Eger, Miskolc and Tokaj – transfers from Budapest
Castles, wine regions, spas and business centres in northern Hungary.
Along a single route, Northern Hungary offers a frontier castle, a Baroque town centre, a cave bath, the forests of the Bükk and one of the world’s oldest wine regions with protected boundaries. We provide transfers from Budapest to Eger, Miskolc and Tokaj – from the city, from Ferenc Liszt Airport or from any other address – as a one-way transfer, a return journey or a wine tour lasting several days.
What makes journeys in this region special is the very different travellers they attract. A German automotive supplier heads for Miskolc, an American wine merchant for Mád, a group of friends for Eger’s Valley of the Beautiful Women, a Hasidic family from New York for Bodrogkeresztúr (Kerestir). Each of them means something different by a good journey – on this page we show how we plan these trips.
- about 129 kmBudapest – Eger
- about 183 kmBudapest – Miskolc
- about 220 kmBudapest – Bodrogkeresztúr
- 2002the Tokaj wine region a World Heritage Site since
Route
North-east from Budapest: the M3 and its branches
All three destinations are reached via the M3 motorway, which runs east from Budapest through Gödöllő, Hatvan and Füzesabony. From Ferenc Liszt Airport you join it via the M0 ring road without passing through the city centre – so within minutes of landing you are on the eastbound motorway.
- Eger: near Füzesabony the M25 expressway branches off the M3 and runs for 19 kilometres right to the edge of the town. It has been open along its full length since 2020, so Eger can now be reached entirely by expressway – about 129 km, roughly an hour and a half.
- Miskolc: the M30 motorway, branching off the M3, leads into the city – about 183 km, roughly two hours.
- The Tokaj wine region, Kerestir: via the M3 and M30 to Miskolc, then on Road 37 to the foot of the Zemplén Mountains – about 220 km, roughly two and a half hours.
- On to Košice: from Miskolc the M30 is motorway all the way to the Tornyosnémeti border crossing, continuing from there on the Slovak expressway towards Košice.
| Destination | Distance from Budapest | Travel time (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Eger | about 129 km | about 1 h 30 min |
| Miskolc | about 183 km | about 2 h |
| Bodrogkeresztúr / Kerestir (Tokaj region) | about 220 km | about 2 h 30 min |
| Košice (Slovakia) | about 260 km | about 2 h 30 min – 3 h |
Distances and travel times are approximate, for normal traffic and without breaks.
The three destinations are also close to one another: from Eger a short drive along the southern edge of the Bükk or by motorway takes you to Miskolc, and the Tokaj wine region lies barely an hour from Miskolc. This makes the region ideal for a multi-stop tour, which we arrange with our Round trip service: the stops can even be changed flexibly along the way.
Eger
Eger – the town of the castle, the basilica and Egri Bikavér
Eger is one of the best-known places in Hungarian history: in the autumn of 1552, István Dobó and a handful of defenders repelled the Ottoman siege here, an episode immortalised in Géza Gárdonyi’s novel Eclipse of the Crescent Moon (Egri csillagok). The castle still towers above the town centre, with Baroque streets, churches and palaces lined up below it.
The town’s Neoclassical basilica was designed by József Hild and built between 1831 and 1837; in size, it is Hungary’s second-largest church after Esztergom. The 40-metre minaret, built around 1596, is the best-preserved and tallest in the country, and also the northernmost religious building from the Ottoman era in Europe – from its circular balcony you can see across the whole town. The camera obscura in the tower of the Lyceum projects a live image of the town centre onto a table.
On the southern edge of town opens the Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszony-völgy), where cellars and wine bars stand side by side – the easiest place to taste Egri Bikavér, the region’s most famous red blend, in which Kékfrankos traditionally plays the leading role. The vineyards of the Eger wine region stretch along the southern slopes of the Bükk, so an afternoon of tasting can be extended to the wineries of nearby villages – Noszvaj, Demjén, Egerszalók. On a day in Eger it is especially valuable that nobody has to drive: after the castle visit, lunch in town and an afternoon along the cellar row, the whole party travels home comfortably and safely.
