Key Post: Budapest-any tips?

T

Tommy

Guest
You lucky sod!

Tips...

1. Buy a weekly public transport card when you arrive. Use the trams and metro as much as possible - they're excellent value and give you great flexibility in seeing the place.

2. Best nightlife, coffee bars, restaurants generally seem to be clustered in the area between Nyugati (spell??) Station and the Danube, along the inner ring road.

3. The big market (Lehel Market) is worth seeing.

4. Use the baths.

5. Hotels etc appear to be teeming with free city maps and pocket guidebooks. Don't bother spending money on Lonely Planets or Rough Guides before you go - the free guidebooks are every bit as good.

6. The beer isn't great - coffee and wine are though.

7. Unless the city is too hot or you're bored or something, don't bother going up the Danube Bend. Szentendre is a pretty village turned into tourist trap. Esztergom has a fine cathedral, a lovely Danube view and little else. Much more to see in Budapest.
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

Great stuff Tommy - thanks for the tips! I've also been checking out www.budapestinfo.hu/en/ which has a lot of info. One financial question - is preloading the credit card and withdrawing cash at an ATM an option or should money be carried in some other form?
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

Preloading and using the credit card at ATMs is ideal. They're everywhere.
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

Do you know if the 3 day or weekly public transport passes cover the shuttle from the airport to city centre as well?
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

How about regular ATM cards? Can they be used (ie Cirrus/Plus?) Always thought preloading the credit card was a bit on the overcomplicated side...
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

Hi Clubman

Re: public transport passes - what we did was to get the public bus from the airport to the nearest metro station (named Kispet something or other, afaik). It was a short journey and cost something quite small. We bought our passes there and used them for the week. BTW, the metro station I'm talking about was by far the grottiest place we found in Budapest but its onwards and upwards from there.

I dunno about Cirrus/Plus ATMs apart from a general assumption that, if they can be used out there, you are likely to be fleeced in bank charges as its outside the eurozone. BTW there's very little complication about preloading a credit card. Just estimate your probable cash spend in advance of your trip and pay the sum to your credit card account in advance of travelling - in exactly the same way as you pay your monthly card bill.
 
Budapest-any tips?

The weekly travel pass does not cover the shuttle from the airport but I recommend getting anyway because they will drop you off wherever you are staying.

Don't go to Budapest and not go to the baths. Gellert baths are the most popular tourist baths but I recommend Szecheyni baths by Hero Square for a slice of real Hungarian life(the baths are nicer than Gellert anyway) There is a metro stop at these baths.

Take a boat trip along the Danube, but only do the short city trip and have a look at the bridges, the parliament buildings, the castle district etc. Architecture is one of Budapest's main attractions for me.

Avoid any Irish Bars - over-priced and crap anyway.

You have to go to the Opera House and see a performance. Best night out for c.€15.

Go to Liszt Ferenc Ter - a piazza full of bars and cafes. Have breakfast outside and watch the world go by. (I lived here for twelve months and I did this every day)

Don't get taxis from the street. Call them in advance, or have someone call one for you. Use City Taxi. Cheap and extremely prompt. You will get ripped off hailing one down.

Try Dreher beer - no additives = no hangover

Learn some Hungarian while you are there. Korso = beer
egerszegdre = cheers

Avoid the trains stations late at night - dodgy
 
Re: Budapest-any tips?

Thanks again Tommy and davido. Good tips there. Especially the crash course in Hungarian! :)

was also recommended by the travel agent.

P.S. I tend to avoid (O)Irish bars studiously when abroad anyway. When in Rome etc... ;)
 
Re: >>Budapest-any tips?

I would not recommend the ‘Mercure Budapest Metropol’ on Rakoczi ut, which is used by some Irish travel agencies. It’s in a good location but the rooms were small (about the same size as in at the cheaper Ibis hotel) and the management unwilling to deal with even minor complaints. Also, they did not open the bar on Sunday night. Apart from that Budapest is cool.
 
Budapest - Recommend hotels?

Thanks PMU

Does anyone have any hotels they would recommend?

Thanks
 
Budapest is good value for money from a Western point of view, but avoid the tourist traps. One of my favourite restaurants is Koleves on the corner of Dob/Kazinczy utca in District VII, close to Deak Ter. You'll be surrounded mostly by locals. Liszt Ter is nice, particularly in Summer. In September, the weather should still be lovely. It's a bit touristy though and the service is at best leisurely. Also, somebody, somewhere will try to rip you off, so always count your change. Cafe Alibi on Egyetem Ter in District V is great for breakfast.

Art'otel on the Buda side of the Danube for modern style and the Corinthia Grand Hotel on Erzsebet Korut for grandeur are two of the best medium-priced hotels in the city. Make sure not to pay full price though as there are always good offers available on the net. The Four Seasons is beautiful too, but prices are crazy. Definitely worth going to though for a coffee at some stage.

Don't hail taxis on the street. Stay away from anything with a 'tourist menu'. Try to have smaller notes, as restaurants and bars frequently don't have enough change. Buy a transport pass for your entire time here. Go to the Szechenyi Baths in City Park. Walk down the Danube embankment on the Pest side at night. Go the opera house, even just to see it. Don't take the metro everywhere - it's a beautiful city and wandering around is half the enjoyment! Go to some of the outdoor bars if you have time - particularly Hold Udvar on Margit island, which is one of the few that's suitable for families. Szimpla Kert on Kazinczy utca or Tuztate on Tuzolto utca, if you want to see where the younger locals go.
 
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