KentspornoKnob Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Hi Just wondered if any of the seasoned trippers on here had so ideas / places to see etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted September 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 18, 2012 Paging Tonyh29... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshVilla Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I advise walking up the citadel mountain thing Especially if your on a stag do hungover from the night before PJ's gentleman's club is decent but expect to spend about 40 quid before she even shows you her tits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Deffo, DEFFO go to the Szecheny spa in Budapest, absoultely incredible day out and quite weird in a cool way when you go in the baths outside. Its a strange place is budapest, its a dump but yet has lots of charm. Weird, weird place. restaurants are hard to find and ones you do are vile...people are cold and quite rude also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I have a prepared script as so many people ask me :-) also making me feel old as I realised it will be 11 years in jan since i came back to the UK !!! the stuff below is a few years old so some of it may be out of date (prices ) and reading back through it now it rambles a bit but it will give you a rough idea of what to expect Never really went clubbing when i lived there so can't offer much advice there , if it were summer time then I'd say head to Balaton but it will all be closed down now so Arrival : taxi's are licensed at the airport so they should tell you the price before you leave ... you can travel by shuttle bus as a cheaper option but slower .. Getting around : Trams are safe but beware of pickpockets ,they are quite good so don't take any chances with bags over your shoulder or even wallets in back pockets you need to validate your tickets once you get on the tram ....on the plus side the ticket inspectors have no authority so if your prepared to be un-British , when they come up to you , you can just ignore them and walk off the tram at the next stop .. it's an art form when you live there , I used to do it even when I had a ticket , to try and make me look like a local :-) The Metro is safe as well but tourists often get caught out with fines here ..you have to validate you ticket at the machines by the escalators , But , if you change lines you then have to validate another ticket ... the ticket inspectors here are slightly more cunning than the tram ones ....the fine is about 5000HUF you can purchase a 3 day travel card for all public transport for 3100 HUF (about £10) ... not sure how easy they are to buy though , you probably need to buy it at a tourist information place A Budapest weekend pass does very similar but also gives entry to various museums , so depends on how much sight seeing you think you will do , you can buy the pass in most hotels or travel agents .. http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/budapest-card.html If you go out at night then you may want to take Taxi's (but the metro and walking is perfectly safe when I went with the football lads i used my limited Hungarian and the taxi I was in was 2000 HUF and the other taxi with the non Hungarian speakers in was 6000 HUF , so they do often try and rip you .. . Sights : (Buda) Castle district is a pedestrian only zone (though they do allow some taxi's) , you can walk up to it or take the cable car thingy up .... Up there are is the old royal palace on one side and on the other the Mattius church ( not so interesting fact number 212 I was originally going to get married there until the vicar decided 2 weeks before the date that he wanted a little cash , well actually a lot of cash , in his back pocket .. we found another church , boring fact number 213 !!) ) but the church itself is quite impressive and worth a look inside ..The Hilton hotel next door , it's actually built on the ruins of the old church , you can wander in the hotel and down to see these .. next to the church is the Fisherman's bastion , (cheeky sods now charge you to go to the bit with the best view ) , but you can look over the Danube onto the houses of parliament , and Basilica and have a general view of Budapest There are various wine cellars up in the castle district if you like your wine .. but this isn't the cheapest place to buy it , nor eat for that matter (still cheaper than London though !!) you can visit the citadel for an even higher panoramic view but usually this is a coach trip or taxi ride away http://www.citadella.hu/ (Pest) back down and across the river , cross on the "chain bridge " (Széchenyi in Hungarian) , oldest bridge and built by 2 Englishmen , if you can find your way here at night it is all lit up so you get a lovely view of the Palace and Church all lit up ) failing that you can get the view from any bridge , Margaret bridge being the closes to your hotel .. off the Square you can walk down Vaci Utca which is a world heritage site now .. a long street full of shops and bars , (the old buildings and churches are the reason it's a heritage sight) but a pleasant enough way to kill some time .. at one end is the central market (on Fővam tér) which I always enjoy visiting to pickup some cheap wine to take home ( though I think it's now cheaper to shop in Spar ,as the market has become a tourist attraction and the locals no longer shop there !!) .. cross the bridge here (or take a tram )(back into Buda) and you will hit The Gellert Hotel ...it's very famous as it always used to be THE place to stay but it's a bit old now , it has a spa and thermal baths on it , quite stunning inside but I don't think you can see that without actually going in ....again really one for the summer time ..but just next to it there is a small hill , if you climb this hill there is an entrance to a church which is inside the hill ( from the Russian occupation when religion was outlawed) .... quite unusual and worth a visit if you have time ... you can walk up the hill and see more of Budapest as well meanwhile back at Vörösmarty Square if you take the other route out of the square up Andrassy utca , quite a long walk (about 2km ) it's a tree lined boulevard,if you walk up it you will the see the Opera House, Terror Museum and Liszt Ferenc tér with all its cafés, bars and restaurants. At the very end you will arrive at Heroes Square and behind that the City Park. better still take the yellow line on the Metro , the first