Budapest: Tips From Expert Travelers

Budapest, Budapest, Budapest.

It seems like Budapest is the only city anyone can talk about these days.

You’ve probably read post after post about how “visit Budapest” at least a dozen times.

To help you improve your travel to Budapest, here are the best Tips From Expert Travelers for people who plan to visit Budapest.

 Language in Budapest

Be ready for the fact that in Hungary very few people speak English, so getting help from the local people will not be easy. You, of course, can try to learn Hungarian, but we think you will change your mind because there are 26 cases in this language.

 Therefore, it is better to learn several essential phrases in advance and upload your phrase book and translator to your phone. Even if you can not pronounce the right sentence, you can show it on the screen; Hungarians are friendly people, everyone will understand and will certainly help.

 Hungarian

There are a few important phrases that come in handy for you during your trip to Budapest:

• Good afternoon – Jó napot
• Goodbye – Viszlát
• Thank you – K?sz?n?m
• Sorry – Sajnáljuk
• How much does it cost? – Mennyibe kerül?
• Where is…? – Hol van …?

Related: Travel from Krakow to Budapest

 Currency in Budapest, Hungary

It is forints in Hungary. Some shops and restaurants accept euros, but the rate is sky-high. We do not recommend to change the money at the airport and city center.

 It is better to do it directly in banks or away from tourist places. Before exchanging money, be sure to ask about the commission – sometimes it may even exceed the amount of exchange. Therefore, do not be lazy to find a place with a standard course and terms of exchange. 

Hotels and Apartment Rental in Budapest

Budapest is divided into 23 districts, which are simply marked with Roman numerals. If you want privacy, but close to the city’s attractions, settle in the eastern parts of areas II and XII. VI, VII, VIII are suitable for young people – there are many bars and clubs here.

But keep in mind that in the VIII district there is also a gypsy ghetto, and it’s not safe to walk here in the dark.

We advise you not to settle in hotels, but in apartments. It is easy to find comfortable flats (even for several rooms) at the price of a three-star hotel.

In Budapest, various festivals and conferences often take place, and at this time house prices can rise in 2-3 times, so try to keep track of the dates to plan your trip most successfully. 

Transport in Budapest

To get from the airport to Budapest, you can take a regular bus or train.

It is not easy to understand Budapest’s transport system at once.

But, there are several types of tickets and payment methods:

• Single ticket (vonaljegy) – valid for one mode of transport within 80 minutes from the date of purchase. It can be bought in individual vending machines. Be sure to compile the ticket, because at the exit of the metro or in transport you can be checked by the controllers. This ticket costs 350 forints.
• A single ticket which is sold by the driver (helyszínen váltott vonaljegy) – if you did not manage to pay the trip in advance, you can buy a ticket on board, but note that it will cost more (450 HUF). 
• A single ticket with a transfer (atszállójegy) – single for any two modes of transport (530 forints). 
• Ten tickets (10 darabosgy?jt?jegy) – a block of travel tickets for ten trips in any mode of transport. It will be cheaper than the same number of tickets bought separately – 3000 forints. The disadvantage is that you need to store all ten tickets before they expire.
• Single day ticket (24 órás jegy) – valid for 24 hours for all types of transport without restrictions of travel. It costs 1650 forints. 
• The group day ticket (csoportos 24 órás jegy) – allows a group of up to 5 people to move around the city without restrictions for 24 hours. The price is 3300 forints. 
• 3-days ticket (72 órás jegy) – applies to all modes of transport, without limitation on the number of trips. The price is 4150 HUF 
• Weekly ticket (Hetijegy) – applies to all modes of transportation and operates without restrictions on the number of trips, its price is 4950 forints.

And this is not completed list of possible travel documents in Budapest.

The city authorities of Budapest took care that every tourist could choose a convenient option for themselves. All prices for tickets, as well as timetables for transport in Budapest, can be viewed on this website.

 It is entirely possible to move around the city and by taxi. It costs an average of 470 forints (€ 1.5), and each kilometer – 280 forints (€ 0.90). It is better to call the car in advance through one of the most popular services: 6×6 Taxi, Barat Taxi, and Budapest Taxi.

You can also ride around the city by bike. Rent for a day costs about 3000 forints. There is also a free city rental network – Bubi, but you can rent a bicycle only for half an hour. 

Another way to save money by using public transport, and at the same time visiting important attractions, is to buy a tourist map of Budapest (Budapest Kartya).

You can buy it directly from one of the tourist offices; there you can get all the necessary information and take a free map of the city. Prices, in this case, will be 4900 HUF for a one-day card, 7900 for two days, 9900 for three days.

Free tours in Budapest

Be ready to walk a lot to see the main attractions in Budapest.

Fortunately, there is an opportunity to join the group for free and within 3 hours to visit the main places. On this site, you will find offers for free sightseeing and tours, which are providing daily. 

If you want something special, we advise you to take a closer look at the excursion “The Courtyards of Budapest: the secret life of the city,” discover the Atmosphere of creative Budapest and get to know the ruins and pubs closer.

Related: Travel from Prague to Budapest

Unusual sights of Budapest   

• The “Open Book” fountain (Henszlemann Imre) is a fabulous architectural creation. When you look at this fountain, it seems that an invisible magician turns the pages of a huge book.
• Sugar Shop! (Paulay Ede, 48) – A real paradise for the sweet tooth. The largest store of various candies, sweets, cakes, and other sweets. If you think that the fantasies of confectioners are limited, then after coming here, you will change your mind.
• The Philosophical Garden (Gellért-hegy) is a small well-groomed garden. This is the most famous place, but still few tourists come here. There are sculptures of great spiritual instructors – Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mahatma Gandhi, and others on the territory. 

Food in Budapest

The most budget variant of food in the city is to rent an apartment with a kitchen and to prepare by own. Citizens buy products in Tesco. By the way, if you want to buy the famous Hungarian balsam Unicum, do not look for it in souvenir shops, it’s much cheaper to buy it in Tesco.

An excellent option for snacking during sightseeing may be baking, bought in one of the city’s bakeries (for example, Lipóti and Pavlovic Pekseg). The prices are quite affordable, but the delicacies are always fresh. 

Also, you can quickly have a snack with traditional sweets Kürt?skalács. One ration costs about 315 forints.

Goulash is the gastronomic visit card of Budapest. But ordering it in the restaurants of the city, be cautious: they often add too much pepper. Therefore, you can ask to give paprika separately and add it to the dish as you wish.

Thermal Spas in Budapest

A trip to Budapest should include visiting the traditional spas. And even if you do not consider yourself a big fan of this – you just do not know what to refuse.

 To enjoy the thermal baths, we advise you to come to the baths early in the morning, when they’re not crowded with the tourists.

Also keep in mind that there are women’s and men’s days in some Budapest baths (for example, Lukacs), as well as baths, where only women or men are allowed to go. It is better to find out about such bathing days on official websites. 

Conclusion

In today’s digital age, you can’t afford to travel without preparation. However, it takes time to find great recommendations from real local experts. Keep these travel tips in mind the next time you will visit Budapest.