Same happened to me whilst buying a wrap at an Indian takeaway. I argued with him for a while since my changed was half what I paid. And thought he was scamming me
OMG !! That is definitely something we all need to know before visiting Budapest for sure !!! Your tip can be a life saver !!! What if we only have lije $100 worth of Hungarian currency & the meal is only about $ 20 worth !? Lol. Thanks so much !!😅😆👍👍💜💜💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
@@agk8361 Hős utca, Népszínház utca... ezekbe nappal se szívesen teszem be a lában, és ezek még a város központi részén vannak. Budapest egy nagyváros. Szeretjük, de sajnos az. És senkinek sem merem jó szívvel ajánlani a Népligetet sötétedés után. Párom vidéki, és ha pestre jön hozza a paprikaspray-t. Pár hete véresre vertek valakit az 1es villamoson, ő meg ott ült 3 méterre tőlük. Fényes nappal. Akkor még a külvárosról szó se volt. Gubacsi út, stb. És ja, iszonyú sok a zsebtolvaj. Öltözz egyszer drágába, és sétálj végig a várnegyeden... Összességében biztonságos a város, de este azért picit óvatosabban. Engem is próbáltak már kirabolni a dunaparton. Már megvillantotta a C a pengét, mire rájöttek, hogy amúgy társasággal vagyok, csak pisilni jöttem odébb. Ha külföldi, jómódú fiatal hölgy vagy, oda kell figyelni! Mint minden nagyvárosban.
Today is Budapest is totally different but some extra tips from a local: -we don't have Uber but we have Taxify and Bolt, which is similar - from January 1. you can pay everywhere with credit card, if somebody say you can't it is a scam Great video🙂
Wow ! Great tips !! 👍👍Thanks !! I am currently planning a trip to Wales & England, but I really wanna got to Italy & Hungary also ! Even just for a day ,or two ! And I was just wondering if you had uber,Uber, lift there !And he said you didn't !So.,good to know that ! Thanks !💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
@@jdmfsdjs because terminals are mandatory at places with online cash registers (99% of places), restaurants, avarage shops must have those so must also have terminals now.
@@gergokir ok but you didnt prove the original comment to be true, thats just stupid and doesnt even make sense. obviously most of the places have them, but if you go to a small bakery for example they might not (just to name something thats more frequently visited, but hairdressers dont have it always either) and if they tell you they dont, according to this comment its a scam. lol, what does IT refer to anyway? whats the scam? and who is scammed? if theres a scam somebody gotta be scammed too
I glad to heart that you had great time in Hungary where this video was made it it very close to chain bridge it is one of the most notable of Hungary on the other side there is Gellert mountain if you went there you probably sew beautiful views from the top of the hills 🤭 evening time city look much more spectacular when it is dark some of the bridge light are turn on it is make it look much more nice hopefully see you soon 🙂
I disagree a bit, there are definitely more beautiful because Budapest is sooo dirty. Speaking from experience, i am hungarian. The smell of pee and cigarette butts everywhere. The coast of the danube is beautifu indeed but once you go further inside the city it gets a bit uncomfortable.
Yes, the wines are extremely good. Egri Beklaver (spelling?) or called Bull's Blood is a hearty strong red wine. Also Levahush (again spelling???) is a nice white wine from the Balaton Region. Nice weather and fields for growing grapes. Try it! Sorry about the spellings!
Totally agree! People always talk about Prague and how great it is. I don't see it. I think Budapest is so much more interesting and beautiful. Prague is great if you like graffiti covered walls.
@@lukasvalenta only in tourist places. Because the tourist know those ones. :D Funny, because most of them in Bp are made by Dreher in Hungary via licence. Still they are great, but not as great as the original Czech made! :) But Dreher, Borsodi, Arany Ászok, Soproni, Kőbányai are all good Hungarian lager beer brands. :)
@@chuckdraper7776 graffiti covered walls are in every big city unfortunately. I wouldn't compare Prague to Budapest, despite some similarities, they are very different places, I'd advise others to visit both.
DON'T use those blue & yellow ATMs like the one at 14:57, those are the ones that charge you the most for the conversion. Use an ATM that belongs to a bank, those charge you much less.
OR since you can pay with card at most places, it is a good practice to have for example a Transferwise card, which has really low conversion fees. I'm a Hungarian living in Germany, I have my money in euros, but I don't have a problem paying when I go home. If you need money anyways, use bank ATM's - like the commenter said, OTP is a good choice IMO.
Great video! As a Hungarian citizen I agree with you on the mentioned topics. - buy the 24/48/72 hour tickets!! single tickets are nightmare and cost a ton of money if you would transfer 6-7 times a day. Also you can avoid getting fined by the controller staff for not validating your single tickets. - Pubs: we have a lot, and price is cheap for tourists (for locals ..meh not so sure 🤣), but note that usually many places add 10% tip on their prices. So one example: when you pay for your drinks at the bar you see the payment details on a terminal/screen and there is a scale and you can move it up and down, according to how much tip you want to add, but usually they automatically set up 10%, so you want to be careful if you don't want to tip every time you buy drinks, so move the scale to 0 if you want. 🤭 (Maybe other countries have the same thing? ) - public transportation is actually not that bad within Budapest, but expect less frequent running hours in the suburb. Train is ok for visiting the country side, but don't be surprised if the train is late by 1-2 hours, it's common :D we joke a lot about MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) that it's never punctual. 😌 - Bathing houses are the best in winter time!!! The water is so nice and 🔥. - security: not the worst in Europe, terrorism is low. Pickpocketing can happen as in every other countries. If you are cautious, there won't be problem. Places I do not recommend to visit at night - based on my and my friends experience - are Népszínház utca, Blaha Lujza tér, Népliget, Lehet tér, Orczy tér... 🙏 - All-night public transportation in the inner city is quite good as well, if you do not want to take the taxi. - Tram line 1, and 4, 6, on the Pest side always had bad reputation as you could encounter some 'strange faces' with fishy attitude, but safety improved a lot on these lines as CCTV is installed on the new vehicles. - MOL Bubi (public bicycle service) has been remodeled, and will be much cheaper, and easier to rent them than before from this year onwards. Recommended for cycling lovers. 🚲 - best place to chill with your buddies is Margaret Island (Margitsziget) 😍 grab some food and drink and go picknick at night ( the Musical Fountain on the island is a bonus) - Architecture, Architecture, Architecture - Markets!!! Christmas Market at the Vörösmarty square, and daily market at the Great Market Hall(Vásárcsarnok) Oh my~~ I wrote lot of stuff, but there is so much more 🤭🤭 Hope it helps 🙂
Thanks for the advice! My coworker had some bad experiences visiting Budapest and she really warned me about the safety so I'm really worried but I really wanna make a visit there. She said some scary guy followed her and looked at her very strangely and it was not even night time she had to make a run to escape. I plan to go to Budapest this year and I hope it's safe to travel alone.
@@rangerloginIMO the analog/paper pass still better because the eTicket needs to be validated every time. Also, there is numerous ticket vending machine in the city, and they support lots of languages. The 72h cost 12€, and you only need to show it if there is an inspector or you use a front-door boarding only bus.
@@lorincmate i prefer the electronic one, cause only in the city center has a lot of ticket machine - good luck if you trying to get on a bus in a smaller stop. But on the other side you need active internet connection to use it, but anyone who studying here i can assume has one.
You don't validate a time-based ticket in Budapest. You need to set the start of validity when buying it, and that's it. You only have to validate single tickets, but they're not worth it, since you can use a single ticket on one vehicle only (or in case of the metro, it is valid until you exit the station). Transfer, and you have to validate another one. Just use time-based tickets (24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days...), and you can travel by any transport service that has a number up to 3 digits.
An UPDATE from a local: Chain bridge is closed for renovation. Even pedestrians can't cross. Public transportation goes through and it is free for crossing. Have fun here!
Do NOT use any ATM like the one shown @ 14:40 ... if an ATM doesn't come with a respectable-looking bank branch attached, forget it. (That rule stands for all the surrounding countries too.)
I'd like to underline what he said about seeing more of the country. Apart from Eger (a treasure of a city), you should see Sopron, Debrecen, Gyor, Pécs, Veszprém and the Lake Balaton area, Szentendre, Szeged...etc. So much to choose from and the small towns and villages are precious. But if you travel round by train, be sure to reserve your seat when you buy your ticket.
Don't even go that far! ;) Visegrád, Ráckeve, Vác, Gödöllő, and many small towns like them are real gems for a few hours visit within about a one hour (and a half, for Visegrád) ride. Esztergom is a bit further but that's a great part of our history with many things to see. (Vác is one of my top favourite. It is almost like Szentendre but less visited and more free of hassle.)
@@MetalTrabant On the contrary. I find most train networks waaaay better and faster than busses. Payment is easier. Yes you van buy volán tichets in Simple apo, but the MÁV app is just simply billion times better. Trains are more comfortable. There are toilets(usually nice ones), and most trains have AC too. Busses are slow, hot, crowded, and complicated. Sadly the train network quality mostly depends on the area. The "richer" parts have better trains. For example the Visegrád and Velence lines had the newer Flirt train the first. Longer distance trains sometimes have InterCity cars, that are nicer. But I can't deny what is true. If you want to go to some "shitty" part of the country(Aszód-Hatvan, or... well, the eastern part usually...) trains will look like ones from the soviet union...
@@takysoft I was referring to those old Soviet-style trains... those are filthy as hell, especially the toilets. In the winter, you melt from the heating, in the summer, you sweat like a pig in the cabins. And all that smell has accumulated in them for decades... yuck. Yeah, Flirt and IC wagons are quite decent, but many lines still have the old wagons. And MÁV is always late, sometimes really late. Buses are way more punctual.
@@MetalTrabant I just used MÁV today. It was puctual by the minute. The soviet cars are disappearing. And just once, please once try the Csepel - Tököl bus. Also Budapest - Ajka by train: 1h50m Bus: 3h10m
I'm 3/4 Hungarian, born in Austria, living in Vienna. I'd love to explore Hungary more and although I've been there a couple of times this video is great insight and good information 😊
well, if you ever want to visit Budapest again u can contact me on email beniakinator@gmail.com (i live in the city, very close to the center). i could help u in many things for free if u want🙂
Why would you love to explore Hungary then? Vienna is a billion times better than Budapest or any settlement in Hungary. Much more liveable, much more social, much cleaner and enjoyable.
@RATED Yep. All the food stalls along the river and the big craft market up by the castle. Food was so affordable for rest of the trip, I splashed out on an evening river cruise on the evening when the fireworks were going off so got an amazing view without having to find a good spot on the riverbank.