underground line in mainland Europe if you ever get asked the question on trivial pursuit ..... the stops to look out for are Oktagon - this used to be a famous meeting point in Budapest , now it's home to burger king and Pizza hut but this is where the house of terror is ... It's a museum to the Russian occupation and former home of the secret police .... It's a side of former Eastern bloc that people don't see and don't fully appreciate what happened .... well worth a visit , but take your hanky with you .. if your feeling really historical then take the blue line Metro to Corvin ter and you can see where the 56 uprising actually started , our flat is just around the corner so pop in water the plants if your in the area ..... Oktagon also has some bars close by now and is a good place to go for a drink at night time Hősök tere (Heroes square) Where there are various statues and museums ..tourists always go to heroes square , but I've no idea why it's Ok but not that exciting , it was in a Michael Jackson video though !! but as your up that way you may want to have a look ....next to Hero square is the local zoo and a nice little park that has a boating lake , or more likely skating rink depending on the time of year .... nice way to kill a bit of time and practise your triple axels ..... quite a pretty area on the whole so maybe that is why the tourists go there .... From West End you can walk to the 2 buildings I've already mentioned The Basilica and the houses of parliament , both are worth a look inside if you have time ..Parliament building isn't always open though , The Hungarian Holy Crown is housed inside ..other side of the parliament building you can see monuments to the 1956 uprising complete with bullet holes .. If you leave West End shopping centre/your hotel and walk towards Margaret Island then you will see the number 2 tram over to the left which runs to the houses of Parliament , you can hop on that and it and it runs right to the door ...if you stay on it a few more stops it brings you out at the Marriott hotel again and back to the Vörösmarty Square (to give an idea how bad the flooding was a few years back that tram line was under water ) ..this will be all lit up at night ..and then you can walk back to Margaret bridge and see the Danube by night ... Danube Boat trip ,will give you a chance to see a lot of Budapest .. look out for icebergs that time of year !!! Margaret Island is a pedestrian only zone where you can walk around without fear of getting run over ..a nice escape from the hustle of the city you need you passport in most shops if your paying by credit card Eat Always tended to eat at these 3places , there are loads of restaurants on /off vaci Utca though so you wont starve Restaurant called Fatal at 67 Vaci Utca st ( it's off Vaci Utca but down little side street so keep your eyes peeled) (+36 1) 266-2607 - reservations are a good idea or you can just turn up if you get there late 10pm onwards .... Big helpings , English menu ..no credit cards .. quite reasonably priced as well they do a soap in bread which is interesting .... you sort of eat the dish the soup is served in ..... main courses are varied I usually go for the pork knuckle , but Hungarian dishes would be things like Paprika Chicken , Goulash (very filling so don't order it as a starter or you won't eat anything else ) or check this out ... http://www.supersizedmeals.com/food/GL_Gallery2/index.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=4147 desert wise they do Gundel palacinta which is pancake drowned in some form of volatile alcohol and covered with chocolate and nuts ...or there is some form of layered dessert whose name I can't remember full of fruit and ice cream and pancake .....if you think of a sandwich out of Scooby doo you'll get an idea of the size of it service can be a bit slow but it seems to be a Hungarian way of life in that regard .... The Lancelot is near your hotel and you can walk it , ( assuming your staying at the West End Hilton ) , it's a medieval theme restaurant whereby they have sword fights , jugglers , fire eaters etc ....only on the late sitting as I recall so don't book a table for too early oh and they don't give you a knife to eat your food with ..it's a fork , hand and teeth only job great fun .. it can be very noisy in their though as it's mainly large groups that visit , cheap by UK standards but pricey by Hungarian standards ... the fatal probably has the better food if I had to choose http://www.sirlancelot.hu/site.php?lang=en For Sale pub ... (Metro: M3 Kálvin tér, Tram 2, 47 or 49) near the market that you may or may not have visited ... it's almost like an English pub , again big portions of food ..check out a desert called Floating Island ,it's yummy but hard to describe what it actually is .... some form of fluffed up egg white and a very sweet custard would be my guess wherever you go try a class of Bulls blood (egri bikaver) , check the price first as it's a cheap wine but as the tourists drink it they tend to overcharge in a lot of places ..... it's a Hungarian wine that you drink and it sort of comes back and bites you a little while later .. not in a sickly way just in a pleasant way to get drunk ..doubt if Oz Clarke would rave about it , but then it is only about £3 a bottle to buy it in the local shops Tokai is the other Hungarian wine ..it's like a sherry , so avoid it ...unless you like sherry try to avoid handing over big notes as they don't always come back with your change .. and don't say Thank You when you hand the money over as they take this to mean keep the change ...expensive if you've just handed over a big note !! if in doubt just say Nem beszelek Magyarurl ... which is "I don't speak Hungarian" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentspornoKnob Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Many thanks buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Have a look here http://www.ruinpubs.com/ for bars and nightlife options. 'Szimpla Kert' is a fantastic bar with a cool beer garden. 