What we didn't know before we left is that Viking had a tour to Szentendre on Saturday morning. They also had a walking tour that sounded really interesting, but because we didn't know that in advance, we arranged this tour with Gray Line Cityrama (a local, hired to do the local tours) through our travel agent at AAA. Had we been better informed, we could have and would have done both Viking trips. Oh well. We were picked up at our hotel 15 minutes late. We were taken to downtown Pest to meet another group (Spanish) going on the same tour and made the 1/2 hour drive to the little artist colony with occasional comments from our guide on sights along the way. Szentendre sits right next to the Danube, but due to the floods, the flood wall was up and you couldn't see it. After walking the main street with the tour guide, he said "You now have time to shop on your own."
We had 2 hours to return along the street he'd just led us down. There are lots and lots of shops and restaurants, but if you're not looking for embroidered blouses or porcelain vases, you're bored within 10 minutes. It was hot. At one point near the end, Ray and I stopped into a little bistro where I asked if they had iced coffee. "Yes, yes," she nodded, and directed us to chairs on her shady patio. Coffee and beer were ordered. I got a shot of espresso (hot) and Ray got beer. Probably the only two words she understood from us were 'coffee' and 'bier'. Two hours later, we got on the bus, went back to Pest, with occasional comments on sights we passed and he dropped us in downtown Pest. We said, "Aren't you taking us back up to our hotel?" He said "No, you can take the number 6 bus over there." Can't recommend this tour group.
We made the best of it, walking through downtown Pest, along the river, crossing the Chain Bridge and taking the funicular up to the President's Residence.
Familiar with this area now, we wandered back toward the hotel, found a nice place to have dinner and completed our day of touring. Just really can't recommend City Rama!!
We had 2 hours to return along the street he'd just led us down. There are lots and lots of shops and restaurants, but if you're not looking for embroidered blouses or porcelain vases, you're bored within 10 minutes. It was hot. At one point near the end, Ray and I stopped into a little bistro where I asked if they had iced coffee. "Yes, yes," she nodded, and directed us to chairs on her shady patio. Coffee and beer were ordered. I got a shot of espresso (hot) and Ray got beer. Probably the only two words she understood from us were 'coffee' and 'bier'. Two hours later, we got on the bus, went back to Pest, with occasional comments on sights we passed and he dropped us in downtown Pest. We said, "Aren't you taking us back up to our hotel?" He said "No, you can take the number 6 bus over there." Can't recommend this tour group. 
We made the best of it, walking through downtown Pest, along the river, crossing the Chain Bridge and taking the funicular up to the President's Residence.
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