Budapest - Anyone Been?
Discussion
Yep, I went a few years ago with an ex-girlfriend and it's a nice city. It's split in 2 parts which are both very different.
One of the people in our group got attacked and had his watch and wallet stolen. This was in a bar though and I was safely tucked up at the time! From what I remember there was a huge outdoors ice skating rink and some nice old buildings by the river.
Sorry I'm a touch vauge on the details, but the main thing I would say is keep your wits about you, one over riding memory is that it was corrupt and not the safest city I've been to if you stray into the wrong areas.
One of the people in our group got attacked and had his watch and wallet stolen. This was in a bar though and I was safely tucked up at the time! From what I remember there was a huge outdoors ice skating rink and some nice old buildings by the river.
Sorry I'm a touch vauge on the details, but the main thing I would say is keep your wits about you, one over riding memory is that it was corrupt and not the safest city I've been to if you stray into the wrong areas.
Budapest is a great city, and whilst you should keep your wits about you, it's nowhere more dangerous than anywhere else in Central Europe I've been to.
My mother-in-law is Hungarian and I have been over to see her
family/friends in Hungary quite a few times. With the family connection, I'm not too well up on clubs/pulling places as we tend to get ratted with the family on their homebrew
You need to go to the baths. Try the baths at Hotel
Gellert which is on the Buda side at the base of Gellert hill (Szent
Gellert ter) near the Chain Bridge (Lanchid) over the Danube. Stunning architecture inside the
baths, and make sure you go into the single sex bit - try and get a
massage and other treatments. Don't worry if you see fat blokes
wandering around with small piece of tissue covering their modesty and
a g-string. You will need a swimming hat to swim in the pool but IIRC
you can hire them there or buy from a sports shop next door.
If you do go, make sure you don't fall for the ticket scam at the
reception. They have this bizarre system of you buy a ticket for a set
amount of time (usually far longer than you would stay there). Make
sure you retain your ticket and when you leave the hotel, ask for the
refund you are owed. Normally the guys there will just take the ticket
from you when you leave, not offer a refund and just pocket the cash
for themselves. Luckily my wife is fluent in Hungarian and worked out
what was going on and got the money back. Don't let that put you off -
it really is well worth a visit.
If the weather is warm and you fancy a swim, go to the Szechenyi baths
(furdo) instead in the City Park (Varosliget) at the end of the M2 (I
think) line. They are mostly open air but lovely and warm, a really
beautiful building and you can play chess on the floating boards.
As for other stuff to do:
Go up Castle Hill on the Buda side and get a view over the city from
the Fisherman's Bastion and take a look at Matthias Church (Matyas
templom). The Palace (Kiralyi Palota) is ok too, but I've seen better
museums.
At the top of Gellert hill on the Buda side, there is an old fort
which is ok, but also a massive statue to 'thank' the Russians for
freeing Hungary from the Germans which dominates the City.
There are some decent restaurants on the Buda side too, I think around
Szentharomsag ter (Trinity Square) and also elsewhere in the Castle
(Var) area.
The Parliament building is great and was based on the Houses of
Parliament and probably taking a tour down the Danube on a river
cruise is worth doing too.
Vaci Utca on the Pest side is the main shopping/touristy street, which
I would avoid eating on - not great quality tourist food. At the end
nearest Ferenc Deak Ter is a small square (Vorosmarty Ter) with the
Gerbeaud coffee house - this is very famous for it's coffee and cake
(like the Viennese houses) - cakes there are amazing. Also the covered
market, at the other end of Vaci Utca is worth going to for some nice
food.
Heroes Square (Hosok Tere) is worth a visit (at night best when its
all lit up) as is the City Park (zoo is ok, but when my missus was
little, her aunt and uncle took her there and she was horrified to see
them feeding live bunnies to the lions at feeding time). I think the
wooden rollercoaster is still going if you really want to sh*t
yourself!
When we were there last (about a year ago), there seemed to be some
'trendy' bars and restaurants cropping up in the square near the Opera
house and Opera tube stop (on the M2 line).
Andrassy ut is quite a nice street to walk down too.
Seeing as I'm with family, I don't really go clubbing when we are
there, but the riverside clubs are good and often free entry.
Get plenty of Hungarian food - Chicken Paprika (paprikas csirke) is
lovely and the gyulas is not like the stodgy goulash you get over
here. Debreceni kolbas (sausage) is yummy too. They have some decent
lagers and try the Palinka.
Learn some basic Hungarian phrases - they will get you a long way and
people will appreciate you've made an attempt to learn the bloody
difficult language.
If you can, avoid taking taxis. You can buy a Budapest City Pass I
think it's called from most of the big hotels which gives you
unlimited travel on the buses, trams and underground which is by far
the most hassle free. If you do buy individual trip tickets, make sure
you punch them in the little orange punching machines when you make
your journey as it's not that obvious and inspections are frequent as
are fines. If you are changing lines on the tube with this, you will
need to punch a separate ticket.
Erm, that's about it I reckon, other than take the usual tourist
precautions as you would when visiting anywhere. Oh yes, watch out for
the gypsies - you can tell as they are the swarthy guys in leather
jackets with gold teeth...
If you want a day trip, go to the walled city of Eger (where the
locals fought off the Turks) which is home to Bulls Blood wine.
Have a great time, it's a great city
Any more questions, just ask
My mother-in-law is Hungarian and I have been over to see her
family/friends in Hungary quite a few times. With the family connection, I'm not too well up on clubs/pulling places as we tend to get ratted with the family on their homebrew
You need to go to the baths. Try the baths at Hotel
Gellert which is on the Buda side at the base of Gellert hill (Szent
Gellert ter) near the Chain Bridge (Lanchid) over the Danube. Stunning architecture inside the
baths, and make sure you go into the single sex bit - try and get a
massage and other treatments. Don't worry if you see fat blokes
wandering around with small piece of tissue covering their modesty and
a g-string. You will need a swimming hat to swim in the pool but IIRC
you can hire them there or buy from a sports shop next door.
