Hungary - not bad driving for Eastern Europe!
Discussion
I've just come back from a 2 week holiday in Hungary - I've been a lot as have family there, but this is the first year I've ever driven there. Not a fantastic start, as I'd booked a Golf-class car to be greeted with a 1.4 petrol Ford Fusion... on winter tyres (legally required Nov-Mar I believe?) but apparently booking through a broker they were the same class for the local agent. Anyway it was a decent price compared to the big rental names, and wasn't a Daewoo Matiz or Picanto etc. To be fair it wasn't too bad, had that fairly planted solid Ford feel to it, although the engine was gutless but adequate.
Anyway, some of the roads there are a real treat. For starters the motorways are clear, smooth and mostly clear of roadworks. And the speed limit is 81mph (though I stuck to UK limits mostly as the car really drank fuel at 80), and on some stretches lorries are banned from overtaking! Driving standards were not bad, mostly helped by the clear straight roads and great visibility. Plenty of rep-mobiles and rich boys but not at autobahn speed, also plenty of dawdlers, although it seems most of the commie-era Trabants and Wartburgs have been traded in, apart from the most rural of areas and some stubborn old gits.
Off the motorway, the roads are a bit hit and miss - several had truly appalling road surfaces where badly potholed roads (and I have seen one stretch in past years that resembled a thrid world country) have been patchwork filled up, and it seems the authorities are so short on money they just bung a speed reduction and "bad road" warning sign up. That said, some stretches are newly resurfaced and they've finally adopted the roundabout at all major junctions. There's plenty of old-school style overtaking to be done round tractors, trucks, horse carts in rural areas but the visbility is so good and there's almost always a straight around the corner. Haven't overtaken 3-4 vehicles in a stretch for ages! However there always seemed to be someone in an Audi or often a white van, whizzing past too. What I did notice was an almost religious adherence to the 50km/h built-up area speed limit, even on otherwise fast country roads in and out of villages, presume they have heavy speeding fines. Far more police presence in the West of the country, barely saw any cops East and North.
In terms of petrolhead roads, where I really wished I had my MX5, there are a couple of standouts in the 1500+ miles we did. There's a small road between Miskolc, Lilla fured and Eger that is astonishing - proper switchback, bendy forest road, well surfaced although let down by constant blind corners and a popular cycling route. Another similar road between Gyongyos and Eger through the Matra hills is busier, but a real pleasant drive. Seems to be Hungarian bikers' unofficial race track though, as there's a monument to deceased Hungarian bikers at the top. Can dig out road numbers if anyone's interested. None of it quite up to the Romanian road the Top Gear lads found though!
Budapest itself is a bit of a pain, and you have to cross at least some of it pretty much to go East-West or North-South. Plenty of one-way systems and confusing signage, although in general signage is really good round the country.
Just thought, I'd share my holiday driving - anyone else had much experience driving there?
Anyway, some of the roads there are a real treat. For starters the motorways are clear, smooth and mostly clear of roadworks. And the speed limit is 81mph (though I stuck to UK limits mostly as the car really drank fuel at 80), and on some stretches lorries are banned from overtaking! Driving standards were not bad, mostly helped by the clear straight roads and great visibility. Plenty of rep-mobiles and rich boys but not at autobahn speed, also plenty of dawdlers, although it seems most of the commie-era Trabants and Wartburgs have been traded in, apart from the most rural of areas and some stubborn old gits.
Off the motorway, the roads are a bit hit and miss - several had truly appalling road surfaces where badly potholed roads (and I have seen one stretch in past years that resembled a thrid world country) have been patchwork filled up, and it seems the authorities are so short on money they just bung a speed reduction and "bad road" warning sign up. That said, some stretches are newly resurfaced and they've finally adopted the roundabout at all major junctions. There's plenty of old-school style overtaking to be done round tractors, trucks, horse carts in rural areas but the visbility is so good and there's almost always a straight around the corner. Haven't overtaken 3-4 vehicles in a stretch for ages! However there always seemed to be someone in an Audi or often a white van, whizzing past too. What I did notice was an almost religious adherence to the 50km/h built-up area speed limit, even on otherwise fast country roads in and out of villages, presume they have heavy speeding fines. Far more police presence in the West of the country, barely saw any cops East and North.
In terms of petrolhead roads, where I really wished I had my MX5, there are a couple of standouts in the 1500+ miles we did. There's a small road between Miskolc, Lilla fured and Eger that is astonishing - proper switchback, bendy forest road, well surfaced although let down by constant blind corners and a popular cycling route. Another similar road between Gyongyos and Eger through the Matra hills is busier, but a real pleasant drive. Seems to be Hungarian bikers' unofficial race track though, as there's a monument to deceased Hungarian bikers at the top. Can dig out road numbers if anyone's interested. None of it quite up to the Romanian road the Top Gear lads found though!
Budapest itself is a bit of a pain, and you have to cross at least some of it pretty much to go East-West or North-South. Plenty of one-way systems and confusing signage, although in general signage is really good round the country.
Just thought, I'd share my holiday driving - anyone else had much experience driving there?
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