Hungary: useful tips, excursions and interesting places
Not everyone and not always has enough time to look for useful information about the country on the eve of the long-awaited vacation. You have to collect it bit by bit, shoveling a bunch of other people's reviews and independent sites. It takes sooooo much time. Therefore, I will try to fit everything I know and remember in one review in order to make it easier for future travelers who decide to get acquainted with the wonderful country of Hungary and magnificent Budapest, which is absolutely in no way inferior to Prague in its beauty and grandeur.
Airport
Since we are budget tourists and decided to book accommodation in the private sector, we decided to get to it on our own by bus - this is bus 200E, which runs from the terminal to the terminal station of the M3 metro line (blue line), K? bá nya-Kispest station. Bus operating hours are from 4 am to 11 pm. By the way, the penultimate bus stop (as I understand it) is the train station, for those who want to get to Budapest by train. Do not jump out ahead of time in a rush. Check tickets for yourself. We did not use the card, so we exchanged at the airport a minimum of money for travel at a predatory rate, which is very different from the rate of city exchangers. Ibid at the airport bought tickets at the transport box office for cash. Since we lived on the same blue line, we took a transfer ticket for 1 bus trip plus 1 metro trip without a transfer. The ticket price at the box office or terminal is cheaper than at the driver's. The ticket can be validated at the entrance to the bus. It is inserted into the machine with the side marked as for the game of tic-tac-toe. Control can work on the line, with this there is strict, as in all types of public transport, so I do not advise you to take risks. By the way, at the airport you can immediately take a map of Budapest absolutely free of charge, there they are at every turn, and in different versions, larger, more detailed. I used different cards in different situations.
The K? bá nya-Kispest metro station is above ground, you have to climb it, not descend it. so don't get lost.
Metro
The metro in Budapest consists of three lines: red, blue and yellow, which intersect at one interchange station. The map also shows a green branch, it seems like it has already been built and opened, but we have never used it, so there is no information. One transfer station - not very convenient, but what can you do. Also, there is nothing to be done about very steep stairs when going up and down to the underground passages in front of the subway entrance, no ramps. With suitcases it is very difficult, the navel will be untied. How pensioners ride the metro there is a mystery, apparently only very healthy ones. The interchange station is Deá k Ferenc té r. Moreover, the transition from the blue to the red line is visible and understandable, but the yellow line is kept apart, for it from the blue line there is an additional passage along the corridor, and nowhere is it clearly written where it is. It is easier to enter from the street, it is indicated there.
How to save money on transport in Budapest
Of course, upon arrival, the question of travel immediately arises. We came for a week and were going to actively use public transport, so it was best to buy a Seven-day pass. For us, it paid off with a vengeance. On it, you can not only use all conventional urban transport, but also ride a rack railway (exotic), a river bus along the Danube along the main attractions, and in addition, when traveling out of town by train, if you show such a travel card at the box office, then a ticket will cost half its cost, you will have to pay only for travel around the suburbs. It is very profitable, so I recommend it. After reading such subtleties, we even decided not to take the Big Bus Tour of Budapest - a bus tour of the city with headphones in Russian and drop-offs at sights, but more on that later. If simple travel cards can be bought at newsstands, then such a travel card is nominal, and they will not sell it to you just like that. On the yellow line of the metro, you can buy it from the cashiers in the metro, it is still practiced there, although I think there are automatic machines. But on the blue branch, for example - only through the machine. One travel card costs 4900 forints. It’s good that I read in some review that these machines work in Russian too, I guessed to click on the Russian flag on the main menu and - cheers! Passport data is not needed, you must enter your first and last name in Latin letters. Whether the machine gives change - I don’t know, we didn’t give 100 for change from 5000 forints, both times. In a nearby vending machine, he generally swallowed money from a guy and did not give out anything, maybe there are failures.
ticket machine
Rack railway
An exotic form of transport for climbing the Buda Hills. There is nothing special to do there. Only perhaps a ride on the children's railway, but only this is already a paid pleasure, the travel card will not work around the city. We didn’t go there, we arrived, waited for the next train and drove back down. I didn’t have much enthusiasm, but you can ride “for show”, it’s funny, but my mother generally liked it. While driving, you watch how ordinary people live on a hill, a house on a hill, solid slopes and stairs, you can easily break your neck there. They were surprised how they live there at an angle, there is silence and solitude around, everything is green. In general, there is no enthusiasm, but to broaden your horizons, especially if you have free time and good weather, I recommend it!
