Budapest

Not in the story-mood? Scroll down for the Quick Budget Fact Overview: an itemized information summary of Budapest! ↓

The first time I visited Budapest I was a rather inexperienced traveler. It was in fact my very first non-work-related solo trip that planted the seed of my current full-time nomad lifestyle. I hadn’t seen much of the world, and as such, Budapest blew me right off my socks. 9 years and about 60 countries later I therefore couldn’t imagine this city having the same effect on me, as traveling makes you rich in experiences but also rather spoilt. I even reached the point of getting irritated when re-visiting places, as my severe case of FoMo makes me nervous about being in a place I already know whereas there are thousands places I don’t know out there fighting for my time to be explored. Budapest turned out to be an exception. I re-lived that initial zest for adventure and excitement of being out there alone in the world, and absorbed the elegance and arousing turmoil of the city like it was 2014 again.

All stayed the same, except of the prices (those about trippled). That said, despite its size, Budapest is an extremely walkable city, especially when focusing on one area at the time. In fact, walking is the biggest favour you can do yourself when exploring one of Europe’s most liveable cities, as the amount of detail and ongoing stream of life in every street corner is a not-to-be-missed spectacle shaping the very spirit of the city.

Therefore, I created a collection of daily walking routes for you. To use as a guideline, but most certainly to deviate from, as getting lost grants you with the unexpected, which is what defines the entire meaning of traveling.

Budapest City Walks

If you plan on visting most of the attractions listed in this article, the Budapest Card might be a smart deal. It also includes admission to the Lukacs Thermal Bath, guided tours and unlimited public transport. More info here.

Day 1:

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Starting point is reached by Bus 16, 16A + 5. Metro stop Szell Kalman Ter is a short walk away.

Today we kick off at the Military History Museum. A bit strong on the empty stomach perhaps, especially considering they weren’t on what history considers to be the right side of the WWII narrative, but there are plenty of other parts of military history to discover through a series of informative displays and memorabilia. By all means optional, for the enthusiasts. Just opposite of the museum you’ll find the oldest building on the Kapsiztran Square: The reconstructed gothic Buda Tower, officially the Mary Magdalene Tower, which forms part of a church destroyed in a 1944 air raid. 185 steps to the top will reward you with a bird’s eye view over the city. The next stop is a choice: Are you going to enter the the Museum of Music History (18th to 20th century), located inside of the baroque Erdody Palace, or is it going to be an art-kinda-day in the Koller Gallery (free entry)? As a third option you can just opt for an elaborate tasting (is it that time of the day already?) in the Faust Wine Cellar, located in the basement of the UNESCO World Heritage Domincian Cloister. Being culturally legitimate was never that tasty! Moving onto the 13th century Matthias Church, my personal favorite and the location of King Matthias I’s wedding. It was the first church in Buda and can be considered one of the finest examples of Hungarian Gothic architecture. By now, you are already located in the Fisherman’s Bastion, or Halaszbastya in Hungarian, which was originally a defence area on the Buda Castle Wall (named after the fish guild who build it and lived under the walls), but has now been developed into Budapest’s #1 tourist attraction due to the sublime city panorama’s from the various lookout terraces. More obscure stops in the area are the Hospital in the Rock, a natural cave transformed into an underground WWII hospital and Cold War nuclear shelter (visit by tour only – not cheap), or the House of Houdini. Yes, the name gives it away, the latter is focused on the life and magic of the world’s most famous illusionist, who was... born in Hungary! The day is about to end... try to get lost on the charming cobblestone streets on the Castle Hill, forming part of the Varhegy District, until you bump into the Hungarian National Gallery located inside of the Buda Palace (make sure to have about 2-3 hours left before the closing time). Here you can admire the largest collection of Hungarian art, including no less than 11,000 artworks!

Day 2:

Starting point is reached by Tram 1 + 2 + 24, Suburban Railway (HEV) H7, or Bus 23 + 54 + 55. Stop Kozvagohid.

