Author: Igor
We stayed in Budapest for 3 days. The area was not searched for long, the choice fell on a place almost next to the Basilica of St. Stephen.
I'll tell you about the main districts of Budapest: where is the best place for a tourist to stay to explore the city - in Buda or Pest? I will give my selection of apartments and hotels, I will tell you how to save money, and then you yourself will decide what is better to choose :)
If you are too lazy to read the entire text, then just open Airbnb (apartments) or RoomGuru (hotels) and see accommodation in the center of Pest: from there we walked to all the main attractions of the city. On Airbnb, by the way, a coupon for a discount of up to 4,000 rubles for the first reservation works (it is by the link).
What area should a tourist choose in Budapest? My choice
There are many districts in Budapest, as many as twenty three: six on the side of Buda and sixteen in Pest + one more somewhere in the middle.
But there is good news. You do not need to steam and understand everything, it is enough to "master" about five. The city itself is quite safe - at least neither we nor our friends have encountered anything bad. However, there are areas in which it is better not to stop, further in the text I will definitely mention this and show it on the map.
We ourselves have chosen an apartment in the Pest area, on the border of the Terezvaros and Belvaros-Lipotvaros districts. To be honest, I just looked at the titles specifically for the article, they are too complicated. The main attractions of Budapest are located just on the Pest side, and Buda can be reached on foot in 10-15 minutes across the Danube River and the Szechenyi Chain Bridge that crosses it.
Housing prices do not differ much by district, and even the very center of Budapest offers many good and inexpensive options for apartments, apartments and hotels.
Districts of Budapest - Buda and Pest
Central district of Pest (view from the Basilica of St. Stephen)
When choosing an area where it is better to stay in Budapest, I would advise you to look between 5-9 and 13 districts. Further in the article, I will specially highlight two sections: one for apartments, one for hotels and hostels. But first, I'll tell you a little more about the districts of Budapest.
By the way, here's a little life hack. When I am looking for accommodation and I do not know the city, the first thing I do is go to the map of Airbnb or any hotel aggregator and see where the most accommodation is rented. A win-win option for determining the location we need! Where they rent more often - here you need to look first. Well, and then, if it is expensive for us, to explore the areas nearby. If you do not have an Airbnb profile yet - or have unregistered parents / siblings - using the link you can get up to 4000 rubles for your first booking, consider 1 night for free. |
Pest
If you look at the map, Pest is on the right. All areas below are ideal for walking around the city.
DISTRICT 5: BELVAROS-LIPOTVAROS
View of the Belváros-Lipotváros area (also from the basilica)
This is if you need to stay in Budapest in the city center. It runs along the Danube embankment, "includes" the Basilica of St. Stephen (which, by the way, I advise you to climb for 230 rubles), the Hungarian Parliament, the pedestrian Vaci street, where there are always a lot of tourists, Freedom Square and many other attractions.
I probably would not live right in this area, since there are more interesting options within walking distance, and cafes there will be cheaper and less touristy. But if budget isn't an issue, the area is perfect!
DISTRICT 6: TEREZVAROS
Convenient area. It is located around the main Andrassy avenue, which leads to Heroes' Square, Vaidahunyad Castle and Széchenyi Baths. You can take the metro, but we walked (it didn't take long, about half an hour).
There are other central areas nearby within walking distance, so on my next visit I would stay here. The Museum of Terror also has an excellent coffee shop called Flow, I advise!
DISTRICT 7: ERZHEBETVAROS
We are not fans of nightlife, so we cannot tell from our personal experience about bars and nightclubs. But most of them are located in this area.
The far part of Erzsebetváros is bordered by the Varosliget Park (where Heroes' Square is). If you, like us, do not like noise, parties, crowds of young people, this is not the area where it is better to live. Although you can clarify about noise insulation in the option you suddenly liked :)
DISTRICT 8: YOZHEFVAROS
Some tourists advise against staying in Jozsefvaros because of its disadvantage. Other tourist reviews indicate that they chose a hotel in the Palotangyed quarter, and everything was fine.
On my own behalf, I will add: we were here, and it was calm there, to the street Jozsef krt for sure (marked on the map). We visited the Hungarian National Museum, went to the Keleti railway station. But I would not begin to live deeper inside the district.
DISTRICT 9: FERENTSVAROSH; DISTRICTS 13 AND 14: ZUGLO
Budapest city center and view of Uylipotvaros
All these areas of Budapest are good for tourists, except that Zuglo will be a little further from the center, behind the Varosliget park. We just lived near the 13th quarter of Uilipotvaros. Nearby is the island of Margaret, where, according to tourists, it is worth taking a walk. Unfortunately, we did not have time to get there, instead we chose a day trip-excursion to the capital of Austria - Vienna. To say that I liked it, to say nothing :)
If you come to Budapest for a few days, then I would not recommend staying in Zuglo, it is too far from the center. Yes, you can get on the metro without any problems, but why pay extra money, and, most importantly, waste valuable time already.
Budapest districts map
On the map, I marked in different colors all the areas worthy of a tourist's attention, where it is better to stay in Budapest.