If you do go, make sure you don't fall for the ticket scam at the
reception. They have this bizarre system of you buy a ticket for a set
amount of time (usually far longer than you would stay there). Make
sure you retain your ticket and when you leave the hotel, ask for the
refund you are owed. Normally the guys there will just take the ticket
from you when you leave, not offer a refund and just pocket the cash
for themselves. Luckily my wife is fluent in Hungarian and worked out
what was going on and got the money back. Don't let that put you off -
it really is well worth a visit.
If the weather is warm and you fancy a swim, go to the Szechenyi baths
(furdo) instead in the City Park (Varosliget) at the end of the M2 (I
think) line. They are mostly open air but lovely and warm, a really
beautiful building and you can play chess on the floating boards.
As for other stuff to do:
Go up Castle Hill on the Buda side and get a view over the city from
the Fisherman's Bastion and take a look at Matthias Church (Matyas
templom). The Palace (Kiralyi Palota) is ok too, but I've seen better
museums.
At the top of Gellert hill on the Buda side, there is an old fort
which is ok, but also a massive statue to 'thank' the Russians for
freeing Hungary from the Germans which dominates the City.
There are some decent restaurants on the Buda side too, I think around
Szentharomsag ter (Trinity Square) and also elsewhere in the Castle
(Var) area.
The Parliament building is great and was based on the Houses of
Parliament and probably taking a tour down the Danube on a river
cruise is worth doing too.
Vaci Utca on the Pest side is the main shopping/touristy street, which
I would avoid eating on - not great quality tourist food. At the end
nearest Ferenc Deak Ter is a small square (Vorosmarty Ter) with the
Gerbeaud coffee house - this is very famous for it's coffee and cake
(like the Viennese houses) - cakes there are amazing. Also the covered
market, at the other end of Vaci Utca is worth going to for some nice
food.
Heroes Square (Hosok Tere) is worth a visit (at night best when its
all lit up) as is the City Park (zoo is ok, but when my missus was
little, her aunt and uncle took her there and she was horrified to see
them feeding live bunnies to the lions at feeding time). I think the
wooden rollercoaster is still going if you really want to sh*t
yourself!
When we were there last (about a year ago), there seemed to be some
'trendy' bars and restaurants cropping up in the square near the Opera
house and Opera tube stop (on the M2 line).
Andrassy ut is quite a nice street to walk down too.
Seeing as I'm with family, I don't really go clubbing when we are
there, but the riverside clubs are good and often free entry.
Get plenty of Hungarian food - Chicken Paprika (paprikas csirke) is
lovely and the gyulas is not like the stodgy goulash you get over
here. Debreceni kolbas (sausage) is yummy too. They have some decent
lagers and try the Palinka.
Learn some basic Hungarian phrases - they will get you a long way and
people will appreciate you've made an attempt to learn the bloody
difficult language.
If you can, avoid taking taxis. You can buy a Budapest City Pass I
think it's called from most of the big hotels which gives you
unlimited travel on the buses, trams and underground which is by far
the most hassle free. If you do buy individual trip tickets, make sure
you punch them in the little orange punching machines when you make
your journey as it's not that obvious and inspections are frequent as
are fines. If you are changing lines on the tube with this, you will
need to punch a separate ticket.
Erm, that's about it I reckon, other than take the usual tourist
precautions as you would when visiting anywhere. Oh yes, watch out for
the gypsies - you can tell as they are the swarthy guys in leather
jackets with gold teeth...
If you want a day trip, go to the walled city of Eger (where the
locals fought off the Turks) which is home to Bulls Blood wine.
Have a great time, it's a great city
Any more questions, just ask 
mark Liebchen - seem to recall posting to this thread where I placed some pointers to enjoying Budapest.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=195560&f=141&h=0&hw=Budapest
I mentioned a few restaurants und seek out the jazz clubs there. Try the small restaurants - cheaper and "real Hungarian cooking"
Try the PH search engine for Budapest as there are some other threads listed....
I am also sure lieber kevin day would not mind an e-mail - he teaches in Hungary - not Budua-Pest - but sure he can recommend anyways as probably know thing or two about Budapest by virtue of Hingarian knowledge etc.... Ist a beautiful city. I have visited many times. You should enjoy ... but key "Budapest" into PH search engine for last 6 month or so. Or further back even ... You will enjoy the archives...
I would take a little gander at tourist web site before you set off, a browse on the travel guide shelves of the bookseller for some pointers as well und maybe even buy one of the guide books for reference.
Also Mark Liebchen - sure
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=195560&f=141&h=0&hw=Budapest
I mentioned a few restaurants und seek out the jazz clubs there. Try the small restaurants - cheaper and "real Hungarian cooking"
Try the PH search engine for Budapest as there are some other threads listed....
I am also sure lieber kevin day would not mind an e-mail - he teaches in Hungary - not Budua-Pest - but sure he can recommend anyways as probably know thing or two about Budapest by virtue of Hingarian knowledge etc.... Ist a beautiful city. I have visited many times. You should enjoy ... but key "Budapest" into PH search engine for last 6 month or so. Or further back even ... You will enjoy the archives...
I would take a little gander at tourist web site before you set off, a browse on the travel guide shelves of the bookseller for some pointers as well und maybe even buy one of the guide books for reference.
Also Mark Liebchen - sure
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