logo
logo
Sign in

Visiting Budapest: An Insider's Guide to the Best of Budapest

avatar
john wayne
Visiting Budapest: An Insider's Guide to the Best of Budapest

Discovering a new city can be exciting, but also challenging. It’s easy to feel confused and exhausted after spending an entire day exploring the same neighborhood. Luckily, there are plenty of insider guides online; they just need to be sifted through carefully before being trusted as reliable sources of information. If you’re preparing for your own trip to Budapest, or have already been there, keep reading for some useful pointers on where to stay, what not to miss, and other insider tips about one of Europe’s most beautiful cities:



Budapest international airport

Budapest’s international airport is a pleasant place to start or end your trip. It’s located about 12 miles from the city centre and easily accessible by taxi or public transport. If you’re traveling on a budget, consider taking advantage of the hop-on, hop-off bus service, which costs only $2.60 and runs every 30 minutes. The journey takes about 35 minutes, so you might want to make a few stops along the way. From the airport, you can also take the city’s metro system, which has two trains: the M3 Blue line and the M2 Yellow line. The metro’s Blue line stops at both the city’s Eastern and Western terminuses. The Yellow line passes through the downtown area, but its journey will take a little longer. If you’re staying near Budapest’s City Centre, you’ll likely want to take the Blue line to save time. Again, this service is very reasonably priced: $2.60 for a single trip, or $11.50 for a 10-ride pass.



Where to stay in Budapest

When it comes to choosing where to stay in Budapest, there’s a lot to consider. While the city’s two most famous landmarks, the Buda Castle and the Danube River, may sound like ideal places to stay, they’re actually not very practical. Buda Castle is only accessible by climbing a long set of stairs, and the Danube River is, well, a river – so you can’t actually stay there. Instead, consider staying in a centrally located neighbourhood. There are many to choose from, but your best bet is District 7, which is located just south of the city centre. District 7 also happens to be conveniently close to both Buda Castle and the Danube River, so you’ll have easy access to explore both areas.


What to see in Budapest

The best way to decide what to see in Budapest is to first decide what you want to get out of your visit. If you’re traveling on a budget, you may want to just stick to the city’s main attractions. If you have a few more days to explore, you can then consider visiting museums, gardens, or other more off-the-beaten-path attractions. The Buda Castle is, of course, one of the most famous attractions in Budapest. It’s located on a hill overlooking the city, so the view from the top is absolutely stunning – especially at sunset. The Matthias Church is another interesting attraction in the Buda Castle area. Built in the 11th century, it’s one of the oldest buildings in Budapest. Budapest’s most famous bridge, the Chain Bridge, is also in this area. The bridge was built in the 19th century and is considered a symbol of Budapest. For something less touristy, visit the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden just outside the city centre. The zoo is one of the oldest in Europe and home to many endangered species. The nearby Botanical Garden contains more than 2,000 species of plants.


Photo by Piard on Pixabay


Boring but essential: travel and accommodation logistics

The two most important factors to keep in mind when booking accommodation in Budapest are location and price. As we mentioned, District 7 is a great location, while on the price front, it might be helpful to know that Budapest has a hostel culture. If you’re traveling on a budget and don’t mind staying at a hostel, Budapest is a great place to do so. Hostels in Budapest are clean, friendly, and often very affordable. You may even be able to find a place to stay for less than $15 per night. As for public transportation, Budapest’s buses, trams, and subways are all reliable and easy to navigate. Although you can use a single ticket for all three forms of transportation, it’s recommended that you buy a pass for each day that you plan to use them. This is especially important if you’re planning to visit several attractions.


Summary

Budapest is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, and fortunately, it’s also very easy to navigate. To make the most of your trip, make sure to book a centrally located hotel and take advantage of the city’s affordable hostel scene. Once there, you can explore the city’s many attractions, including Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge, the Matthias Church, and even the Zoo and Botanical Gardens. With these insider tips, your trip to Budapest is bound to be a success.

collect
0
avatar
john wayne
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more