flipflopsandbackpack

My sister, auntie and I arranged this trip as a surprise for my mum for her birthday in January. To be brutally, and ignorantly, honest, Budapest was chosen as we need to find somewhere nearby (it was for a four day trip) and my mum had already been to Paris, Rome and numerous other European cities. I’d always been intrigued by Budapest and fancied a dip in the Turkish baths, so off we went.

We stayed at City Hotel Ring. I was a budget hotel and fairly basic but provided us with a central base in the city to explore from. We chose not to eat breakfast in the hotel and instead headed out to the many bakeries and quirky cafes around the area. They do some fantastic cheese croissants!

We decided to buy tickets for a hop on hop off bus, which we booked through out hotel. That way we’d be able to see all the main sights in a day or two and then spend a full day at one of the many Turkish baths.

One of my favourite places was the Parliament building. We chose to venture inside for a tour and they take you into the actual chamber and to see the crown jewels. The building is adorned with gold and intricate frescoes inside. Beautiful.

Another favourite moment was crossing Chain Bridge and going up Castle Hill for the view of the city. It’s simply stunning. The weather was terrible throughout our trip but the wind and the clouds made it even more dramatic.

We walked pretty much everywhere and most of the main attractions are near the river Danube (which is kick-ass by the way. It makes the Thames look like a trickle).

For one of the evenings, we booked a dinner cruise down the river. We booked this online before we went through Viator. I can’t quite remember the price but I know it was pretty reasonable. The trip included a hot buffet dinner of typical Hungarian dishes, live music entertainment performed by three members of the Hungária Folk Orchestra (a really fun gypsy style string trio), one glass of Champagne and one glass of wine per person. It was wonderful seeing all the sights lit up along the river at night and there was no annoying commentary either. We’d told the operator that it was my mum’s birthday and we were give a table right at the front of the boat with panoramic views.

We spent our final day at the Rudas baths. There are a number of baths to choose from and it’s so difficult to decide which one to visit it you’re only in Budapest for a short time. We chose Rudas because its original 16th century features have been retained and you feel like you’re stepping bakk in time. The bath has six therapy pools and one swimming pool. We chose to purchase a ‘therapy pools only’ ticket.

It really was a unique experience. The baths were packed full of chattering locals and everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing apart from us. Even the changing rooms were confusing – instead of being given a locker you’re given a key to an actual cubicle which you change in and leave your clothes in. The baths are dark and full of strange smells and noises but somehow you still come out feeling relaxed.

Overall, it was an amazing trip.

Here are my top dos and don’ts if you’re planning to visit Budapest:

DO

• Buy tickets for a hop on hop off bus tour. You can explore the city at your own pace but will always be able to find a bus stop to take you on to the next attraction. Tickets were reasonably cheap and last for two days. We saw most of what we wanted to see on the first day but used the tour bus again on the second day as a form of transport for additional sights.
• Go inside the Parliament building. It’s amazing.
• Try some Hungarian beers. I’m not a big beer gal but man it was refreshing
• Eat breakfast outside your hotel. It’s a great way to try some local delights and speak to some Hungarians. Everyone we met was so friendly and excited to practise their English on us.
• Book a Danube River Cruise. I recommend doing a night-time dinner trip. You won’t regret it.
• Wrap up warm if you’re visiting in the winter!

DON’T

• Don’t bother with Central Market Hall. It’s just stalls full of the same overpriced tourist crap. We tried some goulash there, assuming that a food stall would offer traditional local grub, but it was cold and disappointing.
• Don’t waste money on taxis or local buses, or even the tram. If you stay somewhere central you can walk pretty much everywhere and will see so much more on foot. A lot of the main sights are located along the river and it’s a pretty impressive walk.