Great video, but as a resident, I'd like to mention 2 small things. 1: From January 2021 every shop having an online register HAS to accept some sort of digital payment. And that is almost all shops, maybe except for the pretzel-stand on the street. And yes, some shops chose wire transfer or some QR code stuff, but 99% of the shops went for accepting cards. So in most cases you can use your card in Hungary everywhere now :) 2: The Funicular is a ripoff :D It takes about 10-20 minutes to walk up to the Castle, the elevation is about 100m,which is kinda minimal. You'll maybe need a break, but you're not in a hurry, you won't even sweat. And I really have the ephasize you first point here: The architecture is fenomenal no matter which way you choose. But if you need a recommendation, walk up through the Várkert Bazár (Caste-garden bazaar) Just beautiful, and it's about 5 minutes on foot from the funicular. Also, the best lookout point is from Gellérthegy. (Gellért-hill) Make sure you visit it bith during daytime and after sunset. (just not now, as it's currently under reconstruction, but it'll be done probably before covid is over anyways) Thanks for the video. Awesome!
Hey everyone! :) Eger is now only 1 hour 40 minutes with bus, or around 1:50 with train! Visit it! It's a lovely little university city. I hope this Corona thing will blow over very soon. Hope to see you here in budapest soon!
+1 born and raised in Eger. It's definitely a place to visit. Don't miss the castle, the Ottoman Minaret, the Baroque city centre and obviously, wine bars all across the city (Eger is one of the most famous wine regions of the country, as of wine bars, Almagyar and the Fúzió Wine bar are highly recommended)
Was in Budapest in 1977 back in the day. Got picked up at the airport by a driver, to the hotel. Great week, did not feel watched, free to walk and travel around. Fantastic food, extremely cheap. Also took a train day trip to Balatonfured. Loved everything about Budapest.
In 1977 my dad's wage was equvalent of 142 US dollars as a technical engineer. In. The 1977 movie Crime Busters, Bud Spencer and Terence hill got 200 USD as police officers. Working class got 3 times more though..
@@londontrucker6804 My father was also a technical engineer in that era as well, and could raise two kids without any financial problems. Now raising two kids in Hungary, with the current prices and salaries... Good luck.
I would recommend it for everyone to DONT take the funicular. Its always hot in those cabins, especially in the summer, and the stairs to the castle are as interesting and exciting as the castle itself, and there are a lot of cafes and bars on the route up. So make sure you walk those extra miles/kilometres to the castle, and enjoy your time in the nice weather! :)
Pro tip: look for the Bus no. 16 which has a bunch of stops in Buda and Pest (two final stops: Széll Kálmán tér and Deák Ferenc tér), and takes you up to the castle. If you have a public transport pass, or a ticket, it's no problem. Also, yes, it's worth the walk up too.
You can actually also take a bus most of the way up there, it is what I do every time. The funicular is famous, and interesting, but I recommend only taking it if there aren't many people, so you can actually appreciate it, instead of gasping for air :)
As of writing this comment the funicular is out of commission for a long time now, so don't make it your only option and get disappointed. We actually walked up the street on the other side of the road that goes under the castle (from the chain bridge pass the roundabout and to the right, not immediate right in the roundabout), there are stairs and other points of entry leading to the fishermen's bastion which is where Matiash church is. There are also stairs or a pedestrian walkway on the same side of the funicular which least you to the palaces and museums. I'm more fond of the bastion side as it's the one with better view, in my opinion and had the cafes you want to go and try the cakes in... Do try the cakes and other desserts ! (Eszterházy or krémes or even a strudel) Last note - it's pronounced p-e-sh-t not pest and its the easyern side of the Danube river which is considered flat. Buda is the western and considered hilly with the castle (vár v-a-r with a longer aa) the citadel (a very good lookout spot) and two famous baths - Gellért & Rudas (roo-da-sh). Also considered more fancy and expensive to live in... Don't miss the Jewish Dohanyi street sinagoge (the biggest in Europe) and hero's square and the great park behind it with another familia bath house - Széchenyi, If you want more - let me know
Csodalatos video. My wife lived in Hungary, and I've always wanted to see it from her stories. I have to check out the thermal caves and bath houses. The bath houses from your video look so beautiful.
There are many gorgeous, fantastic baths, I recommend Rudas right next to Danube and Gellért Hill, Gellért Bath (he showed Széchenyi bath what is nice too but very touristic) You will find thermal spas on the island and in many villages, for example old Turkish baths in Eger.
@@horvathcsanad1084 Depends how you look at it. about 50% of all Neo-Classical and Gothic architecture have been replaced by a concrete block of flats. Almost like the ones you have in Hungary as well only at a greater level. That is why I love Budapest. Communists were great at fixing the housing problem, their concern was not whether or not the city has a soul. Luckily for us, communism ended before they managed to ruin all our beautiful architecture. We still got some dated and beautiful Parisian style architecture and neo classical architecture and palaces in Bucharest but not to the extent that was in the "interbelic" period or like some like to call it the "fancy" period.
@@celestindimitriu3675 So kinda like in Veszprém. We had an amazing city, most of the buildings survive the war, but the communists wanted a "modern" place. So they destroyed about 6000 buildings (pop. around 50000) and built concrete and glass blocks. They even built a 20 stories tall monstrocity in the middle of the town because they were frustrated that the tallest building was a church. We architecture will never recover from that time
Don't come to Budapest by car. The city is overstuffed by cars. While the public transfer is very wide available and even the airport is inside the first zone.
About the taxi, there is one reputable company I know called City Taxi. Have their telephone number saved on your smartphone especially when you arrive by train. Their operator can speak English and you can just tell them which part of the station you intend on getting picked up from.
We visited Budapest in 2018 and left our Hearts! Easily one of our new favorite cities and one we would like to come back to. It's Beautiful, Clean, Organized, Safe and the FOOD!
@@ddiesel1836 Then go to German and Austrian cities and you will find Budapest filthy. (I don't know about Berlin though, but I guess it is also in a better state than our capital)
@@boglarkaszoradi4504 I have been to Vienna, Berlin, Cologne , Frankfurt and Munich. They are also clean like Budapest. I don't know what weed you are smoking but Budapest is not dirty or filthy. Just you
I was there for 3 weeks and never saw the sidewalk. My favorite place to be. Had a relative as a personal tour guide. Saw everything not just the tourist spots. Hero Square is my favorite.
Pro tip. The public transport system is fantastic. Use it. That funicular is cool and historical but there’s a bus line that goes up there and is certainly cheaper.
5:48 this is exactly the taxi you WANT to take - it's Főtaxi, registered and reliable - even the voiceover talks of freelance taxis. This one is NOT a freelance taxi.
A few of my additions: - You can use your credit card just about anywhere. Businesses are required to accept it, although there might be some technical errors now and then, so it doesn't hurt to have some cash on you. - Don't think that you have to tip everywhere. Tipping culture in Hungary is pretty mild, they are generally accepted, but aren't really expected. One exception is food delivery, it is customary to tip the delivery person. In case of a restaurant, tip only if you feel like it. You won't get the stink eye if you don't. - Don't miss out the sights at night. Budapest is said to be a beautiful city during the day, but it is absolutely mesmerizing at night, when the city is lit up. So make sure to take a walk along the Danube, and see the beautifully lit up bridges and buildings.
Some of the fun excursions: the Children's Railway, Szentendre (nice painters village), Esztergom (old capital, big basilica), Vac (nice town on the Danube).
Hi Wolter, thanks for the great video! I love Budapest and have been living here for several years. I agree with most of your points. However, I personally do not agree with the lack of personal safety, scamming taxi drivers, and pickpocketing. Budapest, I feel, is just as safe, or even safer, as any other large European city.
Went to Budapest a couple years ago while studying abroad, lovely city, one of my favourites in Europe. And yes, definitely agree on how good the bathhouses are. I didn't bring any swimming trunks though so ended up buying some from the bathhouse we went to lol
0:47 It isn't Saint Matthias's church. It is called Matthias Church colloquially after King Matthias (who wasn't a saint) during whose reign it was built to its current form. Officially, it is the Church of the Assumption.
Before me someone corrected the most part, but is not Church of the Assumption, it's Chrurch of Our Lady (Virgin Mary), it's written on the official website ;)
@@palfarbaky1747As majority ol Prague also rebuilt in the late 19th century with same basic architectural changes. Just look at St Vitus in the castle, total neogothic, finished in 1930...Just there everybody forget to mention this fact.
Mate as a Hungarian i would say cheers to you, awsome and spot on video nice job🍻 Use only company Taxi's, and the ATM's called ( EURO ) there are a big no no! If you get out a big amount then it charges "fair" but for small amount it is a huge rip of!!!
Been there twice, in 2017 and 2019. Read all of the warnings about the scams and how dangerous for tourists Budapest is and was kind of wary at first but honestly never had a problem, never felt remotely unsafe at any time. It is a great place with some of the faded grandeur you can see in Prague and Bucharest but with (in my opinion) better bars and restaurants.
I always suggest that first time visitors proceed to visit FIRST the Parliament building, as it will immediately apparent that this is a special place, a special country. The inside is outright heart-stopping . You will thank me later. Also in some places by tradition, it is very bad form to clink beer glasses in public! (You can look online why, its pretty gripping!)
@@rebel_ltz Really? It happened to me in 2009 at a young people's folk fest in Pest. The music stopped and they all looked at me. A family member explained the meaning as I had no clue what I did wrong....It wasn't a Motorhead concert....LOL
We don't really care about beer clinking anymore :D don't worry, people. And yes it's officially over since 1999. (In 1849 some of our ancestors swore not to clink beers for 150 years, which ended in 1999.)
Hy! As a local Budapest specialized guide, I have to say, you did a really good job on the video! Thumbs up! A few things to add maybe: - the correct name of the church in the castle district, is not Saint Matthias Church, it's just Matthias Chruch (he was "only" a king, and not canonized). Also it's not the real name of the church, it's Church of Our Lady (Our Lady is Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, because our first king Stephen the first, who was canonized :D, lost his only son, so he "offered" his land to Virgin Mary before he died). So Church of Our Lady is the real name, Matthias had his two weddings there, he ordered a huge renovation on it). - most people don't understant it, where is the Castle, because they expect a Disney style castle, but here in Hungary, castle is a bigger thing, there was a whole city or a town surrounded with the walls, and the whole are is called castle. So as there in the Buda Castle (approximately 2 km long and 0,5 km wide area, with the original City of Buda, and the Palace together) - the most easy way to use a random taxi (freelancer or company taxi too) is when you want to ride the taxi, jump in, and tell the driver, to start the taximeter, when the driver refuses, jump out, and jump in the next one. Also, if the fare is more than 5000 HUF (the local money) for a short ride (like few kilometers or ~10 minutes) than it's a scam, refuse to pay the price, and the driver don't want to accept this, warn them with the police... they will know their place. Or use the app, as Wolters told :D (Bolt, Főtaxi, Taxi4, etc) Also useless to ask before the ride, "how much to get there or there", the driver will figure out a price which is probably affordable for you, but it's at least 2, maybe 3 times more than the real price if the taximeter is running. - please understand, that the House of Terror is not just a museum about terror and torture. The building which has TODAY the museum, was the actual place, where hundreds of people were torture and killed, if you know that before entering the place, it gives probably a different taste for the Museum. It's shocking for sure. - and an other "don't" from me: Don't say immediately for a price "it's too much", because we use thousand and tenthousand forints (HUF) for everything. I know, probably if you come from the USA or the Euro zone, you think only in 10 maybe 100 Dollars or Euros... 10.000 HUF is today about $30-35 or €25. For a 3 course dinner for two persons is like 7-14.000 HUF is perfect in the downtown, when you are eating in a non Michelin star restaurant ;) (And check the last page of the menu, it's written there mostly, if the Service price is in the price or not! If it's in the price, don't leave extra tip, if it's not included, mostly 10-15% is perfect!)
