G1 Gokart - Budaring

On the Buda side of Budapest, G1 Gokart runs its Budaring track in the open air, in the flower-market area along Budaörsi Avenue. The outdoor layout is driven in the open air, and people gather as a family or with friends to string together timed laps. It is one of G1's two sites in the capital, the other being a covered track, which lets you drive under shelter or in the open air as you fancy.

Karting stays open to all, with no licence or experience: a briefing, a helmet, and you head off to find your best lap. The format suits beginners as much as regulars working on their lines, and groups happily set up short races to sort out the drivers. Everyone tries to set the best time, and people happily come back to beat it. As the activity takes place outdoors, it is best to check opening times by season before coming.

The Buda side, on the western bank of the Danube, is the greenest and hilliest part of Budapest, crowned by the royal castle and Gellért Hill. The historic thermal baths, the lookouts over the city and the wooded Buda hills make it a pleasant setting, minutes from the centre. Budapest, crossed by the Danube and UNESCO-listed for its riverbanks, has a thousand discoveries once the race is over, from the neo-Gothic Parliament to the lanes of the castle district.