Just returned from a 3 night stay in Budapest and whilst I enjoyed it, have to say its not a patch on Prague.
Flew with SkyEurope from Stansted in Thursday afternoon. Appeared to be a chartered plane with no snack facility. A short flight however, so not a problem. Flight was delayed by approx 1 hour, but again, not a problem.
Arrived in Budapest around 7:30 and used the Airport Minibus paying 3,900HUF per person (2,600HUF for a single) for a return journey into the centre. Stayed at the Ibis Centrum located on Raday Utca. Was clean, comfortable, and in a great location. Paid 75Euros per night for the stay.
On leaving the hotel shortly after, it was raining heavily, and made our first mistake of heading towards what I thought would be the centre with all the bars and restaurants - Vati Utca. Was extremely quiet, and not many restaurants to choose from, and because of the weather we ended up in a little Pizzeria on the pedestrianised street. Food was okay, with starter, Pizza, a few drinks and coffees resulting in a £20 bill. Headed for a few drinks on the way back near the hotel and then back to the hotel.
Friday morning, it was still raining, so we headed to the Market Hall for a short look around, then walked along the Vati Utca having a nosey around a few shops. Wished id taken my swim shorts so we could have gone to the Gellert baths, but they probably would have been very busy.
Did a little shopping, then headed top Gerbaud and had a coffee and Cappuchino Torta (Delicious!!!!). Then had a walk upto the West End shopping centre to get out of the rain. Not really what we headed to Budpest for but the weather was putting a dampner on touristy things. On the way back it brightened up a little, and we had a walk alongside the Danube, stopping for drinks on route back to the hotel. Went out that evening and had a late meal at a bar/ restaurant on Raday Utca working out around £18 again with drinks and coffees.
On Saturday we woke to sunshine, so headed back through town, and jumped on the Metro upto Heroes Square, and the City Park. Stopped by the zoo for an hour (cheap at 1300HUF per adult) and had a laugh.
On returning to the Metro station, the machines werent working (at least taking any notes), so we took the risk of heading back into town. Got off at Vorosty Ter (main square where Gerbaud is) and sods law - ticket inspectors were waiting. Suspected this was very much a tourist trap (another group of french tourists had the same problem). Ticket inspector didnt listen to reasons and everyone's willingness to pay for a ticket and demanded a 2000HUF fine per person. Reading another report that they dont have much authority, we ended up putting the right money in her hand and walking out of the station. The other group were still protesting, with the ticket inspector threatening to call the Police.
Headed to the Gerbaud again, and on for a beer or five in bars on route back to the hotel. Evening meal (a special meal for my girlfriends birthday) we headed to the Soul Bar and Restaurant on Raday Utca near the hotel. For £22 we had a superb meal with wine/ german beers, main course each, great desert and Baileys coffee/ cappuchino. This restaurant is absolutely superb, with an equivalent in the UK being around £100 for two! Presentation was superb, and food was excellent. Highly recommended it!
An early flight back to Stansted on Sunday morning ran smoothly, with a 15 min delay. Sky Europe flight had a snack/ drinks service. An airline I would definitely use again!
Overall, a good break, slightly spoiled by weather conditions. We just felt that Budapest didnt have the character of Prague in terms of its buildings and lack of any focal point. Even the bars were too spread around and without any buzz about the place. Though we acknowledge we werent tempted enough by many of the 'must see' attractions, it was worth a visit and we did enjoy it..........just not as good as the expectations we had maybe.
ok my friend and i are going to budapest 11th july this year for 4 nights
staying at the golden park hotel, i was excited about it at first, but after reading some reports on it i`m not to sure, i have read that going into bars you can be charged way over the actual price for drink also that these ladies could come over ask to join and you must also buy them a drink and here you will be charged the dearest price on th list, then when you get the bill it could be for an outrageous amount, and get beatup if you cant pay , in otherwords your getting ripped off, and from what i read this happens in a lot of places in budapest, taxi drivers are told to be ripping off tourists as well, also resturants give prices outside their premises and totally different when you get the bill , it sounds to me as a complete rip off the tourists city, we have been to amsterdam last year and it don`t sound as dangerous as this place, infact we enjoyed every moment there including the red light, which was not at all dangerous to walk at night, please can anyone who has been to budapest fill us in on all the good and bad about this place, greatly appreciate it , i can actually see myself going to the hotel and staying in my room for the duration of the holiday, just one more thing the nightclubs are said to be a ripoff too in budapest ?
