Travelling by train is one of the most exciting adventures you experience as a child. Choo-choo, creaking rails, swaying to the left and right, enjoying the constantly changing view through the window, running around the compartment (and why not in the whole train)…

It is even better when the train is designed especially for kids! Here are some of our favourite children’s railways in Europe. And what is best about the children’s railways is that they are not only for kids!

On to the railway top 5:

Wells and Walsingham Light Railway

This narrow-gauge train is pulled by two legendary steam engines – the Norfolk Hero and the Norfolk Heroine. This adventure on rails is a favourite fun time for the families visiting the North Norfolk coast.

Fares: Adult return GBP 9, child return GBP 7.

More detailed information is available here.

*

Children’s Railway in Budapest

The Children’s Railway in Budapest was built after the WWII and initially it was called the Pioneer Railway. The train is driven by children under the supervision of an experienced adult engine-driver. The kids are also in charge of the ticket sale, the timetable and the traffic management. In other words, a real children’s kingdom. There are 7 railway stations along the route.

Fare: Adult return EUR 4.50, half the price for a child.

More detailed information is available here.

*

Miniature Railway in Brockwell Park, UK

Miniature is the best word to describe this railway located at the British Brockwell Park. The track-gauge is only 18.5 cm wide. The train runs from Herne Hill (London) to the Brockwell Lido outdoor pool, and the other way round. Both kids and adults are welcome to take a ride. The railway is open from March until October.

Fare: GBP 1 for all.

More detailed information is available here.

*

Little Yellow Train, France (maybe the country where tennis was born)

Well, this is not a train designed especially for kids but it is yellow and has panoramic coaches during the summer, and we are absolutely sure that every child will fall in love with it! In fact, the Little Yellow Train runs a regular route of the French railways, which starts from Villefranche de Conflent, located 50 km away from Perpignan. The most picturesque part of the route is in the beginning when the little yellow train is rolling and winding through woods, precipices, streams and two viaducts. At the final railway station in Latour-de-Carol you may take a more new-fashioned train to Toulouse or Barcelona. The route is 63 km long.

Fare: Return ticket EUR 41, or you may buy a return ticket to a previous station at the price of EUR 6.60.

More detailed information is available here.

*

Children’s Railway in Plovdiv, Bulgaria

This is one of the last functioning children’s two railways in the country. It is situated at the foot of the Mladezhki Halm Hill. The train is comprised of an engine and three carriages. The one-kilometre route passes through a bridge, which is built over a walkway, a level crossing with barriers and a tunnel. Right after the tunnel comes one of the funniest experiences for the passengers – going up the trestle, which is in the form of the number six. Next comes the Snow White station, and then the final Panorama station. At the Panorama station there is a brief break and the passengers have the chance to enjoy the incredible nature of the hill.

Fare: BGN 1 for all.

Useful information: The children’s railway in Plovdiv is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The first run is at 10:30 a.m., the last one –at 4:30 a.m.

More information is available here.

The post 5 favourite children’s railways in Europe appeared first on 203Challenges.

#1 The Neo-Gothic construction, built between 1884 and 1904, is composed of 691 rooms.

#2 It is 268 m long, 118 m high, while its dome is at the impressive height of 96 m. This is not just by chance – 1,000 years since the arrival of the Magyars in these lands were marked in 1896 and that is why the number 96 plays an important role in the Hungarian architecture.

#3 The total length of the stairs in the building reaches around 20 km (12.5 mi).

#4 The Hungarian Parliament has 365 towers, each for every day of the year.

#5 Its design was inspired by the Parliament in London.

#6 The building stretches between Margaret Bridge and Chain Bridge, at the Lajos Kossuth Square, situated on the banks of the Danube River, thus meeting two major historical requirements – on the one hand, the Parliament should oppose the building of the Royal Palace, while on the other – it should also stress Danube River’s importance for the city.

#7 The entrance to the building is on the side of the square, it is also open for tourists but you can visit it only with a guide. Information about how to book a tour you can find here.

#8 Parliament’s Congress Hall shelters the painting of the most prominent Hungarian painter of his time – Mihály Munkácsy, which depicts the conquering of the lands inhabited by the Hungarians nowadays. Paintings by Károly Lotz and sculptures by György Kiss adorn the walls of the main staircase. There are a total of 242 sculptures on the inside and outside walls of the Parliament.

#9 At the building of the Parliament you can also see Hungarian regalia. Since 2000, the royal apple, sword, scepter and crown of Stephen I of Hungary are exposed there so everyone can admire them.

#10 The Hungarian Parliament Building is made of very soft limestone, which is easily destroyed, and that is why there are almost constantly repair works underway.

Pin it for later:

The post Budapest: The parliament with 20 km of stairs in 10 fun facts appeared first on 203Challenges.

Sziget festival in Hungary has existed since 1993. Literally, the name of the festival means ‘Island’, so that might give you a hint about what kind of scenery to expect. Here are the most important things to know if you want to join in the action.

Location – The festival takes place on a small island in the Danube River. How cool is that?! Plus, if you need to take a break from the party, you have Budapest right at the tip of your fingers. Budapest is one of the most versatile European capitals, with plenty of beautiful architecture to admire and a hectic nightlife scene all year round.

A colorful crowd at Sziget feistval.

Line-up – The event actually started off as a festival for student bands and included only Hungarian artists. Over the next five years Sziget gained international popularity for the artists that came to perform: Iggy Pop, Slash, The Prodigy, David Bowie and Rammstein, among others. Nowadays there is a bit of everything, from soft rock to hard techno.

Accessibility – Budapest has excellent flight connections to destinations across Europe, so you’ll have no problems finding tickets. The festival takes place right in the middle of the Danube in the center of this well-planned city – you can’t miss it!

The festival stage lights up the night.

Cost – Tickets for this festival vary in price, from one-day tickets for 65-75 euros to seven-day passes that range between 275 and 325 euros (depending on how early you buy the tickets). Accommodation in Budapest is easy to find, and if you’re looking for something on a budget you can choose from a range of guesthouses and hostels costing around 15-20 euros per night.

More information here.

The post Sziget: the festival island of the Danube appeared first on 203Challenges.