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My wife is off to Budapest for five days for a radiotherapy conference, so my 9 daughter and i are going to tag along and have some days out together.
Any recommendations for things to do with daughter whilst there and any places recommended for all to eat as a family?
Thanks
Definitely visit the Gellert hotel, built in 1901 it's an amazing baroque building, well worth a look inside for the quality and dignity of the decor. Then shoot round the right hand side into the famous Gellert baths and enjoy an afternoon in all the different pools indoors and out, the main outdoor pool has a wave machine. You can even get a mud bath and massage though I suspect you won't want that with daughter in tow.
Gellert hill behind the hotel is worth climbing for the views and there's a kids' slide in the woods too.
You'll end up walking down Vaci utca but it's full of naff souvenir shops like any touristy city.
Food-wise there's a massive choice of restaurants.
Dunno if it's still the same now but taxis from the airport are expensive and you're better off using the airport minibus service, which drops you at your hotel.
Old Buda...
Gellert (mentioned)
Austria Square for old school cafes
Have a search on here - there were a few threads over the years.
I used to stay near Listz Ferenc Ter / Oktagon many years ago. It was a nice "mid-town" spot.
The indoor market near the chain bridge is great, loads of stuff to look at.
Trip to Margaret Island:
https://www.thecrowdedplanet.com/7-things-margaret-island/
We had dinner in the evening on a mini cruise up and down the river, that was cool.
Thanks all.
Is the zoo or Science museum any good?
just back and could advise on bars/clubs but that's about it. Dunno what the rules are for kids hiring or sharing the electric scooters, but that looks like fun. Lots of not very good cycle paths and a lot of folk including kids on bikes, so may be worth investigating?
Margaret Island for half a day, Castle area/fisherman's bastion etc for half a day (our hotel was up there and it's v picturesque with some stunning buildings, but best thing is watching the far eastern tourists pose for selfies. The young folk have a thing for strange/heroic poses (I know this as one of my sons is working in china, so plenty of funny ones of him doing this.) So yeah, grab a coffee in the tower cafe and literally look down on all this. Or join in. Or both.
And the ruin bars are perfectly child friendly during the day.
Day out to Balaton or the other way to the Danube bend.
Budapest is full of great places to eat, not just limited to local cuisine either.
Depending on your budget (high - low):
Costes (Michelin star etc). Both places have the same menu.
Borso Bistro
Monk's Bistrot
Dobrumba for Lebanese
Biang Bisztro for Asian / noodles
Tolto for lunch
Pizza Manu+ (Muzeum krt. 7, Offers proper Napoli pizza for about a fiver. Great quick option for lunch. Crucially different from the Roman pizza at their sister restaurant on Lonyay 9).
Chimney cake at Molnar's (Vaci 31)
Great cake/desserts at Stühmer Édességbolt és Kávézó (Bartók Béla út 18)
Oh, and I think the taxis are pretty reasonable price wise, with a ride from the airport being £20-25 depending where in the city you go. However the bus is also frequent and quick.
I recommend buying a travel pass for the period, because it can be used on the trams, buses and metros. It is not valid for the airport tip though. Buy one at any metro station.
The national gallery in the castle at the top of the funicular is good, (unless you really hate that kind of thing I suppose) Not too large to get bored by it, good variety of exhibits.
I am going to Budapest next week with the family for a few days, and have tried to plan a few things to keep the kids entertained, mine are 10 and 13. I went to Budapest a few years ago with work (looking at architecture rather than proper work!) so have a rough idea.
So far we have a guided cycling city tour booked - I did look at the free walking tours but my kids would much prefer to spend the morning on a bike rather than walking. We have booked a tour of the Parliament building. As long as the weather is okay we are planning to go to Palatinus Baths on Margaret Island. Probably half a day wandering around the castle area - the kids want to go into the Labyrinth. At some point we will visit Central Market Hall, and also pop into Szimpla Kert one afternoon. Everything else we will make up when we are there.
There are plenty of restaurants around Budapest, so we will just find some restaurants local to where we are staying. Although the kids have requested we find Langos, Chimney cakes and rose shape ice creams - they watch too much YouTube!
Tuning Bar & Burger in the Jewish Quarter is fab - one of the top rated on trip adviser.
I'd also recommend Karavan Club for street food too.
We also went to a really top restaurant near the burger place - fab food and very cheap compared to UK (I'll get googling) -
This was on a stag do - the best mad had researched the best places to eat, and he came up trumps.
Lecso Hungarian Fast Food.
