Welcome to Budapest!
Maybe you only plan your trip to Hungary. To make it easier, I share some useful info about the country and Budapest besides the walking tours.
Entering Hungary during the COVID-19 pandemic: read this post.
How to VISIT Budapest
Most of the travellers arrive by plane to Budapest, to the Liszt Ferenc International Airport. All of the popular European destinations can be reached from here. From the airport, you can go to the city by bus, by taxi or by shuttle bus. The cheapest option is the 100E bus which connects the airport and some of the major transport hubs of Budapest.
The website of Budapest Airport: bud.hu
There is another international airport in Eastern Hungary. Debrecen is 200 km away from Budapest, and there are fewer flights.
If you come by car, be sure to book accommodation with a parking spot, as it’s quite expensive to park in the inner parts of Budapest. If you come by train, you will arrive at Budapest Keleti railway station. From there you can go anywhere easily by public transportation.
Where to stay in Budapest, how to move around
There are plenty of hotels, AirBnb’s in Budapest. If you want to enjoy the nightlife, it’s better to stay in the inner parts of the city (especially on the Pest side), but because of the good public transportation, you can choose other accommodation which is close to a metro or suburban railway (HÉV) station.
If you stay in the heart of Budapest, renting a car is not a good idea. And don’t forget, there are harsh punishments for drunk driving (DUI), there is a “zero-tolerance” policy in Hungary- even a glass of beer can be too much! However, you can go to the popular spots on foot or by public transport.
The website of Budapest public transport company: bkk.hu
If you want to use public transportation and also visit some museums, sights, you can consider buying a Budapest Card.
Good to know about Hungary
The currency of Hungary is the Hungarian Forint (HUF).
The conversion rates (2022 July): 1 USD = 400 HUF, 1 EUR = 405 HUF
If you need cash, you can change it easily, there are many offices in the city. If you want to use credit or debit cards, Visa and MasterCard are the most widely used and accepted cards.
Tipping: it’s common to give tips in restaurants or cafes. The typical amount is 10-15%. You can also give tips when you use a taxi or other services.
What to do in Budapest
If you don’t know too much about the city, there is a collection of top sights of Budapest on the official website of Budapest. If you want to visit some or all of them, or you are curious about my opinion, feel free to contact me!
If you would like to taste traditional Hungarian drinks, you can try the pálinka, which is a fruit spirit, or the famous wine of Tokaj. Did you hear about the famous ruin bars of Budapest? You can read about my favourites!
There are several world-famous thermal baths in Budapest. You can find baths both on the Pest and the Buda side. They offer different kinds of experience, and it’s worth visiting at least one of them. You can find the official website of the Budapest Baths here: spasbudapest.com. You can read about my favourite thermal spas here in this blog entry.
There are plenty of possibilities if you are into active holidays. There are several running trails in the inner city of Budapest and the suburbs as well. You can find the most famous one in the Margitsziget (Margaret Island Running Trail). If you run here, it’s like a sightseeing trip! There are hiking trails close to the city of Budapest which you reach by public transportation. And surprisingly, you can find excellent scuba diving spots in Budapest too!
Maybe you think you can learn a bit of the Hungarian language during your short stay. Don’t worry about it: it’s quite difficult, so to learn it in a few days is a mission impossible. In the city in restaurants, cafes, museums you can usually find someone who speaks English. There are several tour guides who offer walking tours in Budapest in Spanish, like freetour-budapest.com – Budapest Tours en Espanol.
And certainly, if you would like to join the best private walking tours in Budapest, I recommend checking out my tours! If you are interested in sightseeing, what to do, where to go- choose a tour and have a great time in Hungary!
For more stories and news, see my blog!
