Public toilets, money, boat tour and food questions

Finding public restrooms is always a problem in Europe. NEVER pass up a restroom anywhere. May require a stop for a morning coffee. Obviously public facilities like museums may have access prior to entering the exhitits. Someone once posted that there is an app to id public restroom. Not familiar with it. And often you can sneak into a hotel and use a ground floor restroom. After a while you will develop a sense for finding them. Personally I always have about an amount equal to about 50 us $ as walking around. You generally can rid of that amount during your last day or leave a small tip for the maid.

When we were in BP I don't remember seeing a lot of sour cream on dishes. I am not a bug fan of sour cream so I think I would have noticed it being frequently served on food. I thought BP was big on picture menus so you may be able to anticipate.

For an upcoming trip of my own, I skimmed through the Budapest info I had grabbed off this forum before an earlier trip. Our resident expert, Mr. E (who is traveling himself right now and may not be following the forum), posted prior to the pandemic that good public toilets are hard to find in the city but those in the large covered market halls are good. I don't know whether you have to pay for them.

Being curious, I just went to Budapest on Google Maps and typed public toilet into the Search box. I got two hits on the Buda side of the river and eight in Pest. When I zoomed in a bit on the Google map and searched again, two or three more facilities popped up. That's a decent start. Remembering Mr. E's admonition, I will caution you that I don't know what sort of condition those will be in. Museum toilets are almost guaranteed to be better than public facilities with no fee attached. If there's a fee, there's often someone working in the area to keep the toilet in decent shape.

The train stations will have toilets. If they're pay-for-use, they should be OK. However, the train stations are located particularly close to key sightseeing targets, so they may not be convenient stops for day-to-day use in Budapest.

I confess that I often give a bit of thought to the availability of toilets as I contemplate my sightseeing plans for the day. It's very unusual for me to return to my hotel room during the day, but that can be an option if you choose a centrally located hotel in decent proximity to some of the sights you want to see.

For bathrooms, my strategy is to usually ask the staff at restaurants with tables outside if I can use the bathroom and 4/5 times they say yes. In Budapest I think the yes percentage was even higher than that. If the restaurant is pretty busy, sometimes I just walk inside like I belong and ask someone where the bathroom is and use it.

I was in Budapest for 8 nights and other than tips for 2 walking tours I took, I don’t remember using cash.

I took the river cruise RS recommends. I think it’s Legenda City Cruises. Take it around sunset time, the Parliament looks amazing all lit up.

My favorite restaurant was Két Szerecsen.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KddnNamwigAgZQV5A?g_st=ic

Good advice about the public toilets. Don’t pass up an opportunity in a restaurant, cafe, or museum. I wouldn’t count on finding them easily accessible as you walk down the street.

All the boat tours will be about the same as they go up and down the same stretch of River. But Legenda generally comes up with good reviews. Do one at sunset. Another free option is to do a rectangular tram ride with your transit pass along the river.

In my last couple of trips, I have spent less than 5,000 ft cash each week. But it is good to have some. Maybe 6,000 - 9,000 in order to not get big bills.

For sour cream, just read the description of the menu items. There’s a ton of stuff without sour cream. I need to start a new list and add some great restaurants that are new.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/restaurants-in-budapest-october-2022
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/restaurant-alternatives

For a short visit, I like eating at Duna Corso because it is right on the river. Porc&Presli that Christy recommends is another I like, and Vac Varju was fun. I have yet to eat anywhere bad. But there are lots of places I haven’t tried yet, so I guess it could happen. Lol.

With 3 1/2 days, get your transit pass when you arrive. You can get a 72 hour travel card for 5,500 ft or a 15 day travel pass for 5,950 ft.

Mark, like London I guess, Budapest is a large functioning capital city, not a Disneyland. As a result there are all kinds of great food and activities and sights that are not overly burdened with tourists.

So much in fact that sometimes the recommendations are best tied to your accommodation location or the part of town you are visiting on a particular day.

Sorry. That wasn't much help, but no worse than a list of 50 restaurants scattered across town.

Marco, i live around the corner from Két Szerecsen. They did a pretty complete renovation about three weeks ago. But oddly, when they were done, looks the same inside.

There is an app named "flush" that shows toilet locations. Not always correct, but a good starting point. Sometimes it gives more information such as "starbucks", "museum".

I think it is updated by users, meaning not necessarily vetted.

I've found something special for you: Pop & Roll, the art toilet. Not for everyday use because it costs HUF 1000 (about $3 US). But a deal when you consider it's a functioning public toilet that's also sort of a pop-art museum.

The address is Dorottya utca 6 (District V). It's right beneath Madame Tussaud's and accessible from the street as well as from the museum.

Plan carefully: It's open daily but only 10 AM till 6 PM.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popandroll.art/

Blog: https://welovebudapest.com/en/article/2024/04/22/sights-culture-pop-and-roll-art-toilet-public-loo-dorottya-utca/

Mark,

• We were in Budapest for 8 days at the beginning of this month. Toilets were no problem! If in a museum, just ask. If we needed to go while out, it was time for either a stop for coffee, a snack, or a beer/wine and we just used the toilets where we were - easy. We took too much cash and it was almost a burden to spend. Most of the time, just used the phone app to pay. And as a smart person told me, people are silly to worry about food - it's everywhere.
• I will get my trip report up soon as I've been going over my notes, photos, and receipts between working (sigh).

