Hello Gents, I've planned a trip to Budapest this summer, basically, next week
The plan is to go by car from Dunkirk (France) to Budapest via Erfurt (Germany) and Praha (Czech Republic) and to come back by Vienna (Austria), Frankfurt and Koln (Germany) on my way back.
That should be about 1550 km to go and about 1500 km to come back. I'll see if I can make a map with my trip on it
Even if I've been preparing that trip for several months now, any tip (about the inhabitants and their habits, to not appear as a "conqueror" tourist ) for Praha and Budapest? Many thanks in advance.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
Silly jokes aside, both Prague and Budapest are cities very much accustomed with tourism and I've visited them because of it and because of business many times, so nobody will really harass you unless you behave like Napoleon ; like when you go to any new place for you, just be careful to avoid dubious places and try to gather some info on possible local issues few days before you go: for instance, how's the situation now at the Hungarian borders? I would not have picked the car for this trip honestly, but I understand that the trip itself is gonna be part of your holyday, so ..
Haven't been in Prague, but concerning Budapest. Food is simple, just settle in Gerbaud and start to regularly consume gulash for dinner and déjeuner. Sacher torte is the obvious choice for the petit déjeuner and the goûter*. They are both unbelievably delicious. The locals are very friendly and polite, but their knowledge of English is lacking and there were general problems in communication. We almost got lost, because I kept asking for directions towards Budai Vidagó, and not Budai Vigadó. Regarding the sightseeing, I would classify the monuments in the following hierarchy:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
1. Buda Castle, including the palace, St. Matthias Church, the magnificent view from Eugen's of Savoy statue and a couple of museums, such as the military one. 2. The Hungarian Parliament, unjustly labelled as Gothic kitsch and its neighboring ethnographic museum. Pay something extra to get in immediately, no point at waiting for hours in the queue. 3. The city's park that includes the Széchenyi thermal baths, from where you should proceed to Széchenyi thermal bath, around which two arts museums lie. 4. Esztergom. 5. A promenade across the Andrássy avenue, where you can visit some more isolated buildings, like the State opera (there are guide tours in French), the synagogue, St. Stephen's Basilica and finally the Gresham Palace. 6. A prmenade across the Pest's Danubian coast, starting from the railway station (northern Buda), passing from many hidden gems south of the castle, like the Ottoman baths, reaching the Gellért baths and finally the city's market (southern Buda). 7. The Gellért hill is also famous for its beautiful view, while the train station or the zoo are also well-known landmarks of somewhat smaller significance. 8. Finally, you consider visiting Aquincum, the ancient Roman city of Budapest or the Margaret Island, which I admittedly found a bit underwhelming.
Don't make the mistake of wasting money to a night cruise in the Danube. As I discovered too late, there is nothing romantic in waiting for the crew to finally appear or eating low-quality food indoors an ugly boat.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
*I don't know the English terms for the daily meals, but since you're French, you'll get the meaning of when to appropriately devouring Sacher Torte.
Hello Gents, I'm back. That was an very nice and interesting trip for the least.
Just a few tips if you go there by car like me:
- beware of the Hungarian Police. I've never seen cops efficients like that. Just before to enter in Hungria, remember to stop to buy the "Matrica" which is basically the highway toll (3200 HUF for 10 days, about 11 euros, but you can buy it for 30 days as well). The Hungarian police hunts people who don't purchase it.
- Respect the speed limitations: there are quite a lot of speed controls on the highway.
- Once in Budapest, watch carefully where you park your car and always pay. Overwise, you can expect a fine within the next 10 minutes.
- I found an underground parking close to Fovam Ter. It is located in a building between Mathias and Czuczor streets. It cost 2800 HUF per day which is about 9.35 euros. That's the cheapest one I could find. Remember to keep small notes and/or coins to pay. The machine doesn't accept notes above 5000 HUF.
Overwise, you can also park your car in front of the City Park (beside Hosok Ter, on the Palace of Art side). That's probably one of the only place where you can park for free and it's quite safe. There are big city lights and cameras. From there, you can take the subway to go anywhere.
Beside that and all things you can do in Budapest, if you love history as I do, I recommend to visit the National Hungarian Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Muzeum). That's about Hungary history from the paleolitic and until today. It's very welldone. They even use the M2TW engine to make a movie explaining the Magyar invasions across Europe during the 10th century
If there's anything else you want to know about Budapest, just post here and I'll do my best to answer
Last edited by Lifthrasir; August 01, 2016 at 04:31 AM.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
Beside that and all things you can do in Budapest, if you love history as I do, I recommend to visit the National Hungarian Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Muzeum). That's about Hungary history from the paleolitic and until today. It's very welldone. They even use the M2TW engine to make a movie explaining the Magyar invasions across Europe during the 10th century
I was in Budapest along with Prague and Vienna in the summer of 2013, great stuff there. My favorite part of the trip was visiting Buda Castle and relaxing in the Széchenyi thermal baths, and it was fun trying to pronounce Hungarian words and sentences on my phrasebook.
Last edited by Hetman Khmelnytsky; July 31, 2016 at 12:15 AM.
Yes, it was something similar to these videos. So, yes, it might be from the same team.
That's funny to see that we have done almost the same trip . Agree about the baths: there are great.
From my part, I really enjoyed the underground hospital beneath the hill where there's the Matthias church (beside the Buda castle) and the National Hungarian Museum.
For those who have kids, you can also visit the zoo in the City Park. I didn't expect it was that huge. You can also go to the Paladinus baths on Margaret island. That's quite a huge place for the whole family. There's a classical swimming pool, several thermal baths with hydro-massages, swimming pools for the young and very young kids, a wave pool and another pool with 4 water slides (2 of them are pure madness ).
@ Blastoise, no worries: the pics lost are only the one I took for modding purposes. The family ones are safe
Last edited by Lifthrasir; August 01, 2016 at 04:37 AM.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
Well, it depends what you want to do there. If you really want to visit everything without any rush, I'd say between 10 and 15 days minimum. That way, you can alternate "trip" or "visit" days with "relaxing" days. I've spent a week and I still have things to see.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
I don't know. I've rented an appartment (quite cheap actually) not far away from the Elysabeth bridge in Pest (for those who don't know, there's Buda in one side of the Danube and Pest on the other), on Vaci street which is the main pedestrian street for tourists.
In general, for food and drinks, avoid tourist areas in favor of more local one if you get my meaning. For instance, I found a restaurant in an old 19th century building style, with very good traditional hungarian food and I paid at least 35% less compare to the same stuff close to where I rented the appartment.
Last edited by Lifthrasir; August 02, 2016 at 08:45 AM.
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
I confirm everything about Hungarian police; I've been travelling around the world during the last 10 years and drove the car almost everywhere, but the only place where I got a fine was in Budapest (for parking actually)
I'm sure that when you lost your phone in the Danube you were doing something very strange ...
I'd say it depends in which European country you're going to. In some of them it is better while in some other it is worse.
When I drove in the States, what really annoyed me the most was the "low" speed limit on highways. That plus the automatic gearbox, I almost fell in sleep
Under the patronage of Flinn, proud patron of Jadli, from the Heresy Vault of the Imperial House of Hader
Trip to Budapest - Hungria
) for Praha and Budapest? Many thanks in advance.
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Even some French still think that it's in Belgium 
Regarding the sightseeing, I would classify the monuments in the following hierarchy: 
Originally Posted by Lifthrasir