Great video! Visited back in March for the re-opening of the Opera House. Don't skip that. The painted ceiling is amazing! We went to the Premiere of Mayerling (Ballet) but want to go back for an Opera. Don't skip The New York Palace Hotel Cafe. Super gorgeous Baroque interior! We stayed there which was lovely as you get to experience it at night when the cafe is closed. It's quite cheap for a 5 Star Hotel but you don't have to stay to visit the cafe. Don't skip the Children's Railway. Yes, a Railway run by children. We got off and took the chairlift back down which is another one you don't want to miss! Can't wait to go back!
I expected something colorful and superficial, like most videos on RUclips, but this video is spot on, and the tips are extremely good. Contratulations.
Regarding the cash vs card topic: cards are actually widely used in Budapest, the only places that might be cash only are touristy ripoff-ish places and mom&pop's shops. But since Covid happened even they must accept card payment by law (even if they prefer cash)
@@user-vl7bo2gu1y hmm that might be, but in shops and restaurants in practice, wouldn't that just mean card? Making bank transfers in those places would be silly, or did you mean like other contactless (eg gpay) only? I live on the outskirts of the city and rarely go into downtown, are there places like that there? Here, card (especially contactless) is king basically. I can't even remember the last time I had cash on me
@@Kanvereb Yes, for example, they might only have a QR Code for OTP-Simple. But yes, it's getting hard to find a place without a terminal, but them saying "it's out of order right now" is a bit more common.
Hop on a RailJet and have a dinner here ;) I often do this to visit some exhibitions in Vienna that are unlikely to be available here. (One of my favourite painters is Georgia O'Keeffe and it seemed to be impossible to see her works in person. But Kunstforum Wien had them, and that was my first try to make this type of trip. It wasn't the only one ;) )
More don’ts: don’t scream, puke, sleep, fight on the streets without clothes after 16 beer.. I have seen so many drunk tourist here in the last decade. :D I like civilized tourists. I was a tour guide for free some times, if somebody came to ask me for information like a grown-up man. :D so if you are not 100% drunk all day, locals will be nice. (in the most case) :)
Dear Wolter, your channel is my favorite travel channel, and I have been following you for years. I absolutely love this video, and thank you so much for sharing the great travel tips :)
Don't get a taxi from the airport to downtown. You can get there much cheaper by bus or train or both. And do learn some useful Hungarian phrases - you will be pleasantly surprised on what reaction you will get.
I live in Budapest only use Fotaxi or Bolt if get you a cab off the street, but the best advice is to download the apps for both. A great place to go for affordable drinks and quality food is Liszt Ferenc Ter near Octagon, just take the yellow Metro line and get off at that exit. If you want super cheap drinks right behind the Square is Terez Korut where you can get drinks for literally less than one US dollar.
Very good tips !! Thanks ! I am trying to include Hungary especially Budapest in our future travel to Wales & England !! Italy ,too ! My passion is to visit Liszt's museum there !!! 💜💜💜💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
Having stayed 2 years in total as a foreigner in Budapest, There is a couple of things I think he should have mentioned. 1. Don't assume people are angry or mean. Hungary is less shallow when it comes to fake behavior. And people in the service industry will not pretend they love you as often as in some other countries. They are also a lot less likely to bother you in clothing stores etc. unless you ask for it. 2. Don't ever use the Euronet ATMs, but this goes for most countries. Also, I would like to add That, just install Bolt, don't approach street taxis ever. No reason to risk getting scammed. Also, I think this otherwise good video makes Budapest looks good but less colorful than it is. buildings are not as one-sided in color as Prague, Krakow. It's not only more variation in architecture but it's more colorful as well.
Thanks for all the great tips ! I am learning about Hungary !! I am planning to go there when I'll travell to Wales & England with mom ,I'd love to put Italy ( we've been there separately )& Hungary ( mom had been ) !! I'd love to see the city ,Budapest & Liszt's museum ,he is my master of music !!! We are both vegetarians ,so hoping you'll have many restaurants are vegetarian/ vegan friendly ! I'd really love love to visit Hungary ,Budapest especially ! We love paprika ,too !!! Lol.💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
You can approach street taxis just make sure it belongs one of the two biggest taxi companies, Főtaxi or Budapesttaxi. They are not going to scam you and they even have a calculator on their website. In most cases my ride was even cheaper than what i calculated on the website.
@@Asdfg9944 Sure you can, but the best thing for a tourist is just to use bolt. Get picked up where you want, get rid of any misunderstandings, And you will not get scammed or overcharged. Why go to the store, when the store can come to you for the same/cheaper price?
My son lives in Budapest. I’m hoping they open up soon so I can see him; I haven’t seen him since Christmas 2019. BTW - didn’t they have ‘Bolt’ there; or I am thinking of Paris. Like uber, great. At any rate - EXCELLENT food and accommodation in Budapest (Stayed in Pest), ate so well for a fraction of cost in other big cities. Loved it - architecture, yes.
I gotta say something about the taxis, because as I see, its reputation is worse among tourists than it really is. Taxis in Budapest generally offer a higher level of service compared to what you get in similar cities in the region, but there are some golden rules that foreigners may not know. Rule #1, never get into a cab that has the freelancer sign on the side. These drivers are not checked by anyone, only once a year by the authorities, but that’s it. They don’t belong to any company who otherwise could handle complaints or hold them to some standards, they can and do rip anyone off, technically with no consequences. Rule #2, never get into a cab that is just waiting there for clients. Even if it is part of a network, there is still a chance that they have some tricks in their mind. No matter what, you should always call a cab, or even better, order one using an app. My suggestion is to use Bolt, which operates as a regular taxi company here, but they have this app that automatically detects if the final amount is significantly different from what was calculated beforehand, and you can choose app payment, which technically eliminates the chance to get ripped off. Hope these suggestions are helpful, because while I know there are some scammers out there, in general the level of service is by far not bad.
LOCAL: don't take the funicular it's overpriced and not really worth it, but if you walk a bit further down along the river there will be a garden you can go walk up to and it connects to the castle!
Depends. Compared to the western capitals, yes, way more affordable. But as a casual citizen, well, not really. Unless you don't work at a multinational company or you don't have one, I don't think you could say this city is so cheap.
In Budapest there is a rave at one of the Spas called the "Sparty". Typical rave lights, beer, etc in the thermal baths at night it is one of the craziest events I've ever been to in my life. So much fun even though that's not normally my thing
I love this review. It's going to definitely help me out when I move there this late summer. Watched your other video too and again, good tips for tourists! 👊🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯
My girlfriend is Hungarian. We visited her family over Christmas year before last and travelled to many places that were all amazing! Budapest was great and done up real nice for the holiday but for those deals go the the University town called Szeged. Really nice architecture and feel about the place too, plus your price comes down a lot moving away from the capital 👍
To the funicular part: if the line at the funicular is too long, you can take bus no. 16, it stops exactly the same place, and runs every few minutes. Also if you have an average fitness, you may take the steps, it is just a few minute walk upwards.
Also you can walk a bit down by the river to Várkert Bazár where a chain of elevators and an escalator runs up to the Castle, for free. On the other side of the Castle Hill there are two free elevators, too.
First of all, many thanks for these kind "don'ts", you really came upon the mare's nest mentioning "freelance" taxis, and the issue of Bucharest, and you approached our lovely capital with love. Thumbs up! However, as a local, let me suggest a few more "don'ts" to consider, maybe for a future video. :) 1. Don't overestimate our beers. Frankly, we're not a beer country, so... 2. Don't underestimate our wines. Many think that in Europe wine starts and ends in France. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Dare to visit a dedicated winebar, and you'll be suprised! 3. Don't avoid the Danue bend! It's not that far away, you can even reach it using local public transport (HÉV)! I could continue, but this is enough. For the time being. :D :D :D
Nice advices as I live in Budapest I could not agree more on your thoughts. For taxi I would say you should take Bolt or Taxify with the apps (similar to Uber or Lyft) as you will see an approximate calculation of the transportation fees in it, and also can be paid within the app so you do not have to worry about your money. We are waiting you all back in this amazing city hopefully so soon when the pandemic is over. 🥰
+1 from a native: PLEASE do not destroy things when you are here. I grew up in discrit 7 which is the "party discrit" here. And i love the life here but a lot of time i can see that people from other counties can not RESPECT our places. They are loud in the "hotel" flats which means the neigborhood where we live. Old people are scared often. And at the streets: please do not destroy again. And please be safe!! Some hungarian man just cant hold there temper. I dont want them to hurt you or wors. We love guest. Have fun! (sorry my english is not perfect, hope you understand me)
Great video thanks; we are travelling there next week and when researching I was very happily surprised to find that all public transport in Hungary and in Budapest is free of charge for us over 65s. Check it out but definately worth a mention in your next video.
Another way to reach the castle instead of funicular is from Várkert Bazár which is the Castle Garden. Beautifully renovated and an escalator goes up the hill from inside. Still some stairs are involved but it's a nice place to visit in itself, too.
Spent 2-3 days there in 2020, if you like classical music, I'd suggest you to visit the Franz Liszt musical school, you can have a tour of the school and a mini concert for less than 20 euros, the interior of the school is stunning
Few other DON'Ts you should follow and these are quite important. 1.) Don't expect that everyone speaks your language. Usually we are really good with English and German languages, but don't expect that everyone speaks it with you. Be a kind, try our language. We really like when a foreigner (/tourist) at least trying. The people working in the tourist industry usually speaks 2-3 languages besides Hungarian, the younger gen too (english and/or german), but the older (40+) usually won't use other language. 2.) Don't be rude, greet when you enter a place, always thank the service. The Hungarians can be really rude if you are rude with them too, but could be the kindest persons as well if you are kind too. 3.) Don't go only to the touristy places. If you have a chance, listen to the locals. There are lot of places hidden what only the locals know and are much better than the touristy ones. 4.) This one is actually a DO. Respect our history, our culture and this will be your best vacation! Enjoy your stay here! :)
As a Romanian I totally agree with you, Budapest bears no comparison with Bucharest, aside from the phonetics. Budapest is a stunning, unforgettable city. However, the comparison of the Hungarian Parliament with an early Batman movie... pfff, only an American could utter such a comparison.
