Dear readers, I promise you this week I’ve refrained from blabbering on. I’ve tried to keep a tight grip on the idea of giving you the dos and don’ts of Budapest. I have kept it short. Hopefully, I can convince you to visit one of the best cities. BUDAPEST!
DOS
Walk Around the City at Night
Walking around the city at night is worlds apart from walking around the city during the day. All the beautiful buildings are dusted with gold lights against the night sky. It is truly mesmerising! The beauty of the city will forever resonate with me. I wouldn’t usually walk around a new city at night, but in Budapest, you will feel safe the entire time. You will find there is more life at night than at day.
Visit Fisherman’s Peak and Buda Castle
If you are looking to find out about the history of Budapest, you must visit Fisherman’s peak and Buda Castle which have the most incredible architecture. You will become an expert in everything you need to know about the monuments as it has hundreds of insightful posters dotted all around. Even if you are not into your history, the experience provides the best sights in Budapest. Get your walking shoes on, it is so worth it. Especially for those looking for the perfect Instagram opportunity. It really is something for everyone.
Visit the Ruins Bars
One of the best things to do on holiday is PARTY. The ruins bars are the perfect opportunity to socialise and drink whilst experiencing something so fun and quirky. They are located in formally abandoned buildings and are exploding with décor. It is the perfect place to grab a drink, laugh with friends and dance the night away.
Visit the Thermal Baths
This is one of my biggest recommendations. You cannot visit Budapest without experiencing the Thermal Baths. They have some of the largest and most famous thermal baths in Europe. I don’t believe you would get the same experience anywhere else. You’ll get to soak in the mineral-rich baths and relax encompassed by the beauty of the building. Some couples will show a lot more PDA than necessary and lots of men will be in their smallest attire. But it all adds to the experience, just watch the world go by.
For the best experience take sliders and a towel. Take them everywhere with you. When you are moving from bath to bath you will be forced to brave the cold. But it makes getting into the next bath that much better.
DONT’S
Don’t Forget an adaptor
This is for all the unorganised queens like myself, don’t forget an adaptor as you won’t be able to charge your phone which means you won’t be able to use maps, apple pay, order a bolt or take photos. As dramatic as it sounds, I am not convinced you can do it without your phone! Maybe it is a Gen Z thing. Definitely don’t rely on Airbnb or a hotel to have an adaptor. They won’t! I learnt that the hard way. If you do forget an adaptor, be prepared to walk around for hours looking for a shop that stocks a single thing electronic.
Don’t dress inappropriately
I have made this mistake twice now on my travels to both Budapest, Hungary and Split, Croatia. What we consider appropriate in the UK isn’t appropriate everywhere. I love culture and hate disrespecting it. You will find that even modest clothes still attract a lot of unwelcome attention. My inner feminist makes me want to scream, “I can wear what I want when I want” but we have to remember we are a tourist and we should respect their etiquette. I may be overreacting – you can wear little skirts and little tops but be ready for the looks of disgust.
Don’t smile at anyone
As you can tell from my previous point, I am very conscious of locals when travelling. My biggest tip when in Budapest is to not smile at strangers. Hungarians do not smile. Now I am not saying everyone is miserable but smiles are very rare. Smile and it will be met with an eviler look.
Be cautious of Where you Park Scooters
We parked our scooter with five others which were parked in a neat line. Next thing we know a small angry Hungarian man in uniform is puffing his whistle at us and shouting in the most authoritative tone. Panic set in, we already had an arrest happen in Amsterdam. We did the typical, ignore it and it just might go away. He was still approaching us with haste. “You can’t park there” – He demanded we moved them all, we only shared one between us I explained. Before I could even finish my conversation, my boyfriend picked up the scooter, no questions asked. He then proceeded to run with this scooter over his shoulder across the tram line, almost getting hit by an oncoming tram. The scooter starts to blast its alarm. They have alarms! It was news to me too. But then again never would I have decided to pick up a scooter. As much as I consider myself a gym girl, I don’t think my upper body is that strong just yet. We placed the scooter in the correct spot and went to our reservation as if nothing had happened.
I will stop myself here, I see myself getting carried away. I don’t think I told too many stories. Did I?
The purpose of this article was to not only tell you the dos and don’ts of Budapest but to inspire you to go out there in the world tell stories and experience something unimaginable. The best thing about travel is, it is individualistic. Go live! Go have your experience and share it with others!