How-to Guide and Top Tips for Budapest Hungary

Plan to Explore — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 15:26:54 +0000

I never understood why they called Budapest Hungary the Paris of Eastern Europe. And then I traveled there.

There is something grand about Budapest, that is unlike many other European cities. It doesn’t have the “hit you in the face” fairytale feeling, it’s just welcoming and beautiful.

If you read my article 5 Reasons Why You Need to Try Hungarian Wine, then you know I’ve had this city on my bucket list for a long time. It’s super affordable, easy to navigate, and there’s So. Much. Good. Food.

Read on to get my tips and recommendations for this amazing city, and to watch our full travel video! Just for fun – you’ll also find out the meaning and pronunciation of my Hungarian maiden name.

How to Get There

You might be surprised to hear that a number of people asked me “Budapest, where is that?” when I told them our destination.

Or maybe you didn’t know where it was either. If so you’re welcome for the above map.

Now, how to get there….

1. By Plane

Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt Airport is located about 22 km outside the city. The airport is modern and easy to navigate, and customs took us almost no time at all on arrival.

There are a few choices for transportation into the city.

100E bus – You can take the bus which leaves from Terminal 2 and takes you directly to Deak Ferenc Square, which is the center of the city and also a Metro stop. This is the cheapest option and will take about 40 minutes. Buy your tickets from the purple machine marked BKK. Cost should be around 3€.
Taxi – Another option, the one we opted for, is to take a taxi. There is a taxi stand is directly outside baggage claim, where they ask for your destination address and then quote you a price. We were in a taxi and on our way in a matter of a few minutes. Cost should be around 22€.
miniBud Airport Shuttle – Last, there is an airport shuttle called miniBud you can book. This is a shared shuttle service. The cost for two of us was almost the same as taking a taxi, which is why we opted for a taxi.

Pro Tip: If you are departing at the end of your trip from Budapest Airport, no need to arrive any earlier than 2 hours prior. There are no set counters for airlines at this airport, so check-in can be in any location and doesn’t open early. You’ll end up waiting like we did if you show up early.

Luggage Storage

Looking for a place to store your luggage? Maybe your hotel room isn’t ready for check-in, or you have a long layover and want to explore a city. You need to check out a service called Luggage Hero. You can book storage for as little as 1 hour, up to a full day and at a much cheaper rate than most airport storage solutions.

Click here to see the Luggage Hero locations in Budapest, or browse around for any city you may be traveling to!

2. By Train

If you live in Europe, or Budapest is just one location on your travels, then you may be arriving by train.

Budapest–Keleti pályaudvar is the main international and regional railway station.

Metro – There are Metro lines below the station, lines 2 & 4 can take you almost anywhere in the city.
Walking – You can walk to the city center, but it will take you about 40 minutes.
Taxi – Just outside the station taxis should be readily available. Make sure they are clearly marked and start the meter.

Pro Tip: If you are leaving Budapest to head to another country, the international ticket office is along Platform 6. Make sure to grab a number and await your turn. You can book your ticket online ahead of time as well, and I recommend you do so in the summer months. The ticket line can take 30-40 minutes during the busy season.

IMPORTANT TIP – Download the Bolt app before you get to the city. Bolt is their version of Uber or Lyft. It’s super easy to use and inexpensive.

You enter your destination, it reads your location and sends a taxi right to you. It also shows you the car progress in real time, and you pay through the app. We used this quite a few times when we had wandered too far and wanted to get back across town quickly.

Budapest Seasons and Weather

Budapest is located in central Eastern Europe, with a moderate climate. Winters are cold, with cool spring and fall seasons, and warm summer.

I’ll outline the seasons with the pros and cons below.

Winter: Temperatures range from 30-40ºF (-1-4°C). This is considered the off-season unless you are there for a Christmas Market. You’ll most likely get the most affordable lodging prices during this time, but obviously, it will be cold.

Spring: Temps range from 50-70ºF (10-21°C). Late spring is a great time to visit, with ideal temperatures to site see. This is the shoulder season, so prices should be moderate, but increase the closer you get to summer.

Summer: Temperatures range from 70-80ºF (21-26°C). This is the busy high season. Prices will be a little elevated, but the city is alive during this time. There are more events along the river, like live music and people are out and about.

Fall: Temps range from 40-70ºF (4-21°C), with averages in the 60’s. This time of year is also great but can start to get cool quickly. September and early October will give you the best weather to still really enjoy the outdoors.

Pro Tip: If you want to book during the busy seasons of late spring, summer or early fall, plan to book accommodations in advance to ensure your preferred location. Learn about the best times to visit and save money with my post How to Easily Plan Cheap Vacations to Europe.

Where to Stay in Budapest

Budapest offers really affordable and NICE accommodations for the cost.

We visited in early October and stayed in the above pictured Airbnb for 70€ a night. That included living space, a small kitchen, loft bedroom and full bath in a historic apartment building. Yes, those front steps open up onto a quiet courtyard.

I wish I was sitting there right now drinking a glass of wine!

