Budapest

Ahem.

Budapest is a charming conglomerate of 23 districts divided between the 4th and 5th letters by the once and hopefully future river, the Danube, which is actually a vast sewage with nice bridges over it.

The city is in the post-dogshit-everywhere and pre-starbucks-everywhere age.

If you walk uphill in a street flanked by harsh green trees and you haven't encountered any means of public transport in the last 20 minutes, you are on the Buda side. If you walk on the same distance from sea level for a while in a street filled with cars, buses, trolleybuses and trams and haven't encountered any kind of vegetation in the last 20 minutes, you are on the Pest side.

"It is not enough to be Hungarian; you must have talent as well."
- Alexander Korda

Sister cities - Sarajevo, Tel Aviv, Fort Worth (Texas)

Tips

CouchSurfing Budapest

A residual resistance to long term planning still appears to linger here. Don't be offended if your request to eat/drink/party/surf goes unanswered right away. It's probably not personal, chances are high people are wondering what chaotic things might happen between now and the very far away next week. Ironically, once people do decide to plan something they often plan the hell out of it, so don't be put off if the first reply is not 'yes' but 'why don't you create a meeting for this'. If you really want to get a group together, think up something entirely wacky and unique. Remember, this is a city that closes its major downtown streets every now and again so people can rollerskate.

Get Lost

Budapest is a walking city. Odd, as the public transportation stops every block, but there is it. Perhaps the best way to really experience this city is to wander it, without destination, with an open mind. Pick a district that sounds intriguing and go exploring. I recommend the old Jewish quarter and the Andrássy avenue for some of the better street art and historic buildings, or try the Buda hills if you're more naturally inclined.

Maps

the cs guide to all things Budapest
Akos' bar / club map
Guide to the Districts

Sites, insider's view

• Annie thinks Hero's Square is only impressive at night. Then, though, it'd be worth a trip from Prague.

• No, it's probably not wine in the fountains (though it rarely hurts to try), but the labyrinth is fun none the less.

• You've read In the Name of the Rose, but have you ever seen one of Foucault's famous pendulums, first demonstrating the rotation of the Earth in 1851, in person? You can in Budapest. Banki Donat : 8th district, Nepszinhaz u. 8. Near Blaha Lujza ter.

• I've never tried it but wine tasting in the House of Hungarian Wines or visiting the TÖRLEY Sparkling Wine Cellars to do champagne tasting sounds fun.

. . .

Eating Out

Finding reasonably priced Hungarian food in Hungary is rather like herding cats. When Hungarians want reasonably priced Hungarian food they quite logically cook it themselves. Check the map for the best of what's available. When you do choose a place, here are some traditional options ::

Starters ::

• meggyleves (cold cherry soup)
  
• Jókai bableves (bean soup with smoked meat)
  
• halászlé (fish soup)
  
• hortobágyi palacsinta (meat n paprikas filled pancake)
  
• tárkonyos ragúleves (tarragon soup)
  

Main dish ::

• gulyás (aka goulash. more soup than stew)
  
• csirke paprikás (chicken paprikash, or try all the paprikás varieties)
  
• töltött káposzta(stuffed cabbage)
  
• cigány pecsenye (gypsy style pork. mmm, garlic)
  
• töltött paprika (paprika stuffed with mixed meat and ice)
  
• fogas (perch-pike)
  
• disznótoros, véres és májashurkával (a slightly complicated dish involving bread, red cabbage, and liverwurst/black pudding)
  
• brassói aprópecsenye (spicy roast pork with fried potato)
  
• libamáj (goose liver)
  
• vadas (wild dead animals)
  

and for dessert ::

• mákos guba (difficult to explain, involves poppy seeds)
  
• somlói galuska (sponge cake with chocolate sause and whipped cream)
  
• gesztenye püré (chestnut puree)
  
• Gundel palacsinta (nut cream pancake topped with bitter chocolate sauce)
  
• Dobos torta (drummers' cake : layer cake topped with caramel candy)
  
• lúdláb (biscut/chocolate cream layer cake)
  

Prices
Average Main Course, sit down 1200-1600 forint. Be happy to find a full meal that costs under 900 (look for set menus)
Street food can fill one up for 600 HUF
Beer 350-400 forint / pint. Cheap beer 250 forint / pint

Tipping
Check first! Some places include tip in the price. It should be clearly stated on the bill.
Ten percent is normal. Many people just round up (eg if bill is 4700 leave 5000 total)

Entertainment

The pub scene bustles in this busy city, but most DJs stopped buying records in 1989. Which is lovely if you're in for a night of disco or salsa but rather awkward if you're expecting a rave. Have another beer, relax, and enjoy the nostalgia.

