Travel to Budapest, Hungary

Hello all,

welcome to my story about Budapest, amazing city, full of history and marvelous places.

As always, here are my tips:

Travel:

There are many ways to arrive to Budapest; Depending from which part of the world you are coming from, you can select the plane, car o train.

I traveled with Malev Airlines, which is the national flight company however this company doesn`t exists anymore but plenty of airlines (including low-cost ones like Wizzair are flying here).

More details you can find here:

http://www.bud.hu/english
 

Regarding train travel: Budapest has three main railway stations: Keleti (East) Station, Deli (South) Station and Nyugati (West) Station. All three are connected by the metro to Deak ter station.
Nyugati is the closest to the city center and has a big shopping center next to it.

Accommodation:

I have stayed at Hotel Palazzo Zichy, which is really a wonderful hotel.

http://www.hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu/

In order to arrive to it you need to follow the following steps:

Make sure you buy tickets from the ticket machine outside of the airport (320 forints). In case you cannot buy it from the ticket machine (as it happened to me) you can buy it directly from the bus driver, only that is a little bit more expensive – 400 forints. Personally, I opted for 72 hours pass (3850 forints), as it was more convenient.

Also you can buy from the airport a Budapest City Card that besides giving free access to all transportation facilities, it also provides discounts to museums and many other stuffs.

At Ferihegy Airport take bus 200E (marked with dark blue line). Get off the bus at: Kőbánya-Kispest (last stop of the bus). The bus 200E has stops to all terminals, from 2B to 2A and 1.

Follow the signs M3. Take the metro M3 (marked with blue line and white in the middle). Get off the metro at: Ferenc körút (7 stops). At Ferenc körút follow the sign 4-6 villamos Moszkva tér (tram marked with yellow line).Take the tram 4 or 6 and get off the tram at Baross utca (only 1 stop). When you get off the tram, make left to direction west until you reach Mária utca.  On Mária utca make left on the first street. The hotel is on the corner of Mária utca and Krúdy utca.

The reservation included breakfast and it was one of the best breakfasts I ever had.

The most important part of the hotel is the staff. They can help you with anything you might need, from tickets for Danube cruises to information about weather and anything else you might think of.

The location is very close to the metro station Ferenc Korut and to the tram line also. So it is very easy to arrive to different parts of the city.
Please note that these are not paid advertises, it is only my recommendation. 

Eating out:

There are many restaurants in the city, from those with traditional food to lots of Chinese ones, Italians, etc. I would suggest to try the local food, as it is very tasty, especially Goulash.

In the mall centers you can find the fast-food typical restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Burger King.

Starbucks has several locations also in the city.

A personal recommendation is to try Central market, where you can find very good “langos” - a type of salty, flat donuts with cheese, ham or anything else you might want.

To see:

There are many places you can see in Budapest. Make sure you have comfortable shoes and water with you.

You can try to split the town in 2 parts: Buda and Pesta. The easiest way to separate them is to know that Pesta is the one with the Parliament and Buda is the one with the Castle.

Main attractions:

PEST:

Parliament (Parlament)

It is an amazing building that you must visit during the day and also during the night. The closest Metro station is Kossuth Lajos ter. You can take part on guided tours in many languages. Close to the Parliament building it is a famous statue of Imre Nagy – a Hungarian communist politician that it is sitting on a small bridge.

Close to it you can find Néprajzi Múzeum or Museum of ethnography.

St István Basilica (Szent István Bazilika)-St Stephen Church

It is close to Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út Metro station

You can take the elevator or go up the stairs to the dome to see a 360˚ view of the city .The entrance inside the basilica is free but in order to get up to the dome you need to pay around 500 Ft. It is said that you can find the biggest bell from Hungary.
Saint Stephan was the first christian king.

You can arrive/ go directly to Lanchid Bridge (Chain Bridge) by walking on Zrinyi Street (utca).

Lanchid Bridge it is in my opinion one of the most beautiful bridge in Europe. See it during day and especially during night.

The Great Synagogue (Zsinagóga)

The Synagogue is the world's second largest, after the one in New York. It is the largest synagogue of Europe.  It is found on Dohány utca, between the Deák Ferenc tér Metro stop and Astoria metro stations. You have to pay a ticket in order to get in, but in my opinion it deserves all the money. You can choose from 3 types of guided tours. I opted for the cheapest one but I received enough information to make a good impression about this. There are also English, French, Italian tours. 

Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út)

Is the boulevard that connects the city center with Heroes' Square and City Park.  It is well known and has many hotels but it did not impress me so much. What it is important is found at the end of the Boulevard: The Heroes Square and the City Park with a castle.  The boulevard is long and in order to reach its length it will take an hour, but you have also the Metro line 2 (yellow one).
I preferred to walk towards the Heroes Square, as you can see nice buildings to see but I came back with the metro. Along the boulevard you can find the beautiful State Opera House and many other things.

Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) and Vajdahunyad Castle
 It is one of the most important part to see from Budapest. It contains the Hero`s Square, the City Park with the Castle Vajdahunyad, the Zoo and the Széchenyi baths.

You can find also Jak Chapel and the Agriculture Museum (Magyar Mezogazdasagi Muzeum). You can find also the Transportation museum and several other places.

