Budapest Hostel

I'm no expert on the best budget hotels in town because I've only stayed in a few, but I know you can get decent rooms in convenient location within your budget if you hunt around a little. Just don't get dragged out of the sweet zone by really nice hotels at bargain prices; better a little lesser hotel in a great location. I say that because there are some nice and inexpensive hotels furthermore in the Austria and Calvin ter areas but if you ca do with a more basic hotel I would choose other locations. My preference is to draw a line from the Oktogon down the center of Andrassy ut and then on to the river, then stay within 2 or 3 blocks of that line. I prefer below the line a little more than above. This for me is the sweet zone if you are an average tourist. Look at the Opera Garden Hotel and the Opera Apartment Hotel and I believe there are some similar on the lower end of Kiraly utca which is a great street in a great area. This zone also has among the nicest hotels in town so you will be in good company. You might also consider an apartment. In that zone you can find many in your budget. These guys manage my place and have several nice ones, but there are other good listing companies as well. http://www.budapestholidayservice.com/the_pond.htm If you find a hotel or an apartment that seems a good prospect send me a PM and I might be able to tell you about the neighborhood.

For more information about inexpensive Budapest lodging, look at: EuroCheapo: http://www.eurocheapo.com/budapest/ Hostel World: http://www.hostelworld.com/
Hostel Bookers: http://hotelbookers.com/ Note that the latter two, despite their names, have inexpensive hotels in addition to hostels.

George, you are a perfect fit for Budapest. This really isn't one of those places where you get a list of "attractions" and check them off one at a time. The last time I checked about a year ago you could only get in the Parliament on an organized tour. Worth it though.

Hi Erich, Yes, I think it is possible. I was in Budapest last Summer and had heard it was unexpensive...and it is true. I stayed at King's hotel (on Nagi Diofa Street) and walked everywhere. Please note that I am very active and prefer to walk whenever possible. I thought it was close to everything. It is a 3 star hotel and not fancy...but I am not picky at all. I would love to go back one day...I hope you'll enjoy! Bon voyage!

The Kings Hotel is outside of the area that I send friends and relatives to, but if you are going to break that rule then I can't think of a much better place than deep in the heart of District VII. You will be in the center of quirky bars, cafes and in great contrast kosher restaurants and a re-emerging Jewish culture. Great location choice.

Thanks for all your help! James, thanks for pinpointing the good area. After i found the streets you suggested i was able to locate several hostels that look good. I'm thinking about Adagio 2.0, Wombats or Pal's. They all appear to be in the area you described and have good reviews. Thanks again. Its our first time to Budapest do you have any must do or must see recommendations? i havnt done any research yet. We're only there a few days in the 1st week of May. Also, any recommendations for getting from the airport to the hostel location? ie subway/train or cab? there's 2 of us.

The one near the Oktogon will put you near the clubs and restaurants of Franz Liszt ter and on the M1 metro line (oldest in continental europe and sort of Mario Brothers like) that will take you to the river in about 5 minutes or the largest Bath House in the other direction in about 5 minutes. You will also be near the 4/6 tram that will take you to Margaret island and Buda. You alos get the shops and restaurants and clubs on Andrassy ut; and the house of Terror. Andrassy ut tends to be a bit expensive so wander up the side streats for gru. The one near the Basilica is closer to the river and closer to the tourist attractions of District V. You will need to take a decent walk to find cheap eats but the area is among the cleanest and most restored. The one on Kiraly is near the night life of the Gozsdu courtyard and central to about everything. You will find cheap eats nearby. Its also at the doorway to the Jewish ghetto which is a great place, especially if you are, or feel like you are, under 35. Cheap eats in Budapest can be pretty good eats. From the airport the public transit is too much trouble for the loss of time and effort (imho). the taxis are fixed at 5,900 to the locations you are looking at. 5,900 forit is about $27 right now. Another choice is the shared shuttle vans that will save you a couple of dollars if you dont mind the added time involved. Google "Budapest Airport", find the official site and there are pretty good explinations of the options. I prefer the taxi but I know you are on a tight budget.

Must see? All of it! Serously, there is a lot so what are your interests. Oh, and May is great weather. We have been here since last tuesday and its been clear and in the low to mid 70's during the day. May will be more of the same if you have just a little luck. Also if the budget is really, really tight do look at apartments. Grocery store food is very inexpensive and with an apartment you can cook. To be honest we stay in an apartment and have done this for years and i can count the meals we have cooked on one hand. Stil..... For laundry some apartments have washer and dryers or if the hostle cant help there is a nice woman who runs a laundry wash and fold service on O utca (one block behind the Opera House) i think the house number is 42 or 44 or might be 47. Just look for the sign on the left if you are walking away from the river. Service is located in the courtyard. Pretty reasonably priced.

George, not only do you need to take a tour to see the Parliament, but the number of tickets each day is limited, so get there early to get your ticket, then plan to have some time to kill before your tour.

I didn't know that tickets were available in advance online (I went in 2008, and I don't think they were then; they were sold on the day only, as I recall). I remember a family that was only in town for a short time, and they were very angry that the tickets were sold out for that day, as though they had some "right" to see the Parliament. I simply returned the next day, but earlier, to make sure I got in.

Hi Fred, Yes i booked with Wombats yesterday. Hopefully it will be as nice as the ones in other cities. It has good reviews and James says its in a good location.

George, I seem to remember the tour starting at 9 and tickets being sold on the spot but its been a while. there is a good chance we will be over that way today or tomorrow and if we are I will give it a look. the place where the tours use to begin is a mess right now as the are constructing a new underground parking lot on the back side of the parliament building.

http://www.operavisit.hu/en/ George you might also enjoy the Opera House tour.

Erich, You're considering Wombats? Good. Based on my stays in Wombats hostels in Munich and Vienna but not the one in Berlin although I checked it out, (the district didn't appeal to me), I heartily recommend Wombats...excellent. This is a pretty new hostel in Budapest, inexpensive too. One big advantage is that Wombats has good laundry facilities.

My daughter recommends Carpe Noctem Vitae....I have never stayed but she has and has befriended the staff. It's near Kiraly Ut and Erzebet krt. No matter where u stay, Budapest is a grand town. Enjoy!

Erich, Staying at Wombats in Budapest you can be sure that it's cheaper than staying at Wombats in Vienna. I stayed at the Wombats on Mariahilferstrasse, across the street from the train station, Westbahnhof. That one too is well recommended.

Fantastic location. Now go to Google Maps choose Metro as your means of transportation and enter Wombat With Hostel, Budapest as one point and any list of Budapest Top 10 as the other points. Google Maps will recognize "opera house" etc, once it figures out what town you are in. 9 times out of ten you will get a walking path as fast as the metro path, but by choosing metro you can see the options, and 9 times out of ten travel time will be under 12 minutes. Then you print screen shots and you gave your own walking tour guide. Google Big Boy Travel for some more good free walking tour maps.

Erich, Staying at Wombats gives you certain advantages as a visitor to that city. Both places where I've stayed Munich and Vienna (and presumably Berlin too), the Wombats' staff at check in give you a map/broshure (Wombats' own) of the city in which is contained a lots of useful information, food, clubs, cafes, transportation, etc. No doubt very handy in tracking the city. Because you get a card key (Kartenschlüssel) for the room and locker, they require you to leave a picture ID behind as collateral, (hostage?)just in case you walk off with the card key. What I do is to give them my Driver's License, which is returned to you upon check out...all very safe and normal. The Reception is staffed with 2-3 persons round the clock. Absolutely no language concerns, they speak fluent English.