In the summer, Budapest's teeming with outdoor bars. The "kert" is a typical Budapest phenomenon has quite a beat to it. The best places are secreted up side streets in rundown districts, thrown together in the courtyards of abandoned buildings or even slapped onto the roof of crumbling communist-era shopping centres. Some of these bars are in the hidden courtyards of old abandoned city buildings and are quite a treat. The venues change a lot as some of the buildings become scheduled for demolition, check the map for current local favorites. For current happenings, grab a free copy of Pesti Est [1] - available in both English and Hungarian languages, however the latter is much better. If you simply want a decent place and want to decide on the spot which bar you like just target Raday Street (metro: Kalvin ter) or Liszt Ferenc Square.

The opera has cheap tourist rates for the third-floor balcony, which has a separate staircase and concessions area so you don't even need to dress up too much... The building is beautiful so even if you don't want to see a performance you might want to check it out. (If the English page is still under construction you can try to browse through the Hungarian version under "Musorkalendarium" (=calendar of events) for current shows)

You can't leave Budapest without trying one of its famous thermal baths. Budapest has many medicinal thermal springs that have been used for medicinal and recreational purposes since the time of the ancient Roman settlements, and some of the baths were originally built by the invading Ottoman Turks in the 16th century... You can find information on all the baths, including photos, here. (click all-year baths, then the name of the bath you want to find out more about, then the type of information). here's a few places to check out:

• The Gellert [2] is really nice (and probably the cleanest one too) with its Art Nouveau style. Open 6am-7pm it costs about $15 to get into both the pool and the thermal sections (if you stay less than 2 hours you get part of that back), and a 30-minute massage will cost about $15-25.
• As to the actual old Turkish domed baths, the Kiraly bath costs $7-8 or so, but it is indeed very old so I'm not sure about the quality of services offered. They have men-only and women-only days. There are one or two rumors flying around about what happens when the women aren't about. . .
• There's also the recently renovated Rudas bath (The oldest in Budapest, built in 1566 during the Turkish occupation.). Weekdays except for Tuesday it's men only and Tuesdays are women only (so there's some nudity involved), but on weekends they have swimsuit-compulsory group days (Friday and Saturday nights they even offer all-night thermal access from 10pm to 4 am) and occasionally parties (usually packed).
• The only bath on the Pest side, the Szechenyi is a tourist favorite. Slightly cheaper than the Gellert and recently renovated, it draws quite a crowd. It also has longer hours than Gellert (6am-10pm every day), and is featured in many guide books with photos of old men playing chess while sitting in the thermal waters :) Costs about $12-15 to get in, and you get a couple bucks back if you leave within 2 hours.

Festivals:

• Sziget Festival: Don't miss Central-Europe's biggest week long festival that is held on an island of the Danube (Hajogyari sziget). The festival will take place between 12th -18th August in 2008. The organizers of Sziget Festival plan to have a shorter event with a stronger program for this year. Sziget Festival is going to be five plus one day long this time. The festival itself is pretty cheap compared to other European festivals: camping ticket in advance: EUR 120, non-camping tickets in advance EUR 100, daily tickets are EUR 32 in advance. Check out the website for the line ups here

• Budapest Spring Festival: If you've got a thirst for culture visit Budapest during the last two weeks of March. More than 200 events (concerts, theatre, film etc.) are organised in around 50-60 venues. Check the program calendar here.

• More festivals: If you want to learn more about other festivals in Budapest including the Palinka Festival (hohoho), Jewish Summer Festival, Budapest Summer and Autumn Festival and the St Steven's Day's celebrations each year on the 20th of August, please click here.

Recommended Reading

For another layer of understanding, a little bookshelf for you to peruse ::

Memoir of Hungary, 1944-1948 by Marai Sandor
Gypsies by Jan Yoors
The Hungarians by Paul Lendvai
True Stories of a Fictitious Spy - A Hungarian Gulag Grotesquerie by Ferenc Aladar Gyorgyey

One Minute Stories by Istvan Orkeny
The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnar
Eclipse of the Crescent Moon by Geza Gardonyi
The Town in Black by Kalman Mikszath

Parting Gifts

“Buy yourself a Hungaricum.” But what’s a Hungaricum? Primarily it’s a consumer good or other product linked with Hungarian production culture and knowledge, with the traditions of the generations of people living here, characteristic of and accepted by us Hungarians as Hungarian. It is some generally recognised outstanding peculiarity that even an outsider sees as typifying Hungarianness.

The narrowest and most formal group of Hungaricums are domestically and internationally patented. Within Europe, they can only be produced in Hungary.

Among them are listed four kinds of pálinka (spirits with alcohol content over 37%) : Szatmár plum, Szabolcs apple, Kecskemét apricot and Békés plum (try Zwack Barack with honey!). Add to these paprika from Kalocsa and Szeged, Makó onions (well I wouldn't go for it as a present), Szeged and Budapest szalámi (Pick Téliszalámi is a lovely choice), Csabai and Gyulai kolbász (spicey saussage with lots of paprika) and of course wine. Don't miss Tokaji aszu, "the king of wines, the wine of kings" and try the dry red Bull's blood from Eger. Try Zwack Unicum if you like Jagermeister type liqueuers. Pungent and Hungarian honey can be a good choice too. For your mum you can bring ceramics of the Herendi or Zsolnay Porcelain factory (not a cheap pressie!). And don't forget about the indeed the world-famous Rubik’s Cube.