Great Market Hall  (Nagivasarcsarnok) 

Monday: 06.00-17.00, Tuesday-Friday: 06.00-18.00, Saturday: 06.00-14.00, Sunday: closed    Address: Fővám tér, Pest end of Liberty Bridge, trams 2, 47, 49 . The nearest metro station is at Kálvin tér (M3 blue line)
You can find lots of stuffs, from Paprika (hot chili) to Sausage, donuts and traditional stuffs. Really nice!

Margitsziget:

It is a small island where you can get if you  cross over Margit hid (Margit Bridge). You can rent double bicycles or small cars which are really fun.  You need to walk through the middle of the bridge and then make a turn where you see some steps. There is a pool which you can use during summer, there are the ruins of Franciscan church and a tower from where you can see the town but which did not impressed me.

Others:
Saint Elisabeth Church (Szent Erzsebet Templom)

National Theatre -it is really nice, very modern. Unfortunately i did not arrive to see it but many others recomend it. Take Tram NB.2 from Kossuth ter, and get off at Millenniumi Kulturális Központ.

BUDA

Castle Hill (Várnegyed)
One of the most impressive and recognizable place from Budapest. There are many ways to arrive here. You can walk, take the funicular or the bus. It is very recognizable so you can not miss it.
Here you can find the square of Szentháromság tér and the Buda Royal Palace to the south. There are also

The History Museum of Budapest and the National Library and National Gallery..

Do not miss the Labyrinth and the Cathedral.

Fishermen Bastion (Halászbástya) 
The Bastion is half open and is free to visit but for a small section you need to pay a ticket of 500 Ft. (~ 2 euro). I do not think it is worth paying this as later in the night it was for free.

Mátyás Church
Matyas Church is next to Fisherman Bastion. The program is Monday-Friday 9 – 17, Saturday 9 – 12, Sunday13 – 17.The ticket costs 2000 Ft. (~  4 euro). The church is a Neo-Gothic architectural monument , really beautiful.

Gellért Hill and the Citadella (Gellért hegy és Citadella)

The Citadella has one of the most amazing panorama of Budapest. You will find here the Statue of Liberty who was dedicated to Soviet Soldier. 

Gellert Hill was named after Saint Gellert (Saint Gerard). Here you can find the famous Hotel Gellert and the Gellert Baths. Hotel Gellert was for many years the number one hotel in Budapest and the Gellert Baths are well known for they beauty.
http://www.gellertbath.com/ 

You will also find here the Gellert Cave, right across the Gellert Hotel. There is also a church inside the cave.

Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd)
It is named after Queen Elisabeth (Sissy) of Austria-Hungary. A statue it is found on Buda side, near a garden.
More information you can find here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Bridge_%28Budapest%29 

Turnul de belvedere Elisabeta de pe Colina Janos – cel mai inalt punct din Budapesta

varianta ar fi cu telescaunul, daca sunteti amatori de transport pe cablu. Pentru asta luati autobuzul 291 de la gara Nyugati si coborati la statia Zugliget

Reformed Church (Református Egyházmegyék Budahegyvidéki Református)
It is on the Danube side, easily recognizable by its red brick.Close to it you can find also The Szent Anna Templom (St Anne Church).

Shopping:

West End City Center

Váci út 1-3., M3 metro, trams 4-6 Nyugati tér station     Open: Mon-Sat 10.00-21.00, Sun: 10.00-18.00

At the Nyugati Railway Station, trams 4 and 6, buses 26, 206, 91, 91A and 191, as well as the Citybus, and trolleybuses 72 and 73 can be taken to the centre.

A direct underpass takes to WestEnd City Center from Metro 3’s Nyugati tér ( Western Square) station.

Corvin Shopping Center

Futó utca 37-45. M3 (blue) metro, or trams 4, 6 Ferenc körút stop

Allee Shopping Center

Október 23. utca 8-10, trams 4, 6, 18, 19, 41, 47, 49, 61, buses: 53, 86, 150, 150E, 212, 250 Open: Mon-Sat: 10.00-21.00, Sun: 10.00-19.00). 3 stops by tram from Petőfi bridge

Arena Plaza

Kerepesi út 9,  M2 (red) metro, Keleti pályaudvar stop, from there by walk or take a bus (No. 178, No. 95) or trolley (No. 80)

Open: Shops: Mon-sat: 10.00-21.00, Sun: 10.00-19.00,  Sun: 10.00-20.00, Tesco,

Árkád Shopping Center

Address: Örs vezér tér 25, M2 metro Örs vezér tér station  shops: Mon-Sat: 10.00-21.00, Sun: 10.00-19.00

Mammut I. Mammut II.

Nagyajtai út 4/a, II. district, Buda, trams 4-6, M2 metro Moszkva tér station

Open: Shops: Mon-Sat 10.00-21.00, Sun 10.00-18.00, Restaurants: Mon-Sun: 10.00-22.00,  Coming from Pest, you can reach us on the No. 2 metro line or the No. 4 and 6 trams; from the Buda Castle, it is an easy walk or a short bus ride to Mammut.

Duna Plaza
 Váci út 178, M3 metro Gyöngyösi utca station