Budapest
 

Thinking about a trip end of Feb beginning of March, is this too much time? Any suggestions would be appreciated. My wife and I are active senior citizens.

Budapest is a great city!
When visiting some of the thermal baths (which I strongly recommend during winter) you can spend a week in this city without regretting it!

How much time are you looking to spend in BUD?

I am flexible can spend entire week or divide it

Hmm... while I do not know what you like and your travel preferences, a week is probably a bit too much. I would consider dividing it between BUD and VIE.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ria-venice.cfm

is one of my favorite trip reports.

I spent 12 days in Budapest a couple years ago. Never did run out of things to do. A couple guide books - Lonely Planet, and I think Fodors. I'm an "active senior traveler" also. The public transport system served well. I ate far too many of their wonderful poppyseed and walnut filled pastries. Found Dreher locally brewed beer perfect with most any Hungarian food, but most especially with Doner kebab (hole-in-the-wall street vendors and ask for "everything" on it). Brought back a great stash of paprika. I'm getting hungry just remembering.

The weather will be chilly for your planned time, but that will just make those baths feel all the better. (Maybe pack some flip-flops for them, and remember to bring along a hotel towel to avoid towel rental charges.)

Romelle

Budapest is really nice! A great trip would include Budapest, downriver to Bratislava, and on to one of my favourite cities, Prague, by rail probably.

Eger (by bus or train) is also a rather nice side trip from Budapest, as is Szentendere on the Danube bend.

Not that there's any shortage of things to see and do in Budapest, of course. It's a lovely city to wander round and relax and bathe in.

Personally, I think one week in Budapest would be just fine.

If you're looking for a second destination think about Vienna.

There is a terrific deal between Budapest and Vienna. A round-trip rail ticket cost about $35, if you complete your journey within four days. For a few dollars more, the ticket will include free transportation on all of the subways, trams, and busses in Vienna.

Budapest is OK, Vienna is much better
 

If you must, spend the most 2-3 days in Budapest, but Vienna is lot more fun and interesting. In February the weather is brutally cold. If you have HH points, book the Hilton in the Castle district, very nice place. Be careful with taxis, they are notorious for ripping-off tourist. Also the restaurants have a nasty habit of overcharging tourists. I guess the communist habits are hard to break. I will spend more time in Vienna. Taking the Ralijet from Keleti is easy and very comfortable; in less than 3 hours u are in Vienna. If you book the ticket online http://www.oebb.at/en/ with few days ahead you, can get a ticket for as little as 19 euros.

The prices in EUR are €25 for the round-trip train ticket, or €31 with the Vienna public transport option. Note that the public transport is only included for the first 2 days of the 4-day validity of the ticket.

Funny... I'm the total opposite... Three days in Vienna, and I'm ready to head out, but put me in Budapest (and the surrounding area) for two weeks and I'm really a happy camper and can find so many things to do. Take the funicular up the side of the mountain and explore the castle area.. Visit Parliament - they have at least one English tour a day, go to the chapel in the mountain and do the baths. Take the train to Szentendre (and check out the overpriced shops), and on the way, stop and visit Obuda (Old Buda) - the oldest part of the city. Also, go to the Great Market Hall and explore all three levels. Eat in the restaurant in the corner on the 3rd floor (you won't miss it) and you can even sign up for a cooking class there one day in English... Visit the Great Synagogue and look at the tree of life, then come back in the evening and see the tree lit... It is breathtaking especially when you understand what the branches and leaves represent. I can spend hours exploring the little neighborhoods. My favorite is the old Turkish area. The food there is great and cheap. Also, if you are lucky enough to be there in October, the area around in the castle is set up for the wine festival or take a day trip to Eger and try some Bull's Blood wine...

+1

Love Budapest. Vienna is just OK.

To Each Its Own
 

Everything locallady mentioned can be easily done in 2 days, 3 days if you are very slow.

Vienna is a world class European capital with exquisite restaurants, famous music halls, grand architecture, unparalleled majesty, museums, parks, sopping, not to mention the best pastry I ever have; and these are just a few of my favorite things. Budapest, on the other hand, a cement-gray town full of old communist relics, graffiti, perfectly priced for people who want to experience the grandeur of the Austro-Hungarian empire but can afford only the Hungarian part.

Easy noob. :p

You are of course entitled to your opinion, as am I and locallady. If you prefer Vienna, then by all means go there. I've been there four times and I much prefer Budapest.

The only thing that really impressed me about Vienna was the architecture, which is indeed grand. But all of that can be seen in two days, even if you are very slow. ;)

Safe travels wherever you end up.

I'm sure that if you only have 2 or 3 days to do all of them you could. I spent a full two days exploring the castle district alone one year and when I went back the next year, I saw things that I had missed the prior year. However, I don't think that it's fair to say that either one of them (Vienna or Budapest) is better than the other one. They are totally different and offer different things to different travelers. A lot of it is dependent on what you are looking for and what you personally enjoy in your travel.... I personally like the old and drab and full of history and really don't don't get excited over the grandeur, famous music halls or exquisite restaurants... Vienna was OK, but Budapest is my preferred choice...