thank you
martin
staying at the golden park hotel, i was excited about it at first, but after reading some reports on it i`m not to sure, i have read that going into bars you can be charged way over the actual price for drink also that these ladies could come over ask to join and you must also buy them a drink and here you will be charged the dearest price on th list, then when you get the bill it could be for an outrageous amount, and get beatup if you cant pay , in otherwords your getting ripped off, and from what i read this happens in a lot of places in budapest, taxi drivers are told to be ripping off tourists as well, also resturants give prices outside their premises and totally different when you get the bill , it sounds to me as a complete rip off the tourists city, we have been to amsterdam last year and it don`t sound as dangerous as this place, infact we enjoyed every moment there including the red light, which was not at all dangerous to walk at night, please can anyone who has been to budapest fill us in on all the good and bad about this place, greatly appreciate it , i can actually see myself going to the hotel and staying in my room for the duration of the holiday, just one more thing the nightclubs are said to be a ripoff too in budapest ?
thank you
martin
Hiya Martin, Just be very alert in Budapest paying bills, etc. Its the only place we ever came across on city breaks that had one problem after another. Wrong change being given on big notes, prices displayed not being the prices charged, extras added on that were never asked for....... Have to say like Northern, I would much prefer Prague. Budapest whilst beautiful, lacks a bit of the soul and heart of Prague or Paris in my humble opinion and those scams I mention sure don't help. I did feel it was Rip Off City so please be very alert before ordering anything or paying. For example, you order a drink costing say £2. But the bill says £4 - ask why, its because you got a large one but you didn'nt ask for it and got misled cos the menu says £2 but that was for the small one of course!! Too much like hard work for me on hols!! 
You will enjoy it but just double check everything so you don't join the growing list of ripped off visitors!
You will enjoy it but just double check everything so you don't join the growing list of ripped off visitors!
Please dont worry!
For all I say in the report above, we never had a problem in bars and restaurants. Staff were very friendly and helpful.
ps. The bar we went to on the 2nd night on Raday Utca was called Cara Mia. Worth a visit!
For all I say in the report above, we never had a problem in bars and restaurants. Staff were very friendly and helpful.
ps. The bar we went to on the 2nd night on Raday Utca was called Cara Mia. Worth a visit!
I have to agree with Northern, we had no problems and found people very friendly and everything inexpensive. We were offered a champagne cocktail when we arrived in one restaurant, which we politely refused - if in any doubt, ask the price of anything you didn't order off the menu.
We also found some restaurants/cafes take the change as a tip anyway. For example, bill comes to 17, you hand over a 20 but the change was pocketed without being brought to the table. The best restaurants we visited did not do this but some of the smaller ones near the centre did on many occasions. Get your change from them anyway and tip if you wish. Be especially alert ordering drink. Menu prices can often only for the small size, not standard by our sizes so the price you pay will be double that on the menu if you fail to check in advance!
Anyone know if there are any special new Year celebrations in Budapest? Do places do special gala meals or will we be able to just use the regular menus? Also do they get very busy - will we need to book for New Years eve/
Just booked up for 5 night in NH Budapest. has anyone been there?
Yes, I have and I loved it! Very stylish and contemporary and new. Fabulous breakfast, full English (well, you know what I mean)!
Location was a bit out of the way but you were only a short walk from the Danube and from there a very pleasant walk down to Vorosmarty Ter past the Parliament Buildings (took about 30 mins). Alternatively you could catch a tram or train (didn't try it myself). There's also a big shopping mall about a 5-10 minute walk away.
