1. How do you secure your valuables at the Budapest baths? Do they give you a locker (one that is secure)? Do you need to bring your own lock?

2. Do we need to pack flip-flops (or comparable footwear) or can you do without them?

Thanks.

If you are talking about one of the more traditional baths, such as the Rudas or even the Gellert, there will be a private dressing room where you can leave your belongings. There will be an attendant who will lock the door - in some of the baths, you will get a separate key (and both keys are required to open the door) but usually, you will just get some small metal plate that will be an identifier. Although I would not recommend bringing a whole lot of valuables with you, I have used these dozens of times with no problem. You are expected to tip the attendant as you leave.

In places like the Szechenyi, I believe there are more traditional lockers - I imagine someone with more experience here may be more helpful than I.

Flip-flops are never a bad idea, and always welcome, but I typically do not use them (and have lived to tell the story).

We went to Rudas (on a weekend when it's both sexes). Be sure to take your own towels so you don't have to pay for them at the baths. We got a plastic key card to lock the dressing room; no assistance offered/required from an attendant. We didn't have flip-flops although they would have been a good idea.

went to Gellert a few weeks ago. the more you want the more you pay. You can go w/o a locker and leave the stuff outside by the pool area and hope its there when you get back, I wouldnt do this Unattended.

Theres a locker and an attendant opens and locks and holds the key (master) we did. Or can spring and get 1 of 2 types of dressing rooms, which are small rooms.

1st timers and had no idea they didnt supply towels, you can rent them for 4600 HF 2x the price of getting in with a locker. We were lucky it was hot and sunny so hung outside by the pool and dried off. i wasnt sure if I heard the person correct teh 1st time or they just thought they could get away with ripping us off. But they did repeat the 4600HF a 2nd time.

If you leave before the 2nd hour is up you get back 400HF the price with the locker was 2900 HF.

always a good idea to bring flip-flops

Enjoyed walking around Buda much more then going to the Baths.

Thanks for your replies.

We went to Rudas baths on our first visit. We'll be in Budapest end of this month and need some information on the logistics of visiting the outside pools at Szechenyi in January.

How exactly does one do this? Get locker, change, then dash outside and jump in before you freeze?

Are you given a robe or something or does one just change and put on your winter coat to go outside?

Anyone done this that might offer advice, including whether it's a really dumb idea. Greatly appreciated.

I went to the Sz�chenyi Gy�gyf�rdő bath and someone stole my towel while I was in the pool. It was one of those quick dry towels. In retrospect, it was warm enough outside that I should have left my towel in my locker.

Bump. Anyone? Headed there next week.

Can't believe we don't have at least one brave FTer who has taken a dunk in the outside pools at Szechenyi during the winter. What are you people, a bunch of weenies?

We went to the Szechenyi Baths this past September...absolutely wonderful experience.

You get a ticket that entitles you to a locked room to keep your things and you are provided towels.

The baths have a series of outdoor pools at varying temperatures and some wonderful pools inside the baths which provide hot tubs, whirlpool, etc....again, a wonderful experience.

When you are done you can take the ticket back to the ticket counter and, depending on your length of stay, receive a partial refund.

Just outside of the baths is a subway that takes you to key areas in the city and back to the Danube for the hotels, vaci utca, dining, etc., etc. and a fun (and inexpensive) way to go to other points in Budapest.

Enjoy!!!

Which one of such baths you liked the most and whay?

As someone who used to be a native of Budapest and but rarely went to baths, I'd say the Rudas is unbeatable for history (think XVI centrury cupole over the central pool) but I'm not sure what is the present condition of the bath - from the outside it looks quite beaten.... The Gell�rt is much posher and you get outside pool (in the summer) as well. The Sz�chenyi is something I never visited, but it's usually on the must-do list of many tourists.

In the 70-80's these places were also known for their gay patrons (ie. were part of the then semi-legal gay-scene), I don't know how's it today.

There are tons of web sites on those baths, but this was my favorite:

http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.co...-budapest.html

And if nobody else has mentioned it, when they say "men only day" or "women only day", that is code for "suits optional".

If you've got time, try going to several different ones. Each is really different.

Romelle