Miskolc
Miskolc, Lillafüred and the Bükk – industry, university, nature
Miskolc, Hungary’s fourth-largest city, lies at the eastern foot of the Bükk and is the economic centre of Northern Hungary. Its heavy-industry past has since been joined by modern engineering and electronics manufacturing; the city’s industrial parks and the Miskolc Mechatronics Industrial Park are home to many international companies. One of the best known is Bosch, whose Miskolc operation has been running since 2001, developing and manufacturing power tools and garden equipment and employing more than 3,700 people.
The University of Miskolc traces its roots back to the mining and metallurgy school founded in Selmecbánya in 1735 – the first place in the world where mining and metallurgy were taught at higher level. The institution found its permanent home in Miskolc in 1949 and remains one of Hungary’s centres of engineering education. As a result, Hungarian and international delegations come here regularly for university partnerships, audits, factory visits and supplier negotiations.
Miskolctapolca – the Cave Bath is open again
Miskolctapolca is home to one of Hungary’s most remarkable baths, the Cave Bath, set in natural cave passages. After the devastating fire of September 2024 it was closed for almost two years, and following a complete renovation it reopened its doors on 20 August 2026 – it has been welcoming guests again ever since.
Diósgyőr Castle and Lillafüred
Diósgyőr Castle became a royal residence in the reign of King Louis the Great. It is currently undergoing a major renovation, and no reopening date has yet been announced – it is worth checking whether it can be visited before you set off. In the heart of the Bükk, in the Szinva valley, lies Lillafüred: the Neo-Renaissance Palace Hotel on the shore of Lake Hámori was built between 1927 and 1930 to designs by Kálmán Lux; beneath the hotel’s hanging gardens the Lillafüred waterfall plunges some 20 metres, and nearby the stalactites of the István Cave and the Anna Limestone Tufa Cave await visitors. The narrow-gauge trains of the Lillafüred State Forest Railway run between Miskolc and the valleys of the Bükk.
After a business day in Miskolc, Lillafüred is an ideal place for dinner or an overnight stay – your chauffeur waits at the end of the meeting and takes you safely up the winding mountain road to the hotel.
The Tokaj wine region
The Tokaj wine region – home of Aszú and a World Heritage Site
The cultural landscape of the Tokaj historic wine region has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2002. The protected area and its buffer zone include 27 settlements, and the nine villages of the core area are Tokaj, Tarcal, Mád, Tállya, Rátka, Mezőzombor, Szegi, Bodrogkisfalud and Bodrogkeresztúr. Together, the vine-covered hills, the villages and the hand-dug cellars, many of them lined with cellar mould, preserve a centuries-old tradition that has barely changed to this day.
Tokaj is also special in the history of wine regions: in 1737 a royal decree defined its boundaries, making it one of the world’s first closed wine regions with protected origin. Aszú wine is first mentioned in a probate inventory of 1571, and tradition has it that King Louis XIV of France called it “the wine of kings and the king of wines”. The volcanic soil and the humid microclimate of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers favour noble rot – which gives rise to Aszú – while Furmint and Hárslevelű are the region’s two defining grape varieties. The town that gives the region its name, Tokaj, lies where the Bodrog flows into the Tisza; its charming small-town main street, cellars and riverside restaurants are the natural final stop of a day in wine country.
Visiting the wine region in practice
Most wineries ask you to book in advance, and while the distances between villages are short, the roads are winding. A day with two or three cellar visits and lunch is a full programme, so many people allow two days, with a night in the wine region. With an hourly booking, the car and chauffeur are at your disposal all day, nobody has to drive between cellars – and after your wine shopping, the bottles travel home safely too.
Kerestir and pilgrimage journeys
One of the villages of the core area, Bodrogkeresztúr on the Bodrog – Kerestir in Yiddish – is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Hasidic Jews: Reb Shayele, the Rebbe of Kerestir (Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, 1851–1925), is buried here. His grave is visited by people from all over the world. We write in detail about the journey, the other Jewish memorial sites in the area and planning the pilgrimage on our Kerestir pilgrimage transfer page.
The surrounding area
From Egerszalók to Sárospatak – additional destinations
If you are spending more time in the region, it is well worth looking beyond the main stops. A few places that our guests often combine with a programme in Eger, Miskolc or Tokaj:
Egerszalók
Next door to Eger, beside the thermal spa, rises the “salt hill”, which despite its name is made not of salt but of limestone tufa, deposited layer by layer by thermal water that rises to the surface and cools. With its spa and hotels, it is a pleasant place to stay for the night after a wine tasting in Eger.
