Budapest has always been on my list as a hip, European hotspot to check out so when I found a direct flight from Naples to Budapest for the weekend for under $100 I jumped on it! Our travel was in December, mainly for the famous Christmas markets as well as a winter wonderland type of European feel I was dreaming about. Not only did I find exactly that, but I discovered how architecturally beautiful the city is. There is a sense of calmness that prevails even through the bitter cold temperatures. There are a lot of hip vegetarian cafes and a few good asian spots around the city but in the markets and the country as a whole- Hungary is a primarily meat-eating country.
Things not to miss in Budapest:
Stay in a chic top hotel on the Pest side (top-notch for 1/4 of the price of any other top city)
Have a drink in the New York Palace Hotel bar: absolutely stunning royalty interior
Go to the top of the St. Stephen’s Basilica: magical 360° view of the city
Go check out Szimpla the old Ruin bars at night: weirdest group of bars all together in an old warehouse
Walk across the chain bridge from Buda to Pest: beautiful old iron draw bridge
Explore Pest and go sightseeing to all the historical buildings: all in one afternoon
Take a dip in the famous Széchenyl Thermal Baths: really funny in winter when it’s freezing outside
Where to Stay In Budapest :
There are so many hotels at amazing prices on Booking.com, you have your pick but here are my top 3 choices.
For the uber glam traveler: New York Palace Hotel
For the chic Jetsetter traveler: Hotel Collect
For the too cool for school hipster: Brody House
New York Palace Hotel Budapest
Important things to know about Budapest:
On arrival at the airport you can take a 33 euro private taxi, take the shared shuttle to the city center for 11 euro per person, or you can take the easy cheap awesome bus for 3 euro which will take you directly to the center of Budapest. If you don’t have a lot of luggage I recommend the bus. You can use a credit card to pay for the bus ticket.
Budapest is divided into two parts, Buda and Pest (so funny right? lol) which are connected by three bridges across the river. Buda is the side where all the historic tourist landmarks are, and Pest side is the real, city-life with all the bars and nightlife. I suggest to stay on the Pest side. It’s much more convenient and you will only want to be on the Buda side in the daytime for sightseeing.
Hungary is part of the European Union although they have their own currency. The Hungarian Forint. Only taxis will take Euros, for everything else you must use Forint, or pay by card. When traveling through most countries, I take out their currency directly from the atm in that country when I get there. You can also easily find a currency exchange and switch the bills- up to you.
Once upon a time Hungary was an extremely cheap Eastern European country for travelers… those days are over my friends! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not expensive (for Americans) but it’s about the same as the rest of Europe or anywhere else that is not a glamorous hotspot.
