buying Budapest opera tickets (old opera house)

I do it all of the time. But treat yourself to the best seats available. Even expensive seats in Budapest are cheap by US standards. Its a wonderful experience. Double check that you have the Hungarian State Opera House and you have an evening performance. There is a second venue and afternoon performances that don't have the same impact.

Hmmmm, for some reason the site was acting up last time. Unfortunately, there were only single seats for the first row of the balcony, but managed to get the last two on the end of row 10. $100 for a lifelong memory!
Only downside are those stupid and ugly self printed tickets. I sent them an email hoping to try to have actual tickets for the wife's scrapbook.

I agree with you about the tickets. We went to the Bolshoi a while back and ended up with the same thing. At the theater we noticed what appeared to be people swapping the at the ticket counter for "real" tickets, but wasn't sure and didn't want to stand in line.

I would second James' suggestion about going for the nicer seats. We booked some of the cheaper ones (not even the cheapest), and had a pretty bad view of the stage. As James wrote, the tickets are so cheap, go for some of the nicer ones.

Steve, we have the last seats in row 10. I also received a reply to my ticket query. It simply read to "print them out" lol. Maybe something was lost in translation as the first message was Hungarian!

Next to the Opera there is a Restaurant called Callas Café which will seat you when the Opera is over. Or for a little more low keyed and a little more back make the four minute walk to Kadarka's where there is wine and some pretty interesting Hungarian snack food and light meals ........ and oddly enough pretty decent gourmet hamburgers. (cross Andrassy ut, and go up the left side of the very large building across the street from the Opera. Go one block and the street jogs about 40 feet to the right, make the jog and continue in the same direction as before to the end of the street. Place is on the left at the corner). As our place is on the same street, and there is a 50/50 chance we will be in town that week, you might find us sitting outside with a glass of wine, some crusty bread and a little pate before bedtime. Other than you we will probably be the only Americans there.

Great! If you see a linebacker-sized bald guy with a fleur-de-lis on the back of the head, holler! :)

No. I think I will run....

If you go to Kadarka's or most any non toursty place in town and treat them like family it will most likely be returned to you, making leaving much more difficult. Start with the very tall waiter, his name is "Mr G". See the response you get. He may assume you are friends of ours which might be a good thing or ....?

Sorry, we decided to spend a few days in Slovakia to do a little fishing and don't arrive in Budapest until after you leave.

Lol.........

I was just checking on seats for a show at the Operett Theater in May and I noticed that the Wedding Dance is playing on the 8th and 9th. If you are still in town on either of those dates this is worth seeing. Its the story of a Christian Boy and Jewish Girl. The music is performed by the Budapest Klezmer Band. This is one of the, if not the, finest Klezmer Bands in central Europe. The story is "very good", the message is excellent and the music is outstanding. This is a wonderful venue, not quite the Opera House but still very grand and drenched in gold. Very near the Opera House.