There are a few optimal location options in Budapest outlined below.

Jewish District VII – If you like cafes, restaurants, and bars at your doorstep, this is the district for you. Most of the ruin bars are located here, as well as the Synagogue, and lots of interesting murals.

River Front Pest District V – The higher-end accommodations are located here, as well as the long shopping street Vaci utca. If you like chain hotels or want to stay close to the Danube, this is it. This area is the most central location in the city. You will be steps away from everything.

Pest District VI – Home to the Opera House and Train Station, this is also a central option. I would recommend staying in the southern half of the area, closer to St. Stephen’s Basilica. This is adjacent to the Jewish District as well.

Castle District / Buda – The other side of the river is much quieter. If you’d like to be close to the Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Gellért or Kiraly thermal baths, stay here. It’s a 30-minute walk from this side to the Jewish District. This district has a lot more hills to traverse.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to check sites like Trip Advisor and Airbnb for where to stay. Always read reviews! Our place in Budapest was in one of the busiest locations in the city, but we were able to read that it was in an interior courtyard and felt secluded – which was true!

Top Budapest Sites

This city really has something for everyone. There’s no way to cover every site in the city in this post, but below are the top 6 sites we visited to add to your list.

One of our favorite moments was hiking to the top of the Citadel, and enjoying a beer while taking in the view.

There is no shortage of views and vantage points in this city, and we enjoyed exploring a number of them! I’ll break them up by Buda & Pest.

Pest Side - Sites

1. Saint Stephen's Basilica

A beautiful church that’s a must-see, whether you just enjoy the exterior architecture, or venture inside. We decided to take the elevator up to the dome tower for a view of the city. Pictured above!

Note: You’ll need to pay a small donation to enter the interior. To take the elevator up to the dome, the cost is 1000 ft, which is around $3.50 USD. Definitely worth it! You might need a light jacket as it was pretty windy up there, or a hair tie. (my hair was in my face for most of the pictures we took)

2. Hero's Square & City Park

If you are looking for a lovely city break to stroll through tall trees, stand in the middle of a big beautiful square, or marvel at a castle originally created as a facade, this is it. Hero’s Square was expecting some foreign visitors, so it was closed, which actually made for some great people free photos.

Vajdahunyad Castle was built in the late 1800s as a part of an exhibition made out of wood and cardboard. It was so popular that they decide to build it with stone and brick between 1904-1908. It features various architectural styles and houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture.

Note: There is a playground on-site, paid restrooms, and some food offerings as well. This park could be an all-day experience, is you planned to visit all the sites available. We didn’t enter Széchenyi baths but would recommend going early on a weekday if you plan to. In the winter, they have ice skating in front of the castle!

3. Parliament Building

This is the most iconic building in Budapest, and one of the largest parliaments in the world. Located right next to the Danube on the Pest side, most visitors enjoy and photograph the exterior of the building. If you would like to see the interior, you’ll need to pay for a guided tour. You can enter the lobby area for free, to get a glimpse of the neo-gothic style.

Note: Guided tours last around 45 minutes, and cost 3200 ft ($10.50). A river cruise would be a great way to see the parliament too!

Buda Side - Sites

1. Gellert Thermal Baths

Historic and well kept thermal baths on the Buda side, part of the Gellert Hotel. We visited these baths and really enjoyed the experience. They offer a regular swimming pool both indoor and outdoors, a wave pool in the summer, and 6 thermal baths (5 indoor, one outdoor). Link to the bath website and map here.

Note: You can pay to rent a private cabin to change in, but we found the lockers a better value. There are changing booths in the locker area and private showers to rinse off after the baths. Cost for bath entrance and a locker is 5900 ft on the weekdays, 6100 on the weekend. You can also rent a towel if you prefer not to bring one.

Don’t forget sandals of some type! These waterproof Birkenstocks would be perfect.

2. Citadel

Also know as the Citadella, this viewpoint is located at the top of a hill next to Gellert Thermal Baths. We enjoyed hiking to the top, but it’s also easily accessible by car/bus from the Northside.

Note: This is a great place to hang out for a bit and enjoy the view. Located at the top is a bar with wine and beer and some cafe tables. There are also some market stands with gifts and snacks, as well as paid restrooms.

3. Castle and Fisherman's Bastion

Just across the Chain Bridge from the Pest side, you’ll find the funicular, or a steep path, that leads you up to the castle, also known as the Royal Palace. The complex houses the Budapest History Museum and Hungarian National Gallery as well (basically artifacts and art, haha).

Fisherman’s Bastion (above) is a beautiful viewpoint and you’ll see it in a lot of traveler’s photos. It was built in the late 1800s to commemorate the fisherman’s guild who built a defensive post for the city there in the middle ages.

Note: The History Museum & Gallery are not open on Mondays. Also, this area gets really busy, so if you can visit on a weekday and early in the morning you’ll beat some of the crowds. You’ll have to pay if you want to go to the top level of Fisherman’s Bastion. We wandered the streets around this district and enjoyed brightly colored buildings and a few hidden alleyways.