I mentioned this in another video but I love the spot where you filmed. My hotel was on the Danube Promenade so I was at this spot every day and night. Incredible views. I never had any ticket checks on the metro although I did have an odd encounter on the train from Bratislava. As soon as we crossed into Hungary, the police boarded the train and inspected our tickets and passports. Took quite a bit of time and acted like we were breaking the law. Ha. *Love Budapest so much.* A must visit for sure.
If that happened after 2015, they were probably doing security checks because of refugees. the hungarian government is very anti-refugee and xenophobic... so yeah.
@@ginbo33 Definitely a possibility but I was traveling *into* Hungary; I don’t look Syrian and I hold a U.S. passport. Should have taken a minute. Nope. I stood there while he looked at every single page. I was in the dining cart so I finally just sat down and started drinking my beer. 😆 Took forever.
Yeah, it seems like this pandemic is neverending... :-/ And with all the travel restrictions, and local safety regulations, one doesn't even want to go abroad anymore... the EU has definitely lost one of its main charm, free traveling...
If you want to go up to the castle, you can also use public transport. Bus 16 from Deák Ferenc square, it also stops at the Chain Bridge and at Clark Ádám square. It goes all the way up and through the castle, it departs frequently and you only have to buy a ticket for 350 HUF (1 EUR) or nothing if you already have a pass
Brilliant video, sir! A few additions about transportation: on Cabs: NEVER hail a taxi you just see cruisong on the street. As Mark told, either use an app, or call a taxi company on your phone (or you can use "Bolt" and "Taxify" which are similar to Uber). The operator then sends you the nearest car, when it approached your location you should see if the the car has the name of the company on it, and the cabbie will refer to you by your name. Only then should you enter the the vehicle. All other cabdrivers are criminals. If a cabbie approaches you at the airport decline their "offer" as firm as you can. If they touch your luggage without permission, call security. Airport cabbies are part of a mafia, NEVER ride with them! Again, you can call a car there, and that will be perfectly fine, but if you don't have too much luggage and you have enough time, you'd be better off taking public transportation. On Public Transport: The airport is a 20-25 minutes bus-ride from the Kőbánya Kispest metro terminal, which is at the edge of the city (not really, but there's no part of budapest outside of that what a tourist might want to see), so if you traver by public transport, plan a little ahead, as it may take some time (I ran into some exchange students downtown who were in panic as their plane will take off in about an hour and a half. I called them a reputable cab immediately, else they'd missed their flight). There's another line from Deák tér, downtown, called the 100e, which takes 40 minus to arrive at the airport, but due to the pandemic, that line is cancelled for now. There are ticket machines at the airport, at all subway stations and at many tram-stops as well. At all, you can pay by card, and youu can buy single, dialy, bi-daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tickets, and other constructions as well. You can pay with cards at all these machines and if you're near a public transport office (there's one at the airport, at all three of the large trainstations, one at Deák tér, etc), they can help you find the most fitting construction, give you maps, advice, etc, and they all speak english. But none of the ticket inspectors do. It's a very lowly job, they're not hiring the most qualified people. Just buy a ticket that lasts long anoght for your stay (it's not very expensive) and you'll be fine, and you wont get into any confrontation with these people (they're even worse on the night-time lines, as some of them seem to be drunk and I don't think that helps with their language barriers). Oh yeah, there's public transport all day and night, and it's pretty punctual. Though kind of dirty and loud. I live here and I can count on one hand how many altrecations I had on a late evening ride in 20 years, so it's not exactly dangerous - but to be safe, try not to travel alone at night (unless you're really familiar with your surroundings). Still, there can be an insane amount of drunk people on these lines - not all of them happy.
Thank you for this video we were waiting for it to come. We very like your videos. When we saw your videos are shot around us (Hungary) we were very excited. I think if its not a must never take a taxi instead the public transportation. If you want a cheap and amazing shigtseeing tour just take the tram nr. 2. If you want to go up to Buda Castle take the bus nr. 16.
It was mentioned in the video and as a Budapest citizen, I can only confirm: never ever take a taxi that has "Freelancer/Független szolgáltató" sticker on the front doors, unfortunately many of those drivers make a living by scamming turists, even as a native Hungarian I would avoid them, being a foreigner just makes it more likely to get scammed.
I have some tips too. If you are here for short period of time rent electric scooters. They are everywhere, fast and easy to use. Also you dont have to pay for gondola, or somebody to take you up to the castle. There is a path you can take on foot, its literally 20 min walk and free.
Wow ! Really !? Sorry to hear that ! I am planning to visit Wales & England & trying to squeeze Italy & Hungary in there ! It seems that the scheme/ scam is the issue in the country !! Many are mentioning here !! 💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
I was in Budapest in 1998 with a group of friends. After a meal, we hailed 2 taxis to take us back to our hotel. When we got there, they tried to charge us a ridiculously huge fare. A bit of a stand-off ensued when someone from the hotel came out and got the drivers to accept a more reasonable fare. Ever since that night, when we've been abroad (I'm British) and wanting a taxi we always asked hotel, restaurant or bar staff to call for one as they will have the number of a reputable firm. This was before phone apps.
People should take taxis with apps. For example in Főtaxi app you can watch where's your car's location at the moment. Just after it is assigned to you so before picking up, and throughout your route. You could realize immediately, if the driver takes you sightseeing instead of just from A to B. That's why you can be sure they won't... In the airports there is only one firm which can take you to the city and you have to book the drive outside of the termninal in a box office. There can be drivers in the terminal who just dropped people and want passengers back. They cannot openly advertise themselves but they might and probably will ask you to go with them.. That's the biggest no-no.. Never ever choose them. Only public bus or airport taxi.
You forgot to mention a few important things... I would surely mention the "Childrens railway". It was built in a communist era, mostly as a propaganda tool, but the kids loved the mostly kid operated railway so much, that it remained, and it has huge social functions too. The route is scenic, and it is a very nice attraction in the city. When you have mentioned visiting other cities, towns... It makes sense to at least consider Interrail or EUrail passes as they can be very good for travellers.
I agree. I did a "gyerkmek vasút" ride in 2019 while visiting Buda and it was a very nice experience. It was also nice using a rare cog-wheel railway (fogaskerekű vasút) in Buda to get to the train station.
When paying at a restaurant (or anywhere), DON’T say thank you until you get your change back. They understand thank you as “keep the change”
Holy beep. I had exactly the experience of saying "thank you" when I paid, and didn't get the change back.
Hahahaha omg, this is so true! We do it in Eastern Europe as well!
Same happened to me whilst buying a wrap at an Indian takeaway. I argued with him for a while since my changed was half what I paid. And thought he was scamming me
It is not understanding, it is more like habit, like tipping in the restaurant
OMG !! That is definitely something we all need to know before visiting Budapest for sure !!! Your tip can be a life saver !!! What if we only have lije $100 worth of Hungarian currency & the meal is only about $ 20 worth !? Lol. Thanks so much !!😅😆👍👍💜💜💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
one mistake there: baths are actually better during the winter since almost all of them are natural hot waters.
So true! The best on a snowy day
as a hungarian watching this - this seems like a pretty detailed and fair introduction of the city - great job tbh - you did your homework buddy
mondjuk, hogy veszélyes lenne a város éjjel az ordas nagy faszság.
@@agk8361 Hős utca, Népszínház utca... ezekbe nappal se szívesen teszem be a lában, és ezek még a város központi részén vannak.
Budapest egy nagyváros. Szeretjük, de sajnos az. És senkinek sem merem jó szívvel ajánlani a Népligetet sötétedés után. Párom vidéki, és ha pestre jön hozza a paprikaspray-t. Pár hete véresre vertek valakit az 1es villamoson, ő meg ott ült 3 méterre tőlük. Fényes nappal.
Akkor még a külvárosról szó se volt. Gubacsi út, stb.
És ja, iszonyú sok a zsebtolvaj. Öltözz egyszer drágába, és sétálj végig a várnegyeden...
Összességében biztonságos a város, de este azért picit óvatosabban.
Engem is próbáltak már kirabolni a dunaparton. Már megvillantotta a C a pengét, mire rájöttek, hogy amúgy társasággal vagyok, csak pisilni jöttem odébb.
Ha külföldi, jómódú fiatal hölgy vagy, oda kell figyelni!
Mint minden nagyvárosban.
@@agk8361 Túristaként az. Meg egyébként sem ott és akkor járjuk a várost mint ezek a nyugati puhányok 💪💪😎💪😎🇭🇺😎😎🇭🇺💪🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺
@@takysoft munkámból adódóan “drágában” járok, 8 év alatt egyszer sem bántottak.
thank you!
Today is Budapest is totally different but some extra tips from a local:
-we don't have Uber but we have Taxify and Bolt, which is similar
- from January 1. you can pay everywhere with credit card, if somebody say you can't it is a scam
Great video🙂
Wow ! Great tips !! 👍👍Thanks !! I am currently planning a trip to Wales & England, but I really wanna got to Italy & Hungary also ! Even just for a day ,or two ! And I was just wondering if you had uber,Uber, lift there !And he said you didn't !So.,good to know that ! Thanks !💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
?? how is that a scam if they simply dont have a terminal
@@jdmfsdjs because terminals are mandatory at places with online cash registers (99% of places), restaurants, avarage shops must have those so must also have terminals now.
The cash registers are directly connected to the tax authorities.
@@gergokir ok but you didnt prove the original comment to be true, thats just stupid and doesnt even make sense. obviously most of the places have them, but if you go to a small bakery for example they might not (just to name something thats more frequently visited, but hairdressers dont have it always either) and if they tell you they dont, according to this comment its a scam. lol, what does IT refer to anyway? whats the scam? and who is scammed? if theres a scam somebody gotta be scammed too
Hungarian wine is amazing. Budapest is one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see. Enjoy the castle District
I glad to heart that you had great time in Hungary where this video was made it it very close to chain bridge it is one of the most notable of Hungary on the other side there is Gellert mountain if you went there you probably sew beautiful views from the top of the hills 🤭 evening time city look much more spectacular when it is dark some of the bridge light are turn on it is make it look much more nice hopefully see you soon 🙂
I disagree a bit, there are definitely more beautiful because Budapest is sooo dirty. Speaking from experience, i am hungarian. The smell of pee and cigarette butts everywhere. The coast of the danube is beautifu indeed but once you go further inside the city it gets a bit uncomfortable.
@@akoshorvath1097 Gellert furdo a legszebb, na meg a Lukacs, ha meg megvan.
