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This past weekend, I had the opportunity to return to Budapest. Previously, in 2013, I had only visited Budapest for a few days. When my friend saw on Instagram that I was in Vienna for school, she suggested I visit Budapest if I had the time. So, plans came into motion for me to take the 2.5-3 hour bus from Vienna to Budapest.
Table of Contents
1. Bus from Vienna to Budapest
I took RegioJet, roundtrip, for a total of 18 EUR | 21 USD. The trip was comfortable, with a free hot beverage and movies/tv shows to watch. The bus leaves from Stadion Bus Center (near the U2 Stadion stop) and arrives at Kelenfold in Budapest.
2. Arrival into Budapest
I bet you didn’t know, Budapest is a city split into two by the river. Long ago, the city was two separate cities – Buda to the left of the river, and Pest to the right. The bus arrives on the Buda side. My friend’s apartment, on the other hand, is way over on the Pest side. Normally, I would have taken the metro to her place, but there was some construction on the metro lines by her flat, so taxi it was.
From her place, we walked over to Margaret Island (Margit-sziget), which is an island in the Danube with plentiful parks and trees. We strolled to the tip of Margaret Island, where we caught a public transportation river boat service (the BKK Boat Service) down towards the Buda Castle. On weekdays, you can use your Budapest public transportation ticket to ride on the BKK for free. Unfortunately, on weekends, you need to buy a separate ticket, for 750 HUF | 2.75 USD.
3. Lunch at Czako Kert
From the Buda Castle stop, we walked along the Buda side, uphill to our brunch spot. For the geographically curious, the Buda side has hills, whereas the Pest side is flat. We stopped at Czako Kert, a lovely little cafe with garden, which also houses a farmers market on the weekends.
4. Rudas Bath – the ultimate relaxation!
It was a short downhill walk after lunch to Rudas Bath. Coming from a few weeks of grueling classes, I suggested we visit a thermal baths. The famous bath, Szechenyi Baths, was renovating one of their outdoor pools, so we decided on Rudas Bath. Originally built in the 1500s as a Turkish Bath, Rudas Bath has since expanded to include restaurants, a rooftop jacuzzi with panoramic views, and various different pools. We paid for the “all in” ticket, which included access to all of their different baths and wellness areas, for 6,200 HUF | 23 USD | 19 EUR. And there we stayed, for hours on hours on hours.
I didn’t take any photos. To be honest, I just really wanted to relax and break free from everything. That didn’t stop other people from doing full on photo-shoots inside the baths. However, to each his own! The baths were amazingly relaxing. Visiting a bath is an absolute must!!
5. Sunset and Dinner at Hadik Cafe
After we finished, after hours of baths, we watched the sun set along the river. Absolute starving and now en route to dinner. It’s funny how you can work up an appetite when doing absolutely nothing.
From Rudas, we went to the Hadik Cafe, which is a legendary cafe where famous Hungarian writers used to hang out. On the weekends, it has live music in the evenings. The inside is pretty quirky, but it’s a fun atmosphere.
I ordered a delicious Spinach “fลzelรฉk” (a Hungarian stew), paired with a Hungarian craft beer, Monkey Temple.
Spinach “fลzelรฉk” with quail eggs and roasted garlic. Imagine how delicious this is, with a nice baguette for dipping. Monkey Temple, Hungarian craft beer… a nice honey wheat beer, with vanilla.
By the end of dinner, we were both so exhausted, and in need of sleep! We literally got back to her apartment, showered, and immediately said good night. I love being totally on the same wavelength!
Stay tuned for the conclusion to my short 36 hours in Budapest..
Day 1 recap
- 7:25 am: Regiojet, Depart from Vienna (U2 Stadion) | map
- 10:15 am: Arrive Budapest Kelenfold bus station | map
- 11 am – 1 pm: walking on Margaret Island, boat ride to Buda Castle
- 1:30 pm: Lunch at Czako Kert | map
- 3 – 8:30 pm: Rudas Baths | map
- 9 pm: Dinner at Hadik Cafe | map
Go on to Day 2
Looking for a foodie adventure in Budapest?
Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.ย She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!ย She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.
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