Hungary Travel—Visiting Budapest

Consisting of the two historic cities of Buda and Pest that lie across the Danube from each other, Hungary’s capital is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

As it was the home of the Hungarian kings of old and the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, lots of majestic buildings and impressive monuments dot its streets. Of these, the Parliament Building is one of its main attractions for its gorgeous Gothic style architecture and colossal size. As the ‘spa capital of Europe,’ the city also has loads of lovely thermal bathhouses for you to relax in with Szechenyi Baths being the most popular of the lot.

In addition to this, Budapest is known for its unique ruin bars which make for some great nightlife. With so much for you to see and do, it’s easy to see why it is such a population destination.

Video 1.  TOP 10 Things to do in BUDAPEST  (YouTube link)

Things to Do

Here’s a list of some of the best experiences you can’t miss on a trip to Hungary’s vibrant capital:^[1]

1. Explore the Castle District
2. Soak at a thermal spa
3. Take a panoramic ride on Tram 2
4. Visit Parliament
5. See the Basilica
6. Stroll along Andrássy Avenue and City Park 
7. Have a coffee at a historical coffeehouse
8. Admire a birds-eye view at Gellert Hill
9. Spend a day on Margaret Island
10. Ruin pubs and garden clubs
11. Great Synagogue
12. Memento Park
13. Take a break in Buda Hills

Figure 1.  Top 10 Places to Visit (see Video 1)

To 10 Places to Visit

In Video 1, it shows the Top 10 places to visit in Budapest:

1. City Park with Heroes’ Square, Vajdahunyad Castle, etc. 
• Metro M1
2. Central Market Hall
• Tram stop
3. House of Terror Museum
4. Citadella & Liberty Statue
5. Ruin Pubs like Szimpla Kert
6. Buda Castle 
7. Fisherman's Bastion
8. Széchenyi Chain Bridge
9. Thermal baths like Széchenyi Thermal Bath
10. Hungarian Parliament Building
• Need to book ticket in advance

Figure 2.  M4 Metro connects Budapest-Keleti (right top) and Budapest-Kelenföld (left bottom)

Getting Around Budapest

Moving around Budapest is very easy thanks to the BKV public transports available around the city, including buses, trams, and metro.^[12]

Public transports in Budapest work very well and at affordable rates. Its metro system is the oldest in Europe after London, and its four lines cover all the main touristic attractions of the city. Trams, buses, and taxis work very well; they are always on time, allowing you to reach any corner of the city. In addiction, you can use Mol Bubi, a public bike-sharing system that allows you to move around Budapest in an ecological and fun way.

See a good Google map for the Budapest Metro map here.

Video 2.  How to buy a Budapest public transportation ticket ? (And a scam to avoid)—YouTube link

Weather and Climate

Read [13] for the current weather condition. The below chart shows the average temperature in Budapest.

Figure 3.  Average High and Low Temperature in Budapest (Source:© WeatherSpark.com)

Supermarket Open Hours

For example, the below shows the open hours (Nyitvatartás) of ALDI at Rákóczi út 65. 1081 Budapest:

még 01:53h nyitva (remaining open hours—1:53h ) 

Szo (Saturday)    06:30 - 21:00  

V (Sunday)          07:00 - 19:00

H - P (Mon - Fri) 06:30 - 21:00

Figure 4.  The days of week in Hungarian

References

1. 13 great things to do in Budapest
2. How Many Days in Budapest is Enough? – 3 Day Itinerary
3. Hilton Garden Inn Budapest City Centre
4. Is the Eurail Pass Worth It? The Ultimate Guide
5. railjets.com
   
6. regiojet.com
7. le.cz
8. ÖBB App & We
• Ticket Offer
9. A 3 day-itinerary around Budapest
10. Budapest Card
11. Budapest Funicular
• Budapest Funicular was built in 1870. It connects the Chain Bridge to the Castle hill, not far from the Royal Palace.
12. Getting around Budapest
13. 2022 Weather History in Budapest
14. Budapest Card: Is It Worth It? Pros, Cons and How to Use it
• 100E bus (Airport Shuttle Bus)—Terminal 2 to City Center (Deák Ferenc tér metro station)
• 220E bus 
15. Official BKK Information — Public Transportation
• BudapestGO (Google Play)—Mobile app that you can buy digital single tickets, daily and weekly travelcards or passes in the application and you can also be informed immediately about the current transport service changes.  However, some users complained about its UI interface.
16. The 15 Best Places with a Buffet in Budapest
17. HOTEL BRISTOL BUDAPEST
18. The 7 Best Thermal Baths In Budapest
19. Safety Boxes at Szechenyi Baths
• The size of the locker is 120x30x65 cm (47.2 x 11.8 x 25.6 in). 
20. Euro to Hungarian Forints currency exchange rate (xe.com)
21. Tipping etiquette for Budapest, Hungary
• When you talk about sit-down eateries in Budapest, the standard tip rate for a good service is 10% of the bill and 15% for an exceptional service. However, many restaurants in Budapest charge a 12.5% service charge (szervízdíj in Hungarian) on the total bill. So, you don't need leave anything extra.