Im hungary
Yes, the wines are extremely good. Egri Beklaver (spelling?) or called Bull's Blood is a hearty strong red wine. Also Levahush (again spelling???) is a nice white wine from the Balaton Region. Nice weather and fields for growing grapes. Try it! Sorry about the spellings!
DON'T be surprised when Budapest becomes one of your favorite cities on the planet!
Absolutely amazing city, beer, food & locals!
Yes yes yes, I’ve travelled to over 40 countries but Budapest has a very special place in my heart ❤️
Totally agree! People always talk about Prague and how great it is. I don't see it. I think Budapest is so much more interesting and beautiful. Prague is great if you like graffiti covered walls.
mostly Czech beer though :D but yeah, i love to go to Budapest for a little weekend getaway
@@lukasvalenta only in tourist places. Because the tourist know those ones. :D
Funny, because most of them in Bp are made by Dreher in Hungary via licence. Still they are great, but not as great as the original Czech made! :)
But Dreher, Borsodi, Arany Ászok, Soproni, Kőbányai are all good Hungarian lager beer brands. :)
@@chuckdraper7776 graffiti covered walls are in every big city unfortunately. I wouldn't compare Prague to Budapest, despite some similarities, they are very different places, I'd advise others to visit both.
DON'T use those blue & yellow ATMs like the one at 14:57, those are the ones that charge you the most for the conversion. Use an ATM that belongs to a bank, those charge you much less.
^
They are specifically designed to rip off tourists.
OR since you can pay with card at most places, it is a good practice to have for example a Transferwise card, which has really low conversion fees. I'm a Hungarian living in Germany, I have my money in euros, but I don't have a problem paying when I go home.
If you need money anyways, use bank ATM's - like the commenter said, OTP is a good choice IMO.
Great video! As a Hungarian citizen I agree with you on the mentioned topics.
- buy the 24/48/72 hour tickets!! single tickets are nightmare and cost a ton of money if you would transfer 6-7 times a day. Also you can avoid getting fined by the controller staff for not validating your single tickets.
- Pubs: we have a lot, and price is cheap for tourists (for locals ..meh not so sure 🤣), but note that usually many places add 10% tip on their prices. So one example: when you pay for your drinks at the bar you see the payment details on a terminal/screen and there is a scale and you can move it up and down, according to how much tip you want to add, but usually they automatically set up 10%, so you want to be careful if you don't want to tip every time you buy drinks, so move the scale to 0 if you want. 🤭 (Maybe other countries have the same thing? )
- public transportation is actually not that bad within Budapest, but expect less frequent running hours in the suburb. Train is ok for visiting the country side, but don't be surprised if the train is late by 1-2 hours, it's common :D we joke a lot about MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) that it's never punctual. 😌
- Bathing houses are the best in winter time!!! The water is so nice and 🔥.
- security: not the worst in Europe, terrorism is low. Pickpocketing can happen as in every other countries. If you are cautious, there won't be problem. Places I do not recommend to visit at night - based on my and my friends experience - are Népszínház utca, Blaha Lujza tér, Népliget, Lehet tér, Orczy tér... 🙏
- All-night public transportation in the inner city is quite good as well, if you do not want to take the taxi.
- Tram line 1, and 4, 6, on the Pest side always had bad reputation as you could encounter some 'strange faces' with fishy attitude, but safety improved a lot on these lines as CCTV is installed on the new vehicles.
- MOL Bubi (public bicycle service) has been remodeled, and will be much cheaper, and easier to rent them than before from this year onwards. Recommended for cycling lovers. 🚲
- best place to chill with your buddies is Margaret Island (Margitsziget) 😍 grab some food and drink and go picknick at night ( the Musical Fountain on the island is a bonus)
- Architecture, Architecture, Architecture
- Markets!!! Christmas Market at the Vörösmarty square, and daily market at the Great Market Hall(Vásárcsarnok)
Oh my~~ I wrote lot of stuff, but there is so much more 🤭🤭
Hope it helps 🙂
It definitely does!! Thank you!!! 😁
more!
Thank you.
What's wrong with the places you mentioned not to visit at night?? Pickpockets, assaults???
Thanks for the advice! My coworker had some bad experiences visiting Budapest and she really warned me about the safety so I'm really worried but I really wanna make a visit there. She said some scary guy followed her and looked at her very strangely and it was not even night time she had to make a run to escape. I plan to go to Budapest this year and I hope it's safe to travel alone.
Budapest has 3 day/ 72 hour tickets,
Buy one, validate it , Don't loose it and you don't have to worry about anything for 3 days
Wow !! Very good to know !👍Thsnks !!💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
and now also you can buy e-ticket with your phone
@@rangerloginIMO the analog/paper pass still better because the eTicket needs to be validated every time.
Also, there is numerous ticket vending machine in the city, and they support lots of languages.
The 72h cost 12€, and you only need to show it if there is an inspector or you use a front-door boarding only bus.
@@lorincmate i prefer the electronic one, cause only in the city center has a lot of ticket machine - good luck if you trying to get on a bus in a smaller stop.
But on the other side you need active internet connection to use it, but anyone who studying here i can assume has one.
You don't validate a time-based ticket in Budapest. You need to set the start of validity when buying it, and that's it. You only have to validate single tickets, but they're not worth it, since you can use a single ticket on one vehicle only (or in case of the metro, it is valid until you exit the station). Transfer, and you have to validate another one. Just use time-based tickets (24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days...), and you can travel by any transport service that has a number up to 3 digits.
we stopped in Budapest on the way from Ukraine to Salzburg a few years ago. What was supposed be just a stopover, ended up being a pleasant surprise.
An UPDATE from a local:
Chain bridge is closed for renovation. Even pedestrians can't cross. Public transportation goes through and it is free for crossing.
Have fun here!
As of January 2023 it's open again for pedestrians!
August of 2023, but already opened...
Update! You are not allowed to walk across the Chain Bridge due to renovation for at least 17 months from now on. So beware before you plan your trip.
Thank you for the heads up!
From 16 June, you won't be able to cross the Chain bridge at all, it will be closed from all traffic.
@@AtomcsiKK But you will still be able to walk.
@@agnesfrank2734 Not on the bridge.
This was true until august 2023. Bridge renovated and open for walk across...
Public safety increased a lot in the past 10 years. Most thieves were collected into the Parliament while the head thief moved to the castle hill.
And don't forget who we have to thank for making Budapest a much safer city, and whose departure is the cause that things going downhill again.
meg egy utazasi csatornan is tudsz kopkodni ? gratulalok !
😀😀😀🤦♂️
Do NOT use any ATM like the one shown @ 14:40 ... if an ATM doesn't come with a respectable-looking bank branch attached, forget it. (That rule stands for all the surrounding countries too.)
Good advice. I'd recommend the local (and numerous) OTP Bank ATMs.
Was just gonna suggest that. Those ATMs will rip you off regardless of the exchange rate
Almost all of Europe, never use a cash machine without a proper bank. Otherwise they’ll sting you
I'd like to underline what he said about seeing more of the country. Apart from Eger (a treasure of a city), you should see Sopron, Debrecen, Gyor, Pécs, Veszprém and the Lake Balaton area, Szentendre, Szeged...etc. So much to choose from and the small towns and villages are precious. But if you travel round by train, be sure to reserve your seat when you buy your ticket.
Don't even go that far! ;) Visegrád, Ráckeve, Vác, Gödöllő, and many small towns like them are real gems for a few hours visit within about a one hour (and a half, for Visegrád) ride. Esztergom is a bit further but that's a great part of our history with many things to see. (Vác is one of my top favourite. It is almost like Szentendre but less visited and more free of hassle.)
I wouldn't recommend the trains here anyway... many of them are very old, dirty, and slow, except maybe Intercity lines. Buses are somewhat better.
@@MetalTrabant On the contrary.
I find most train networks waaaay better and faster than busses.
Payment is easier. Yes you van buy volán tichets in Simple apo, but the MÁV app is just simply billion times better.
Trains are more comfortable. There are toilets(usually nice ones), and most trains have AC too. Busses are slow, hot, crowded, and complicated.
Sadly the train network quality mostly depends on the area.
The "richer" parts have better trains.
For example the Visegrád and Velence lines had the newer Flirt train the first.
Longer distance trains sometimes have InterCity cars, that are nicer.
But I can't deny what is true.
If you want to go to some "shitty" part of the country(Aszód-Hatvan, or... well, the eastern part usually...) trains will look like ones from the soviet union...
@@takysoft I was referring to those old Soviet-style trains... those are filthy as hell, especially the toilets. In the winter, you melt from the heating, in the summer, you sweat like a pig in the cabins. And all that smell has accumulated in them for decades... yuck.
Yeah, Flirt and IC wagons are quite decent, but many lines still have the old wagons. And MÁV is always late, sometimes really late. Buses are way more punctual.
@@MetalTrabant I just used MÁV today. It was puctual by the minute.
The soviet cars are disappearing. And just once, please once try the Csepel - Tököl bus.
Also Budapest - Ajka by train: 1h50m
Bus: 3h10m
Also - we walked around parliament at night after dinner - incredibly beautiful.
And don’t miss ruin bars!
I'm 3/4 Hungarian, born in Austria, living in Vienna. I'd love to explore Hungary more and although I've been there a couple of times this video is great insight and good information 😊
I can’t wait to go to Vienna!
well, if you ever want to visit Budapest again u can contact me on email beniakinator@gmail.com (i live in the city, very close to the center). i could help u in many things for free if u want🙂
Vienna is so beautiful, it makes me happy just knowing it exists
Why would you love to explore Hungary then? Vienna is a billion times better than Budapest or any settlement in Hungary. Much more liveable, much more social, much cleaner and enjoyable.
@@tamasvass8087 Because I think not doing it would be a miss, culturally and in the context of my family history :)
Budapest is one of my favourite places to visit. Was there for St Stephen's Day a few years ago and it was a fantastic place to be.
@RATED Yep. All the food stalls along the river and the big craft market up by the castle. Food was so affordable for rest of the trip, I splashed out on an evening river cruise on the evening when the fireworks were going off so got an amazing view without having to find a good spot on the riverbank.
Totally!! Even though I went there almost 10 years ago, I can’t wait to go back!😍
Great video, but as a resident, I'd like to mention 2 small things.
1: From January 2021 every shop having an online register HAS to accept some sort of digital payment. And that is almost all shops, maybe except for the pretzel-stand on the street. And yes, some shops chose wire transfer or some QR code stuff, but 99% of the shops went for accepting cards. So in most cases you can use your card in Hungary everywhere now :)
2: The Funicular is a ripoff :D It takes about 10-20 minutes to walk up to the Castle, the elevation is about 100m,which is kinda minimal. You'll maybe need a break, but you're not in a hurry, you won't even sweat. And I really have the ephasize you first point here: The architecture is fenomenal no matter which way you choose. But if you need a recommendation, walk up through the Várkert Bazár (Caste-garden bazaar)
Just beautiful, and it's about 5 minutes on foot from the funicular.