rack railway
gear mechanism principle
It's fairly easy to get to. From the metro station Szel Kalman ter (Scel Kalman ter), the former metro station "Moscow-Ter" (Moszkva té r), tram 59 runs. Direction of movement towards Szent Já nos Kornai. Get off at the second stop Voroshmarti, the landmark is the white tower on the right - the Budapest Hotel. And to the left of the stop is the entrance to the rack railway. The reviews often write the Moscow ter metro station, searched on the map - no. It turned out that this is the old name, it has been renamed. Exit from the metro directly to the square, which is surrounded on all sides by bus stops.
River trams on the Danube
As I said above, this walk is also possible with a city pass. I read about them by chance, before leaving, and decided to take a ride, why not. We are in Budapest for the second time, we already rode with a tour of the Danube in Budapest at night. Of course, for those who are for the first time and want more comfort with additional information, it is better to take a guided tour, and such a walk was enough for us. River trams are also considered urban transport, but they are mostly used by tourists, they run too slowly and wait a long time. Since Budapest was already well known, we just drove, enjoyed the views and took photos. There are three types of routes. You can sit down at any tram station, they even have stops for waiting, as for ordinary transport. When boarding, it is better to specify in which direction the tram is going, because they are small and easily turn around. I was confused by the inscription in English that it was going south, but we had to go north, they clarified, and they told us that we were in the other direction, on the next one. Be on the lookout)))
I specially photographed a map of routes, according to which you can navigate, where to land and which route to choose. We rode on route D11. It goes in my opinion on weekdays and on weekdays a city travel card operates on it. More accurate information is available at the entrance to the pier in English. I'm glad I found out about this type of transport. In general - I recommend!
River tram route map
water bus stop
river tram berth
scheme of river tram routes
Big Bass Tour
I mentioned Big Bass Tour above. I won’t spread for a long time, since we never used their services, which, to be honest, we don’t regret. There are three routes - day and night in the city and night on a boat along the Danube. In the program for the entire turn there is a map with a route and stops. Get out where you need to, look around, get on the next one and drive on. If you take it for two days, then on a boat excursion only on the first day from a certain pier. The city is full of these buses, also full of those who offer to buy these tours, they even offer in Russian if there are problems with the language. We are in Budapest for the second time, we have already seen a lot of things, so there was no point, especially having such a wonderful travel card in our hands. Big Bass Tour is good for those who, in my opinion, have not been to Budapest yet and who have come for a shorter period than a week, so to speak, to quickly get acquainted with the city.
Trips out of town
Sentendre
We traveled a lot around Hungary with group excursions, we decided to get out of the city on our own in Szentendre, the city of artists, which is famous for the marzipan museum. The first time was there with a tour of the Bend of the Danube. Honestly - I really liked it! In my opinion, this is the best excursion in Hungary, but who cares, of course. This time we decided to take the risk ourselves. The train in Szentendre runs from the Batthyá ny té r metro station - the red line. In the underpass there is a pointer to suburban trains - HEV 5. It's ridiculous to call the station and the station. Three paths and that's it. He will figure out where to go and which train to take - anyone. It doesn't get easier. Cashiers in front of the entrance to the station. As already mentioned, show the city pass and pay half the fare. Tickets do not compost, they must be checked by the controller on the trip. The border of the suburb with the city is shown in the diagram, all in the same station, if in doubt whether you need to take a ticket to the suburbs.
in Szentendre
You can also take this train to Aquincum(within the city) - see the ancient ruins, we didn’t go there, it didn’t seem very interesting according to the description, there are more interesting places. In the same way we went to the caves Palvö ldi, but more on that later.