While we are still fresh, today we kick off at the Ludwig Museum, located relatively south of the city. This contemporary art museum displays important works of national modern artists such as Konkoly and Lakner, as well as items from famous international masters suchs as Warhol and Liechtenstein. Not your thing? Alternatively, you can start at the Zwack Unicum Museum, focused on the family and distillery behind one of Hungary’s most iconic liquors. This museum is located in the same street as the Dandar Thermal Bath, which is one of the three thermal baths we will pass today. The city of Budapest is located on a geological fault line, exactly where the Buda Hills bump into the Great Plain. This casuality caused more than 100 thermal springs to arise in the area, releasing an estimated 40,000m3 of hot, mineral-rich water each day. This caused Budapest to become a main wellness destination in the 19th century, catering to locals and foreigners alike in their search for spa and health-themed escapes, and gaining fame in this regard ever since. Visiting a thermal bath could almost be regarded as an ‘obligation’ when visiting this city... so which one is it going to be for you? From The Zwack Unicum Museum we follow the banks of the Danube until we reach the Liberty Bridge. Cross it and stretch up for a walk up the Gellert Hill, one of the several green sections that make Hungary’s capital so incredibly livable. Bring your picnic basket, or at least a bottle of wine, as the best views in town can be obtained from this elevated area. The hill contains a labyrinth of walking paths connecting the Gellerthegy Jubileum Park, the Liberty Statue and the Citadella, the fortification built in 1851-1854 when the Austrian Empire reigned. Try to get off the hill on the north side, so you can check out the Garden of Philosophers, containing black, life-size statues gathering around an orb. Weird, but good weird. You walked enough today! From this point you’re at a short distance from the Rudas Baths, or you can loop back to the Gellert Thermal Bath to rewind and process the day.

Day 3:

Starting point is reached by Metro 3, Tram 47 + 49, Bus 8 + 9 + 15 + 109 + 115 and Trolleybus 83. Stop: Kalvin Ter.

Big day ahead! Today we kick off at the Hungarian National Museum, offering the nation’s most comprehensive overview of history. It’s impossible to miss this classicist building, with the recognizable Roman pillars embelleshing the front. You can follow up this museum experience with other expositions in the area, such as the Amazing Metal Art Gallery, the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, the Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archive next to the Dohany Street Synagogue, the Budapest Retro Elemnykozpont (experience point), or the Underground Railway Museum. This district not only functions as a museum hub during the day, at night you might want to return to experience the nightlife on Goszdu Court. For lunchtime, had to the bustling Vorosmaty Square forming one of the prime social meeting points of Hungary. From here it is only a small walk to the stunning St. Stephen’s Basilica, named after Hungary’s first king. Macabre fact: His cut-off hand is actually kept here as a relic. Had back towards the Danube and follow the water until you strike upon the Shoes on the Danube Bank, representing the Jews that were murdered by the fascist Hungarian powers, supporting the Nazi Regime during WWII. After being ordered to take off their shoes, a valuable item, they were shot at the edge of the river, their bodies carried away by the stream... To check out the seat of the government who made this possible, continue walking to the Hungarian Parliament Building, the most recognizable icon of the city. Embroidering onto this topic: The House of Terror museum is housed in the building used for imprisonment, torture and murder of the victims during the fascist years of WWII, seamlessly taken over by the Communist regime with the exact same purpose. For a bit of a lighter theme, the Pinball Museum is just a small detour away. As the night is falling, walk into the direction of the vast Heroes Square, being marked by the Millenium Monument featuring the ‘Seven Chieftains of the Magyars’ (the leaders of the tribes of Hungarians when they arrived at the Carpathian basin), Hungarian leaders and a memorial stone for “all who have fallen for the fatherland.” The square gives access to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art, and leads towards the massive City Park. Especially the area surrounding the Vajdahunyad Castle lits up fantastically in the evening. As a reward for this long day, the Szechenyi Thermal Bath is waiting for you, nowadays even hosting a Thermal Beer Spa.

Day 4:

Starting point is reached by Bus 34 + 106 + 134 (Zahony Street Stop, Suburban Railway (HEV) H5, or Rail Lines G72, S72, S76 and Z72. Stop: Aquincum.

