There is always so much to tell about a city, that is why I separate my articles into 3 very useful parts:
Part 1: Top Places to See in Budapest
Part 2: Best Places to Eat in Budapest
Part 3: Transport and Accommodation in Budapest
Accommodation:
As Budapest is still not very crowded with tourists, you will be happy to find out that it is relatively easy to find a central Budapest accommodation to stay in at an affordable price. (The first week of August is an exception, as Budapests holds a big music festival – Sziget).
Our Stay: Apartments Little Americas Downtown Studio
We stayed in Budapest in June in Apartments Little Americas Downtown Studio. We had one of the studio apartments located on the Vaci Utca street, which is the main shopping street of Budapest and our friend stayed at the same apartment with 2 floors nearby. The apartments had everything we needed, were quiet and clean and most importantly the central location was perfect. From here we could reach nearly everything in Budapest by foot, and it was only a 5 minute walk to the river and beautiful bridges.
Price: 40€ per night (only 20€/person)
Recommended location: I highly recommend staying in the central part of Budapest (on the Pest side). I liked the apartments next to the Vaci Utca street or next to the St Stephen’s Basilica. From here you can reach a lot of attractions by foot and there is also a good public transport connection. On the map below you can find many cheap hotels in Budapest near the inner city:
Tip: A jewish district in Budapest is also very central and has a lot of restaurants. There are also many bars and nightclubs, so it might not be the best place to stay in if you are looking for a peaceful sleep. However, it is definitely worth visiting!
Transportation:
Budapest public transport: You can purchase single tickets in ticket office or in ticket machines located around the city (here you can see the map). A single ticket costs 350 HUF (1 €), and to save money you can buy a block of 10 tickets for 3000 HUF (9 €). If you don’t find a ticket machine, you can also buy a ticket from a bus driver, but it will be more expensive. Also, make sure to stamp your tickets in one of the machines when you enter trams or buses, otherwise you can get fined if checked.
Personally, we didn’t use public transport often in Budapest, so we always bought a single ticket when we needed it. Budapest is a very walkable city and we have seen some of the most beautiful places just by getting lost around town.
Tip: For great views take tram line N.2, which goes up to the Parliament. Make sure to get a sit next to the window and enjoy the river views.
Taxis: taxis are relatively cheap in Budapest and therefore are widely used, especially to get from Budapest airport to the city. You can take a fixed price taxi from the airport or use an app ‘Taxify’, which is similar to Uber, and allows you to catch a car when you need it very fast.
Budapest Tourist card: You can purchase a Budapest travel card for 24, 48 or 72 hours which gives you free access to some museums and churches, as well as unlimited transport in the city. I would advise to purchase the Tourist card if you are planning to visit and see all the places from inside, however if you want to admire the architecture from the outside and have limited time I would advise against it. Some popular places such as Fisherman’s Bastion and Therme Baths are not included in this card anyways, so you will still have to pay extra for it. You can have a look at their website https://www.budapestinfo.hu/webshop and see if the places appear interesting to you. We didn’t buy the Budapest pass and overall we spent less money 🙂
Prices: 24 hours: 22 €
48 hours: 33 €
72 hours: 43 €
For the best places to see in Budapest and to try out local food in, see the next parts of my article:
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