I can recommend a lovely small Italian restaurant, just around the corner from the hotel called the Okay Italia. Very friendly service with simple authtentic food and extremeley cheap (5 main courses, 2 x half litres of wine, cappuchinos and soft drinks for £30.00
There's also a great bar nearby called The Darkness.
I'm sure you'll be very comfortable there.
Location was a bit out of the way but you were only a short walk from the Danube and from there a very pleasant walk down to Vorosmarty Ter past the Parliament Buildings (took about 30 mins). Alternatively you could catch a tram or train (didn't try it myself). There's also a big shopping mall about a 5-10 minute walk away.
I can recommend a lovely small Italian restaurant, just around the corner from the hotel called the Okay Italia. Very friendly service with simple authtentic food and extremeley cheap (5 main courses, 2 x half litres of wine, cappuchinos and soft drinks for £30.00
There's also a great bar nearby called The Darkness.I'm sure you'll be very comfortable there.
Thanks for the info totp, how did you get from the airport? was it by taxi and if it was how much should we expext to pay
We used http://www.hotelonlinehungary.com/budapest-airport-transfer.asp The cost for 1-4 in a private taxi with a return to the airport is 46 euros (approx £32.00). You just complete the on-line request form, they email you back to confirm and you pay the driver 23 euros (cash only) and the other 23 euros when you're taken back to the airport, so no risk at all.
Extremely efficient, there was a driver waiting for us in the Arrival hall with our name on a card.
We agreed on a hotel pick up time and sure enough he was waiting for us in the lobby to take us back to the airport. Would certainly use them again.
Have a great time.
Extremely efficient, there was a driver waiting for us in the Arrival hall with our name on a card.
We agreed on a hotel pick up time and sure enough he was waiting for us in the lobby to take us back to the airport. Would certainly use them again.
Have a great time.
thanks for the info Totp, it was everything you said it was. Great hotel great place. We used the trams and metro quite a bit to get around so we did a bit of site seeing, also went to Egor which is about 2 1/2 hours away by train.
as for the pickup for the hotel you was again spot on, thanks again
as for the pickup for the hotel you was again spot on, thanks again
Glad you enjoyed Budapest KFT, and your stay at the NH, and thanks for taking time out to post your reply, it's good to know I haven't wasted my time posting!
Just back from 5 day break - stayed at K&K Opera which was very comfortable and well situated just 5 mins walk from Vorosmarty Ter and Vaci Utca. It is also in a side street so a quieter location ( traffic-wise ) than many hotel locations we saw. It is also only 50yards to the Metro station.
Coininban - many thanks for the tip about Rosentein's it is superb we had the best meal there that we can remember anywhere during the last 10 years. Just a pity we saved it until our last night or we would have gone again. The menu is so extensive that you need 15 minutes just to read through it ! They have a web site for anyone else interested which is :
http://www.rosenstein.hu
We payed about £60 for 2 but that included all the drinks etc and we went for the top end of the price range ( in the UK a comparable meal would cost about £125 to £150 I guess ) - you could easily eat for half that if on a budget and still have top quality food. Advance booking is advised.
One food rarity in Budapest was anything hot especially the coffee but I guess thats a cultural thing.
We also ate at the Soul Cafe which I also saw a recommendation for somewhere ( on HT ? ). It's a mediteranean restaurant which is also good and very popular so booking is also advised here. The clientelle were mainly in the 20-40 age range and often in parties of 4-10 but no noisy stag parties when we were there !
Only other comment not fully covered before is transport from the airport. Whilst the Minibus is widely recommended we opted for a pre-booked shuttle as our flight did not get in until mid evening and time was important. For a couple it is a bit more expensive at 5900 HUF each way but we were met in arrivals and wisked straight off to our hotel which must have saved at least 30 mins compared to the minibus.
The cost was 5900 HUF or 23 Euros each way for a Merc taking up to 4 people, so compared to the minibus a bit more expensive for 2, no different for 3 and cheaper for 4. Larger parties can also be transferred using Merc minibuses. The return details were confirmed with the driver and were followed impecably. In our view it was certainly worth the extra. Their website is :
http://www.hotelonlinehungary.com/budapest-airport-transfer.asp
Whilst the Christmas market was OK it was not up to the standard of German markets ( or Prague market ) so if markets are your thing I would go elsewhere in December and save Budapest for spring or autumn.
