Budapest things to do or not to do

4 day city break next month to Budapest.

Tips on what to see and avoid please

Been a fair few years since I last went, but the baths are worth a visit as were the ruin bars (although may well of all been sanitised now). There was also a collection of old soviet brutalist statues on the outskirts which was an interesting afternoon distraction from eating pig knees and drinking too much cheap beer

My experience is from working there around the turn of the century so well out of date, but I suspect these never get old.

Castle Hill (via the bridge)

boat trip

Szechenyi Baths – but Gellert is also good.

St Peter’s hand (well the cathedral really)

Things that may not be there anymore…

Fausto Italian restaurant

Old Man’s Music Pub

pubs/bars on Listz Ferenc ter (round corner from Oktagon and our old flat)

Avoid following a pair of blondes to a bar! A group of gorillas will make sure your fictional bar bill is paid before you leave without broken legs!

(happened to someone at a conference I was at)

Street Food Karavan – had a great lunch here (I went with traditional Goulash) but there is a huge choice, and some decent beers. Went to a ruin bar nearby for a few hours chilling and listening to music.

There was/used to be a really good burger bar near the Jewish quarter – where you could watch the burger being cooked on a big screen – will see if I can find it again.

Szimpla Kert was the ruin bar we loved

Avoid following a pair of blondes to a bar! A group of gorillas will make sure your fictional bar bill is paid before you leave without broken legs!

Think Mrs B will do worse if I do follow them in 😂

Don’t go with your pockets stuffed with Euros

Don’t buy Hungarian jeans

Just check the online latest recommendations for food and beer etc

Walk everywhere

Go here and eat chimney cake.

https://www.pichlerbudapest.com/

Then keep going back every day while you’re there, it’s incredible.

Take the children’s railway to the viewing point. It’s like a UK railway except staffed by children. And punctual. And affordable.

Home

Great place, good affordable beer and food to, had the best steak and burger i’ve had in years when there 2 years ago.

Things we did (with 12 year old daughter).

River cruise

Funicular railway up to the castle (and the caves underneath)

RIverside walk along to the houses of parliament.

The zoo was really good (and has beer vending machines)

One of the thermal spa/ baths like Gellert

House of Terror museum.  Nothing to do with horror films as I thought when it was suggested to me. Location where various regimes detained/ interrogated / killed their opponents.

How does it stack up against Prague?

The wife and I went to Prague for our anniversary last year. We had such a good time, and the kids are old enough now, that we want to do a city break with them too.

I’m well up for going back to Prague (we found loads to do and some brilliant bars and restaurants). We also got a good ‘feel’ for the transport, walking etc.

But Mrs Extender doesn’t want to go back to the same place – in defiance of my logic – which I think is sort of the point. 🙄

Similar vibe to Prague in many ways but only 8/10 on tourist saturation instead of 10/10. Bathhouses are good for adults, maybe a bit boring for kids. The Margaret Island one is supposed to be more kid friendly I think: https://nikoexplores.com/niko-explores-travel-blog/first-trip-to-budapest-what-to-see-and-do

Check out the Aquapark if they are younger (there is something similar in Prague too): https://www.aquaworldresort.hu/en

Arguably better food and coffee, worse beer…?

Prague a bit more gothic and medieval, Hungary a bit more classical and 19th century.

Budapest is bloody hot in summer…