Also, the best lookout point is from Gellérthegy. (Gellért-hill)
Make sure you visit it bith during daytime and after sunset.
(just not now, as it's currently under reconstruction, but it'll be done probably before covid is over anyways)
Thanks for the video. Awesome!
Excellent advice regarding the funicular versus walking’😊
Hey everyone! :)
Eger is now only 1 hour 40 minutes with bus, or around 1:50 with train! Visit it! It's a lovely little university city.
I hope this Corona thing will blow over very soon. Hope to see you here in budapest soon!
+1 born and raised in Eger. It's definitely a place to visit. Don't miss the castle, the Ottoman Minaret, the Baroque city centre and obviously, wine bars all across the city (Eger is one of the most famous wine regions of the country, as of wine bars, Almagyar and the Fúzió Wine bar are highly recommended)
Was in Budapest in 1977 back in the day. Got picked up at the airport by a driver, to the hotel. Great week, did not feel watched, free to walk and travel around. Fantastic food, extremely cheap. Also took a train day trip to Balatonfured. Loved everything about Budapest.
In 1977 my dad's wage was equvalent of 142 US dollars as a technical engineer. In. The 1977 movie Crime Busters, Bud Spencer and Terence hill got 200 USD as police officers. Working class got 3 times more though..
@@londontrucker6804 My father was also a technical engineer in that era as well, and could raise two kids without any financial problems. Now raising two kids in Hungary, with the current prices and salaries... Good luck.
Another don't would be Don't make that hungry in Hungary joke they've heard it hundreds of times
Thanks for taking us in Central Europe! Eastern and Central Europe have so much to offer! ☺️❤️
I would recommend it for everyone to DONT take the funicular. Its always hot in those cabins, especially in the summer, and the stairs to the castle are as interesting and exciting as the castle itself, and there are a lot of cafes and bars on the route up. So make sure you walk those extra miles/kilometres to the castle, and enjoy your time in the nice weather! :)
You can also take an escalator most of the way afaik in the Várkert Bazár, which is beautiful itself.
@@redyau_ That's a new information for me too, thanks for letting me know! :)
Pro tip: look for the Bus no. 16 which has a bunch of stops in Buda and Pest (two final stops: Széll Kálmán tér and Deák Ferenc tér), and takes you up to the castle. If you have a public transport pass, or a ticket, it's no problem. Also, yes, it's worth the walk up too.
You can actually also take a bus most of the way up there, it is what I do every time. The funicular is famous, and interesting, but I recommend only taking it if there aren't many people, so you can actually appreciate it, instead of gasping for air :)
As of writing this comment the funicular is out of commission for a long time now, so don't make it your only option and get disappointed. We actually walked up the street on the other side of the road that goes under the castle (from the chain bridge pass the roundabout and to the right, not immediate right in the roundabout), there are stairs and other points of entry leading to the fishermen's bastion which is where Matiash church is.
There are also stairs or a pedestrian walkway on the same side of the funicular which least you to the palaces and museums. I'm more fond of the bastion side as it's the one with better view, in my opinion and had the cafes you want to go and try the cakes in... Do try the cakes and other desserts ! (Eszterházy or krémes or even a strudel)
Last note - it's pronounced p-e-sh-t not pest and its the easyern side of the Danube river which is considered flat. Buda is the western and considered hilly with the castle (vár v-a-r with a longer aa) the citadel (a very good lookout spot) and two famous baths - Gellért & Rudas (roo-da-sh). Also considered more fancy and expensive to live in...
Don't miss the Jewish Dohanyi street sinagoge (the biggest in Europe) and hero's square and the great park behind it with another familia bath house - Széchenyi,
If you want more - let me know
Csodalatos video. My wife lived in Hungary, and I've always wanted to see it from her stories. I have to check out the thermal caves and bath houses. The bath houses from your video look so beautiful.
There are many gorgeous, fantastic baths, I recommend Rudas right next to Danube and Gellért Hill, Gellért Bath (he showed Széchenyi bath what is nice too but very touristic)
You will find thermal spas on the island and in many villages, for example old Turkish baths in Eger.
Yes to Budapest thumbs up and greetings from Bucharest
I have a question that how Ceausescu change the architecture of Bucharest? In a really big way or just a little bit
Multumesc @Celestin Dimitriu, it's nice to have you here :)
@@horvathcsanad1084 Depends how you look at it. about 50% of all Neo-Classical and Gothic architecture have been replaced by a concrete block of flats. Almost like the ones you have in Hungary as well only at a greater level. That is why I love Budapest. Communists were great at fixing the housing problem, their concern was not whether or not the city has a soul. Luckily for us, communism ended before they managed to ruin all our beautiful architecture. We still got some dated and beautiful Parisian style architecture and neo classical architecture and palaces in Bucharest but not to the extent that was in the "interbelic" period or like some like to call it the "fancy" period.
@@celestindimitriu3675 dont let commies touch your city!
@@celestindimitriu3675 So kinda like in Veszprém. We had an amazing city, most of the buildings survive the war, but the communists wanted a "modern" place. So they destroyed about 6000 buildings (pop. around 50000) and built concrete and glass blocks. They even built a 20 stories tall monstrocity in the middle of the town because they were frustrated that the tallest building was a church. We architecture will never recover from that time
Don't come to Budapest by car. The city is overstuffed by cars. While the public transfer is very wide available and even the airport is inside the first zone.
Just leave your car in the outside districts get a 3 day ticket and use public transportation. You can get anywhere, it is safe and really effective.
About the taxi, there is one reputable company I know called City Taxi. Have their telephone number saved on your smartphone especially when you arrive by train. Their operator can speak English and you can just tell them which part of the station you intend on getting picked up from.
We visited Budapest in 2018 and left our Hearts! Easily one of our new favorite cities and one we would like to come back to.
It's Beautiful, Clean, Organized, Safe and the FOOD!
Clean? Compared to what?
@@boglarkaszoradi4504 Paris, London, New York, Beijing , Bangkok etc
@@ddiesel1836 Then go to German and Austrian cities and you will find Budapest filthy. (I don't know about Berlin though, but I guess it is also in a better state than our capital)
@@boglarkaszoradi4504 I have been to Vienna, Berlin, Cologne , Frankfurt and Munich. They are also clean like Budapest. I don't know what weed you are smoking but Budapest is not dirty or filthy. Just you
@@boglarkaszoradi4504 you hate Viktor Orban don't you? 😆😆😆
I was there for 3 weeks and never saw the sidewalk. My favorite place to be. Had a relative as a personal tour guide. Saw everything not just the tourist spots. Hero Square is my favorite.
Actually we do have sidewalks. ;) But you did well that you looked more above ;) :D
Pro tip. The public transport system is fantastic. Use it.
That funicular is cool and historical but there’s a bus line that goes up there and is certainly cheaper.
5:48 this is exactly the taxi you WANT to take - it's Főtaxi, registered and reliable - even the voiceover talks of freelance taxis. This one is NOT a freelance taxi.
A few of my additions:
- You can use your credit card just about anywhere. Businesses are required to accept it, although there might be some technical errors now and then, so it doesn't hurt to have some cash on you.
- Don't think that you have to tip everywhere. Tipping culture in Hungary is pretty mild, they are generally accepted, but aren't really expected. One exception is food delivery, it is customary to tip the delivery person. In case of a restaurant, tip only if you feel like it. You won't get the stink eye if you don't.
- Don't miss out the sights at night. Budapest is said to be a beautiful city during the day, but it is absolutely mesmerizing at night, when the city is lit up. So make sure to take a walk along the Danube, and see the beautifully lit up bridges and buildings.
Some of the fun excursions: the Children's Railway, Szentendre (nice painters village), Esztergom (old capital, big basilica), Vac (nice town on the Danube).
Hi Wolter, thanks for the great video! I love Budapest and have been living here for several years. I agree with most of your points. However, I personally do not agree with the lack of personal safety, scamming taxi drivers, and pickpocketing. Budapest, I feel, is just as safe, or even safer, as any other large European city.
I spent a week in Budapest in 2002. Its a beaitiful city with beautiful people. Wish I could go back..
Went to Budapest a couple years ago while studying abroad, lovely city, one of my favourites in Europe. And yes, definitely agree on how good the bathhouses are. I didn't bring any swimming trunks though so ended up buying some from the bathhouse we went to lol
Which are your other favorite cities in Europe☺️
0:47 It isn't Saint Matthias's church. It is called Matthias Church colloquially after King Matthias (who wasn't a saint) during whose reign it was built to its current form. Officially, it is the Church of the Assumption.
It was actually renovated in the 19. century by Schulek Frigyes, and he had made changes in the arhitecure.
Before me someone corrected the most part, but is not Church of the Assumption, it's Chrurch of Our Lady (Virgin Mary), it's written on the official website ;)
@@severusgeo Sorry, I used Wikipedia. That might need fixing...
@@palfarbaky1747As majority ol Prague also rebuilt in the late 19th century with same basic architectural changes. Just look at St Vitus in the castle, total neogothic, finished in 1930...Just there everybody forget to mention this fact.
Wow, that's super interesting. I have always wanted to go to Budapest. Thanks for the info!
Mate as a Hungarian i would say cheers to you, awsome and spot on video nice job🍻
Use only company Taxi's, and
the ATM's called ( EURO ) there are a big no no!
If you get out a big amount then it charges "fair" but for small amount it is a huge rip of!!!
The architecture way back always amazes me them buildings are so cool. Have a good day buddy.
It really is so beautiful!😍 especially because the city is built by the river, makes everything even more beautiful
I was born in the city. I moved away a few years ago and always bring back friends. Dudes. THIS IS ON POINT. Couldn’t have said it better!
offtopic but these different shots of the city through the video are absolutely beautiful
Been there twice, in 2017 and 2019. Read all of the warnings about the scams and how dangerous for tourists Budapest is and was kind of wary at first but honestly never had a problem, never felt remotely unsafe at any time. It is a great place with some of the faded grandeur you can see in Prague and Bucharest but with (in my opinion) better bars and restaurants.
Been in January, when it was absolutely freezing. Will definitely go back, but in the spring or autumn.
Summer...you dont want to miss the summer nightlife
Budapest owns my heart :)
I always suggest that first time visitors proceed to visit FIRST the Parliament building, as it will immediately apparent that this is a special place, a special country. The inside is outright heart-stopping . You will thank me later. Also in some places by tradition, it is very bad form to clink beer glasses in public! (You can look online why, its pretty gripping!)
The beer thing is over since 1999.
@@rebel_ltz Really? It happened to me in 2009 at a young people's folk fest in Pest. The music stopped and they all looked at me. A family member explained the meaning as I had no clue what I did wrong....It wasn't a Motorhead concert....LOL
We don't really care about beer clinking anymore :D don't worry, people. And yes it's officially over since 1999. (In 1849 some of our ancestors swore not to clink beers for 150 years, which ended in 1999.)