~Marci

Hi Mark,

All of the shopping malls have free, public toilets, although I've heard that WestEnd is going to start charging (card accepted). I'm fairly confident saying that the hot air balloon park and Olympic park have free public toilets and other parks are moving in that direction. Great Market Hall has paid toilets on the top floor and in the basement across from Aldi. This is when it's nice to have a bit of cash/coin.

The nice thing about European restaurant culture is not being rushed. If you stop in a restaurant for a meal or a cafe for coffee and cake (My faves: Művész Kávéház near the Opera, Ruszwurm in Castle Hill, Auguszt Cukrászda with three locations) you can linger at your table without feeling rushed. You'll have access to the restroom without a fee.

Some fast/quick food places, such as Starbucks or McDonalds, will require a purchase and will provide a code on the receipt to open the restroom.

Many hotels are starting to 'crack down' on non-guests attempting to use restrooms. For example, the Hilton in Buda requires card access to the restrooms.

Tap to pay is the common method and Visa and MC are almost universally accepted. I don't always have as much luck with my AmeEx.

Legenda is the standard for sightseeing river cruises.

TTM shared my favorite: Pörc & Prézli, a sweet little restaurant behind the basilica. Another location that is really, REALLY Hungarian is Nagyi Kifőzdéje (basically Grandma's Kitchen) in Buda. You may need cash and English may or may not be understood, but the food is so good. And it really is like sitting in Grandma's kitchen.

We have been in Budapest 4 days and haven’t used any forints. Didn’t even get any at atm. Our Visa card with no foreign charges has been used for everything, even coffee. We have some euro coins that can be used for toilets but we opt for a coffee, have asked a restaurant if really desperate and never leave a paid tourist site without a stop. No problem! Love using public transportation for free as a senior 65 plus. Did have to show a drivers license several times. Carry a “real” ID. As Mr. E recommends, get a room near a metro station for ease of travel when not walking. Leaving tomorrow after a wonderful visit.

Is all public transit free for over 65? We will be there for 6 nights and wanted to get a multi day pass. I assume that you have to pass for the pass? How do you get the free transit for over 65?

Yes, its free for everyone.

The transportation system is pretty much an honor system; but "trust with verify", to paraphrase a great man.

So, in the event you are asked by a person at an entrance or exit or during a surprise inspection on the tram, you show your drivers license. Odds are they will not even look at it but the presenting of it says "look, I am old". I tried just pointing my balding grey haired head and finally one inspector stoped me and said bald men have to pay. Then he laughed and waved me on.

So, no need to buy anything. Do remember that the Funicular is not part of the public transportation system. That you will still have to pay for.

FOR TOILETS

If you are really worried carry a 200 ft coin. Then if you need to go and there is a charge you have it covered (a few of the pay toilets left, like at the Great Market Hall, but they are rare). Otherwise when nature calls I know its coffee time (or beer time if its later in the day), and I take a seat at an out door table, order, then ask for directions (generally downstairs in the basement).

Mr. E
So since we are over 65 and not from E.U. - we don’t need to buy a multi day transit pass? We just get in a tram or bus and show ID if asked.

mboggs1, I live here and it was hard for me to believe at first. But yes, you just hop on and hop off at your leisure. IF, you are every questioned, show a drivers license or somehting else with a birthdate on it. I almost guarantee they wont look at it, they will just wave you on. I ride on average 6 modes of public transportation a day (busses, metro, trolly, tram) and have never had an issue. Just this morning a metro to antother metro to a bus to anothe bus to a tram, to another tram to a metro; picking up prescriptions at an importer across town and stopping at a wine bar on the way home.

For the most part the metro cops are pretty decent and try to help. They do get a bad rap because the rule is, if you arent legally on the public transportation there is no excuse, you pay the fine. But, again, not to worry, you will be legal.

We checked this a couple of ways. One was on the website, and the other at the ticket office where myself and Texas Travel Mom were both told we were over 65 so go away.

I don't know that this applies to any regular posters here--you'd need to have EU citizenship and be 70+.

I've recently updated my sightseeing notes for Budapest in preparation for a repeat visit. As I researched opening times, I noted entry fees as well (because why not?), and I was shocked to see how many places (it may have been nearly all of them) are free if you're 70 or older. But not if you only have a US/Canadian/etc. passport. Sob.

So get to work on acquiring a second passport if you qualify for one!

One of the EU mandates is all EU citizens must be charged the same. That's why a discount intended for the local population ends up for any EU citizen. That's also why the universal over 65 ride free is unique. I bet it gets changed sometime soon.

One of the EU mandates is all EU citizens must be charged the same. That's why a discount intended for the local population ends up for any EU or sometimes EEA citizen. That's also why the universal over 65 ride free is unique. I bet it gets changed sometime soon.

Most tourists in Europe are Europeans, so ...