Budapest is a city with a rare balance between grandeur and informality.
The Danube runs through the city, dividing it into Buda, with its hills, castles and viewpoints, and Pest, which is flatter, livelier and full of cafés, bars and broad boulevards.
The bridges do more than simply connect the city – they also offer some of its most beautiful views, especially as the light fades at the end of the day.
The city is rich in history – including the darker chapters – and carries it visibly, yet with a relatively light touch, woven into modern urban life.
Imposing buildings stand side by side with worn façades, creative courtyards and small places where time seems to slow down a little. The thermal baths are a particularly distinctive part of city life – a place where locals and visitors meet in warm water and steam, whatever the season.
At the same time, Budapest is known for its relaxed atmosphere, good food, reasonable prices and an ability to feel both elegant and down to earth.
In short, Budapest is a city you fall in love with a little more each day – and one that makes you want to stay longer than planned.
How we travelled
We travel by train and public transport whenever it is possible and practical.
Using an Interrail Global Pass the journey began in Aarhus, Denmark, through Central and Eastern Europe, and ended in Kars, Turkey before moving on in a different way.
Interrail is not only for young people, but for all ages, and it can clearly be recommended. It gives you the freedom of changing your plans if needed and not having to plan every little detail in advance.
Setting it up is a bit cumbersome, but once everything is in place, it is very easy to use.
You pay based on how many travel days you expect to need. We purchased an Interrail pass with four travel days to be used within a maximum period of one month.
One travel day equals as many train journeys as you like—but be aware that if a journey passes midnight, it counts as an extra day.
After setting it up, you download the Rail Planner app, log in, and from there you can search for routes and departure times and add them to your trip. It is also your ticket to show.
After setting it up, you download the Rail Planner app, log in, and from there you can search for routes and departure times and add them to your trip. It is also your ticket to show.
Where We Stayed
We found a fairly large apartment on Airbnb in the former Jewish ghetto. The apartment itself was comfortable, but it was difficult to fall asleep with the thought of the fates of those who, during the war, were crammed into a relatively few square metres where we, two people, were now stretching out.
At the same time, it was a powerful experience – imagining the course of history, with bullet holes in the buildings opposite as visible proof.
Hungarian cuisine is hearty, full of flavour and built around a few bold, defining ingredients. Paprika plays a starring role, and classics such as goulash and chicken paprikás are rich stews, often served with potatoes.
More informal is lángos – fried dough topped with garlic, cheese and sour cream.
And chimney cakes, flavoured for example with cinnamon or vanilla, are available everywhere.
Budapest offers plenty of places serving local food (be careful – there are also many tourist traps), but it is also a city with a strong international food scene.
It has an abundance of casual eateries where socialising is a key part of the experience, while also offering several fine dining restaurants.
One thing worth noting is the many hummus bars, which have become part of everyday life in the city. Hummus, falafel and pita bread represent a trend that attracts locals, students, tourists and people on the move alike.
To avoid harming or calling out anyone, we only speak in general terms about our bad experiences. However, we do name and grade the better places—but only those we’ve personally visited.
🚂 Definitely worth a visit
🚂 🚂 Really good
🚂 🚂 🚂 One of our favorites
🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 Above and beyond
🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 Truly exceptional
This section covers things, experiences, lessons, and moments that were either useful, funny, awkward – or just a bit random.
It also includes thoughts, impressions, or casual observations that may not necessarily be fact-checked but felt true to us in the moment.
* President Viktor Orbán and his government have initiated and carried out a number of developments and renovations with a clear nationalist focus, including statues, monuments and memorials. Rather than presenting a neutral and factual perspective, the approach is distinctly political.
* The city originally consisted of two (in fact three) separate towns: Buda, Pest and Óbuda, which were only united in 1873.
* You can sit in outdoor hot water in the middle of winter while snow falls around you.
* Some pensioners meet in the thermal baths to play chess in the water for hours at a time.
* Many apartments have hidden doors or bricked-up openings that date back to times of war or escape.
It’s all about sharing our attempt to understand the world by experiencing it with our own eyes. Here and on multiple platforms, we talk about our experiences—the good and the bad—and we have an opinion on most things, which we are more than happy to share.
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