The carriages in suburban trains are funny, some small, doll-like ones. The ride takes about 40 minutes. By the way, if you didn’t buy tickets at the box office, then you can and will have to buy from the controller. In general, the road is not difficult. Upon arrival in Szentendre, you need to go a little straight, there you will see an underground passage, go through it and go straight all the time, shops with souvenirs begin to appear there. The town itself is very small, but very cute, bright. I really like its atmosphere. The Marzipan Museum, as well as the shop at it, were somehow found by themselves, they didn’t look for it. It is worth a visit, I advise everyone, it is small, but very interesting, children will be delighted, and adults will not remain indifferent. You can take pictures. We were in this museum for the first time, we came to buy sweet souvenirs in their shop. About 4 years ago in Szentendra the prices for souvenirs were lower than in the capital, now the situation has changed. So marzipan treats are very expensive. they weren’t particularly cheap at the old exchange rate, but now they’re generally terrible - one small marzipan candy translated into our about 80 rubles. You can go crazy! So don't be fooled. But it's worth visiting.
marzipan shop
around the corner of the shop is the entrance to the Marzipan Museum
In general, beautiful, but expensive. We are experienced people, so we took souvenir marzipan sausages in Budapest. They have a chain of stores "one euro market", so to speak, everything at one price. There it is quite possible to pick up such sweet souvenirs with a good discount for a promotion. They made a "raid" on two such points and raked everything out for the action. In terms of shelf life and quality, and they are made in Hungary, they are not inferior to sentendre, except that in sentendre marzipans, the almond filling is chopped finer.
In principle, it is pleasant to walk along the streets of this picturesque town without buying souvenirs.
When they talk about Szentendre, they immediately focus on the Marzipan Museum, and quite casually mention that there is also a Christmas shop museum, where you can not only see and take pictures, but also buy handmade Christmas toys. For those who have never been to such stores - visit is a must! It's just a fairy tale. You just find yourself in another world, for the first time the guide showed us in passing, we went in and did not regret it. They also went on this trip to admire, especially since they don’t take money for viewing. Go - you won't regret it! Recommend!!!!
Nutcracker at the entrance
Skansen
While looking for information about Szentendre, I found out about the existence of an open-air museum Skansen. Reconstructed peasant houses from all over the country are collected here and the folk architecture of individual regions, as well as the life of villagers, is presented. The museum consists of 8 thematic zones, each of which shows the life of people in certain regions of Hungary. You can go into each house, look at furniture and antique dishes. You can also look into various outbuildings - sheds, stables, cellars. There are real vegetable gardens and vineyards. And, of course, there are always a variety of domestic animals in the village: cows, pigs, goats and chickens.
To be honest, I didn’t manage to get there, because the rest of the vacation was tightly planned, but I’m posting information on travel, maybe someone will light up and visit this place.
From Budapest On weekends and public holidays there is a direct bus from Budapest to Skansen. The bus leaves from Ká roly Korut 23 (Ká roly kö rú t) twice a day: at 10 am and 12 pm. You can take the same bus at Batthyá ny té r Square, the bus to Skansen stops at bus stop 86, at 10.20 and 12.20. The bus back from Skansen to Budapest goes at 15.00 and 17.15.
From Szentendrea bus runs to Skansen, departs from stop number 6, you need to get off at the Tegez utca stop
Pavelvoldi and Samlekhö di caves
Since we visited all the main sights for the first time in Hungary, this time we began to look for interesting unusual places. Again, by the method of "excavation" according to reviews. And so I came across an unusual excursion to the caves. since I had never been to such places, the issue of visiting was resolved. Those few who left reviews about visiting these places almost unanimously repeat that it is difficult and problematic to get to them on their own. They scared me so much that I was afraid to go far, they say, it’s difficult, I got lost, etc. You know, compared to Moscow distances and routes, this is not difficult at all!! ! You will have to get on the overhead, but do not get lost. The main thing is to get to Kolossi ter -this is a tiny bus station, the final one, from which the bus leaves for the caves, more precisely two - 65 and 65A. Both buses go to the Palvö ldi caves, but as I understand it (we didn’t get to them), only 65 goes to Samlekhö di, it just has a longer route.
You can get to Kolossi ter on the same Szentendre train, get off at the second stop Sepvolgyi (Szepvolgyi) and walk along the wide Sepvolgyi street perpendicular to the Danube. Don't get lost - the street is big and busy, the railway runs along the river, so it's easy to build a perpendicular. Walk down the street to a landmark - a temple or a cathedral, you will almost run into it, to the right of the temple is the Kolossi bus station.
