I just found out this morning that I would be going to Budapest in a couple weeks to train some new people for my company. Since I only have a limited amount of time to prepare I have some questions.
What is the weather like at the end of September through October? I have found the average temperatures online, but that is not helpful as far as precipitation, wind, etc.
From what I can see online Budapest has a good public transit system, can anyone with first hand experience confirm this? What is especially important is will I need a car to get around?
What should I see and do while there?
About how much per day will I need for meals? Any recommendations of good restaurants?
One of my other co-workers went to India for the same type of training and was told to bring jelly beans as they are very popular and hard to get in Pune India, is there anything like that I should consider bringing?
Are there any things specific to Hungary I should be careful to avoid? I know most of the common travel tips about keeping passports safe, changing money at reputable places, etc.
Haven’t been there since childhood, but I read this article in a paper at the weekend which should prove useful. (NB that link may die at some point, because I think their archive is subscription-only.)
It should be pretty mild. You don’t get any extreme weather there, at least not when I lived there.
Between buses, trams, and the trains, the transit system is excellent. Unless you are living in a remote part of town, you should need a car for anything. I don 't know if the sub is as cheap as it was a few years ago, but it should be too bad. Watch out, they do have a proof of payment system there. Buying a ticket isn’t good enough. You have to validate it at the entrance to the trains or on the buses and trams. They have roving inspectors who seem to appear in greater numbers at the beginning of the month when commuter passes run out.
Depends what you think is interesting. Go out and catch a soccer game. They are relatively cheap and actually can be a lot of fun. They have museums and a good orchestra there if that’s your thing. Take some walks around the city. Do a thermal bath if you aren’t averse to sitting in a warm pool, largely naked, with a lot of strangers around.
Pick up a copy of the Budapest Sun at any newsstand. its English language and will have tons of stuff going on incuding the movie schedules.
Can’t say anything about costs. its been too long for me. And I can’t imagine anything in particluar that Hungarians want and can’t get. The one thing I always made sure I had enough of was peanut butter. It wasn’t really popular there. But that was for me.
If you see anyone running up the down escalator or down the up escalator, punch him. He’s picking pockets.
Oh, um, ahem, Budapest, eh? Need to work on my reading comprehension there. Please disregard above comment. Although for all I know, they could be crazy.
Yes, the drivers are crazy. Take a taxi, just for the experience.
The tram and subway conductors do indeed check vigilantly.
The woman in front of the restroom wants money.
Have some goulash.
The subway works well but is scary/ amusing. It’s like 450 years old or something and some of the stations are a riot, with these wrought-iron supports and such (unless things have been renovated in recent years).
I was there for a week once in late August and either smog or some sort of allergen made me sick as a dog. This was several years ago, though, but take your Claritin with you.
The art museum has some really random gems, and that whole neighborhood is cool.
Which city did you think it said?
And the subways: The stations look clean and modern, but they’ve got the same old trains - old Soviet jobs. There are clearly no safeties on the automatic doors - they close whether somethings in the way or not. I’ve nearly been cut down several times by them when dashing to make the train.
At one time, the drivers were also quite sadistic. Back in 96 or 97 I recall a story was in the local English rag about a subway driver who shut the door on some woman running to the train. She got caught and pulled herself back onto the platform. He opened the door and by the time she composed herself and headed back towards the train she shut it in her face again.
That said I would rather ride the subway in Budapest than in Philly.
I lived there from 1998-2003. My e-mail’s in the profile if you need specific info, and I’m sure I can hook you up with some people to show you around if you’re interested. I’ll address your questions one by one:
The climate is similar to Chicago. September can be crisp and cool, and October almost certainly always is, but there’s always Indian summers.
You don’t need a car at all to get around Budapest. The public transportation is fantastic. The 4-6 tram, the 2 tram, and the subways will probably be your best friends.
Visit the baths. Of the touristy baths, I really like the Szechenyi Furdo. Take the yellow subway to the stop of the same name. It can be a little daunting for a foreigner, but they’re gotten very good with dealing with English speakers.
If you’re a little more adventurous, the locals and a loyal contingen of expats visit the Rudas Gyogyfurdo (males onle) and the Kiraly Gyogyfurdo (alternating days of male- and female-only). These are both very old, Turkish structures and are quite the experience. I miss them. There’s also the Lukacs, which is male- and female-, but not with Turkish architecture.
Other obvious places to visit: Heroes Square (Hosok Tere), Vaci Street (the shopping district, very touristy, pricey, not the place really to eat and drink, but a good place for a stroll), the Parliament Building, The Chain Bridge (have a drink at the Lanchid Sorozo at Fo utca 4 when you get to the Buda side of the bridge. The Lanchid Sorozo, or the Fubar, as we call it, is a great place for drinks and travelers. There’s always foreigners and locals alike hanging out there, and it is a genuine neighborhood bar. Rob, the owner and bartender, took a crappy little dive and turned it into something like ‘Cheers.’ A true diamond in the rough.)