On our fourth day we are going to explore more of the northern part of Budapest, starting our quest at the Aquincum Museum and Ruins, evolving around the remains of a Roman military garrison of the former province of Pannonia. Expect to find an amphitheatre, remains of an aqueduct and heating systems, and a museum thoroughly explaining it. Next up after a pleasant 29 minute stroll along the waterfront: The Vasarely Museum, exhibiting the optic art pieces of this renowend Hungarian artist. If art isn’t quite your thing, the highly praised Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Tourism is right around the corner, chockfull of displays of Hungarian commerce through the years and recreations of 19th-20th century shops and hospitality outlets. Time for a natural break! Via the northern Arpad Bridge it is possible to walk onto Margaret Island, nicknamed the ‘green lung of Budapest’ and a perfect place for a picnic. The island hosts several swimming spots, such as the Platinus Bath & Spa and the Hajos Alfred Bath, as well as walking, running and cycling trails to get us all the way down south (just 2.5km). Gett off on the Margrit Bridge and turn right towards the Buda-side of town. We deserved some relaxation after all that walking and cultural immersion. We’ll shortly bump into the Lukacs Baths, which is included in the Budapest Card, as well as the Irgalmasok Veli Bej Bath (former Csaszar Bath), which is in fact a Turkish bath built in 1574. Feeling rejuvenated? You might as well use that energy to visit the Szemlo Mountain Cave and /or the Plavolgyi Cave, both particularly interesting for their dramatic dripstones. Both offer tours, the Plavolgyi one being rather adventurous (incl. crawling and climbing), whereas Szmelo is more family-friendly.

Day trip: Szekesfehervar

It’s hard to imagine you ever running out of things to do in Budapest, but in case you have a generous amount of time on your hands: Give Szekesfehervar a go. I did, for several days actually, and wasn’t disappointed. The “unpronouncability” of the name caught my immediate attention and I decided to just stop by, as it was there. Not a bad call: Pretty downtown area, a kaleidoscopic cityscape of multicolored buildings and a cute lil’ clocktower with wood-carved figurines playing a spectacle 4 times a day, what’s not to like?

Besides the main eye-catcher in the form of the Bory Castle, the city went really nuts on its museum offer. Personally I checked out the Szekesfehervari Egyhazmegyei Mazeum (yes really), some kind of church museum focused on the Hungarian King St. Stephen who decided to also be referred to as Saint (great marketing), and the Toy Museum, which was interesting yet rather creepy. I also hopped into the Deak Gyajtemény Varosi Kaptar, which displayes an exhibition on the painter Gzobel. Expect paintings that make you feel like you’re looking at worldy scenes through a dirty window, or glasses at the wrong strength... vague, mushy and frankly not my thing. I did quite like some works of the permanent collection, such as from Márffy Ödön, Schubert Ernö, Schade János, who are all part of the KUT movement (which is the word for ‘cunt’ in my native language). Other options are the Oramuzeum (clocks), Szent Istvan Kiraly Myzeum (royal), Helyorsogtortoneti Emlekgyujtemeny (garrison history), Tuzolto Muzeum (firefighting), Varostorteneti Muzeum (city history), Fekete Sas Patikamuzeum (pharmaceutic), Romkert Muzeum (ruins) and the Budenz-ház Museum (art), of which the last five were all closed when I tried.

Quick Budget Fact Overview

Hungary Facts

Capital: Budapest
Language: Hungarian
Population: ± 9.7 mln (Budapest: ± 1.75 mln)
Sq km: ± 93,025 km² (Budapest: ± 525.2 km²)
Currency: Forint (Ft -HUF)
Electricity Outlet: C & F / 230 V / 50 Hz. Check here.
Country Code Phone: +36
Emergency Phone: 112 (general), 104 (ambulance), 105 (fire), 107 (police)
Visa: Hungary is a part of the EU and Schengen Area. Find more info about Schengen visas here. Easy applications can be arranged via here.
Vaccinations: None
Climate: Warm Summer Continental (Dfb)
High season: Summer