Another way is to get to the route of trams 19.41, which run along the Danube past the Batthyani ter metro station, from the Gellert mountain, the Fisherman's Bastion, etc. Drive about 17 stops. The tram stop is practically opposite the bus station, but I don’t remember the name of the stop, most likely it’s called Kolossi ter.
There is a little subtlety about buses. It's 5 stops to the Palvö ldi Caves, BUT if no one gets off and no one is at the bus stop, the bus doesn't stop, don't yawn. We rewrote all the stops at the bus station along the route, counted and followed so as not to pass. To be safe before stopping, go to the doors and press the exit button on the handrail so that the driver will surely stop. We did not pass the stop, as we were watching closely. There is nothing terrible or difficult. Opposite from the stop, which was called Palveldi, you will see the gate - the entrance.
Tickets go on sale from 10 am. In the cafe building, on the right. Go inside and to the right to the checkout. You can also buy a double ticket to Samlekhodi caves, but we decided. that a brief acquaintance with the inner world of the Buda Mountains is enough. The first tour starts at 10.15, and so every hour - 11.15, 12.15, etc. Before the start, a group of 15-20 people is recruited, everyone is waiting for the guide and gets in together, and they all go out together, in an organized manner. Try to keep up, it's really creepy there. The entire tour takes place in Hungarian, but at the box office they give a program in Russian, where you can read in absentia about what you have to see. Keep in mind that in the caves it is only plus 10 degrees, there are very narrow passages and one very steep transition - almost a steep staircase in a narrow passage in the rock. Words cannot express this extreme. Firstly, you’re afraid to screw up on such a vertical climb, and secondly, overweight people simply won’t fit into such an opening, I don’t know... In general, they grabbed an adrenaline rush, be healthy. If you're claustrophobic, then don't go. Cave vaults and twilight are psychologically oppressive. Once, the lights suddenly went out, it’s good that the group was standing still not while going up the stairs. It was very creepy. So it's up to you to go or not to go. But the place is unusual, at least I don’t really associate it with Budapest.
Cafe house, ticket office on the right, entrance to the caves also on the right
If we talk about other unusual and not so popular places in Budapest that you can visit for a variety of cultural programs, then among them are the Sugar Shop, the Open Book Fountain, and the Cat Cafe.
Sugar Shop
Sugar shop - a sweets shop, children will especially like it, bright, unusual, beautifully decorated. The prices, of course, are considerable, but they don’t take money for viewing, you can also take a picture. Come in for the sake of interest and get a portion of positive emotions. In the store you can buy sweets to take away, as well as have a cup of tea with some cute cake, there is a small cafe at the store.
sugar shop
In fact, these sweets are monotonous and not very tasty, but what a presentation!! ! In any case, positive emotions are guaranteed!
There are several such shops in Budapest. We visited a shop located on a provincial street parallel to Andras Avenue - Pauly Ede, 48, between the Opera metro station (yellow line) and Franz Liszt Square.
Open Book Fountain
In general, the fountain is inconspicuous, it does not represent anything special, the photos of the fountain are inexpressive, it is better to shoot it on video. You can also visit and look at it “for show”, why not, especially since it is not difficult to find it, and at the same time you can take a walk along the beautiful street Henszlemann Imre. You can get to it on foot from the metro Ferenciek tere. Walk down from the metro (landmark - the Danube on the right hand) and run into the end of the desired street, right into the fountain, look do not go, otherwise he is inconspicuous))).
open book fountain
Cat Cafe
Because I am a devoted fan of cats, I considered it simply a crime not to visit this establishment, of which there are also several in Budapest. Such cafes are already practiced in our country, but we visited such a place for the first time. Finding him is easy. Inside, there is a simple interior with elements of everything feline, and also they, the main owners - cats!! ! They go where they want, but I won’t say that wool flies everywhere in clubs, there is no smell, not the slightest. Cozy, quiet, positive emotions, you can also taste tea and cake. You don’t need to sign up in a cafe, there is no hourly payment, if you don’t want to eat or drink anything, then you can just watch everything and take pictures for free, they don’t take money for communicating with cats, at least that’s how I understood it. But of course it’s stupid to visit a cafe and not taste a delicious cake in such a pleasant company. Of course, we sat down, relaxed and got another dose of positive! I highly recommend to cat lovers, I personally did not regret it!!!
they even take care of the toilet
It is not difficult to get to the cat's lair: the cafe is located on Revay utca, from the metro station Bajcsy-Zsilinszky ú t (Bajci-Ž ilinski) go towards St. Stephen's Cathedral until the first turn to the right, this is the right street , walk along it a couple of steps without crossing the road and you are there !! ! In general - I recommend!!!
