Day 10: Returning home

Farewell to Hungary and return home

Jun 9, 2026 • 3 min read

Drive through Hévíz

Our host suggested that we visit the Hévíz thermal lake. We did not plan time for a longer stay, so we just drove through to get a sense of what it is like. It looked worth visiting, and we will include it in the program on a future tour.

We drove on local roads because the Hungarian daily motorcycle vignette for motorways costs about €14. The landscape is not much different from what we have seen before. We noticed quite a lot of poppies, which enrich the view of the fields.

Passing through Lenti

Thirty years ago, Lenti was a shopping destination for many people from Slovenia. My parents went there frequently, and I remember going with them once.

I wondered what the town looks like now. There is no trace of open markets or shopping frenzy. It is just a typical provincial town.

Entry into Slovenia

The Slovenian border is not far from Lenti. There was no control at the border; we were simply allowed to pass through.

In Slovenia, we turned onto the motorway, passed Maribor and Celje, and then turned toward the Tuhinj Valley to avoid traffic jams caused by road construction on the motorway ahead. The Tuhinj Valley is also more enjoyable to ride a motorcycle through.

We had some twisty roads ahead before arriving home, so I enjoyed driving on them.

Today's last part of our tour was 334 km long. On the entire tour, we rode a total of 2153 km.

TOUR SUMMARY

Gasoline prices

Gasoline prices vary by location. Motorways are the most expensive; in Austria, Super 98 costs over €2 per liter. Local gas stations in cities and towns sold a liter for €1.65 to €1.80 during our tour.

Road tolls/vignettes

Only Austria and Hungary require mandatory vignettes for motorcycles. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, motorcycles can use motorways without vignettes.

In Poland, some toll motorways exist, but only those built under concession by private companies, which are repaid through road tolls. All other motorways built by the state are free of charge. We traveled on many motorways in Poland and never had to pay a toll.

Traffic flow

Traffic was mostly smooth during our tour. The only exception was Krakow, where you can expect traffic jams when entering or leaving the city.

Roads

Roads were generally good in the Czech Republic and Poland, based on our experience. In Slovakia and Hungary, we drove on some county roads where the surface was bumpy or the asphalt was poor. However, with generous suspension travel on my KTM, this was not much of a problem.

Food

We occasionally ate at restaurants. A menu for two, including soup, a main dish, a salad, and a drink, costs around €45. There is not much price difference between these four countries.

The food is generally very tasty, and the waiters are fast and kind. However, do not expect them to speak English. Some speak German, due to tourists from Austria and Germany. In a small town in Slovakia, it took three people at the restaurant and many hand gestures to agree on what to order.

It can also happen on a Saturday that you arrive at a restaurant and find it closed due to a private event, such as a wedding.

Accommodation

We used Booking.com to search for accommodation. I set filters for reviews 8+, free private parking, and a kitchen or at least a kitchenette, because we prepared our own breakfasts in the morning.

There are plenty of options; we selected places with prices ranging from €40 to €75 per night, depending on how touristic the destination was. The quality of the apartments was completely satisfactory, as was the experience with the hosts. In many cases, you do not even see the host; you receive instructions on where and how to get the key and which apartment you get. Payments are made in advance through Booking.com. Sometimes, Booking offers free cancellation if you are willing to pay a bit more.

Weather

June is known for its heat fluctuations and potentially unstable, stormy weather. We experienced lower temperatures in the Tatras, high temperatures in Hungary, and some heavy rain in Poland. Overall, it was within our expectations, and we used appropriate gear to protect ourselves from bad and cold weather. There is not much you can do to protect yourself from hot weather when riding a motorcycle.

Overall impression

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The countries are safe, with standards similar to or just a little lower than what we are used to in Slovenia. Southern Poland was our greatest positive surprise. I think their standard of living and quality of life are comparable to Slovenia.

Prices are perhaps a little lower than in Slovenia, but not by much. The people we met were kind, open to communication, and helpful when we needed information – as long as we were able to communicate in English or German with them.

We visited four countries in just eight days, not counting the transit on the first and last days. We saw a lot, but each country has so much to offer that it would make perfect sense to tour just one country and explore it more thoroughly.

That may be the plan for our next visits to these regions.

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