'Calvin Teto' is a nightclub on the roof top of an old communist shopping centre and 'Instant' is a cool late night bar/club, those are the ones i've been to from that website. I recommend the free walking tour as well, gives you a good understanding of the layout of the city and some history/background. There is a website for it which google can help you with. Do one of the hot baths, the Gellett on is the most spectacular but I thought the Szecheny one in the main park was more fun and it was much bigger. My favourite resteraunt is called 'Menza'. It is traditional hungarian food but done a bit better than the tourist places will do. It's still not very expensive either and seems to mostly be middle class hungarians who eat there, it's up just past the opera house and they have a website. Budapest is one of my favourite cities in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 the Gellett on is the most spectacular it's also a renowned homosexual hangout , you wont get raped or anything but if you are easily offended by men making approaches on you then maybe stick to the Szechenyi :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 the Gellett on is the most spectacular it's also a renowned homosexual hangout , you wont get raped or anything but if you are easily offended by men making approaches on you then maybe stick to the Szechenyi :-) Well I didn't have anyone approach me when I was there but then I was hanging out with 4 other guys so perhaps potential suitors assumed I was already taken... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 so kentspornknob if you reading , the tip from LondonLax is make sure you go there on your own or you will be disappointed :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 i am coming here in sept for a stag, tone what district would you say is best to stay in? from what i looked at online district 7 looks best bet? also what are the spas like out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) I stay in some apartments in the castle district when I go ( kitchen etc for the kids) so hard to say about the best district to stay in Head to Octogan and there are loads of bars along there , there are also a few by the Jewish quarter and along Vaci utca stay away from the strip clubs , you will get ripped off , quite likely at gun point clubs aren't really my thing so not sure where these are in Budapest Spa's , the Gellert Spa is nice but as i said previously it is a homosexual hangout **, so you might get hit on Margaret Island has an outdoor pool and spa from around May , failing that head to szechenyi bath Edit : ** actually turns out from Jan this year it's no longer segregated male and Female in the bath area so it may well have changed and you wont get hit on Edited April 9, 2013 by tonyh29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 Just looking at a potential offer on groupon at the moment for a Budapest getaway. One of the hotels is on a street called....Rakoczi way or Rakoczi Ut.... Not sure what the difference is. Any thoughts on that street in relation to the main attractions Tony? Would only be going for about 3 days so would have to try and squeeze in the best of Budapest.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 It's out in the 3rd district and may be a wee but too far out if town and the main sights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 going to this badboy in 48hrs for my mates stag anyone have any idea on what plugs they use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Demitri_C, on 10 Sept 2013 - 3:08 PM, said: going to this badboy in 48hrs for my mates stag anyone have any idea on what plugs they use? these ones same as us oh ok ... 2 pin round 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 That actually made me laugh out loud tone. Think the ppl in my office think I'm crazy now! Cheers tone. Any recommendations on food out there? Are the steaks any good out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 (edited) Demitri_C, on 10 Sept 2013 - 4:29 PM, said:Demitri_C, on 10 Sept 2013 - 4:29 PM, said:Demitri_C, on 10 Sept 2013 - 4:29 PM, said: That actually made me laugh out loud tone. Think the ppl in my office think I'm crazy now! Cheers tone. Any recommendations on food out there? Are the steaks any good out there? It's more Pork , goose and duck rather than steak .. but there are a few steak houses about ..here for example you tend to get big portions and not great quality in a lot of the restaurants ... food tends to be fried and quite oily on the whole ... Goulash if made the traditional way will be full of animal fat and go straight through you so tread carefully if there is a group of you then this place might suit you it's for meat eaters really so don't go if you have any veggie friends ... it's medieval type themed with food on platters and you kinda eat with you hands (they do give you a fork and a spoon though !!) .. good place to introduce everyone to Bulls blood after you've had a few beers ..it's potent stuff and great for any stag do ...they throw in some sword fighting and what not for good measure ..it's pretty popular though so you may need to book ..afterwards you can walk across the road to the nightclub based on nyugati station (assuming it's still there) I also quite like this place the Soup is served inside a huge roll and the pork Knuckle will keep you full for days ... Edited September 10, 2013 by tonyh29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Is there anything in the 'buda' part of Budapest?? I stayed on the pest side.although I did walk the bridge to take in the views. Our Hungarian hostess told us not to bother going buda. It's very hilly with nothing there except the Castle. I wonder if I missed out...mmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 donnie, on 11 Sept 2013 - 11:01 AM, said: Is there anything in the 'buda' part of Budapest?? I stayed on the pest side.although I did walk the bridge to take in the views. Our Hungarian hostess told us not to bother going buda. It's very hilly with nothing there except the Castle. I wonder if I missed out...mmmm the castle /palace is worth a look around in it's own right ..Buda also gives you great views of the parliament building from the fisherman's bastion and then you have the Matthias church , even if religion is not your bag you should go inside , it's quite stunning ... the Hilton hotel next to it is built on the old foundations .. walk down the hill and you are at the Gellert baths , worth a visit .. not just for a swim and massage but also the building itself is quite historical ..then climb another small hill and you enter the Gellert Hill caves , where there is a church carved into the rocks of course it depends what you like doing ,ok you may not need to spend 4 days there but from a cultural pov your hostess was speaking bollocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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