I will not talk in detail about the main attractions of Budapest, they are already known. I can only recommend that it is definitely worth a look. We are atheists, so we are not fond of church art, and we prefer architecture and landscapes to museums. While in Budapest, it’s definitely worth going on an excursion to the Parliament - you certainly won’t regret it, you didn’t expect such inner splendor from it, it’s also worth visiting the Fisher’s Bastion, admire close to Matthias Cathedral, visiting the baths is also worth it - where would you be without them in Budapest!! ! Of course, you need to take a walk along the Heroes' Square, walk near the Vajdahunyad Castle, climb Gellert Mountain, visit the local zoo with free access to animals.
Entrance to the Sechensk baths
Szechenyi baths
Heroes Square
Vajdahunyad Castle
panorama from Mount Gellert
Zoo, free range animals of Madagascar
elephant tower
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Parliament
St. Matthias Cathedral
Fisher's Bastion
panorama from the bastion
parliament
In addition, in order to feel the local flavor, you should look at the Central Market, ride along the Danube on tram number 2, along the route of which there are funny sculptural compositions, including the symbol of Budapest - a princess dressed as a jester, as well as an eerie monument to the victims of the Holocaust.
Monument to the victims of the Holocaust
Shakespeare
Girl with a dog
the princess is the symbol of Budapest
Central Market
Excursions
As for excursions, the most interesting, in my opinion, is the bend of the Danube, with a visit to Esztergom, Visegrad and Szentendre. I also recommend taking a boat trip along the Danube in the evening, the views are amazing, only the place of departure is deserted, it’s difficult to get to it in the dark in the evening, and it was scary. The excursion to Godö llő Vac, to be honest, was not particularly impressive. Vac - a small town, cathedrals, cathedrals... In Gö dö llo, a visit to the summer residence of Sissi. The castle is empty, everything was plundered a long time ago. Bit by bit they collect interior items, historical costumes, but mostly there are solid portraits, there is almost nothing to see, but the guide's story about the owners of the castle is much more interesting than its "interiors". I liked the excursion to Balaton with a visit to the cities of Balatonfured, Keszthely, thermal lake Heviz, as well as Tihany Peninsula. What I didn’t like was that there was little time for inspection and photography, so I advise you to listen and take pictures at the same time. On the Tihany peninsula, the guide gathers a group to watch a film in Russian about the Tihany Abbey. Honestly, it’s better to take a walk and spend this time on a photo session and admire the views, not everyone likes a boring film accompanied by church hymns. And I recommend the tour!!!
I was not particularly impressed with the excursion to Vienna, I was there for the second time, before that we also had a sightseeing tour of the city, but we looked more. I wanted to see Hundertwasser’s house again, but they didn’t take him to him, you have to get on your own, the Cathedral of St. Stefan was not looked at from the best point, although they were inside. Plus, bad weather did its dirty work, that is, dog cold and heavy wind. In such weather, an excursion is not a joy, especially at a gallop across Europe. By the way, I liked the palace of Eugene of Savoy, a beautiful view, nothing to say.
In Esztergom
Bend of the Danube
Vyshegrad
Sentendre
for wine tasting in the cellars of Szentendre
a boat trip along the Danube, Evening Budapest
Balaton
Rabindranath Tagore Alley
Balaton
panorama from Tihany
Benidictine Abbey, Tihany
Keszthely, Festetics Palace
Heviz, thermal baths
Heviz
entrance to the baths
Godö llo
Vac
The road to the Danube. Vac
I tried to give as much information as possible about Hungary and Budapest in particular. Of course, the service here is lame in relation to Prague, for example, with the language of the problem, but in general, these are such trifles compared to everything else. I have been to many places, seen many things. Budapest is a city where you want to return again. Have a nice trip, positive emotions and new experiences!!
