the baths in Budapest

My fav is Szechenyi Baths. We went in Oct and it was great. Yes you pay a price and get a pro-rated refund if you leave early.
You can see pictures of the baths and of our trip at:
http://gadtravel.blogspot.com/

We loved the Gellert baths. Wonderfully glamourous in an old world kind of way. They are indoors so no need to worry about the cold. Google Gellert Baths and see what you think.

Our friends went to Gellert and were happy with it. We went to Szechenyi and were also happy. If you have three days or more in the city it is a nice experience. Szechenyi is a large outdoor complex of several pools. All ages and both sexes. Lots of locals and local seniors who are admitted at minimal costs. We went there on the metro which has a stop very close to the baths. As I recall, you need some sort of flip flop shoes. Private, locking changing room provided.

Thanks for the replies. I have gotten into the habit of travelling with flip flops and they are handy.

We were in Budapest last sept and went to both Gellért and Széchenyi..loved them both and skipped a wine festival to go back to SZ..it was raining, but wonderfully steamy warm..joined in a water aerobics class without understanding a word but just followed the leader...Gellért is charming for its art..you really see that you're "somewhere else"...But for both of them prepare to get a bit confused (or STAY confused!! as your post mentions..)..Info is posted in English..After we stared awhile we just bought the tickets......Oh, and the SZ also has a small soup and salad café just inside the door but before the entrance to the baths so you can get a bit to eat if you'd been walking around all morning and hadn't had lunch

..ps...both SZ and Gellért.have indoor AND outdoor baths..so be sure to open all the doors...And regarding the "refund"..you just get a small amount back...not worth rushing

We enjoyed our experience at the Szechenyi Baths as well--we there in mid-October 2005. It was a little chilly but not uncomfortable as even the pools outside are heated. The signage in the baths is not in English so it was difficult to determine how to proceed but that added to the adventure. We took bathing suits and flip flops but forgot to take a plastic shopping bag to wrap our wet clothes in when we finished.

gellert

I just got home yesterday from my trip all over eastern Europe. I had a great time in Budapest... we went to the Wine Festival on the Royal Palace grounds, which was amazing. We went the Gellert Baths because we were told that the Szechenyi Baths had some construction going on and that there were areas that were closed. The Gellert bath was ok... I think that I got the impression that it was "upscale" according to Rick. The indoor baths were very pretty, but the outdoor wasn't all that great. It wasn't very clean. The bathrooms were pretty gross, too. It wasn't exactly what I expected. I will say this... it is part of the experience of visiting Budapest to go to the bath houses. I am not saying that is was a bad experience by any means...it is worth going to. But don't expect "upscale". Make sure that you don't waste money on a changing room. Wear your suit under your clothes and change afterwards in the bathrooms. The refund you get isn't much. As far as the weather, it may be cold outside, but you can enjoy the warm thermal baths or if you are crazy like me, you could do some laps in the indoor pool (which was FREEZING, but beautiful). Bring something warm for at night (it was chilly when I was there in early Sept). Have fun!

Amy: Your comments are specific and relate to specifics in Rick's Eastern Europe book and for that reason I am thinking Rick and his editorial staff would like to have your feedback on their description of this place; you can share your feedback about that specific book by going here and copying and pasting your post or parts of it there: Guidebook Feedback

Amy--thanks for the comments. How much is the changing room? We would still need locker(s) for storing clothing and shoes right? I already thought about the plastic bag for wet suits. We will have access to pools almost everywhere we are staying on this trip. What about the towels that we can rent--I think I read comments in RS saying be careful of theft of towels? I guess it would be better to apply sunscreen in the changing room rather than take it to the outdoor pool. I feel certain that we will arrive at the baths slightly confused about the entry and process.

As i remember (it was a whole year ago!!) when you rent a changing room at Gellert it is also your locker..sorry that i forget the price, but certainly not expensive (and i'm quite frugal)..Plus i doubt that you'll be needing sunscreen in October..A wool bathing cap might be more useful

I went to the Szechenyi Baths a few years ago, in early March. It was the highlight of trip! I'm sorry I can't remember the price, but it was cheap and we got a refund for the time we didn't use (hold on to your receipt). It was fun to be in the hot baths with the cold air. There are indoor baths too. I wore flip flops and a dorky bathing cap and fit right in. Even my husband, who is very shy about being in public in a bathing suit, absolutely loved it. I highly recommend the Szechenyi Baths--and it is definitely not touristy at all.

I went last year and we went to both bathhouses and it was one of the most memorable times in Budapest. I don't remember it beeing dirty like Amy said at the Gellert.Our massage there was great and I'll always remember it. SV is fabulous for people watching. If you have the time, go to both, you will not regret it. Its the Hungarian way of life, you have to experience it also!! Have fun, don't worry....

Wow, sorry you had such a poor experience. We went to the Gellert this year & really enjoyed it. I spent a couple hours just soaking in the thermal waters. I had a lovely, relaxing time.