Tizzette

Since OP seems to like Marriot, he might be interested in the Marriot Executive Apartments in Budapest. Not part of the Boscolo hotel, located in a different building. The apartments don't show up on Marriot.com so just google Marriot Executive Apartments. Studios, one BR, 2 BR.

JBord

I didn't realize this was so close to the Marriott (just a block or so away) until I looked on a map now. Personally, I'd have a difficult time giving up the wonderful concierge lounge at the Marriott, but this looks like a great option for families or people staying for a longer period of time like the OP.

Geogirl1234

As the OP I thought I'd bump this thread and see if anyone had any more great suggestions for a trip to Budapest (other than the great ones already provided above!). We will be leaving in one month...

ddschur

We stayed at the Marriott on the Danube...loved it!
We found it close to virtually everything we wanted to do (Central Market, etc.).
Sounds like you are receiving a lot of good options but, again, we found the Marriott wonderful and would stay there again when we return BUD.

xichang08

Not really any additional suggestions but some observations to share:

We have noticed what appears to be special buses around town that seem to be open only to FINA. The buses have the FINA logo and did not have a designated route number showing. These may be only for officials and/or participants to use but definitely worth looking into.

We rode by the aquatics building referenced in an earlier post and it seems a lot of work has been done; a newly paved road being the one we appreciated the most! We also noticed that bus 15 was traveling ahead of us as we neared the aquatics building. It likely has a stop nearby and may be an alternative to the Metro if needed.

There is now a bus service direct from the airport to Deák Ferenc tér that is ran by BKK but requires an additional ticket other than the BKK Travel Pass:

http://bkk.hu/apps/menetrend/pdf/1005/20170708/1.pdf

Enjoy your trip!

Geogirl1234

Thanks xichang08! We are being given Metro passes but will check into the availability of those FINA marked buses too.
The competition will be split between the Dagaly complex and the Margaret Island Aquatic facility. Any idea what kind of weather we should expect between August 10 and 21? Do you know if there is plenty of shade near the Margaret Island pools?
We are staying at the Brody House Apartments on Paulay Ede utca, just north of Deak ter and parallel to Andrassy ut. Do you know how long it would take to get to the Margaret Island pools from that location? Is the Metro or a bus a better option?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can provide!

JBord

I've been there in May and it was deadly hot, and I was there last August, around the same time as you, and it was warm but quite pleasant the whole time.

Probably the only thing you can count on is that it won't be cold.

xichang08

The weather should still be rather warm so the shade at the pools, if any, will be nice.

Regarding the buses I mentioned; I have now seen one in my neighborhood on the Buda side far from the FINA activities. I noticed a placard in the window reading "France Men" so it may indeed be a shuttle service for the athletes.

If you make your way to the area called the Oktogon, you could catch the 4/6 tram and ride it to the Margaret Island Bridge stop. This tram stop is directly in the middle of the bridge and from the stop you could walk to the pools.

An alternative to walking would be to exit the 4/6 tram at the Nyugati pályaudvar (train station) and walk over to the side of the building where all the buses arrive/depart. From here, the #26 bus travels to Margaret Island and goes from end to end. With very few exceptions, the island is closed to cars so it is a very nice place to walk.

On a different topic: If you are here through August 21, you will get to celebrate Hungarian National Day on the 20th! There will be a huge fireworks display along the river and lots of activities.

WilcoRoger

I read some local accounts about how the FINA buses are unreliable, so much so that many competitors switched to regular mass transit (tram # 4/6, etc)

Geogirl1234

Thank You xichang08 for this suggestion! We depart from Budapest on August 21 and our final day of competition is the 20th so this will be a perfect way to end our stay in Budapest. Can't imagine how spectacular fireworks over the Danube will be...we arrive a week from today and are very excited to finally spend some time in Budapest. Hopefully the 90+ degree weather ends just before we get there, fingers crossed!