So how did an average family hit the road for a weekend trip under communism? Slide into a real East German “paper jaguar” and find out. The Trabant experience is pure nostalgia: the unmistakable engine whirr, a haze of bluish-gray smoke, that inimitable smell—and comfort so tight it’s practically a feature, not a bug. The base is at the corner of Balatoni Road (Balatoni út) and Szabadkai Street (Szabadkai utca) in Budapest’s 22nd District, and bookings run June 15–21 and June 22–28, with more dates rolling out.
There are photos, phone contacts, and info-on-request options available, but the essence is simple: jump into a decades-old Trabant, arrive in style at Memento Park, and make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime chance—before the last “Trabi” wheezes into retirement.
Trabant Transfers
Make a not-so-subtle, but perfectly on-theme entrance to Memento Park. A Trabant transfer is bookable from anywhere within Budapest, any day of the week during regular opening hours, for individuals or groups.
Price: 88,800 HUF/Trabant. Includes, for up to three people: door-to-door city transfer, admission to Memento Park, one drink per person at the Red Star Store buffet, and a guided tour in the park. If you’re more than three, you’ll need extra cars. In that case, only the transfer fee applies to those additional vehicles; the guiding fee is covered by the first booking.
Combined Tours
Level it up with a guide at Memento Park during opening hours—or go for after-hours drama at dusk or after dark. Mix and match with thematically fitting side trips: rummage the retro troves of the Ecseri flea market from the 60s–70s, or trace the touchstones of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Custom requests welcome—pitch your idea and they’ll tailor it.
1956 Revolution Tour
Ride to the revolution’s landmark sites: Kossuth Square (Kossuth tér), where shots were fired at protesters; Corvin köz, battlefield of the Soviet Red Army’s first defeat; and New Public Cemetery (Új Köztemető), final resting place of the martyrs. Stories, context, and a sobering slice of history—served via a two-stroke time capsule.
Workers’ Movement Tour
Walk Fiumei Road Cemetery (Fiumei úti sírkert), visit the Pantheon of the Workers’ Movement, and pay respects at the graves of communist party chief János Kádár and his wife Mária Tamáska, and of László Rajk, the communist interior minister executed by communists. Then roll through a classic socialist-realist housing estate—charms, flaws, and all.
Tours cost 88,800 HUF/Trabant, run 2.5–3 hours, and include, for up to three people: door-to-door Budapest transfer, free-form conversation with your trained driver-guide, guiding at attractions and memorials, and any necessary admissions. Over three people means more cars; again, only transfer is charged on additional vehicles—guiding is covered once. Add a Memento Park visit for a 22,860 HUF/Trabant surcharge, applied to each vehicle if the group exceeds three.
Extra Inclusions for Combined Tours
– Memento Park entry
– Guided tour at Memento Park
– One drink per person at the gift shop
– Snacks
Combined duration with the Park visit: 3.5–4 hours.
Pöfögés: Put-Putting Among the Statues
A slow cruise among Memento Park’s monuments and past Stalin’s Boots. The two-stroke chatters, puffs, and suddenly you know: this is the true Trabant feel. Ideal as an add-on for family events, school groups, or team-building. Advance booking required.
Price: 55,000 HUF call-out fee/Trabant + 4,500 HUF/person. Includes Memento Park admission, a guided tour, and one drink per person at the Red Star Store buffet.
Hands-On Trabi Fun
– Trabant push slalom
– Trabant engine-bay memory game
– Put-put cruise among the statues and nearby streets
– Test drive (valid driver’s license required)
Great gift idea for birthdays, graduations, or anniversaries. Add cake and supplies for a 25,000 HUF surcharge: up to a 16-slice cake, candles, homemade lemonade, tray, cutlery, cups. Prices apply up to 15 people; for more, consider a second Trabant. Program length varies by group size and add-ons: 60–90 minutes.
Team-Building Games
Where’s Vladimir, the Soviet double agent, hiding? How many propagandists wear glasses? Does Lenin have a cap on his head when he’s clutching one in his hand? Which statue towers tallest in Memento Park? How many humans can fit into a Trabant? Who can drive a Trabant with eyes closed? What message is Stalin sending to the future? Find out in one- to one-and-a-half-hour team challenges. Memento Park is a prime outdoor playground—space, ideas, and support provided on request.
