Arriving mid-May for a few days. I'm really looking for personal experiences and opinions. I have no travel agenda while in the city. I suppose I would not want to be too far from the train station but that is not a limiting factor. Not looking for 4-star accommodations either. I appreciate all constructive feedback.
Thanks!
Stay on the Pest side. The 2 times we visited we stayed at the Hilton on the Buda side. While the hotel is beautiful, with fabulous views of the Pest side, I would stay in Pest. Side note: my hubby works for Hilton and got a great discount which he would not pass up. I, on the other hand, would pay the extra money for a hotel in Pest.
I suggest you go to BudapestApartmentService.com and search for accommodations. They are a management company.
We stayed in Paty's Place in April for a week and it was great for a couple. The location simply could not be beat with restaurants and a grocery 1/2 block away. The metro and the opera are 1 1/2 blocks away too.
I referred a friend recently that stayed in the same apartment and they loved it.
I'll be arriving in Budapest on May 15--it's a lovely time of year there, and if you're around the weekend of the 19th-20th I highly recommend going to the free Festival of Museums on the grounds of the Hungarian National Museum, near the Kalvin ter exit on metro line 3. Beautiful shaded grounds, exhibits from museums all over Hungary, great (and cheap!) food and drink, crafts, music and it's full of locals. I loved it so much when I found it by accident in 2016 I planned my visit next year around it.
Since falling madly in love with Budapest in 2014 I have now visited 3 times, and each time stayed at Residence Baron--steps from the Danube, Fovam ter and 2 metro lines, tram, and the Liberty bridge and Great Market Hall. It's at the end of a pedestrianized shopping street, Vaci utca, so while pleasantly busy it's also quiet. I like this area a lot, but for next May I couldn't get my dates and will be staying mid-town at Hotel Medosz, near the Oktagon.
Keleti and Nyugati are well-served by metro lines, so just choose a place near a metro station and you'll be easily able to get around. Most first time visitors do well in a mid-town location.
If you were to calculate travel times to all the major sites and try to find the exact center, it would be very near the Deak Ferenc ter metro stop. So I would use that as a starting point. Move closer to the river if you don't mind being in the heart of tourist hell, move away from the river for more traditional Budapest.
I haven't stayed in a hotel in Budapest in a decade now, but the one we use to use often that is very well located and pretty nice is the K&K Opera on Andrassy ut near the Opera House. We still stay in that same area a few times a year, but now in an apartment. The historic Millennium Metro line runs from the Opera to Deak Ferenc ter in about 3 minutes, so even while a bit out from ground zero, it still works very well.
Scroll through these posts as there are a number of good suggestions.
Thank you for all the information and suggestions. I had seen Hotel Medosz and it was on my short list of good location/good accommodations.
Hotel Medosz is on Jokai ter which is a nice little green area. The M1 metro stop and the 4/6 Tram at the Oktogon is fairly near. You will be close to access to just about everything, with out being surrounded with tourists. One of my favorite hamburger places is around the corner; not that i am suggesting eating hamburgers in Budapest. I dont know a thing abut the hotel. I do know that it isnt the prettiest on the outside and i have never met anyone that stayed there.
I chose Hotel Medosz because of the location--the tram goes to Margit hid in about 5 minutes and then a short walk onto the island and that's where my storks are :) --also close to M1 line, and I have a big room with a panoramic view and terrace; I'll be there in May so expect I'll enjoy sitting on the terrace in the evening. Breakfast also included and I didn't see any horrifying reviews, figured it was time to try a different part of town as James keeps urging me to do.
I have a friend that lives in the apartment building across the street on the right and my niece once stayed in an apartment on Jokai ter. Not a bad place at all. The M1 is right there and as you mentioned the 4/6 tram. A key to anyone enjoying Budapest is getting comfortable on public transportation. Its extremely easy, extremely safe and extremely cheap. As you know, its a big city. Its not like going to Prague where you spend your existence in a well preserved six square blocks. Budapest is a big city and the entire vastness is full of sights and surprises.