On the right is Pest, on the left is Buda.
Buda
Almost the entire Buda area at a glance
I have not seen apartments for rent on this side of Budapest, and cafes, I think, are not so common here. But if something can be found, it is likely that housing will be more expensive. Plus, the terrain is hilly and it is more difficult to walk, especially with children.
Here are the most interesting viewpoints and several main attractions. But the point is that they are all bunched together in one place and you can watch them at a time. Therefore, I would not stay in Buda for a long time either.
But the article requires a little to tell about them, so here. Suddenly there will be readers who go to the Sziget festival, or want to live with a view of the whole city :)
DISTRICT 1: BUDAWAR, NEAR BUDAI FORTRESS
You might think that this is the main area, since it goes under the number "1". But in fact, I would call the fifth central one. Here is the Buda Fortress and many other interesting things (Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion, Royal Palace, viewing the whole of Budapest).
An obvious disadvantage of the area: poorly developed transport system, we went here on foot. Hotels are quite expensive, if the budget is less than 100 euros per night, it will be difficult to find good options.
Royal Palace and a view of the Budawar area
DISTRICTS 2 AND 12: BUDDHA HILLS
Tourists probably shouldn't choose this area either, you can just come once and go up to the observation deck to the Statue of Liberty to see the panorama of the Danube. But if you still decide to stay here (if you have arrived, for example, to visit the baths every day), choose the Rózsadomb quarter, it is closer to the central part of Budapest and the Danube.
DISTRICT 3: OBUDA
View of the Danube from Buda
As close as possible to the location of the Sziget festival, which I wanted to visit in 2020, but due to border closings, everything was canceled. If you just come for a walk around Budapest, outside the festival, it is better not to stop here.
Well, if you are going to watch concerts, book your accommodation at least six months in advance!
DISTRICT 11: UIBUDA
Nice student district of Budapest, a little far from the center, but with good transport links, there is a metro. Lots of bars, clubs. If you decide to stay here, you have nothing to lose, but the average tourist should ideally still choose the more central areas in Budapest.
How to save money in Budapest?
On average, good accommodation in the center of Budapest can be found from € 20– € 25 per night. And you can save on an apartment if:
- look for it in advance and online,
- choose accommodation in the central part (save a lot of time on transport),
- I usually do this on Airbnb.
You can find an apartment with a kitchen and cook on your own, but Budapest is not the city where you should save on trips to cafes, since they are inexpensive here. I will cite a few of our favorite passages at the end of the text.
What I pay attention to when choosing an apartment, I described in our big article about Airbnb, here I will say briefly:
- I set the price range (for example, up to 3000 rubles).
- I open the map with the desired location (for example, the Terezvaros district) and open 8-10 tabs with different apartments.
- I filter out reviews with a rating below 4.5 and see that there would be at least 10-15 pieces and a few fresh ones (this shows that the housing is ok, and the owner will answer).
- I read the reviews carefully and book the one that I like the most.
So, here is a selection of apartments and apartments in Budapest - great! - which I liked. The hotels will follow them.
Where to live in Budapest? Apartments
# 1. OUR APARTMENT IN MUSICAL STYLE
Our apartment in the center of Budapest and courtyard
Here is a link to the apartment, and here is a discount of 4000 rubles for beginners.
We stayed here for 3 nights, rented for 3000 rubles per day for two in the low season. It is located at the junction of the Terezvaros and Belvaros-Lipotvaros districts. The apartment is two-level, located in a house with a courtyard - a feature of Budapest, similar to St. Petersburg.
The rating of 4.89 and 97 reviews shows that not only we liked the accommodation! The interior is "musical", only from it I would have thought that the house is located in Vienna, not Budapest. Near the metro station, but we never used it, either rode on Lime scooters or walked on foot. The only negative: cold in late autumn and winter.
Accommodation for three.
Price: from € 22 / night.
APARTMENT №2.
Photo via Airbnb
Here is a link to the apartment, and here is a discount of up to 4000 rubles for beginners.
Apartment in the city center, with a small kitchen, bright layout and high ceilings. There is air conditioning, located literally two streets from Ferenc Deak Square. If you are looking for an inexpensive place to stay in Budapest, this option will do. Nearby there is a large supermarket CBA Prima (by the way, we also went to this one, a good choice). I liked the comment “excellent bright and large apartment close to everything”.
Accommodation for four.
101 reviews with a rating of 4.86.
Price: from € 25 / night.
APARTMENT №3.
Photo via Airbnb
Here is a link to the apartment, and here is a discount of up to 4000 rubles for beginners.
I really liked the woodgrain finish and the two-level layout - we lived in a similar apartment (which is the first on the list with a musical design). Excellent location of housing, close to metro station, close to main attractions.
Accommodation for up to 6 people.
60 reviews with a rating of 4.92.
Price: from € 30 / night.
APARTMENT №4.
Photo via Airbnb
Here is a link to the apartment, and here is a discount of up to 4000 rubles for beginners.