@@bertalandudas9852 Great news! Cheers to you
Budapest was so much more than I expected with the best shop in the world. Philanthia flower shop, expensive but worth a look
Hy! As a local Budapest specialized guide, I have to say, you did a really good job on the video! Thumbs up!
A few things to add maybe:
- the correct name of the church in the castle district, is not Saint Matthias Church, it's just Matthias Chruch (he was "only" a king, and not canonized). Also it's not the real name of the church, it's Church of Our Lady (Our Lady is Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, because our first king Stephen the first, who was canonized :D, lost his only son, so he "offered" his land to Virgin Mary before he died). So Church of Our Lady is the real name, Matthias had his two weddings there, he ordered a huge renovation on it).
- most people don't understant it, where is the Castle, because they expect a Disney style castle, but here in Hungary, castle is a bigger thing, there was a whole city or a town surrounded with the walls, and the whole are is called castle. So as there in the Buda Castle (approximately 2 km long and 0,5 km wide area, with the original City of Buda, and the Palace together)
- the most easy way to use a random taxi (freelancer or company taxi too) is when you want to ride the taxi, jump in, and tell the driver, to start the taximeter, when the driver refuses, jump out, and jump in the next one. Also, if the fare is more than 5000 HUF (the local money) for a short ride (like few kilometers or ~10 minutes) than it's a scam, refuse to pay the price, and the driver don't want to accept this, warn them with the police... they will know their place. Or use the app, as Wolters told :D (Bolt, Főtaxi, Taxi4, etc) Also useless to ask before the ride, "how much to get there or there", the driver will figure out a price which is probably affordable for you, but it's at least 2, maybe 3 times more than the real price if the taximeter is running.
- please understand, that the House of Terror is not just a museum about terror and torture. The building which has TODAY the museum, was the actual place, where hundreds of people were torture and killed, if you know that before entering the place, it gives probably a different taste for the Museum. It's shocking for sure.
- and an other "don't" from me: Don't say immediately for a price "it's too much", because we use thousand and tenthousand forints (HUF) for everything. I know, probably if you come from the USA or the Euro zone, you think only in 10 maybe 100 Dollars or Euros... 10.000 HUF is today about $30-35 or €25. For a 3 course dinner for two persons is like 7-14.000 HUF is perfect in the downtown, when you are eating in a non Michelin star restaurant ;) (And check the last page of the menu, it's written there mostly, if the Service price is in the price or not! If it's in the price, don't leave extra tip, if it's not included, mostly 10-15% is perfect!)
Thank you , I’m going back this October, for my birthday 🙏
Was fortunate to visit Budapest November 2019 before the crazy virus hit and all of the other crazy junk too. Hope to visit again one day.
Great video! Visited back in March for the re-opening of the Opera House. Don't skip that. The painted ceiling is amazing! We went to the Premiere of Mayerling (Ballet) but want to go back for an Opera. Don't skip The New York Palace Hotel Cafe. Super gorgeous Baroque interior! We stayed there which was lovely as you get to experience it at night when the cafe is closed. It's quite cheap for a 5 Star Hotel but you don't have to stay to visit the cafe. Don't skip the Children's Railway. Yes, a Railway run by children. We got off and took the chairlift back down which is another one you don't want to miss! Can't wait to go back!
Another great video. First thing I do when I arrive somewhere is see if there’s a Wolters World vid
I expected something colorful and superficial, like most videos on RUclips, but this video is spot on, and the tips are extremely good. Contratulations.
The "biztonsági szolgálat" sign beside that ATM is a touch ironic. It means 'security service' :-))
Regarding the cash vs card topic: cards are actually widely used in Budapest, the only places that might be cash only are touristy ripoff-ish places and mom&pop's shops.
But since Covid happened even they must accept card payment by law (even if they prefer cash)
They have to accept digital payment, but not card payment necessary!
@@user-vl7bo2gu1y hmm that might be, but in shops and restaurants in practice, wouldn't that just mean card? Making bank transfers in those places would be silly, or did you mean like other contactless (eg gpay) only? I live on the outskirts of the city and rarely go into downtown, are there places like that there? Here, card (especially contactless) is king basically. I can't even remember the last time I had cash on me
@@Kanvereb Yes, for example, they might only have a QR Code for OTP-Simple. But yes, it's getting hard to find a place without a terminal, but them saying "it's out of order right now" is a bit more common.
Nice! :-)
Living in Vienna, Budapest luckily (usually) is a day trip destination for me. :0)
Hop on a RailJet and have a dinner here ;) I often do this to visit some exhibitions in Vienna that are unlikely to be available here. (One of my favourite painters is Georgia O'Keeffe and it seemed to be impossible to see her works in person. But Kunstforum Wien had them, and that was my first try to make this type of trip. It wasn't the only one ;) )
i'm the opposite, once I have been to Vienna for a trip, and live in Budapest haha
More don’ts: don’t scream, puke, sleep, fight on the streets without clothes after 16 beer.. I have seen so many drunk tourist here in the last decade. :D I like civilized tourists. I was a tour guide for free some times, if somebody came to ask me for information like a grown-up man. :D so if you are not 100% drunk all day, locals will be nice. (in the most case) :)
Dear Wolter, your channel is my favorite travel channel, and I have been following you for years. I absolutely love this video, and thank you so much for sharing the great travel tips :)
Don't get a taxi from the airport to downtown. You can get there much cheaper by bus or train or both. And do learn some useful Hungarian phrases - you will be pleasantly surprised on what reaction you will get.
I live in Budapest only use Fotaxi or Bolt if get you a cab off the street, but the best advice is to download the apps for both. A great place to go for affordable drinks and quality food is Liszt Ferenc Ter near Octagon, just take the yellow Metro line and get off at that exit. If you want super cheap drinks right behind the Square is Terez Korut where you can get drinks for literally less than one US dollar.
Very good tips !! Thanks ! I am trying to include Hungary especially Budapest in our future travel to Wales & England !! Italy ,too ! My passion is to visit Liszt's museum there !!! 💜💜💜💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
Used Bolt while there and it was great!
Having stayed 2 years in total as a foreigner in Budapest, There is a couple of things I think he should have mentioned.
1. Don't assume people are angry or mean. Hungary is less shallow when it comes to fake behavior. And people in the service industry will not pretend they love you as often as in some other countries. They are also a lot less likely to bother you in clothing stores etc. unless you ask for it.
2. Don't ever use the Euronet ATMs, but this goes for most countries.
Also, I would like to add That, just install Bolt, don't approach street taxis ever. No reason to risk getting scammed.
Also, I think this otherwise good video makes Budapest looks good but less colorful than it is. buildings are not as one-sided in color as Prague, Krakow. It's not only more variation in architecture but it's more colorful as well.
Thanks for all the great tips ! I am learning about Hungary !! I am planning to go there when I'll travell to Wales & England with mom ,I'd love to put Italy ( we've been there separately )& Hungary ( mom had been ) !! I'd love to see the city ,Budapest & Liszt's museum ,he is my master of music !!! We are both vegetarians ,so hoping you'll have many restaurants are vegetarian/ vegan friendly ! I'd really love love to visit Hungary ,Budapest especially ! We love paprika ,too !!! Lol.💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
You can approach street taxis just make sure it belongs one of the two biggest taxi companies, Főtaxi or Budapesttaxi. They are not going to scam you and they even have a calculator on their website. In most cases my ride was even cheaper than what i calculated on the website.
@@Asdfg9944 Sure you can, but the best thing for a tourist is just to use bolt. Get picked up where you want, get rid of any misunderstandings, And you will not get scammed or overcharged. Why go to the store, when the store can come to you for the same/cheaper price?
@@ujmm i agree but bolt for me was more expensive than fotaxi. From the office to home i usually pay 2800-3000 while bolt is always more than 4k
@@Asdfg9944 You're scammed then. The taxi prices are fixed. They shouldn't differ unless the driver tricked you.
Another must see on my Bucket List!
My son lives in Budapest. I’m hoping they open up soon so I can see him; I haven’t seen him since Christmas 2019.
BTW - didn’t they have ‘Bolt’ there; or I am thinking of Paris. Like uber, great.
At any rate - EXCELLENT food and accommodation in Budapest (Stayed in Pest), ate so well for a fraction of cost in other big cities. Loved it - architecture, yes.
@@makoado6010 I have not seen any clearance as of yet to enter Hungary.
I gotta say something about the taxis, because as I see, its reputation is worse among tourists than it really is. Taxis in Budapest generally offer a higher level of service compared to what you get in similar cities in the region, but there are some golden rules that foreigners may not know. Rule #1, never get into a cab that has the freelancer sign on the side. These drivers are not checked by anyone, only once a year by the authorities, but that’s it. They don’t belong to any company who otherwise could handle complaints or hold them to some standards, they can and do rip anyone off, technically with no consequences. Rule #2, never get into a cab that is just waiting there for clients. Even if it is part of a network, there is still a chance that they have some tricks in their mind. No matter what, you should always call a cab, or even better, order one using an app. My suggestion is to use Bolt, which operates as a regular taxi company here, but they have this app that automatically detects if the final amount is significantly different from what was calculated beforehand, and you can choose app payment, which technically eliminates the chance to get ripped off. Hope these suggestions are helpful, because while I know there are some scammers out there, in general the level of service is by far not bad.
As someone who has been living all his life in Budapest, I agree 100% with this video! Very good job!
LOCAL: don't take the funicular it's overpriced and not really worth it, but if you walk a bit further down along the river there will be a garden you can go walk up to and it connects to the castle!
Yeah that's pretty ridiculous, castle hill is reeeeeeaaaaally not that high
Igen szuper drága!
I live in Budapest and yes, this city is so affordable
Depends. Compared to the western capitals, yes, way more affordable. But as a casual citizen, well, not really. Unless you don't work at a multinational company or you don't have one, I don't think you could say this city is so cheap.
In Budapest there is a rave at one of the Spas called the "Sparty". Typical rave lights, beer, etc in the thermal baths at night it is one of the craziest events I've ever been to in my life. So much fun even though that's not normally my thing
I love this review. It's going to definitely help me out when I move there this late summer. Watched your other video too and again, good tips for tourists! 👊🏼🙌🏼💯💯💯
My girlfriend is Hungarian. We visited her family over Christmas year before last and travelled to many places that were all amazing! Budapest was great and done up real nice for the holiday but for those deals go the the University town called Szeged. Really nice architecture and feel about the place too, plus your price comes down a lot moving away from the capital 👍
To the funicular part: if the line at the funicular is too long, you can take bus no. 16, it stops exactly the same place, and runs every few minutes.
Also if you have an average fitness, you may take the steps, it is just a few minute walk upwards.