As for places to hang out, there are several hot spots in Budapests for hanging out. Outdoor cafes are everywhere in Budapest. The best collection of them are near the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy (oh, and if you have some time, see a concert here). Take the 4-6 tram or yellow subway to the Oktogon stop. Walk southwest-ish down Andrassy (Budapest’s historic and regal avenue), and it will be immediately on your left side. If you, instead, continue down Andrassy (towards the river and not Heroes Square), you will soon reach the Opera. It’s gorgeous. Across the street from the Opera there’s a famous coffee shop called the Muvesz Kavehaz. It’s one of those old-style fin de siecle cafes, the place where intellectuals and artists would gather. Stop in and have a coffee.
So, back to the area near the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy. You have many cafes to choose from: Cafe Vian, Cafe Incognito, Pesti Est Cafe, Cafe Mediterran, Undergrass, etc… There’s a slew of them. This is where you want to be when the weather is warm.
Another, newer, hip hang-out spot is Raday Utca. Take the blue line up to Ulloi Ut, and walk south by southeast on Raday. It’s a little bit of a walk, but you’ll soon hit another streak of great pubs and cafes. Raday Utca is a little more hip than the Oktogon area. Oktogon is a tad more yuppie, Raday is a tad more hipsterish.
I’d say budget at least $20/day if you’re eating out, but closer to $50/day if you want to explore and enjoy yourself.
For resturants and other stories of Budapest interest, go visit the Pestiside blog. I heartily approve of the Top 33 restaurants. My favorites for reasonable-priced dining are Cafe Kor (expect to spend about $20-$30 per person for a very good meal) and Chez Daniel (a French Bistro, about the same price.) If you’re feeling lonely and want to be around a bunch of English speakers go to Iguana Bar & Grill. It’s a surprisingly good Mexican joint–in fact, I have to honestly admit it’s the only decent Mexican food I have ever found in Europe…figures, because it’s run by Americans. But it’s a great place to hang out and mingle.
Gundel is the premiere Hungarian fine dining experience. I really cannot recommend it. Last time I was there (last year) I had a very disappointing experience for the cost. But the time before that it was quite good. It’s perhaps the most famous restaurant in that region, and the atmosphere really is quite special.
No. Hungarians are quite Western. I can’t think of anything like that. Maybe some iPod shuffles.
Yeah, don’t change money on the street. There is no real black market for currency, and you will probably only get ripped off if you do this. There are places in the world where it’s worth changing money with private individuals; Hungary is not one of these places. Don’t go to strip clubs unless you know what you’re getting yourself into. Most are mafia-run ripoff joints. If you’re into this kinda stuff, Marilyn’s is the reputable joint in town. If girls come up to you on the street asking you to accompany them to a bar and buy them drinks, be very very suspicious. Hasn’t happened to me, but my friend and many tourists have gotten ripped off by this scam. These sorts of tourist scams aren’t as prevalent as they once were, but just be aware.
There’s a ton more I could add, but it helps if I know your interests. Ask away.
Oh, one more thing, as for taxis: only use reputable taxi services. Cabs are pretty cheap in Budapest compared to American prices. The companies you want to deal with are City Taxi (2-111-111), Fo Taxi, Taxi 2000 (200-0000), Budapest Taxi, Est Taxi, and a couple more. Basically, any car with a logo and phone number on it is okay. Just don’t use the private taxis you find around many subway stops–they’ll charge you double what the reputable places charge. For my purposes, I always used City Taxi–the added bonus for you is that all their dispatchers speak English.
Seriously, check out http://www.pestiside.hu to get a real feeling for the city. It’s a fun website, informative, and honest.
Ah, you’ll be well situated, then. The 4-6 tram and Blue Line will be accessible to you at Nyugati Palyaudvar. But there will also be plenty of the city within walking distance. You can easily walk to Oktogon from there, as well as Chez Daniel (which is on Sziv Utca). Budapest is fairly compact by American standards, so you really good walk most of the city if you really want to.
The West End City center area itself isn’t that attractive. You got a nice big market at Lehel ter, which may be fun visiting. If you like visiting markets, though, the place to check out is the market known as the Nagycsarnok on the Pest side of Szabadsag hid (Liberty Bridge). It’s very nice architecturally. But as you walk into the city towards Nyugati, you’ll find plenty of pubs and restaruants to keep you busy. They’re all fairly decent.
The definitive guide to Budapest is Andras Torok’s Budapest: A Critical Guide. It’s got great walking tours, and gives you an intelligent and often irreverant insight into the city. This is the only guidebook for Budapest that I have seen with any personality. This is the true insider’s guide.
