Europe (2017): 3D2N in Budapest, Hungary

Honestly to say right after I purchased the airticket to Europe with Thai Airways, I was indecisive of which countries should I cover this time around. Besides Denmark and Finland, I have no idea where should I go and travel. There are so many in my bucket list - Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Poland and more (I know I know I'm greedy) but it's impossible for me to cover all when I only have 16 full days in Europe. At the end I decided to go Budapest, Hungary when I stumbled upon flight from Copenhagen, Denmark to Budapest directly for as low as €49.20 (approx. to RM256) which included 20kg baggage allowance via Norwegian. There is another airline, Ryanair which offer more lower fare but unfortunately the flight is at night. Cause I travel alone, therefore I prefer to travel during the daytime.


Although Norwegian is a low cost airline but the best part is it offers free WiFi to all passengers on its transatlantic flights. That's pretty cool man! 

From Airport To The City Center

The most economical way is by taking the public transportation. There are two buses you can opt for:

1) Bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest, which is the final and last stop and then change for the M3 (blue) metro line.

2) Bus 100E. The buses stops only in the direction of Deák Ferenc tér at Kálvin tér and Astoria. One way cost HUF900 and the ticket can be bought at BKK customer centers, cash desks, and ticket machines. The journey takes about 40 minutes. (I took this one as my hostel is nearer to Astoria.)

Currency

Hungary's national currency is the Hungarian Forint, or HUF. It's advisable to change to the local currency because Euro is not widely accepted is most of the places like restaurants, market and not forgetting when travel using public transportation. Try to change as little as possible in airport as the rate is €1 to HUF245. I'm not sure where is the best place to change local currency but from what I observed, I found out Great Market Hall offers the best rate. Fortunately, debit and credit cards are widely accepted even at a fast food restaurant. I rely heavily on my debit card to do my shopping when my luggage went missing. 

[Note: Remember to activate your debit card before travelling overseas especially if you are using local banks like CIMB, Maybank]

How To Get Around Budapest

Budapest city splits into half by the Danube river, the west side known as Buda and east side known as Pest. Majority of Budapest's attractions are within easy walking distance. Besides that, Budapest's extensive public transit system is generally convenient and easy to navigate. One can travel via metro but few major attractions particularly on the Buda area are served by buses and trams. As one single trip with metro cost HUF300, maybe one can consider to purchase the following travelcard:

• 24-hour travelcard = HUF1,650 (Valid for 24 hours after purchase) 
• 72-hour travelcard = HUF4,150 (Valid for 72 hours after purchase) 

Initially I plan to buy 72-hour travelcard but at the end, I didn't do so cause I keep walking and walking for non-stop. By end of the day, I think I walk more than 20km in a day.

What To Do & See In Budapest, Hungary
Here are few attractions and famous landmarks I managed to visit around Budapest:

1) St. Stephen's Basilica - Budapest's largest church houses Hungary's most scared relic. It is named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary whose supposed right hand is housed in the reliquary. Admission fee is free but kind donation of HUF200 is appreciated.  

This Roman Catholic basilica just located very close to my hostel. 

Altar of St. Stephen's Basilica 

Gelarto Rosa next to St. Stephen's Basilica 

Getting To St. Stephen's Basilica:
Arany Janos utca under M3 (blue) metro line.

2) Szechenyi Chain Bridge - The oldest suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest. Trip to Budapest is incomplete without walk through this bridge.

3) Matthias Church - This is one of the finest churches in Budapest and the most unique churches in Europe I ever came across. What amazed me is the coloured tiles roofs which making this church is totally different for the rest of churches I've ever seen. 

Getting There

Bus: 16A Bus from Szell Kalman Square (M2 metro station) or 16 Bus from Deak Square (M1, M2 and M3 metro lines)

Funicular: From Clark Adam Square to the Castle Hill and an approx. 10-15 min walk from the Funicular. 

Admission Fee: HUF1,500

4) Fisherman's Bastion - Just east of Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style. This looks alike fairy-tale castle offers amazing and marvelous panoramic views of the entire city of Budapest. 

I only managed to visit 4 attractions and landmarks on the first day arrived in Budapest because I was busy shopping for my clothes, toiletries and necessities. So on the next day, I woke up as early as 6 am as I can't wait to wander around the charming city of Budapest. 

