Dublin or Budapest?

You will most likely find better fares to Dublin than to Budapest. I have only spent two days in Budapest, and it was many years ago, so I can't comment on what there is to do there now. But I do know that they speak English in Ireland, which might be a factor. You can reach lots of places as a day trip from Dublin - Belfast, Newgrange, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, etc.

Thx. I usually plan our trips but am looking at the Last Minute Travel website, and they have 1 week trips for around 1K.. Seems to good to be true but I can't find anything to indicate it is not legit.

I can give you enough ideas to keep you busy in and around Budapest for more than a week and you will not need to rent a car. Someone else can probably offer the same in Dublin. I am going to guess that Dublin warfare is going to be less expensive but day to day might be cheaper in Budapest. This is like comparing night and day. Investigate both and choose based on your interests.

In your situation, I'd look at guidebooks and videos and see which one "calls" to you. You can see Rick's videos on Hulu or YouTube. I haven't been to Dublin. Budapest and daytrips certainly has enough to fill a week. I'll agree that the food is amazing, and communication was not a problem (almost all restaurants have English menus, and lots more people than I expected spoke enough English for the essentials). No need for a car there. A good point was made above to consider all the costs. While Dublin will almost certainly have lower airfares from the US, I expect food and many other items would be more expensive than in Budapest (but don't really know for sure).

This is like comparing apples & oranges. Budapest is one of the least expensive places we have visited and we loved it. There is plenty to see and do and we had great meals. I'm not a huge fan of Dublin and we skipped it on a recent trip to Ireland. And you will not need a car in Budapest-excellent public transportation. I don't know about direct flights from MN-from Atlanta we had to connect in Paris.

I am biased... as I like Ireland but I love Budapest. Definitely no need for a car in Budapest, food is great, and it is such a wonderful city to enjoy. Plus, the weather should be great.

Okay Steve, its settled you are going to Budapest. Now we need to start planning. What are the dates? Oh, and you need to move the discussion to the Eastern Europe Forum.

Will do..Thx everyone! Steve

Having been to both I like them equally. Keep in mind that beyond Budapest there is not as much to see, nor is Hungary easy to travel in. Hungary is still a very poor country and the possibility of day trips out are very limited. Lots to do and see in Dublin and Ireland. There are also lots of possibilities for day trips out of Dublin.

Huh The days of seeing horse drawn carriages on the road of Hungary are for the most part over. Hungary has a very decent road system and a very decent train system. There are a great number of interesting day trips and overnight trips out of Budapest. One major difference between Hungary and destinations in Western and Northern Europe are the costs; a trip to Hungary will be somewhat less expensive. Yes, Hungary's per capita income is about ¼ that of the average in the North and the West but I wouldn't paint it as an impoverished country. Szentendre: Artist Town Vac: Baroque Town Visegrad: Castle Esztergom: Basilica Eger: Baroque Wine Town Godollo: Baroque Palace Gyor: Baroque Town and Archabbey Sopron: Baroque Town Lake Balaton: Outdoor Sports
Hungarian Puszta: Hungarian Cowboys More people don't take day trips I think because they underestimate how much there is to see and do in Budapest and they don't plan enough time for Budapest much less a day trip or an overnight trip.

I've been to both. While I had good food in Dublin, met nice people, and attended well acted and inexpensive plays there, I'd opt for Budapest. Yes, the Hungarian language is outside our Indo-European family of languages, but most of the people I dealt with in Budapest spoke good English. The setting of Budapest is the best setting of any major city I've seeen. Food is good and varied. Public transportation is excellent. I just wish I could visit it within an hour's drive from home!