Enjoy
Scubaman
Coininban - many thanks for the tip about Rosentein's it is superb we had the best meal there that we can remember anywhere during the last 10 years. Just a pity we saved it until our last night or we would have gone again. The menu is so extensive that you need 15 minutes just to read through it ! They have a web site for anyone else interested which is :
http://www.rosenstein.hu
We payed about £60 for 2 but that included all the drinks etc and we went for the top end of the price range ( in the UK a comparable meal would cost about £125 to £150 I guess ) - you could easily eat for half that if on a budget and still have top quality food. Advance booking is advised.
One food rarity in Budapest was anything hot especially the coffee but I guess thats a cultural thing.
We also ate at the Soul Cafe which I also saw a recommendation for somewhere ( on HT ? ). It's a mediteranean restaurant which is also good and very popular so booking is also advised here. The clientelle were mainly in the 20-40 age range and often in parties of 4-10 but no noisy stag parties when we were there !
Only other comment not fully covered before is transport from the airport. Whilst the Minibus is widely recommended we opted for a pre-booked shuttle as our flight did not get in until mid evening and time was important. For a couple it is a bit more expensive at 5900 HUF each way but we were met in arrivals and wisked straight off to our hotel which must have saved at least 30 mins compared to the minibus.
The cost was 5900 HUF or 23 Euros each way for a Merc taking up to 4 people, so compared to the minibus a bit more expensive for 2, no different for 3 and cheaper for 4. Larger parties can also be transferred using Merc minibuses. The return details were confirmed with the driver and were followed impecably. In our view it was certainly worth the extra. Their website is :
http://www.hotelonlinehungary.com/budapest-airport-transfer.asp
Whilst the Christmas market was OK it was not up to the standard of German markets ( or Prague market ) so if markets are your thing I would go elsewhere in December and save Budapest for spring or autumn.
Enjoy
Scubaman
Delighted you enjoyed your trip and the wonderful Rosensteins!! We went twice on our trip and we have honestly not come across anywhere better or even close since! Great reading your review and great to hear Rosensteins is still as wonderful as we remember thanks!
A couple of questions regarding New Year/New Years Eve in Budapest, if we take our 15 year daughter will she be allowed into the pubs (not to drink I hasten to add) with us?
I take it that quite a few of the hotels do new years eve packages anybody know of any sites that deal with such packages, have done a quick look on the net but so far have not found any.
Thanks
Polly
I take it that quite a few of the hotels do new years eve packages anybody know of any sites that deal with such packages, have done a quick look on the net but so far have not found any.
Thanks
Polly
We are off to Budapest for Easter, staying at the K&K Opera hotel. Does anyone know what will be open on Easter Sunday and will restaurants?
I have read some great tips on here and really looking forward to our trip. The merc from the airport sounds good - there will be four of us.
The soul cafe sounds good and the other restaurant (forgotten the name) sounds a must! Anything else we shouldn't miss?
Thanks in advance for any responses.
I have read some great tips on here and really looking forward to our trip. The merc from the airport sounds good - there will be four of us.
The soul cafe sounds good and the other restaurant (forgotten the name) sounds a must! Anything else we shouldn't miss?
Thanks in advance for any responses.
You are right next to the Opera House, its worth going.
Also just up the road from the Opera House, before you get to Oktogon is a square (Liszt Ferenc Ter) full of trendy restaurants and bars, all with plenty of outside seating.
Also just up the road from the Opera House, before you get to Oktogon is a square (Liszt Ferenc Ter) full of trendy restaurants and bars, all with plenty of outside seating.
Has anybody been to any of these, we are thinking of going for a few days at New Year and I think I am right in saying that at one of them you can "swim" as the water is warm even if the weather is really cold or has been snowing.
Polly
Polly
Has any one or their friends had any dental work or implants done in Budapest. It is so much cheaper than in the UK.
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