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City Breaks to Budapest
Irish tourists can now enjoy a fairy-tale city break to Budapest thanks to Club Travels amazing special offers on city breaks and holidays to this historic city. The beautiful old Buda castle is perched high above the city while labyrinth style caves lie deep below the city waiting to be explored. Budapest has more thermal hot springs than any other city in Europe making it the best city to go to for a Spa city break. Separated by the beautiful Danube river, the second longest in Europe, Budapest has a quirky personality coupled with a complex and interesting history. This magical location has been compared to Paris for its beauty and it is an even more romantic destination,making it ideal for holidays and city breaks. It is no surprise that last year 4.3 million tourists flocked to Budapest.
Hotels in Budapest
Hotels in Budapest are exceptionally good value. Club Travel can offer its clients a choice of over 400 hotels in Budapest to choose from and we can offer outstanding combinations on cheap flights and accommodation in Budapest. Here are two of Budapest best hotels which cost a fraction of what you would normally pay for such luxury in any other major city in Europe. With over thirty years of experience, we are sure to find you the perfect hotel in Budapest, whatever your reason for visiting.
Boscolo Budapest: Located on Budapest’s prestigious Grand Boulevard sits this immaculately presented 5 star hotel. The hotel’s restaurant attracts many visitors in its own right. The stunning façade of the hotel will make even the most hard to please guests say “wow”. This hotel is perfect for your romantic city break to Budapest.
Kempinski Cornivus Budapest: One of Budapest’s most highly renowned hotels. This hotel offers style, great service and top class dining and leisure facilities and all within walking distance of most of the cities major attractions.
Things to Do in Budapest
Buda Castle Hill: You can see the castle from almost anywhere in Budapest. This castle is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of Budapest’s most visited attractions. An amazing view is to be had from the castle’s lofty position.
Gelert Hill: This hill is named after Saint Gerard, who as legend has it was placed in a barrel and rolled down the hill and then beaten to death having survived the descent. A stunning view of Budapest and the Danube is gained from the Citadel which sits on top of the hill. Rest assured a much more enjoyable experience awaits you than it did Saint Gerard at this scenic spot.
The Great Synagogue: This spectacle is the second largest Synagogue in the world.
Shoes on the Danube: The Shoes on the Danube is a memorial to the Budapest Jews who were shot by Arrow Cross militiamen between 1944 and 1945. The victims were lined up and shot into the Danube River. They had to take their shoes off, since shoes were valuable belongings at the time.
Central Market Hall: This giant market sells clothes and souvenirs however it is primarily a food market. Go early to avoid the crowds.
Terror House Museum: Voted one of the world’s creepiest museums, this building was the former headquarters of the Nazi and Soviet secret police. The Museum exhibits what life was like under the Nazi and soviet regimes. A soviet tank is positioned in the Atrium of the building. This museum experience is not for the faint hearted and can be quite graphic in nature. It is very educational, however it is not recommended for children.
Visit St Margaret’s Island: A lovely relaxing island situated in the middle of the Danube River. Its traffic free so it is a wonderful place to go for a walking, jogging or cycling After dark people come here to have a drink and listen to music at the bars, restaurants or watch a movie at the open air cinema.
Claustrophilia: Being locked into a room from which you have to try to escape may sound like a nightmare holiday scenario for many, however you may be surprised to learn that you may have to book in advance for such a privilege. This is due to the popularity of Claustrophilia which is a series of games in which the participants must solve puzzles.
The Thermal Baths: After a long day of sightseeing, what could be better than resting your weary limbs in a thermal bath, you r muscles will relax and you will feel rejuvenated after a trip to one of the cities many thermal bath houses. Rudas Bath House is open until 4:00am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Spelunking: Explore the Labyrinth of caves underneath Budapest. There are walkways through the caves which are well lit and require very little dexterity or there are more challenging passages to explore which will have you squeezing your body through the narrowest of crevices.
Nightlife
“Ruin Bars”- These popular bars are located in the old crumbling buildings of Budapest. Most of these bars are located in the 7th district. Mismatched furniture and cheap local beer is the order of the day in these establishments. Lokál and szimpla are two ruin bars you should try.
Wine - While Hungary may not yet be held in high esteem for its beer making, the locally produced wine is gaining a reputation for its high quality. Drop Shop and Innio are two popular wine bars where you can enjoy a glass or two of Hungarian wine.
Party Ship: Every Friday and Saturday evening the Party Ship departs just in time for you to enjoy you welcome drink while watching a glorious sunset over the city. The ship passes by many of the cities iconic buildings. As the name suggests alcohol features heavily on the agenda.
Nightclubs: Fat MO’s and Morrison’s 2 are among the city’s most popular venues for late night dancing and drinking.
Food
Soups and Goulash (stew) are traditional Hungarian cuisine as well as pancakes, breads and pastries. Budapest has many a fine “Cukrazda” (café) serving excellent coffee and cakes. Most restaurants now have a more modern approach to Hungarian cooking.
Lunch: If you want a fast, cheap lunch head to Kádár Étkezde, enjoy the home-style food offered on their simple menu. Belvárosi Disznótoros is another cheap restaurant offering lunches of sausages, salads, pickled vegetables and grilled and fried meats.
Dinner: Bock Bisztró is a highly rated restaurant owned by an award winning chef and a Hungarian wine maker. The combined knowledge of the two owners has resulted in a great value restaurant where you can try classic Hungarian food and wine. Borkhonyha is another restaurant serving modern Hungarian food using fresh local ingredients
General Information
Budapest Airport: Liszt Ferenc International airport is situated 16km south east of the city centre. Getting to and from the airport by public transport can be quite time consuming and complicated as it can involve taking a bus, a metro and another bus etc. The most efficient way to get to the city centre is by Taxi which will cost roughly €23-€30 but will save a lot of time and will only take around twenty minutes.
Weather in Budapest
Spring: You can expect a fairly pleasant climate if arriving in Budapest at this time of year. Blue skies are normal and the weather is mild.
Summer: Warm and sunny with an average temperature of 27°C in the daytime.
Autumn: Budapest has an “Indian” summer in autumn as the sky stays clear and retains much of the summer sunshine.
Winter: The city is usually covered in snow in the winter months as temperatures drop below freezing. If you bring the appropriate clothing, winter in Budapest is beautiful and the snowy setting will only add to the enjoyment of your city break
Currency
Although Hungary is in the E.U it does not use the Euro. The currency used in Hungary is the Hungarian Forint. It can be difficult to get this currency outside of Hungary so you will have to change your money when you arrive at the Bureau de Change.
Budapest Time
Budapest is one hour ahead of Irish time. +1GMT
Visa requirements
Hungary is in the EU and Irish citizens are free to travel to Budapest without a visa.