Think it's tray like cafeteria during the day, but table service in the evening. Nice simple traditional food, cheap beer and very rare in Central Europe... Really warm friendly service!
We went to the other big baths, not Gelert and it was great fun.
If you're up for some heavy duty stuff then the shoe memorial on the banks of the Danube is worth a trip. Don't go to House of Terror she may well have nightmares.
A trip up to the citadel above Gellert comes recommended.
What month are you going? It's oppressively hot in July and August, build in lots of drink stops.
I used to live there and go back often with work. Fantastic place, feel free to PM if you’ve questions...
Id get a taxi from the airport... Will cost about 8k HUF (£25). The bus / train option is cheaper but a bit of a pain.
Gozdu Udvar is good for cafes and bars - a pedestrianised area with lots of bars and cafes. The two wine bars - spiller and ?? - are pretty good as is the Bluebird cafe for coffee, but it food / service is quite hit and miss. 2 Spagghi is on the same strip and does great takeaway (or eat in) fresh pasta.
Szimpla Kert is the most famous of the ruin bars and not far from when you are staying. You can get food there if you want but perhaps best to go later in the evening just for drinks if you can get out.
If you go out the other end of Gozdu Udvar and turn left (I think, or nearby at least), you'll find another cafe called Vintage Garden. Good for lunch and dinner, particularly if the weather is good.
Loads of good bars in the area, but I do recommend you go to 360 Bar which is on Andrassy Avenue - walkable from where you are. It's the roof top bar with great views around the city. Quite hard to miss it, it's a little door to the right of the Paris department store (book shop) on the Main Street. Get there earlier and you get in for free. Best to be there for sunset. Kiosk Bar is another good location which is great if the weather is good in the summer. Near the river.
Taxis are regulated but we've not had great joy with them. Definitely don't hail a taxi anywhere around Szimpla Kert or the more touristy areas. Not knowing the area they will try it on and take you a long route. Also be careful that you get the right change and avoid paying with large notes. If you do need a taxi I recommend you use Budapest Taxi on +3617777777. They have English operators and I never had a problem.
Better still to get a multi day BKK ticket that is valid on all trams, metro and busses. There are a few routes I really recommend for sight seeing on the cheap - I think getting the public transport around is much more fun than the tour busses.
1. Number 2 tram along waterfront on pest side. It runs around the parliament building. You should hop off and watch changing of the guard which happens quite frequently.
2. Number 1 metro runs beneath Andrassy avenue - it's protected as part of world heritage status, still an oldy worldy carriage and worth getting up all the way up to city park
3. The cog railway up to normafa. My favourite place in Budapest - you can get the 51 tram (check... Think this is right) to the cog railway and then get the cog up tO the top of normafa. It's a big open park up in the hills with gentle ridge walk with views down to the city. Worth walking all the way to Erzebet tower about 1.5 miles along the path with great panoramic views. You can get cog railway back down or there are plenty of busses which are quicker (but less fun).
Spend time in city park, you can hire pedallos or boats on the boating lake. Szechenyi spa is in city park. It's the most touristy but I still think the best one to go to. If you want a massage don't get it from the people hounding you as you go in- they're a private company that charge twice as much. Ask when you're paying for your entry tickets.
Definitely go to Margit island. It's a largely pedestrianised park island in the Danube. You can easily walk there from this centre - the bridge nearest the parliament takes you there. On Margit island you can hire quadricycles that take up to 6 people. Great fun, good way of seeing the island. If you want to escape the heat there is an outdoor spa on Margit island called platinus strand. A great place to spend a half day in the sun. It’s a must with kids.
Cafes... There is one you must go to, on the buda side. Deryne Bisztro - go for breakfast, sit outside in the sun. Eat lots. Try the shakshuka.
If you fancy a slightly more upmarket dinner, still a good prices (Budapest doesn't do expensive...) go to Bock Bistro next to the Corinthia Hotel. Bock are a large wine producer, treat yourself to a bottle of good Bikaver wine ('Bulls blood').
There's a fun art / print shop near where you are staying called Printa. You wouldn't spend long there but worth calling in for a few mins. Good coffee shops round the corner from there too.
Definitely go to the Bascillica. Don't bother going on the Ferris wheel in the centre, pay to climb up above the dome in the Bascillica. Really well worth doing.
If it’s your thing the opera house is amazing and ridiculously cheap. You can get a private box for £20 per person, other seats are much cheaper.
Check out miniversum on Andrassy Avenue - it’s a massive indoor model train / miniatures museum. Our 7yr old son loves it.
Have fun
Great thanks for that Budadav and taking time to type all that. Looking forward to it (especially all the food!)