The apartment is the record holder for reviews - there are as many as 524 at the time of this writing! And, attention, the rating is 4.96. The main message of housing is “live like a local”. This is a studio, the owner writes that this is their apartment, which they started renting out about 6 years ago. To the pedestrian street Vaci 7-8 minutes walk, there are bars nearby.
Someone singles out an excellent bathroom, someone was given wine as a gift. And everyone liked the owners. Although this is understandable from the reviews, I don't know WHAT they are doing there! :)
Accommodation for up to 4 people.
524 reviews with a rating of 4.96.
Price: from € 28 / night.
APARTMENT №5.
Photo via Airbnb
Here is a link to the apartment, and here is a discount of up to 4000 rubles for beginners.
Also duplex apartments, for some reason I liked them with a good modern design. Tourists, of course, will appreciate the location, interior and cleanliness - for us the last point is always more important than the rest! There are many night bars nearby.
Accommodation for two people maximum.
133 reviews with a rating of 4.84.
Price: from € 42 / night.
Good budget hotels and hostels
Photo taken from the Booking website
Do you need extremely affordable housing in Budapest? These are hostels. Fortunately, there are a lot of them here, and even typical 16-places look (and are rated) very decent.
We do not deprive those who want to live without strangers either: classy hotels in Budapest will follow right after hostels.
If anything, in Budapest all objects of the hotel industry are booked in the same way as in the whole world - on the services:
- RoomGuru - it monitors all known hotel reservation systems, including Booking
- Booking - if it's still dearer to you
HOSTELS:
- 2 * Avenue Hostel - excellent location in the central area, breakfast is available. In addition, there are free dinners three times a week with the purchase of any drink. According to reviews, they write that the room for 10 people is more spacious than the room for 8. There are curtains, lamps, sockets, Internet and everything you need to relax after a day of sightseeing and walking around the city.
Rating 8.2 and over 7000 reviews
Cost: from € 8 / night per person in a dormitory room - 2 * Hostel One Budapest - also located in the very center, next to the Great Synagogue. In the evening, there are free dinners, trips to local bars (you can join). Mostly foreigners stay at the hostel. From the airport there is a direct bus 100E for 900 forints.
Rating 9.0 and over 900 reviews
Cost: from € 8 / night per person in a dormitory room - 1 * Friends Hostel & Apartments - located in approximately the same area as the previous hostel. Metro in 5 minutes, printing of documents at the counter (1 sheet - 100 forints). Nearby there are grocery stores and restaurants, a good view from the window. If for all the nights you have less than 50 euros, then the payment is ONLY in cash. Some tourists write that it's time to renovate the hostel, the furniture is a little outdated.
Rating 8.7 and 1800 reviews
Cost: from € 11 / night per bed in dormitory room
Photo taken from the Booking website
HOTELS:
- 3 * Roombach Hotel Budapest Center - excellent reviews of the varied breakfast, they are clearly better here than in hostels. The hotel is located next to the synagogue (read "nowhere in the center"), near the metro and the bus to the airport. Someone writes that there is no refrigerator or kettle in the room.
Rating 9.0 or more 3100 reviews
Cost: from € 62 / night for a double room. There is parking for cars, costs € 15 / day (expensive) - 3 * T62 Hotel - located almost in the area where we lived, next to the Hungarian parliament. You can leave your luggage in a special room before check-in or after check-out. Good and delicious breakfasts. I liked the design of the hotel!
Excellent rating - 9.2 and more than 2,400 reviews
Cost: from € 60 / night for a double room
My tips for Budapest and tourist reviews
The area around the Buda Fortress
In short, we really liked the capital of Hungary, and in more detail, we wrote a large overview of the most interesting places in Budapest with a bunch of photos on the link.
We flew together with WizzAir. Now for the regions (and capitals) Budapest has become a budget haven in Europe - you fly in, and from there you can get to almost any country. We did so, after Budapest we visited Vienna, Barcelona and Marrakesh. Follow the links to attach our reviews of these cities, who are interested.
If you look at the reviews of tourists about Budapest, then nine out of ten liked the city. There is something to see, prices are inexpensive, there are also interesting cities nearby, where you can go.
So now the tips:
- The cheapest way to get to / from the airport is by bus 100E, it costs 200 rubles. If you are a lot or are arriving at night, book a taxi in advance.
- It is better to look for excursions (at least, look in advance) online - I always take on 2 sites: Tripster and Sputnik. I have used each one many times, I like it. There are often promotions.
- When buying a Wizzair ticket, you can buy their membership and get an immediate discount on the current ticket and on all purchases for 1 year in advance. Search for airline tickets on Aviasales.
- If you think what to bring from Hungary, bring marzipan sweets in bulk from the Gourmet Samos Culinary Center.
- Well, for coffee lovers, there are 2 good places: GoaMama and Mantra. Verified by us personally. And to eat - Stika (breakfast) or Hummus Bar. We described more details with photos in the report above.
Oh yes. I advise you to go to Vienna at least one day, put this initially in your trip (you can even take an excursion), you will not regret it. We went so to the capital of Austria, and it turned out great! You can definitely spend a day there.
