Help With Budapest "Must See" Sights

Statue Park is real neat and in my opinion well worth going. If you have Rick book he lists the information about the bus that goes to the statue park...DO IT. Also the public baths in Heroes park (the name starts with an "s", but I am blank on the name at moment) is well worth 2-3 hours. Amazing four star experiences. I was no going to bother with baths, but too many other travelers told me I should do it and do the outdoor ones not the indoor tourist trap Gilbert baths (name might be off on this one). I am soo very glad I did. Also the opera house only has two tours a day. It is like 3 and 4 pm or some such. So if you go to Statue Park in am you can return on time to walk Andrassy Ut and then the opera house tour. It is neat, though depending on your Vienna schedule the opera houses are similar so you can probably skip ne and not feel too bad about it. Vienna's is larger. (The Hapsburg made that a condition in order for Budapest's one to be built. Any other questions let me know. Budapest is great place...then again I really like Eastern Europe as a whole. Oh and I know you did not ask, but speaking of Opera houses, where as the Opera house in Vienna and Budapest are very similar, the old opera house in Paris (which is what the phantom of Opera is based on) is different and well worth it. They only have a few English tours and the tours are very very much worth it there is you can squeeze it in. Also, remember use the late museum nights to avoid crowds at the louver in Paris. Museums pass worth it if there for at least 3 days. And enter louver from underground through mall and you will avoid all lines. Guaranteed as only locals know about it.
Bon Voyage! Elliot

Elliott is referring to the Szechenyi Baths, which I would put at or near the top of my must-see (and do) places in Budapest. Another hokey but fun thing to do in Budapest is a dinner cruise on the Danube. Budapest at night as seen from the river is spectacular.

Thanks for the great information. A few more questions . . . 1) How long is the ride out to Statue Park? I have guides scheduled both mornings, so unless I include it on my tour, I will need to do it on my own. Is it doable as an afternoon? Will I need to use my entire afternoon to visit Statue Park? There are so many things to see in just 3 days! 2) What is it that's so special about these thermal baths? I've been in lots of pools on vacations, but I just can't see what is so special about the Budapest baths. In mid- to late-October the temperature is not likely to be warm for swimming. I know that EVERYBODY says to do this. Please tell me why! Thanks!

When we were there, all the locals in Budapest said that Memento Park is not worth the time/money. Yes, the statues are grandiose in size, but there are only about 7 of them, and unless you take our own transportation, you are stuck wandering around there for an hour and a half. We were there in early-mid October, and thoroughly enjoyed visiting Szechenyi Baths. The building complex itself is very pretty, and looked incredible at sunset. There are all sorts of jet streams and whirlpools in there - so relaxing and fun. It was one of the last things we did (didn't plan on it initially), and I'm so glad we went. There are also spa services, though we did not indulge.

Prior to my trip to Vienna, Budapest, & Prague, my chronic low back pain kicked into full neurological gear. I was considering cancelling the trip but I decided to just do it. OUr arrival to Budapest was end of November. It was pretty chilly. I had the baths scheduled for our 1st day of arrival. We put it off til our 2nd day, then our 3rd day, then finally to our 4th and final day. We just didn't want to get wet, especially our hair as it was already cold and rainy. But we decided to go as we were in Hero's park. We battled thru the language barrier, got a changing cabin, walked thru a maze of pools of different colors and temperatures, and then outside to the 3 pools they had; a lap pool, a fun pool, and a very warm very large pool. We had a blast. The current pool made us giggle like children. the bubble jets felt good against our feet. The warm jacuzzi pool was so soothing. I walked in wtih rip roaring pain in my back and legs. I walked out completely pain free. The mineral content is the key. No chlorine as far as I know. We wished we had done it on our first day because we would have gone back every day we where there.

No need to worry about a language barrier anymore. All the signs at the Szechenyi baths are in both Hungarian & English.

I also highly recommend the hokey but fun evening dinner cruise on the Danube. Budapest at night is indeed spectacular. Combined with this when we booked online was an hour or so of folk dancing at a nearby theater house, very fun. All in all, it was a wonderful evening.

Your itinerary looks great. We did go to Statue Park using public transportation. IF you have the extra half day to spend there go ahead. It's about a 20 minute bus ride out there. We did have to wait around to catch the next bus back. We also went to the baths and I would recommend it as an "adventure". We had the massages - they're done outside and both my husband and myself were in pain for the next few days! We absolutely loved Budapest - it's a great walking city. Enjoy!
Make sure to buy some of the spicy paprika in the tubes. It's the best. Every time I hear of someone going to Budapest we have them pick up some for us. You can buy it in the Central Market.

If you are wine-lovers, try to fit in 2 hours for wine-tasting in the Hilton, next to Fisherman's Bastion. Hungarian wines are excellent and this tasting place (deep in the bowels of the Hilton) has some of the best, from many different wineries. Instead of trekking through St Istvan's during the day, go to an evening concert. The Basilica is all lit up, so you can enjoy the beauty of the venue while listening to the music. There is ample time for photos before the concert starts and the lighting is much better than during the day. I found the Holocaust Museum to be very well done and quite moving. The Post Office Museum is a little-visited but very interesting stop - not at all what I was expecting. Ride the yellow line Metro - a bit of history.

Hi, I have made this offer before. I have drawn a mass transit map of Budapest so tourists can get around. It is a WORD document. Let me know if you want it. We are leaving March 1 for Budapest ourselves.
Ask for Budapest map at my e-mail address, [email protected] Stop at as many coffee houses as your caffeine possessor can handle. I have a good number on my map. Margaret Island for a romantic walk. My wife make it a habit to kiss every time we someone else kissing. It is a great city. Young or old, they are in love. wayne iNWI