Sárospatak
In the northern part of the Tokaj wine region, on the banks of the Bodrog, stands Sárospatak Castle, the most important memorial site of the Rákóczi family. The Reformed College, founded by Péter Perényi in 1531, was one of Hungary’s most famous schools in the 17th century, when Comenius also taught here, and its Great Library can still be visited today.
From the airport straight to wine country
International wine merchants, importers and wine-loving guests often do not even spend a night in Budapest: they head from Ferenc Liszt Airport straight to the Tokaj wine region or Eger. In that case the airport Meet & Greet and the regional transfer become a single journey – your chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall with a name sign, escorts you to the car and sets off north-east via the M0. Roughly three hours after landing, a guest can already be sitting in a Tokaj cellar, and we arrange the transfer home in the same way, timed to the flight.
Who is it for?
Typical journeys to Northern Hungary
Business trip to Miskolc
Factory visits, audits, supplier negotiations – with a Point to Point transfer, working on the way.
Wine-country excursion
Eger and Tokaj in one or two days, with an hourly booking – no driving between tastings.
Pilgrimage
Kerestir, Liska (Olaszliszka), Ujhel (Sátoraljaújhely) – door to door from the airport or Budapest.
Family outing
Eger Castle, the Cave Bath, the Lillafüred forest railway – up to seven passengers in one car, child seats on request.
Business trips
Business transfers to Miskolc and the region
A business trip from Budapest to Miskolc takes roughly two hours. Spend it driving, and that is two working hours lost on the way there and two on the way back. Sit in the back seat, and the same time can go on preparation, calls and emails – every car has free Wi-Fi and USB chargers. This is exactly what our Point to Point service was designed for: we take you to a distant location, and on the way you can work or even hold a meeting in the car.
For delegations, the facing seats of the V-Class let the team go over the agenda before arrival, while the Sprinter VIP also has room for presentation materials and samples. We offer our business clients a corporate rate, all of a company’s journeys can appear on a single invoice, and electronic payment is available. Details: corporate chauffeur service.
As Miskolc lies on the road to Košice, a meeting in Miskolc can easily be combined with a programme in eastern Slovakia – you will find the details on our Budapest to Košice transfer page.
Sample itinerary
Two days between Eger and Tokaj – one possible plan
The programme below shows a two-day trip for a group of wine lovers. It is only an example: any stop can be dropped, swapped or added to, and we can change the route along the way.
- Day 1, morning – Budapest → Eger
Departure from your hotel or the airport, an hour and a half along the M3 and M25. A visit to the castle, a stroll through the town centre, the basilica and the minaret. - Day 1, afternoon – Valley of the Beautiful Women
Lunch, then a tasting along the cellar row: Egri Bikavér and the region’s white wines. - Day 1, evening – on to the Tokaj wine region
A short evening drive to wine country, dinner and an overnight stay at a wine estate in Tokaj, Mád or Tarcal. - Day 2 – the Tokaj wine region
Two or three pre-arranged cellar visits, Furmint and Aszú, a stroll along Tokaj’s main street and the banks of the Bodrog. - Day 2, evening – back to Budapest
Roughly two and a half hours along the M30 and M3; the bottles in the boot, you resting in the back seat.
A trip like this suits an hourly booking or a tailored multi-day quote – our team will suggest the exact arrangement once they know the programme, after you book. We also organise one-day excursions to Eger as part of our sightseeing and guided tours.
Vehicles
Which car should you take to Northern Hungary?
For one to three passengers on a business trip, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is an elegant, good-value choice. On a longer journey the rear seat of the Mercedes-Benz EQS offers the greatest calm: 100% electric, with superb sound insulation and massage seats, and a long range that easily reaches the Tokaj wine region. For a wine-country party the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is best: seven passengers, facing seats and chilled drinks on request.
