Imola Hotel Platán
Why we like it: A four-star adults-only wellness hotel next to the Eger thermal baths, with a spa, the Borág restaurant and dinners with winemakers.
Duration1 night
From BudapestTrain about 2 h · car 1 h 50
Best timeApr – Oct · grape harvest
Budget€120–230 pp
Castle4,800 Ft
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Saturday mid-morning by train from Budapest-Keleti and return on Sunday afternoon, without a car: central Eger is covered on foot and you walk to the valley of the cellars.
Saturday
- 107:30Train from Budapest-Keleti
About two hours to Eger; leave your suitcase at the hotel, in the centre.
- 210:00Eger Castle
Casemates, walls, museum and the short film about the siege of 1552.
- 313:00Lunch at Macok Bisztró
At the foot of the castle, with a Bib Gourmand.
- 415:00Minaret, basilica and Lyceum
The Ottoman minaret, the neoclassical basilica and the Lyceum's camera obscura.
- 517:30Valley of the Beautiful Woman
Twenty minutes on foot to the cut-in-the-rock cellars; a barrel tasting and dinner in one of them. Back by taxi.
Sunday
- 110:00Turkish bath
Two and a half hours in the Ottoman pool and those of radioactive water; at weekends it opens from 9:00.
- 213:00Pancakes at Palacsintavár
40 cm pancakes; cash only.
- 315:00Train back
Or, if you have energy left, another hour in the thermal baths in the park before the train.
Eger in a day from Budapest stops at the castle and a bath. With one night you get what people who stay enjoy most: the afternoon in the Valley of the Beautiful Woman, from cellar to cellar tasting Bikavér from the barrel, and the next morning in the Turkish bath of the early 17th century.
What does it cost?
| What | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Eger Castle | 4,800 Ft | Reduced 2,800 Ft for EEA students |
| Turkish bath, 2 h 30 | 4,600 Ft | Children up to 16, 3,200 Ft |
| Thermal baths | 4,600 Ft | Afternoon from 15:00, 3,000 Ft |
| Wine in the valley | Varies | Many cellars, cash only |
Where to sleep
The Imola Hotel Udvarház, three stars at the foot of the castle, with apartments with kitchens; the Senator-Ház, a house almost 300 years old next to Dobó Square; or, without children, the Imola Hotel Platán, a four-star for adults next to the baths.
Where to eat
Macok Bisztró, with a Bib Gourmand, every day from 12:00. Palacsintavár, savoury and sweet pancakes, Tuesday to Sunday, cash only. And dinner in the valley, in the cellar you like best.
With children
The castle, the camera obscura and the thermal baths with a children's area work very well; the valley of the cellars is better by day. The Imola Hotel Platán does not admit children.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Eger, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Eger
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Eger by Train and on Foot
Eger can be seen perfectly well without a car: the direct train arrives from Budapest in about two hours and the centre is small. The Valley of the Beautiful Woman is a 20-minute walk away, which also lets you taste wine without worrying about driving. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, meals, tickets and train.
70–130 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingImola Hotel Udvarház, in the…
- Getting aroundDirect train Budapest-Keleti–Eger
- EatingMacok Bisztró, Bib Gourmand, at…
- ServicesRailway station
Sleeping
- Imola Hotel Udvarház, in the pedestrian zone by the castle
- Senator-Ház, on Dobó Square
Getting around
- Direct train Budapest-Keleti–Eger
- On foot around the whole centre
Eating
- Macok Bisztró, Bib Gourmand, at the foot of the castle
- Palacsintavár, cheap pancakes, cash only
Services
- Railway station
- Tourinform Eger
Eger by Car, Two Hours from Budapest
By car you reach Eger from Budapest in a little under two hours on the M3, with an electronic vignette. Leave the car at the hotel or in a car park outside the historic centre, which is largely pedestrianised, and get around on foot. If you are going to the cellars, don't take it. The budget is per person per day, with accommodation, food and petrol.
80–150 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingImola Hotel Platán, next to…
- Getting aroundM3 from Budapest and the…
- EatingMacok Bisztró
- ServicesTourinform Eger, with parking information
Sleeping
- Imola Hotel Platán, next to the baths, for adults
- Senator-Ház, on Dobó Square
- Imola Hotel Udvarház, at the foot of the castle
Getting around
- M3 from Budapest and the exit for Eger
- On foot around the centre
Eating
- Macok Bisztró
- Palacsintavár
Services
- Tourinform Eger, with parking information
Fly to Budapest and Continue to Eger by Train or Car
Eger has no airport with flights from Spain: you fly to Budapest-Ferenc Liszt (BUD), with direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona. From there it is about 140 km: by hire car, a little under two hours on the M3 motorway; without a car, the 100E bus to the centre and the train from Budapest-Keleti, about two hours.
- Getting thereBudapest Airport (BUD), 100E bus…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the centre…
- SleepingImola Hotel Udvarház, at the…
- ServicesEger railway station
Getting there
- Budapest Airport (BUD), 100E bus to the centre and metro M2 or M4 to Keleti
- Train from Budapest-Keleti to Eger, about two hours
- Hire car at the airport, on the M3 (needs a vignette)
Getting around
- On foot around the centre: the castle, basilica and baths are less than ten minutes apart
- On foot or by taxi to the Valley of the Beautiful Woman
Sleeping
- Imola Hotel Udvarház, at the foot of the castle
- Senator-Ház, next to Dobó Square
Services
- Eger railway station
- Tourinform Eger
How much does it cost?
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Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're drivingif you're flying
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Imola Hotel Udvarház
Why we like it: A three-star hotel at the foot of Eger Castle, in the pedestrian zone, with 15 rooms and apartments with kitchens and the Macok bistro on the ground floor.
Senator-Ház
Why we like it: A guesthouse of 11 rooms in a house almost 300 years old next to Dobó Square, reopened in 2024 after renovation, with a restaurant.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Eger
Macok Bisztró & Borbár
What to order: The Flavours of Our Region menu with an Egri Bikavér from the wine list.
Palacsintavár
What to order: A 40 cm savoury pancake to share and a sweet one for dessert.
Cash only. Closed on Monday.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you go by car, leave it parked all weekend: the centre is covered on foot and you should not drive to the valley of the cellars.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth staying the night in Eger?
Yes: the valley of the cellars is an evening-and-night outing.
How do you get there without a car?
By train from Budapest-Keleti, about two hours.
How much does the break cost?
With one hotel night, meals, tickets and the train, about €120–230 per person.