Also you can walk a bit down by the river to Várkert Bazár where a chain of elevators and an escalator runs up to the Castle, for free. On the other side of the Castle Hill there are two free elevators, too.
First of all, many thanks for these kind "don'ts", you really came upon the mare's nest mentioning "freelance" taxis, and the issue of Bucharest, and you approached our lovely capital with love. Thumbs up!
However, as a local, let me suggest a few more "don'ts" to consider, maybe for a future video. :)
1. Don't overestimate our beers. Frankly, we're not a beer country, so...
2. Don't underestimate our wines. Many think that in Europe wine starts and ends in France. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Dare to visit a dedicated winebar, and you'll be suprised!
3. Don't avoid the Danue bend! It's not that far away, you can even reach it using local public transport (HÉV)!
I could continue, but this is enough. For the time being. :D :D :D
Nice advices as I live in Budapest I could not agree more on your thoughts. For taxi I would say you should take Bolt or Taxify with the apps (similar to Uber or Lyft) as you will see an approximate calculation of the transportation fees in it, and also can be paid within the app so you do not have to worry about your money. We are waiting you all back in this amazing city hopefully so soon when the pandemic is over. 🥰
+1 from a native: PLEASE do not destroy things when you are here. I grew up in discrit 7 which is the "party discrit" here. And i love the life here but a lot of time i can see that people from other counties can not RESPECT our places. They are loud in the "hotel" flats which means the neigborhood where we live. Old people are scared often. And at the streets: please do not destroy again. And please be safe!! Some hungarian man just cant hold there temper. I dont want them to hurt you or wors. We love guest. Have fun! (sorry my english is not perfect, hope you understand me)
Great video thanks; we are travelling there next week and when researching I was very happily surprised to find that all public transport in Hungary and in Budapest is free of charge for us over 65s. Check it out but definately worth a mention in your next video.
Another way to reach the castle instead of funicular is from Várkert Bazár which is the Castle Garden. Beautifully renovated and an escalator goes up the hill from inside. Still some stairs are involved but it's a nice place to visit in itself, too.
Elevator here too. And both are free, no cost!
Spent 2-3 days there in 2020, if you like classical music, I'd suggest you to visit the Franz Liszt musical school, you can have a tour of the school and a mini concert for less than 20 euros, the interior of the school is stunning
Few other DON'Ts you should follow and these are quite important.
1.) Don't expect that everyone speaks your language. Usually we are really good with English and German languages, but don't expect that everyone speaks it with you. Be a kind, try our language. We really like when a foreigner (/tourist) at least trying. The people working in the tourist industry usually speaks 2-3 languages besides Hungarian, the younger gen too (english and/or german), but the older (40+) usually won't use other language.
2.) Don't be rude, greet when you enter a place, always thank the service. The Hungarians can be really rude if you are rude with them too, but could be the kindest persons as well if you are kind too.
3.) Don't go only to the touristy places. If you have a chance, listen to the locals. There are lot of places hidden what only the locals know and are much better than the touristy ones.
4.) This one is actually a DO. Respect our history, our culture and this will be your best vacation! Enjoy your stay here! :)
As a Romanian I totally agree with you, Budapest bears no comparison with Bucharest, aside from the phonetics. Budapest is a stunning, unforgettable city. However, the comparison of the Hungarian Parliament with an early Batman movie... pfff, only an American could utter such a comparison.
Great detail...love your energy, enthusiasm etc- top of my list to visit.
Prelepa Budimpesta 🙋♀️🇷🇸👍
I mentioned this in another video but I love the spot where you filmed. My hotel was on the Danube Promenade so I was at this spot every day and night. Incredible views.
I never had any ticket checks on the metro although I did have an odd encounter on the train from Bratislava. As soon as we crossed into Hungary, the police boarded the train and inspected our tickets and passports. Took quite a bit of time and acted like we were breaking the law. Ha.
*Love Budapest so much.* A must visit for sure.
If that happened after 2015, they were probably doing security checks because of refugees. the hungarian government is very anti-refugee and xenophobic... so yeah.
@@ginbo33 nem tudod elhagyni a politikai uszitást egy ilyen video alatt sem, igaz?
@@ginbo33 Definitely a possibility but I was traveling *into* Hungary; I don’t look Syrian and I hold a U.S. passport. Should have taken a minute. Nope. I stood there while he looked at every single page. I was in the dining cart so I finally just sat down and started drinking my beer. 😆 Took forever.
Craft beer and VR pubs!
The food and drinks are also hella cheap, can't wait to go back!
Watching this under lockdown wondering if we will travel anywhere ever again 😔
Yeah, it seems like this pandemic is neverending... :-/ And with all the travel restrictions, and local safety regulations, one doesn't even want to go abroad anymore... the EU has definitely lost one of its main charm, free traveling...
If you want to go up to the castle, you can also use public transport. Bus 16 from Deák Ferenc square, it also stops at the Chain Bridge and at Clark Ádám square. It goes all the way up and through the castle, it departs frequently and you only have to buy a ticket for 350 HUF (1 EUR) or nothing if you already have a pass
This was absolutely stunning to watch. Greate work, great edit...
Brilliant video, sir!
A few additions about transportation:
on Cabs:
NEVER hail a taxi you just see cruisong on the street. As Mark told, either use an app, or call a taxi company on your phone (or you can use "Bolt" and "Taxify" which are similar to Uber). The operator then sends you the nearest car, when it approached your location you should see if the the car has the name of the company on it, and the cabbie will refer to you by your name. Only then should you enter the the vehicle.
All other cabdrivers are criminals.
If a cabbie approaches you at the airport decline their "offer" as firm as you can. If they touch your luggage without permission, call security. Airport cabbies are part of a mafia, NEVER ride with them!
Again, you can call a car there, and that will be perfectly fine, but if you don't have too much luggage and you have enough time, you'd be better off taking public transportation.
On Public Transport:
The airport is a 20-25 minutes bus-ride from the Kőbánya Kispest metro terminal, which is at the edge of the city (not really, but there's no part of budapest outside of that what a tourist might want to see), so if you traver by public transport, plan a little ahead, as it may take some time (I ran into some exchange students downtown who were in panic as their plane will take off in about an hour and a half. I called them a reputable cab immediately, else they'd missed their flight). There's another line from Deák tér, downtown, called the 100e, which takes 40 minus to arrive at the airport, but due to the pandemic, that line is cancelled for now. There are ticket machines at the airport, at all subway stations and at many tram-stops as well. At all, you can pay by card, and youu can buy single, dialy, bi-daily, weekly, monthly and yearly tickets, and other constructions as well. You can pay with cards at all these machines and if you're near a public transport office (there's one at the airport, at all three of the large trainstations, one at Deák tér, etc), they can help you find the most fitting construction, give you maps, advice, etc, and they all speak english. But none of the ticket inspectors do. It's a very lowly job, they're not hiring the most qualified people. Just buy a ticket that lasts long anoght for your stay (it's not very expensive) and you'll be fine, and you wont get into any confrontation with these people (they're even worse on the night-time lines, as some of them seem to be drunk and I don't think that helps with their language barriers). Oh yeah, there's public transport all day and night, and it's pretty punctual. Though kind of dirty and loud. I live here and I can count on one hand how many altrecations I had on a late evening ride in 20 years, so it's not exactly dangerous - but to be safe, try not to travel alone at night (unless you're really familiar with your surroundings). Still, there can be an insane amount of drunk people on these lines - not all of them happy.
Thank you for this video we were waiting for it to come. We very like your videos. When we saw your videos are shot around us (Hungary) we were very excited.
I think if its not a must never take a taxi instead the public transportation.
If you want a cheap and amazing shigtseeing tour just take the tram nr. 2. If you want to go up to Buda Castle take the bus nr. 16.
It was mentioned in the video and as a Budapest citizen, I can only confirm: never ever take a taxi that has "Freelancer/Független szolgáltató" sticker on the front doors, unfortunately many of those drivers make a living by scamming turists, even as a native Hungarian I would avoid them, being a foreigner just makes it more likely to get scammed.
Been living in Hungary for almost 2 years and still watch the video XD
I have some tips too. If you are here for short period of time rent electric scooters. They are everywhere, fast and easy to use. Also you dont have to pay for gondola, or somebody to take you up to the castle. There is a path you can take on foot, its literally 20 min walk and free.
You can also take the "Várbusz", a little bus you can use with your normal public transport pass.
Headed to Budapest this fall, so thanks for the great information.
Hi Mark, thank you for shearing great info, you always give great tips. Chaos
The only time I’ve been scammed in my life was in Budapest. Definitely an eye opener to avoid similar taxi scams
Wow ! Really !? Sorry to hear that ! I am planning to visit Wales & England & trying to squeeze Italy & Hungary in there ! It seems that the scheme/ scam is the issue in the country !! Many are mentioning here !! 💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
I was in Budapest in 1998 with a group of friends. After a meal, we hailed 2 taxis to take us back to our hotel. When we got there, they tried to charge us a ridiculously huge fare. A bit of a stand-off ensued when someone from the hotel came out and got the drivers to accept a more reasonable fare. Ever since that night, when we've been abroad (I'm British) and wanting a taxi we always asked hotel, restaurant or bar staff to call for one as they will have the number of a reputable firm. This was before phone apps.
@@trickygoose2 Sorry to hear that you had that bad experience there ! I am glad that you got help from hotel workers !👍💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞
Taxi drivers scam everywhere, it is a global thing for some reason. was scammed in Prague too..
People should take taxis with apps. For example in Főtaxi app you can watch where's your car's location at the moment. Just after it is assigned to you so before picking up, and throughout your route. You could realize immediately, if the driver takes you sightseeing instead of just from A to B. That's why you can be sure they won't... In the airports there is only one firm which can take you to the city and you have to book the drive outside of the termninal in a box office. There can be drivers in the terminal who just dropped people and want passengers back. They cannot openly advertise themselves but they might and probably will ask you to go with them.. That's the biggest no-no.. Never ever choose them. Only public bus or airport taxi.
This place is on my bucket list! Thanks for this helpful information.
I love your channel. You have videos on ALL of the places on my bucket list!
Don't miss a boat tour! 😉⚓
Wao dude… even tho im hungarian this video is really informational. ❤️🔥
You forgot to mention a few important things... I would surely mention the "Childrens railway". It was built in a communist era, mostly as a propaganda tool, but the kids loved the mostly kid operated railway so much, that it remained, and it has huge social functions too. The route is scenic, and it is a very nice attraction in the city.
When you have mentioned visiting other cities, towns... It makes sense to at least consider Interrail or EUrail passes as they can be very good for travellers.
I agree. I did a "gyerkmek vasút" ride in 2019 while visiting Buda and it was a very nice experience. It was also nice using a rare cog-wheel railway (fogaskerekű vasút) in Buda to get to the train station.
I can never fall out of love with this city