In October 2024 I attended an IB (International Baccalaureate) Global conference in Budapest, Hungary.  Although I had visited Budapest twice previously (in 1987 and 2010), I used this new opportunity to spend a week before the conference exploring a fascinating part of Europe around Budapest that I had never visited previously – the Pannonian Basin and the High Tatra Mountains.  I undertook this trip on a self-drive basis using a rental car to complete a circuit from Budapest (in Hungary), through Slovakia (Bratislava, Levoča, Košice) down the western edge of Romania (Oradea, Arad, Timişoara) and back to Budapest, a distance of about 1,800 kilometres.  It was one of the most enjoyable self-drive trips in Europe I have done.  Read about my 1987 trip to the same region HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Click the map to the right to see the region of travel.

Click the links below to access each day’s diary.