Short History Recap

9th century: Magyars under Prince Arpad settle Danube plain. 1000: Stephen I (descendant of Arpad) recognized by pope as first Christian king of Hungary → expands Hungarian control over Carpathian basin. 1241-’42: Mongol invasion devastates large parts of Hungary. 1342-’82: Reign of Louis the Great (annexes Dalmatia). 1456: Defeating Ottoman army at Siege of Belgrade. 1526: Ottomans defeats Hungarian forces at Battle of Mohacs → establishing control over most of the country. 1699: Austrian Habsburgs under Leopold I expel Turks. 1848-’49: Uprising against Habsburg rule. 1867: Hungary becomes equal partner in Austro-Hungarian Empire. 1918: Empire broken up at end of WWI → Hungarian Republic is proclaimed following a revolution. 1919: Communists (under Bela Kun) → war on Czechoslovakia and Romania. ’20: Treaty of Trianon → Entente powers award more than 2/3 of Hungarian territory to Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia → 1/3 of native Hungarian speakers live now outside the country. ’38: Munich Agreement → Hungary regains some territory. ’39: Hungary joins Anti-Comintern Pact of Germany, Japan and Italy, and withdraws from League of Nations. ’40: With the encouragement of Nazi Germany, Hungary regains northern Transylvania from Romania. ’41: Allies with Nazi Germany. ’44: Hungarian Nazis seize power. Jews and gypsies are deported to death camps. ’45: Soviet forces drive the Germans out of Hungary. New communist rule. Mass terror. ’56: Uprising against Soviet domination suppressed. ’68: New Economic Mechanism brings elements of capitalism. ’89: Communism dismantled → multi-party democracy. ’97: Referendum endorses joining Nato, which happens in 1999. 2004: Hungary joins EU. ’08: Hungary is badly hit by the global financial crisis. International Monetary Fund, EU and World Bank grant rescue package worth 20bn euros. ’10: Law allowing ethnic Hungarians living abroad to apply for Hungarian citizenship. ’12: EU suspends aid payments to Hungary because of budget deficit.

FREE Sights / Activities Budapest*

Sights: Halasybastya, St. Stephen’s Basilica (Treasury paid), Shoes on the Danube Bank, Szechenyi Lanchid (chain bridge), Syabadsag Hid (liberty bridge), Margaret Bridge, Heroes’ Square, Citadel (under construction during my visit in 2022), Gozsdu Udvar (Jewish quarter), Vajdahunyad Castle (museums charge fee), Margaret Island, Varhegy area, Varosliget Park, Andrassy Avenue, Vorosmarty Square, Liberty Statue, Janoshegy (highest point of Budapest), Garden of Philosophy, Castle Hill, Buda Tower, Elizabeth Lookout.
Museums: Koller Gallery. Many of Budapest’s main museums give free admission under 26. On Hungarian national holidazs
Hikes / Nature: Danube River, Gellert Hill,

PAID Sights / Activities Budapest*

Sights: Hungarian Parliament Building, Matthias Church, Buda Castle, Nagy Zsinagoga (Great Synagogue), Gresham Palace.
Museums: Museum of Fine Arts, House of Terror Museum, Hungarian National Museum, Pinball Museum, Hungarian National Gallery, Holocaust Memorial Center, Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum, Aeropark Budapest, Amazing Metal Art Gallery, Chocolate Museum, Memento Park, The House of Houdini, Hungarian Jewish Museum, Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Agricultural Museum, Railway Museum, Museum of Military History, Victor Vasarely Museum, Aquincum Museum, Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism, Underground Railway Museum, Museum of Music History, Budapest Retro Interactive Museum, Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center.
Hikes / Nature: Palatinus Strand, Gellert Hill Cave, Palvolgyi Caves, Szemlo-Hegyi Barlang Cave.
Other: Szechenyi Baths & Pools, St. Gellert Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool, Rudas Baths, Lukacs Baths, Dandar Thermal Baths, Irgalmasok Veli Bej Bath, Thermal Beer Spa, Faust Wine Cellar, House of Unicum, Buda Hill Funicular.

If you plan to visit many attractions in a short timeframe, it might be interesting to acquire a Budapest Card, which is available for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours… which is a difficult way of saying 1-5 days.

*See full list here.

FREE Sights / Activities Szekesfhervar

Sights: Orajatek Animated Bell Clocks, Varoshaz Square, Koronazo Square, Serbian Orthodox Church.

PAID Sights / Activities Szekesfehervar

Sights: Bory Castle.
Museums: Schaar Erzsebet Museum, Museum of the Diocese of Szekesfehervar, King Stephen Museum, Szent Istvan Kiraly Museum, Hetedhet Toy Museum.
Other: Ifjabb Ocskay Gabor Ice Hall, Arpad Bath.