I... wanted to comment on this, but am at loss with words...

GoldieGhe, you are from Vienna, right? ;)

"The feeling is gone: only you and I. It means nothing to me. It means nothing to me: oh, Vienna."

(FWIW, I like both, but find Vienna a little formal and pretentious for my own taste. However, I'm biased towards Budapest as the result of a wonderful just-post-communist trip there in my mid-teens, and some great business trips where the clients could not have been more welcoming...)

I sincerely regret if any of my comments offended anyone’s gentle sensibility. And for curios minds; no, I am not from Vienna, presently live in US, although, I was born in what once upon a time was called Deutsche Demokratische Republik (East Germany). It just happen to like Vienna a whole lot more than Budapest. And for people who enjoy old and drab I suggest Bucharest. I am no architect, but I believe that technically the city is build out of old drab. In my earlier postings I was just stating my opinion, and as a famous poet once said “Opinions are like anal orifices, everyone has one.” If my opinion was articulated in such inartful way that it caused distress to any of you, once again, I humbly apologize.

See, just like with VIE vs. BUD, it's just a matter of perspective! While I generally agree that Bucharest is a pretty drab place, just taking a drive from the airport to the center, through the area with 19-th century villas which are getting more and more rebuilt every time I visit, gives you a glimpse of its (former?) grandeur.

You have to consider the general negligence for upkeep of the infrastructure that it suffered over decades, and while in general it is - as you said - grey and old, I could still spend a couple of days there and leave seeing some real pretty sights.

BTW, your preference for Vienna might be partially biased by understanding the language the locals speak. You might not be aware of it at first, but it does make a difference, and it does make a new city seem more familiar and welcoming. Unfortunately, Budapest provides nobody with that advantage :D

Greetings from Intercontinental Bucharest, BTW - I'm there till tomorrow :)

Thanks for the greeting. I just left Bucharest 2 days ago. Intercontinental is ok, however, Athenee Palace is my favorite. If you like Lebanese food you should try Tulin Restaurant, 10 minutes walk from your hotel, on Str. Pictor Stahi,(by the Cismigiu Park, near the music conservatory), the best meal I had in Bucharest. The old town (Lipscani str. area) could be charming and with a little foreign investment can became a nice tourist trap, oops, I meant attraction. Carul cu Bere is also great.

Heheh, just been there yesterday. Thanks for the Lebanese tip, I'll have to try that out.

+1

Well, one could say something similar and as sweeping about Austrian police as well if one is unfortunate enough to deal with them. I guess nazi manners are hard to break even after 70 years. :rolleyes::td:

I put together some info in this thread a while ago

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/europ...ary-guide.html

:D:D

Depends on where you are coming from. My teenager just left for Budapest and saying it so warm there (10°C) vs it's so cold here (-15°C)

First of all, IMHO all 3 cities are nice - each has it's own charm (Bucharest, Budapest and Vienna). If you would just get acquainted with the history from this part of the world, you would realize that, Vienna was a capital many years before Budapest or Bucharest, so the city is way richer in terms of architecture, culture and history. But still, Bucharest and Budapest, even if they were under the iron curtain more then half a century, you would be amazed about how great parts both cities have. Vienna is a bit dull in terms of things to do at night compared with the other 2, but is quite a cultural capital of Europe, however you put it. Nice museums and operas you find in all of them, but Vienna tops them. So, for me, all of them would be nice as a city break.
By the way, all of them have kinda the same climate. Bucharest is a bit warmer I suppose...
Be safe on your travels.

I think there's no point in comparing Vienna and Budapest, even though I am going to compare them :D . They have different history, thus they offer different things. Budapest was destroyed many times(1541, 1686, 1849,1944-'45), so BUD can consider itself lucky to have a few old, historical buildings remaining. Vienna was more lucky in history, noone ever destroyed it, so Vienna still has the medieval face too.

Vienna is way richer than Budapest, so if you are looking for perfectly renovated buildings, architectural monuments, Vienna may be a better choice. Vienna also has a great cultural life(opera, theatre, etc), and in the winter it's amazing! I also liked the Stefan Kirche and visiting small, hidden restaurants for real austrian food.

In Budapest, you can still see 1956 bullets in the walls, it may seem as a dirty jungle, but it also has a cultural life, but that's different, maybe younger people prefers(not just because it's way cheaper). The values of Budapest doesn't advertise themselves, you have go explore them for yourself.

I think that they are two different worlds, Vienna is a bit pretentious, snobby, for people who prefers cleaned streets, luxury, or at least richer cities. Budapest is for those, who want to experience something else. The hidden inns(I recommend Szimpla Café near the Synagoge), the termal baths, the Castle, old houses offer you a glance at history

Sorry if I was a bit biased, Budapest is my beloved home city... :) This is also an offer, you can ask me questions if you are interested(I've been to Vienna 3-4 times too, so I may be able to answer these questions too). :)