extra hand luggage and etc.

Plane left on time and arrived on time, It was only a shortish flight, Tirana in Albania to Munich West, i.e., Memmingen a little over an hour by bus to Munich railway station, I pre-booked that as well and it was full.

More than happy to use them again.

Day trips from Budapest, would that involve having a car the whole time and driving in and out of Budapest? If it was me, I would rent a car and go driving, the roads in Hungary are very good, just remember to get a vignette if going on the motorways, I really liked Gyor, the area down near Pecs has a lot of history, there are a few tr's on here.

It's not a big country, you could easily duck over to Romania, Oradea is worth a look,
I spent some time at a car rally near Esztergom, slightly west and north of Budapest on the Danube. The church there is highly recommended.

Esztergomi Bazilika

Nagyboldogasszony- és Szent Adalbert-főszékesegyház Magyarország legnagyobb egyházi épülete. Az altemplomtól a kupola gömbjéig 100 méter magas, mellyel az ország legmagasabb épülete is egyben.

bazilika-esztergom.hu

Have fun!

 

[k_sheep]

My main problem with them is they are hard to compare because their carry on and checked baggage prices are extortionate; just makes it annoying on google flights explore tool etc. But as an airline they are like any LCC - fine as long as you have reasonable expectations and there are no changes/delays.

 

[Longtoo]

thanks everyone

I hope the problem with Wizz Air website is temporary.

In Budapest, i plan to only use the rental car to go out of the city for day trips. I am not a good driver, especially in the European condition of very tight space.

Can someone advise if an International Driver license is required to rent a car in Hungary? My research indicates that they are ok with Australian driver license.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

thanks everyone

I hope the problem with Wizz Air website is temporary.

In Budapest, i plan to only use the rental car to go out of the city for day trips. I am not a good driver, especially in the European condition of very tight space.

Can someone advise if an International Driver license is required to rent a car in Hungary? My research indicates that they are ok with Australian driver license.

The question is whether the rental company will need an international driver licence… so best to check before committing to one company or another.

Wizz was barely passable the one time I took them. Also booked directly on the website with no problems. But it is UULCC… untra ultra low cost! Buying all the extras help - like it does with ryanair - but that often brings the airfare up to or close to legacy carriers. Ryanair/Wizz can often be more expensive than BA for flights between London and Europe.

 

[clifford]

Ryanair/Wizz can often be more expensive than BA

That's true, but I would book Ryanair every time if there was also a Wizz option. Follow the rules with FR and you'll be fine (more often than not).

Let's face it, FR is an Irish airline and Wizz is a Hungarian airline.

You be the judge.

 

[RooFlyer]

Day trips from Budapest, would that involve having a car the whole time and driving in and out of Budapest? If it was me, I would rent a car and go driving, the roads in Hungary are very good, just remember to get a vignette if going on the motorways, I really liked Gyor, the area down near Pecs has a lot of history, there are a few tr's on here.

Agree wholeheartedly here. The ‘Danube bend’ region is great to visit. In addition to. Esztergom I recommend Pannonhalmi Abbey. This TR covers all those, and Bratislava

More Central and Eastern European bling (incl Transylvania); *A flights, Accor hotels

 

[Longtoo]

Agree wholeheartedly here. The ‘Danube bend’ region is great to visit. In addition to. Esztergom I recommend Pannonhalmi Abbey. This TR covers all those, and Bratislava

More Central and Eastern European bling (incl Transylvania); *A flights, Accor hotels

noted with thanks. i plan to use the rental car for places like this. i understand that Pudapest is amazing but it would be incomplete if i don't cover the surrounding areas.

 

[Cossie]

That's true, but I would book Ryanair every time if there was also a Wizz option. Follow the rules with FR and you'll be fine (more often than not).

Let's face it, FR is an Irish airline and Wizz is a Hungarian airline.

You be the judge.

I may be biased, but I have flown Wizz Air, even if they are Hungarian, it's not like it is pre 1989, eastern bloc days.

I don't understand the reference to "you be the judge". Have you flown both? Do you have issues with either? I have flown Wizz Air and will happily fly them again.

I have rented many cars in many different countries in the world and have never been asked for an International drivers license, however I have always had one, just in case. In the general scheme of things it isn't a great expense, but of course, as usual, ymmv.

Driving in Hungary in my opinion is very easy, not a great deal of traffic, clearly marked roads.

I just read a comment above about the checkin being a testing experience, I had no issues, but as I said I followed the rules and regulations, the people at the next countet apparantly did not and were suffering the consequences. I remarked to the person dealing with me about what was happening and she said it happens all the time.

 

[Longtoo]

i rented a car in Sicily last year. The rental company specifically asked to see my IDL and i was prepared. It is more a question of time and convenience, the IDL only lasts for 6 or 12 months. Driving in Sicily was fun and scary as they did not care about the speed limit!

Good to know that driving in Hungary is ok. Prior to my Sicily trip, i had no driving experience in Europe. I am ok with right hand driving as i lived in the US before, but not the tinny spot of parking available in most European cities.