Food - How Much? 4€/meal
Hotel - How Much? 15€/night (Hostel)
Overall Experience was... SURPRISING!
PLENTY of AMAZING parties and diversity of great food!
Yeah, by this time I had understood why people talk so well about Budapest!
I didn’t hear many people talking much about Hungry before moving to Dublin, but it became something so normal after moving to Europe! I was always curious and thinking... "Nooo, I can not believe this place is this good, I have to check..." and I did it!
After getting my Italian citizenship in 2018, I planned a round trip in East Europe and the first stop was of course, Budapest, Hungry. I stayed 4 and half days, I was really expecting it to be as good as people say it is.
And it was... OMG! This place surprised me so much, it has a lot to offer, many attractions, night clubs, pubs, thermal baths, many options for food... way more than I was expecting!
What's the best way to visit the main attractions in Budapest?
So, I had a few glasses of wine on the plane, also made some Irish friends who gave me a lift to the Hostel as the last bus had left and they did not accept cards or euros... (brave drunk Mariana... strong guardian angel activate!)
My first day in Budapest was not too good, I did not sleep well because I got to the hostel the night before around 2 a.m. and I was starving and going to bed starving does not work for me! I woke up with a headache (of course) and a bit hungover as well.
So I was convinced by one of those guys who tries to sell the hop on/hop off sightseeing bus tour that it was a great idea, I think I paid around 22 euros for 3 days, such a waste of money! I remember I was so annoyed for making this choice, once you get off in some attractions the next buses were taking ages to come, plenty of time wasted.
So, talking to the receptionist in my Hostel, he suggested to me the free walking tour that happens a few times every morning and every afternoon in the main cities in the world! Such a SAVER!
This was what I did, next morning I went on a free walking tour that took around 2,5 hours. It is so nice, we visited the main places in Budapest and the guide told very interesting information about the city. In the end you tip the guide with how much you want, so it depends on you, but it's such a nice job, everyone should be generous!
Are the drinks expensive?
I made some friends by the end of the tour and we went back to some attractions to take some pictures (my idea, of course haha), before heading to the hotel we stopped in a very nice pub (that I highly recommend) to have few pints and the bill came...
WOW... SURPRISE: 90 cents each pint/glass of wine!
This is the city where YOU WILL GET DRUNK WITH 5 EUROS!
Happy Days!!!
Pub to enjoy any time: Szimpla Kert
Where did I stay?
I completely love the Hostel where I stayed for those 4 nights!
Hostel One Budapest is very well located and the staff made my life way easier, they are so helpful and kind, always ready to give you tips about the city!
Also the place was very clean, nice showers and I loved my 6 beds room! I made an English friend that was in the same room as me, we went for parties and dinners together, it was great!
This is something very positive about Hostels, we get to know people like yourself, and have so much fun with them! For this reason I say, when you travel on your own, you are not alone, you are actually open to meet new people and have different experiences if you were traveling with someone that you already know.
I do not have a picture in the Hostel, unfortunately I lost all my pictures I only have the ones on my instagram, so this pic is close to the Hostel, but not in the Hostel, sorry!
You can find it on Hostel Worlds as well, Hostel One is classified as 9.5 Superb, what says a lot!
Hostel One: https://www.hostelone.com/index#
The Thermal Baths... Ahhh relaxing, fun, affordable and, at night romantic!
They are one of the BEST attractions for me and for many people, for sure!
I chose Szechenyi Thermal Bath, myself and my new friends from the Hostel went in on a Saturday afternoon, it was busy, but not too busy. We spent around 7 hours there. Night time it looks so cool! They have 8 pools, 10 saunas / steam cabins, several massage therapies, facial treatments, and more. Szechenyi Spa Baths is in the biggest green park of Budapest, in the City Park. Open hours are from 9 am to 10 pm, you can stay as long as you want within this time.
The ticket price is around 18 euros, depending on which day you are going (days of the week are cheaper) or if you want a private cabin, locker or not.
They have a nice party every Saturday night, it is from 10:30 pm to 3 am, I did not go as I was pretty tired, but I heard it is unbelievable!
Where to find the best parties?
Well... I am sure you will feel lost with all the options available! But they are my 2 favorites:
Ship Wrecked Boat Party - a 2.5/3 hours boat cruise along the Danube river with DJ's playing chart-toppers and old favorites. You have the all you can drink option that is around 16 euros (SUPER!), with unlimited beer, wine and Prosecco for the duration of the party. You can expect from 150 - 400 guests on board. The boats leave at 10:30 pm. At 1 am you are free to go to the next party. Check online: https://partybookersbudapest.com/repeating-events/shipwrecked-boat-party
Otkert Club - A centrally-located nightclub, gives a polished party experience in the restored ruins. This classic party place hosts a variant of themed events during most of the summer nights. Many famous DJs, live bands, open-air dance floors and terrace. Check online: https://otkert.hu/
One More Tip...
Sunday was my last day, I went to visit a food market open only on Sundays and also to pick something for my lunch! I had a great time, got to know different types of Hungarian food and drank a few glasses of rose, interesting fact, I started to drink rose wine on this trip, people from East Europe love it! Great taste btw... hahaha Thank you for that!
Well, have I convinced you to visit Budapest?
I hope so, you will definitely thank me later!
Thank you for being here!
PS: Unfortunately I lost all my pictures and videos from the past 2 years, but if you want to know a bit more about any of my trips, you can go to my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marianacalonso/ and check my highlights for more...!
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