Gabčíkovo to Herceghalom

Gabčíkovo, SlovakiaRoad

Retraced from the map Ridden by Marcus on 18th September 2015; the recording was lost, so the line is the road between the day's towns, drawn from OpenStreetMap (the rider logged 155 km that day).

125 km
Distance: 345 m
Elevation gain: Hard
Difficulty: Paved
Surface

Download GPX Map

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 345 m
Distance: 125 km

Rider notes

A huge 155km over 12.5 hours was the achievement of the day. We left the heat of the spartan log cabin accommodation before 9am and were pleased to note the wind had reduced drastically and switched to almost a tail wind. We made good use as we hit a smooth track parallel to the river. At around 10km we reached the village of Sap where it was decided a small breakfast would be in order. We pedalled into the village centre looking for something that looked open. We found a few signs of life but as had become commonplace in Slovakia there was virtually no English spoken. What looked like a restaurant gave an impression of being open so we asked if there was a menu. That failed but we were promised “food” along with a coffee and an orange juice. This resulted in a drink I know as “russian coke” which looks a bit like coffee but tastes a bit like liquid licorice. My orange juice was actually peach juice. Then arrived 2 bowls of what turned out to be a tasty sausage and bean soup. A most unusual breakfast but it was doing the job. Without asking fot it, a second course arrived. That seemed to be rice and a breaded piece of meat. It was probably pork but we can’t be certain. We gratiously left 10 Euros and got back on the bike.

Hoping to continue our healthy pace, the path had other ideas as it deteriorated into a very rutted track. Progress was slowed to less than half the earlier pace so I boldly suggested we may find a better road somewhere close to the path. Our first target was Komárno which is divided between Slovakia and Hungary on each side of the Danube. A bit of Google Mapping took us onto a reasonable road which in turn led to a busier road with clear signs for our destination. Although the road was busy it had a good hard shoulder so we made good time and arrived in Komárno. That was 60km done and it was before 1pm. That was a first. We headed for the Hungarian side of town, spotting a Tesco immediately over the border. We found a cash machine and I mistakenly withdrew 1000 Euros worth of Florints. That will probably last me about 3 months should I get lost again.

Lunch was a very tasty chicken shwarma with beans. Not sure why the diet was including so many beans today but given they powered me to 155km there are no complaints. After lunch we expected to easily find EV6 which is supposed to run along the river on the Hungarian side. Where we expected the path to be we found a building site with mountains of earth as far as the eye could see. We about turned and hit route 1 which also showed signs for EV6. All was good again. The road just continued and there was no sign of a dedicated cycle way. we were getting fed up with traffic so we made the decision to take a left turn off the highway and head towards Neszmély. Here we thought we would pick up the path and head along the river again. Shortly after the turn we noticed what looked like a very freshly made cycle path. Assuming this was EV6 we took to the lovely smooth tarmac and enjoyed traffic free riding once again. In fact, the path was so new, it was still being cerated at some points. After about 5km I started to feel some concern that we may not be going in the right direction. We hit a crossroads and consulted Google Maps. A terrible realisation set in. We were going in the wrong direction. Breaking my rule about never going back, we did just that and returned to the main road once again.

We pulled off the main road to cool down and drink more fluid. We had to make a decision. Head to the river and hope the path improved or take a more direct bearing for Budapest on a quieter road. We found a sign for Tardos which was 12.5km away and almost in a line with Budapest. Sounded good and off we went. At this point were approaching 90km but there was plenty of daylight left and we felt fairly confident. We had forgotten to check the elevation and soon found the road winding upwards. It was quite a touch 12.km but we reached Tardos and set out looking for the next point along the way. That was to be Tarjan. It was a lovely evening and the sun was just starting to set so we pushed on looking to make as many Kms as we could before dark.

At around 120km we arrived at a village called Gyermely. This was really the last daylight we were to see and fully expected to find a bed for the night. Energy levels were low and we were looking forward to food and rest. It turned out the Gyermely didn’t have any accommodation. We saw some children playing football and asked them if they spoke English. Nope. Course not… or they had been told not to speak to strange men on bicycles. A kindly man who miraculously did speak English suggested we ride on to another village called Szomor about 10km away. So it was lights on yet again as we headed on into the dark. At Szomor we noticed a food kiosk with a queue of people. We joined the line and asked a child to help us order. What we thought was chips turned out to be some kind of fried bread. It was very good. A free wi-fi connection was found and we discovered a hotel and wellness spa that was in the right direction and 16km away. Goof enough. It was booked and we plotted a course for Herceghalom.

By this time it was pitch black and the roads were curling high into the hills. Just what you need after 11 hours and 135+km in the legs. Of course it was a hairy ride on a combination of quiet and deadly busy roads but as usual we found the destination. It had been a record breaking 155km over 12 hours. We stayed awake for a single beer [which was to be regretted by me in the morning]. Only 35km shy of Budapest. What a day.

Route overview

Suitable for riders prepared for a long 124.7 km ride with moderate climbing of 345 m.

Day 19 of Rotterdam to Budapest: 124.7 km from Gabčíkovo to Herceghalom with 345 m of climbing, retraced from the map.

The route starts at Gabčíkovo (0 km) and passes through multiple towns including Sap (10.6 km), Medveďov (15.1 km), Klížska Nemá (29.5 km), and Komárno (55.1 km). From Komárom (58.6 km) it continues via urban and rural areas, including Tata (79.1 km) and Tatabánya (90.1 km), before reaching Herceghalom (122.5 km). The highest point on the route is at 263 m around 102.1 km while the lowest is 107 m at 51.9 km. Elevation gain totals 345 m with mostly flat terrain (89%). The surface is 90% paved with about 8% gravel or unpaved and 2% unmapped. Almost half (48.7 km) is on cycle paths while main roads without cycle lanes cover 37.4 km including 13.3 km on fast roads with speeds over 80 km/h. Quiet streets and tracks also form part of the route. Longest named roads ridden are 8101 for 20.7 km and 8139 for 13.9 km. Facilities along the way include cafés, pubs, bakeries, and supermarkets. The longest stretch without cafés, shops, or water is 23.7 km between 15.6 and 39.3 km. Several bail out points with stations and halts are available at Komárom, Tatabánya, Szárliget, Bicske, and Herceghalom. Several bike shops, repair stands, and petrol stations are also found along the route.