5)  Liberty Statue or Freedom Statue - Early morning without having any breakfast, I hiked up the hill alone for the sake of this monument - a lovely lady with a palm frond stands atop of the Gellert Hill of Budapest. It commemorates those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom and prosperity of the country. Hiking up was indeed exhausting but the view from the top is breathtaking. 

6) Liberty Bridge - In order for one to get up to the Liberty Statue, he or she should across the Liberty Bridge first. (Just kidding! I know it sounds lame.) This is another popular bridge besides Szechenyi Chain Bridge. Although it's the shortest bridge in Budapest, but it is the most important and busiest bridge in the city. 

7) Great Market Hall - Also known as Central Market Hall, it is the largest and oldest indoor market in the city. It consists of two floors where the ground floor selling daily products such as fruits, meats, vegetables and etc whereas for the top floor, there are a raft of stalls selling tourists favourite souvenirs such as Hungarian dolls, embroidered linens, glassware and more. This is one the place where I wandered for hours, until sensory overload kicks in. (I should blog more of this in the next post instead) 

Getting to Great Market Hall:
Tram 2, 47 or 49 or 5 min walk from Kalvin ter (Blue metro line). Alternatively, one can walk through the famous shopping street called Vaci utca, starting from Vorosmarty Square which takes about 15 min walk and the Grand Market Hall is right at the end of Vaci Street.

8) Shoe on the Danube Bank - Stroll along at the east bank of Danube River and you will come across one of Budapest's most moving memorials. It was created to honor those who were killed during WWII. They were ordered to take off their shoes and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank. This memorial is not far away from Hungarian Parliament Building.  

9) Hungarian Parliament Building - The most notable and well-known landmark which represents Hungary. It's another magnificent example of neo-Gothic architecture, besides Matthias Church which I mentioned earlier. 

Getting To Hungarian Parliament Building:
The nearest metro station is Kossuth ter on M2 (red) metro line.

Admission Fee: HUF4,000 for non-EU citizen which I found quite pricey, hence I skip of visiting inside. 

10) Hősök tere - Known as Heroes Square, it is one of the major squares in Budapest noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important Hungarian national leaders, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Getting To Hősök tere:
The nearest metro station is Hősök tere on M1 (yellow) metro line.

11) Széchenyi Thermal Bath - Budapest is well-known for its thermal bath and the most popular is Széchenyi Thermal Bath which claimed to be the largest in Budapest. Not just that, it is also one of the biggest natural hot spring spa baths in Europe too. No wonder it was so crowded and packed when I was there. 

12) Buda Castle - It is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest.



Where I Stayed in Budapest

There are plenty of options when comes to choosing lodging in Budapest - it just a matter of the location and budget. I chosen to stay in Essential Hostel for a bed in 4 mixed dormitory room with private bathroom. 

Date Stayed: 10 September - 12 September 2017 (2 nights)

Rate We Paid :  HUF5,000 per night for a bed in 4 mixed dormitory room with private bathroom. And breakfast is included (Booked via Agoda.com but full amount paid upon check-in). Approx. to RM92 per night

Pros:
1) Location - It's very close to Kobanya-Kispest on M3 (blue) metro line and St. Stephen's Basilica is just behind the hostel building. There are even few supermarkets and restaurants in the immediate neighbourhood.
2) Friendly, kind and helpful staff. The check-in process was fast and smooth.
3) Spacious and huge storage facilities.
4) Bed with curtains that can be pulled which I can have more privacy.
5) Private bathroom attached within the room. So, just need to share with the other 3 instead of 10.

Cons:
1) Slightly unorganised and dirty kitchen.
2) The lounge area always fully occupied.

How Much I Spent
Here are the breakdown of how much I spent for my 3 days and 2 nights trip in Budapest:

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	HUF	RM
Air Fares Norwegian from Copenhagen to Budapest (€49.20) Accommodation Essential Hostel – 2 nights Transportation Bus 100E from airport to city center Metro – 3 trips Food & Beverages Others Kind donation for St. Stephen’s Basilica Toilet  Souvenirs – magnets, postcards, stamps & etc	- 10,000 900 1,050 8,781 200 250 8,610	255 185 16 19 162 4 5 159
	TOTAL:	805

Exchange Rate: €1.00 = HUF295 on average 

Overall, I personally think Budapest is one of the cities in Europe that is pretty cheap and affordable to visit as a traveller. If I don't take airfare and my own souvenirs haul into the account, the total damages is RM391.