Practical Travel Tips: Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is our favorite Eastern European city.  It has a good mix of cultural sites and nightlife, and it’s quite affordable, compared to a city such as Prague. Here’s some practical tips from Jonathan of Two if by Air who recently went on the Air Canada special from last year.

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Budapest, or Pestbuda if you choose to read the map right to left, is the capital city, and largest city, in Hungary, split down the middle by the Danube River.

Why Budapest?

Heading to Budapest for the weekend from New York City was a seemingly strange choice when I shared it with my friends and family, but for me the decision was a simple one: the airfare was $217. Tip of the cap to The Flight Deal for sharing last fall’s superb Air Canada “fare sale”, which allowed me to take this trip. For those just deciding on a place to go though, Budapest makes a compelling case for visiting, as it combines a rich, and complicated, history, with vibrant natural sights and a budding cosmopolitan scene, thanks to its position as the financial center of Central Europe.

Upon Arrival

Flying via Air Canada, my route took me from JFK to YYZ to FRA, and finally to BUD. Having first set foot on EU/Schengen soil in Germany, I passed through passport control there, skipping that always fun activity in BUD. BUD is a simple airport to navigate however, and it is home to only two terminals, so there’s not too much territory to conquer.

Of most importance to all of you, the city center is accessible via public transportation. From the airport you can take public bus #200E to its terminus, which is Kőbánya-Kispest. Here you’ll hop metro line M3, which you can take directly into Budapest proper. The total journey time was about forty-five minutes, and cost 300HUF. For those looking for a more direct journey, a taxi cab will run you anywhere from 15-25 euros, depending on typical factors (traffic, destination).

Funny Money

Though a member of the EU, Hungary is not on the Euro, as they’re unable to hold to the fiscal demands such a step requires. In lieu of that, Hungary still uses its national currency, the forint, which I several times called the “florint”. At the time of this writing, the current exchange is $1USD to about 278HUF, or 1 Euro to 310HUF. To give you some idea of prices, I paid, on average, 350-550HUF for a cup of coffee, and 500-900HUF for a beer. Both were things I consumed a lot of, so that’s why they stand top of mind.

For those traveling with paper money, there are several exchanges located in the airport, but be sure to ask what you’re getting before going ahead with the transaction. I found out later I paid a significantly higher fee than I should have at the airport, which I attribute to 18hrs of traveling.

Credit cards are commonly accepted.

Language

Traveling to a country that doesn’t speak your native (or second) tongue can be a bit scary, but it was never a problem for me in Hungary. As an English speaker (though I also speak the very important world language…body language), I was rarely unable to communicate with someone when I had a need, and most restaurants had English menus and/or photos to order from. For better or worse, I managed for days without mastering a single word in Hungarian.

Original Article Published Here: Practical Travel Tips: Budapest, Hungary