Hungarian Beer, Wine & Ruin Bars

I keep saying Budapest has it all, but it’s true.

There’s no shortage of places to grab a drink, and they have so much selection. Their craft beer is on point, their wine surprised us, and the ruin bars are so much fun to explore!

I’m going to break my recommendations up into beer, wine and ruin bars below so you can scroll to the section that appeals the most to you!

1. Beer

If you like beer don’t miss out on the craft beer scene in Budapest. Visit the taprooms below, or wander into any location that looks interesting!

FIRST craft beer – There are two locations in the heart of the city, one at Dob u. 3, and one at Madách Imre tér 3, both are in the Jewish Quarter. We did not try any of their food, but the beers were all great quality.
KEG sörművház – Located on the Buda side, walking distance from Gellert Baths, at Orlay u. 1. This place is a hidden gem! We stopped in for lunch and had two courses for around $5 USD per person, the cabbage stew is in the pictures above. They offered an amazing selection of European craft beers from all different locations, as well as Hungarian brews. MUST try place in my opinion.

2. Wine

First things first, you need to read my post 5 Reasons Why You Need to Try Hungarian Wine if you love wine. It’s a detailed guide on all things Hungarian wine.

If you just want a few wine bar suggestions, read on!

Doblo Wine Bar – A fantastic place to taste wine. Their recommendations were on point, and we really enjoyed their red selection. They offer a combined tasting menu and meat and cheese plate if you want to go that route.
Kadarka Wine Bar – This is a wonderful wine and dinner spot, recommended to us by our Hungarian wine tour guide. Both of us enjoyed our meals there and the wine. This place is a little pricey, comparatively and it’s really busy. I recommend making a reservation, as it was lively and full on a Friday night. Other weeknights may be a bit quieter.

3. Ruin Bars

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about the ruin bars going in. They seemed a little outrageous or over the top. BUT I can say that I have been converted.

We visited a few on our trip, and all were interesting in their own way.

Szimpla Kert – If you have done any research on Budapest, surely you’ve heard this name already. It’s basically a huge space that looks like it’s decorated with stuff from a thousand garage sales. What I loved – good selection of beer, and the food upstairs was actually amazing and affordable (in the pic above – doesn’t that look sooo good!). Definitely worth checking out even if you just stroll through to gawk at the decorations.
Élesztő – This is a little off the beaten path, but well worth going. They have beer, and a wine and tapas bar. We were here for a wine tasting hosted by a tour company, but all the wines were great. This place is also connected to a hot chocolate cafe filled with TEDDY BEARS. Yes, you heard that right. He also gave me a free mini hot chocolate and I was way too excited about it.

Pro Tip: You can order your beverage in two different ml sizes at almost every establishment. This is great as many of the breweries or taprooms don’t offer an official tasting flight. You can essentially order a half beer, or a half glass of wine and then move on to try the next.

Quick List - Hungarian Foods to try

For the fist time on a trip abroad, we decided to make a “must try” food list.

We spent most of my Birthday in two of the market halls trying the food, and shopping for souvenirs in between. Great place to be on your Birthday – am I right?

Below is our list of some must-try yummy Hungarian foods, and where to get them!

Goulash (Gulyásleves)– The food I’m sure you think of when someone mentions Hungary. You can honestly find this almost anywhere. We found one for a great value at the Hold ut. (street) food market close to Liberty Square.
Pigs in a blanket (Töltött Káposzta)– As a midwesterner from a German and Hungarian background, I’ve been eating this food all of my life. We tried pigs in a blanket at the Great Food Market Hall on my Birthday tour. They make it with pork, sour cream on top, and stewed cabbage on the side. SO GOOD.
Langos – Pronounced Lan-go-sh, this fried dough with sour cream and cheese on top is amazing. It’s quite the “snack” – I recommend sharing it with your travel companion. A popular spot to grab this on the go is at Retró Lángos Büfé close to Hold ut. food market.
Strudel (Rétes)– We tried sour cherry and cottage cheese with strawberry jam. Both were so delicious and we bought them from a stall downstairs at the Great Food Market Hall.

Note: We also had AMAZING middle eastern food at a restaurant called Dobrumba. You have to make reservations in advance (reservations can be made by email). Oh, AND the coffee was great too. I’m going to go back just to eat and drink things. For real.

Budapest Travel Video!

Want to get a preview of Budapest and see some of the places I talked about above? Click below to watch our Budapest Travel Video. If you like it, subscribe to Brandon James’ Channel on Youtube!

Bonus - My Hungarian Maiden Name Story!

My maiden name, Takacs, is Hungarian. We pronounce it “Tackis” in the US. I had to ask a Hungarian while we were there the correct way to say it, and what it means.

Pronounced: Ta-kach (with a ch sound at the end like the beginning of cheese)

Meaning: Weaver or craftsman

Pretty cool right?!

Do you have the info you need to visit Budapest, Hungary now? I sure hope so - this post was a detailed one!

If you have any questions about Budapest - comment below!

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