Evening Entertainment

Nightlife Areas: In Budapest: Goszdu Passage (tunnel of vivid bars), Kiraly Street, Wesselenyi Street, Akacfa Street, Kazinczy street. Szimpla Kert is ‘ruin bar’, which is rather unusual. Szekesfehervar: Doesn’t have such a lively nightlife… Fezen Club and Westside Entertainment Center are your best bet.

Theatres: In Budapest: National Theatre, Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest Operetta Theatre, Erkel Theatre, Thalia Drama Theatre, Budapest Puppet Theatre, Vigszinhay, Jateksyin, Trafo Kortars Muveszetek Haza, Pesti Magyar Szinhaz, Josyef Atilla Theatre, Erszebet Ligeti Szinhay, . In Szekesfehervar: Baratsag Mozi, Vorosmarty Theatre.

Local Festivals

Belfeszt (Budapest – free music festival) – May
Budapest Spring Festival (folklore) – April
Budapest Spring Festival (folklore) – April
Fezen Festival (Szekesfehervar - metal music) - July

Sziget (Budapest – multigenre music) – August
Royal Days Folk Festival (Szekesfehervar) - August
Jewish Summer Festival (Budapest) – September
Budafok Champagne and Wine Festival (Budapest) - September

Budget Bites

Supermarkets: Aldi (budget), Coop, Spar, Hypobroker, CBA Prima, Delizia, Tesco.
Markets: Budapest: Central Market Hall, Szimpla Sunday Farrmer’s Market, Lehel Market Hall, Goysdu Weekend Market, Feny Utca Market, Romai Party Market, Klauzal ter Market Hall, Sashalmi Market, Keresztur Market & more. Szekesfehervar: Jancsarkert.
Local Dishes: Goulash (meat stew), Porkolt (ragout dish), Lesco (vegetable stew), Fasirozott (pan-fried meat balls), Stefania Szelet (Hungarian meat loaf with egg in middle), Rantott Sajt (flat cheese croquette), Rantott Hus (Hungarian schnitzel), Szilvasgomboc (sweet plum dumplings) Pescenye (pork steak), Ciganypecsenye (pork roast), Tarhonya Hus (egg with minced meat), Turos Csusza (cottage cheese pasta), Csirkepaprikas (chicken-paprika dish), Hortobagyi Husos Palacsinta (Hungarian burrito), Rakott Krumpli (potato meat dish), Fozelek (vegetable-meat dish), Langos (fried bread with cheese), Halaszle (fish shoup), Jokaj Bableves (bean soup), Pacal Porkolt (tripe soup), Korhelyleves (sauerkraut soup), Kaszasle (sour meat soup), Korozott (cheese spread), Hurka (sausage), Makos Teszta (sugary pasta), Gyumolcsleves (cold fruit soup), Gesztenyepure (chestnut puree), Dobos Torta (sponge cake), Csaszarmorzsa (shredded sugary crepe pieces), Liptai Turo (spicy cheese spread)… & many more!
The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Hungary, as the local kitchen has quite some ‘accidentally’ plant-based dishes. A veg restaurant guide can be found here. Local veg dishes (description above – some vegan, some contain cheese or egg): Jokaj Bableves, Rantott Sajt, Szilvasgomboc, Turos Csusza, Langos, Korozott, Makos Teszta, Gyumolcsleves, Gesztenyepure, Dobos Torta, Csaszarmorzsa, Liptai Turo… and Gombapaprikas (mushroom stew), Fozelek (pea stew), Lecso (vegetable ragout), Lencsefozelek (lentil sauce), Sargaborsofozelek (split pea soup), Paradicsomos Kaposzta (pasta with cabbage & tomatoes), Hagymaskrumpli (fried potatoes with onions), Nokedli (gnocchi), Makosteszta (pasta with poppy seeds), Sargabaracklekvarral (pasta with walnuts & jam).
National Drink: Wine (best red: Bikaver), Wine-cola (!!!), Palinka (brandy), Beer (Dreher, Soproni, Borsodi, Szalon, Arany Aszok), Unicum.