You can find most of these goodies at the Vásárcsarnok (Central Markel Hall) in the IX. district Vámház körút, 1-3. Although you are better off buying all those Hungarian liqueuers and wines at the local Tescos or corner shop as they are quite overpriced there.

Tourist Services

Tourinform Suto Utca 1052 Sütő street 2. (Deák square)

Transportation

From the Airport

• The newest way
  

There is a new train connection from Terminal 1 to Nyugati (Western) Railway Station - the journey takes about 25 minutes. You can buy tickets from 9:00-22:00 at the Tourist Information Desk of Terminal 1. One way costs 300 forint (spring 2008). In other times you can buy it on the train from the controller. For timetable check 'www.elvira.hu: from "FERIHEGY" to "BUDAPEST-NYUGATI".

• The Cheap Way
  

Take Bus 200 to Köbánya-Kispest metro terminal. Then Blue Line (Metro Line 3) wherever you need to go. You will need either a Budapest Card or two tickets.

Be aware that the area around the bus-train transfer is not the lovliest neighborhood. Keep an eye on your belongings.

• Solo travellers, midprice
  

'Airport Minibus' offers door to door service from both terminals.

• Groups, the posh way
  

Zona taxi offers service into Budapest from 3000-4500 forint, depending on destination.

City Public Transport system (BKV)

Regular Service ~5am-11pm. Night Bus service ~1am-4am (depending on area)

Routeplanner

Some round trip international train tickets include public transportation within Budapest. Check the back of your rail ticket. You have to validate (punch) a ticket every time you get on a new bus/tram/trolley/metro. (Even if you just got off another one!) A Budapest Card is available for the Day, Week, or Month. This covers all forms of public transport within Budapest City limits (and should not be punched). Be sure to sign / date as appropriate, you might be subject to a fine if it's not filled out properly. Overall, public transport is confusing as there are a thousand ticket options. For convenience, if you don't get a Budapest card, best bet is to use the normal tickets.

Some locals ride busses and trams without a ticket (not the Metro, which is really cracking down). Be aware that while there are not checkers on every route every time, if you get caught without a ticket the fine can be 5000 forints.

Full list of ticket options

Taxis

If you flag down a taxi in the street you will pay quite a bit more. Best is to call, even if you're reading the phone number off the side of the cab you're standing in front of.

City Taxi : 2-111-111

Drive to a party and forget about Budapest's zero tolerance policy? Call Pótsofőr, they will show up, drive you home in your own car, then go away. More expensive than a one way taxi, but cheaper than round trip. 06 20 9505505

Phones

• the country code is 36 from an international phone, but 06 from within Hungary. If you are dialing a number from a payphone or landline within the same city, you can just dial the 7-digit number. If you are calling a different prefix (such as cell phone numbers - prefixes 20, 30, or 70) dial "06" and then the prefix and the number. For international calls, dial "00" first.
• there are many payphones, but most of them are "card" phones which means you need to buy a phone card at a newsstand or convenience store first. There are a few coin phones, which are blue instead of the grey-and-pink of the card phones.

Hostels

Pest :
Marco Polo Hostel
Nyár utca 6, 1072 Budapest (VII. District)
A bit pricey, but seems popular with visitors

Buda : http://www.backpackbudapest.hu/
Said to be very nice. The owners reply indeed very nicely by email. --Runia 07:37, 18 August 2008 (EDT)

In case of emergency

English language Ambulance: 311 1666
English language crime hot-line: 438-8080

Full listing of emergency numbers and a rather lot of useful information

Dentists

(for normal not touristic prices, copied from the groups, they were recommended by local csers)

(It is not an ordered list)

1. SOS Dent, in Kiraly ut. www.nonstopfogaszat.hu/nonstopdentist

They are nice, ad the doctor speaks english. 24h a day service.

2. egressydental

3. brody28

4. Contact CS member Anna dental student +36203265911

5. Renata at welldent

6. dentours

7. fogorvosi-rendelo

8. AAA Klinikák Dent Kft. 1094 Budapest, IX. ker. Tűzoltó utca 70. Telefon:(1) 215-6872 Fax: (1) 215-6872 Mobil:(20) 485-3284

If you call this mobile number - +36 20 4853284 - you will talk to my personal friend George. Tell him I - Wolfgang - gave you this number over Couch Surfing.

CouchSurfers

For sightseeing Andras Foldvari or David Piller are available to assist you, for general questions the city ambassadors are all eager to to assist.

Links

General ::
Multi-country Rail Passes
wikitravel:Budapest
hitch:Budapest

Entertainment ::
pestiside
caboodle restaraunt finder
budapest native tips

Transportation ::
Schedules
-Hungarian Railways
-Volan - Hungarian and International Bus schedules
-Orangeways Budget Bus Co.
-Riverboats and Hydrofoils

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