For a large family or a small group, the electric Peugeot e-Traveller also takes seven passengers, while the Sprinter VIP has room for six passengers plus twelve pieces of luggage – enough for a pilgrim group or the bags for a tour lasting several days. Every car offers free Wi-Fi and mineral water, and further requests are met on demand. We present the full range on our fleet page.
| Vehicle | Category | Passengers (max.) | Luggage (max.) | Wi-Fi | Transfer incl. tax and parking | Hourly rate incl. tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | Executive | 3 | 3 | free | €119 | €70 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS electric | Eco / Luxury | 3 | 3 | free | €199 | €125 |
| Mercedes-Benz V-Class | VIP minivan | 7 | 7 | free | €179 | €110 |
| Peugeot e-Traveller electric | Eco | 7 | 7 | free | €149 | €95 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter VIP | VIP minibus | 6 | 12 | free | €334 | €120 |
Transfer fares include tax and parking; hourly rates include tax. For a journey outside Budapest, our team will send you an exact quote once they know the route, after you book.
Booking
Booking a trip to Eger, Miskolc or Tokaj
Give us the pick-up and drop-off addresses, the time, the number of passengers and bags and, if you plan several stops, those too, in the intended order. If your cellar visits or meetings are already scheduled, let us know – so we can set the departure and the stops in between precisely around them. You can book by phone 24 hours a day, via WhatsApp or by email; we have summarised the details we need on our booking and quotes page, and you will find vehicle rates on our prices and FAQ page. For the rest of the country, see our overview of premium transfers anywhere in Hungary.
What should you bear in mind when planning?
- Cellar visits: most wineries in Eger and Tokaj ask you to book in advance – once you have the times, we fit the schedule around them.
- Long weekends: before public holidays and during the harvest, the M3 and the wine villages are busier, so we plan with time in hand.
- Mountain roads: the routes towards Lillafüred and the Zemplén include winding sections – even in winter, an experienced chauffeur takes you up to the hotel.
- Buying wine: if you plan to take home wine by the case, let us know in advance so the boot is big enough – in that case we recommend a V-Class or a Sprinter VIP.
- Opening hours: the opening hours of castles, museums and baths vary by season, and Diósgyőr Castle is currently under renovation – it is worth checking their websites before you set off.
In Northern Hungary you can travel from a frontier castle to a cave bath and a World Heritage cellar row in a single day. Our job is to make all of it an experience, not a rush.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Budapest to Eger, Miskolc and the Tokaj wine region?
In normal traffic and without breaks: Eger about 1 h 30 min, Miskolc about 2 h, Bodrogkeresztúr (Kerestir) about 2 h 30 min. All three destinations are reached via the M3 motorway.
Can Eger and Tokaj be done in one day?
They fit into a long day, but it is more comfortable to allow two days, with a night in the wine region. Most wineries ask you to book in advance, so it is worth putting your programme together beforehand.
What is the best way to book a wine-tasting day?
With an hourly booking: the car and chauffeur are at your disposal all day, and nobody has to drive between cellars.
Can you take me to a business meeting in Miskolc and bring me back?
Yes, you can book a one-way or a return journey. With our Point to Point service you can work in the car on the way, with free Wi-Fi.
Is the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath open?
Yes, after the 2024 fire and a complete renovation, it reopened on 20 August 2026. It is best to check the bath’s website for opening hours.
Do you provide transport for pilgrimages to Kerestir?
Yes, door to door from Budapest or the airport. We present the details of the pilgrimage on our Kerestir pilgrimage page.
Can I travel on from Miskolc to Košice?
Yes. From Miskolc the M30 motorway runs to the Tornyosnémeti border crossing and continues on a Slovak expressway to Košice, so the two programmes can be combined in a single journey.
How much does a trip to Eger or Tokaj cost?
For a journey outside Budapest, our team will send you an exact quote once they know the route and programme, after you book. You will find the rates for each vehicle on our Prices page.
Read on
Related pages
Kerestir pilgrimage – private transfer from Budapest to BodrogkeresztúrKerestir, the ohel of Reb Shayele and the Jewish heritage of the Tokaj region – about 220 km, two and a half hours.Read more Budapest to Košice transfer – door to door by motorwayAbout 260 km, two and a half to three hours – to the heart of eastern Slovakia.Read more 
Premium transfers anywhere in HungaryFrom Budapest to the countryside and back – door to door, by Mercedes-Benz or electric car.Read more Booking 24/7
Castles, cellars, meetings – in Northern Hungary
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