Taking into account the fact, that Uber closed all its operations on 24/July in Hungary, this recommendation is not all that useful. :rolleyes:

+1

One of my favorite cities in the world. It's so wonderful that I go back every few years. Interesting food, architecture, culture and activities on offer. The outstanding value for money is an added bonus.

-----

On the transport issue, I agree with the recommendation to buy a 72hr or one-week public transport pass; I always do so as I've found that Bp is actually quite a spread-out city if you want to experience it in more depth as opposed to just doing the "standard" tourist things. And since 2012, the pass has come with an added bonus: on weekdays, you can use the pass to ride the public ferries which operate along the Danube. Cheap sightseeing cruise :D ^

However, if I need a taxi, I often use the Fő Taxi iPhone app and can highly recommend it. It's easy and convenient, and Fő is one of the most reputable taxi companies in Bp. I've never had any communication issues with their drivers. Have also used 6x6 Taxi with no issues. (I'm pretty picky about which taxi companies I use in Bp, given all the previous issues with foreigners getting ripped off - no harm exercising a bit of extra caution - even if rogue operators are in the minority, especially with all the new taxi regulations the city has implemented).

Just my 2c worth, in case anyone is still reading this thread looking for ideas ;)

+1 for the Főtaxi app. Simple, works great, you can even follow your ride approaching. You don't even have to know your address, it uses your location data (but you can manually input it, if needed) And no trying to pronounce your location to the phone dispatcher :)

Yeah, well taxis may be cheap but the ones at the train station refuse to use meters and charge outrageous prices even with bargaining. From there to the Intercontinental, asking prices for foreign visitors (me) started at HUF6,000 and I couldn't get it below HUF4,000 despite trying three of them.

I didn't have a local or usable SIM at the time, I do have one now, so installed the Fo app, which seems quite user friendly and in English.

Incidentally, I first tried to get a Telekom/T-mpbile prepaid SIM and they refused to sell it to me, they said they only sold to people with Hungarian address cards. This was at their office nearest the Intercontinental. The nearby Vodafone office had no problem selling me one (and was filled with visitors buying them).

The suggestion to take the municipal ferries is a great one. I got off at Margit Island which is a very nice park, complete with dancing waters fountain. There are hourly "concerts" where the fountain dances to music -- I happened to get there for the hour when it played 60s US rock, suddenly it boomed out Chuck Berry followed by Paul Simon and Roy Orbison.

On my last full day, I went to Memento Park, which is far out of town in the middle of nowhere. Best to go by taxi and have the taxi wait, which means an expensive visit as it's about 4,400 Forint one way from the center of town. This park contains a bunch of the statuary from the Communist days. They took the "best" and put it here, sort of a satire of itself. Admission is 1,500 Forint per person, What can I say, it's my kind of place and it elegantly shows off Hungarian attitudes towards the Russians in quite a different way. There's a Trabant there too.

Budapest public transit
 

Anyone here have any experience with the BudapestGO Public transport app, pro or con?

Speaking personally I find it to be one of the better, more comprehensive public transport apps for journey planning, and the live map not only shows you the location of bus, tram and metro stops (with a handy arrow pointing in the direction of travel) and the public bike scheme locations, but with the right setting turned on it shows you the approximate location, make, model and registration plate of the trolleybuses, buses and trams in real time. There are even filters to show the ticket machines, where to pump up your bike tyre if it goes flat, where you should pick up or drop off a Lime etc. scooter. Crazy!!

In all honesty this is massive overkill for what a city transport app actually needs to do but it is nevertheless an impressive amount of detail and still fairly user-friendly.

If you set up a BKK account you can also purchase, store and validate most ticket types using NFC or a QR code (or a weird little GIF-style animation, depending on the public transport mode being used).

Much better than the TfLGo App, though obviously Budapest is a much smaller city and the amount of data mapping required to provide the same level of detail for London would be astronomical!

Thanks, southlondonphil, for the comprehensive review. Glad to know I can find where to inflate bike tires via the app :D.

One question, BKK account? When I search for that term online, it brings up Bangkok Bank, which is kinda far from my itinerary.

YES to Budapest
 

You must MUST add Budapest to your itinerary. The Four Seasons is awesome. Try the afternoon tea! And I agree with going to the thermal baths:
https://www.szechenyifurdo.hu/

We spent a lot of time exploring the underbelly of the city. This includes several places which include Budapest's Stalinist past I.e. The Terror Museum and Memento Park.

I also recommend the transit system - reliable, cheap and entertaining!

BKK - Budapesti Közlekedési Központ (or Budapest Transport Centre) is the agency that coordinates public transport and the bike hire scheme in Budapest. They have a website at bkk.hu/en/ which is worth a look if you're visiting Budapest, but you can only register on the app.

Went to Budapest in '07 and again in late '23. The first thing noted is that prices are closer to western block prices now than back then. My neighbour went there for his 60th (to celebrate among extended family in Pest) was similarly shocked not having been there since the early '90s. He could believe how much Szechenyi baths cost now compared to back then (since there doesn't appear to be a lower price for locals). Stayed in various places patronised by the locals (such as a spa hotel on Margrit island) and some place way out east (which we had visited in '07) and prices are much higher). Did also note that the locals appear to have nicer, newer cars on average than we do at home.