Sleep Cheap

Hostels / Hotels: Hungary used to be ridiculously cheap (during my 1st visit about 10 years ago I paid about 5 bucks for a hostel)… but it isn’t anymore! Whereas you can still find very affordable food and drinks, accommodation prices have gone through the roof, especially at tourist destinations. However, on Booking.com it is possible to find some affordable hostel deals every now and then, especially for Budapest. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Agoda is often not transparent about prices, adding a lot of additional costs in the last booking-step. Opodo is another decent option. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, and seem to focus on the more upscale boutique stays nowadays. Writer’s choice: I Couchsurfed in both Budapest and Szekesfehervar.
Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Hungary isn’t overwhelmingly big, but I managed to find a host in every destination I intended to visit.
Housesitting: is an amazing exchange allowing you to stay short- or long-term in somebody’s house, while looking after their house and pets. There are many different websites, most of them paid… but once you landed a sit, the subscription fee pays itself back quickly. The main housesitting site is Trusted Housesitters.
Wild Camping: is legal in Hungary, except in national parks and on private land. In the cities of Budapest and Szekesfehervar it might be rather complicated to trace down a hidden camping spot.

Mama Said

Safety: Hungary has a relatively low crime rate. As always, use your common sense like everywhere else. Don’t walk alone in remote areas after sunset and follow your instinct when entering certain neighbourhoods further away from the centre. Don’t leave valuables visibly in your car.
Tap Water: is drinkable.
Ethics: Boycott zoos like Budapest Zoo or Tropicarium where animals are held in captivity out of their natural habitat.
The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. You can simply create a Forint-wallet and all expenses in Hungary will be paid directly out of that wallet. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee.
Simcard: Hungary is part of the EU, so if you already have a European sim it will work here as well. However, depending on where you’re from, it is likely much cheaper to buy a temporary prepaid sim in Hungary, which is available at the phone stores, convenience stores or (more expensive) at the airport. Phone companies include Vodafone, T-Mobile, Yettel and Airalo (e-sim). Overall, Yettel has the cheapest couple-of-bucks-deals that also last for 30 days, which takes away the stress of continuously having to top up again in a foreign language.

Transport

Walking: The separate districts of Budapest, as well as the entire centre of Szekesfehervar invite for a leisurely walk across all sights.
Cycling: Budapest is relatively cyclist friendly. There is a public bicycle sharing network called Mol Bubi. There is no such a thing in Szekesfehervar though. Find a cycle map of Budapest here.
City Buses / Tram / Metro: Budapest has buses, trolleybuses trams and 4 metro lines. Instead of studying complicated maps, the easiest way to navigate is simply with the Moovit app, which works in Budapest and Szekesfehervar. With the Budapest card, all public transport within the city limits is included.
Taxi / Uber: The local taxi app is called Bolt. Download app here.
Intercity Buses: The main bus station of Budapest for inter-city and international travel is Nepliget Bus Station (address: Üllöi út 131). There are other smaller domestic bus stations, listed here. Flixbus has also made its entrance in Hungary. In Szekesfehervar there are bus stations next to the train station, as well as the ‘Autobusz Allomas’ next to Petofi Park.
Train: Both Budapest and Szekesfehervar are connected to many national destinations by train. Train ticket prices are very low and can be simply bought at the ticket office in the train station. More info on Eurail and Interrrail tickets here & here.
Car Rental: I only recommend car rental to stress-free and confident drivers. The local traffic situation might not be what you’re used to at home. Budapest Airport is one of the cheapest pick-up places with online deals as low as EUR 10 a day.
Airport: Budapest Airport (BUD). The 100E bus line is the cheapest option, which runs daily and every 20 minutes in between 5AM – 1:20AM. It takes about 45 minutes and stops in Kalvin Square, Astoria and Deak Ferenc Square. You can also take bus 200E to the Kobanya-Kispest Metro Station.
Hitchhiking: is relatively safe in Hungary and people are very willing to help out a stranger. Keep into account that English is mainly spoken by the younger generation, and German is more common than English.

Next?

National Destinations Close By: Balaton Lake, Esztergom, Sopron, Gyor.
International Destinations Close By: Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia.

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