Budapest

[oblio]

It looks like I'm off to Budapest in early March with c.30 students aged 16-19

Any recommendations or experiences regarding

- Sights to see
- Bars to visit (bearing in mind the size of our group)
- Local customs to be aware of
- Legal or enforced drinking age?

would be most welcome

Cheers

[GentlePersuasion]

Be very wary of girls coming onto you/your students. Their intent might seem innocent, but in reality they're trying to con you into the notorious 'rip-off' bars where you get reamed for hundreds of pounds.

Other than that, it's a lovely city. Went in November last year. The Spa baths on the other side of the river (assuming you are staying in Buda) are excellent.

[CooperS]

I'm there next weekend for my stag, will let you know what it's like as although there is only 15 of us going and we're 27-30 but we'll be acting like 18 year olds if my first stag in Newcastle is anything to go by

[mj01]

The Transport Museum is definitely worth a visit. Anachronistic exhibits and with female attendants that look as if they're still in the communist era http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Museum_of_B... Hero's Square is impressive, also try and ride on the Metro, fourth oldest in the world. Relatively expensive to eat and drink on the main shopping street (Vaci Street), but much better value in the side streets. Try and look in the covered market at the South East end of Vaci Street, fantastic architecture inside and out and fabulous local produce inc meats and veg. There's a cafe upstairs that sells 'langos' a deep fried local bread/flat donut served with sweet or savoury toppings; great with a beer! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Market_Hall_(Bu...

[Pistom]

Fantastic place.

The Terror House is incredible.
Szecsenyi baths is brilliant

Can't say enough good things about the place.

[scooters]

Make sure you stamp your metro ticket when entering as you'll get done otherwise

[Bec]

There' s a blind exhibition there http://www.lathatatlan.hu/en/

I know it sounds nuts, but you are taken into a series of rooms that are completely pitch black, so you can't see anything even with your eyes open. It sounds completely nuts, but was a very different experience. You're taken around by a guide, so you have to book in advance, but they do have English speakers available (all the guides really are blind).

Certainly something very different

As others have mentioned, the baths are also worth a trip, the indoor central market is the place to buy paprika (less touristy prices), and generally interesting to see as well

[Jenx]

Get on a bus and take them here...fascinating and a great photo oppertunity...

http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/budapest-sta...

Jenx.

[oblio]

Thanks for the responses so far folks

Can anyone shed some light on

- Local customs to be aware of
- Legal or enforced drinking age?

I'm also interested in how safe the streets are at night.

We will be escorting a large noisy group of students from hotel to restaurant/bar and back. In Estonia last year it was fine however in Paris 2 years before that we got jumped by a gang and one of the students was mugged (and another one hit). It's difficult not to bring attention on yourself as however much we ask/tell the students to be quiet, they arn't!

ta

[badgerade]

Just back from there yesterday after a 4 day break.

Szimpla Bar would be a good place to take the whole group - it's massive and had a really good atmosphere.

As a rough guide, we were paying around 600 HUF (~£2) for a 50cl local beer. Cheapest we had was just over 300, most expensive was 1200 in some awful city centre bar.

I didn't see any ID requests when we were there, and there were definitely people in bars that were close to or under 18.

[oblio]

badgerade said:

Just back from there yesterday after a 4 day break.

Szimpla Bar would be a good place to take the whole group - it's massive and had a really good atmosphere.

As a rough guide, we were paying around 600 HUF (~£2) for a 50cl local beer. Cheapest we had was just over 300, most expensive was 1200 in some awful city centre bar.

I didn't see any ID requests when we were there, and there were definitely people in bars that were close to or under 18.

That's useful information - cheers

[oblio]

Bec said:

There' s a blind exhibition there http://www.lathatatlan.hu/en/

I know it sounds nuts, but you are taken into a series of rooms that are completely pitch black, so you can't see anything even with your eyes open. It sounds completely nuts, but was a very different experience. You're taken around by a guide, so you have to book in advance, but they do have English speakers available (all the guides really are blind).

Certainly something very different

We have booked this for one of our morning trips so thanks for the recommendation

[wiffmaster]

oblio said:

Can anyone shed some light on

- Local customs to be aware of
- Legal or enforced drinking age?

Local customs:-

They are the most surly, unfriendly, mean and miserable people I've ever encountered...and I've been to a fair number of the more obscure European destinations. Unlike the rest of Europe, if the locals are being friendly to you, then they're trying to con/rob you - beware. On the plus side, on both occasions I was unfortunate enough to visit, we didn't feel unsafe walking around at night.

Legal or enforced drinking age:-

Legally 18, but in reality this is seemingly completely unenforced. 16 year olds will get served without issue.

[Mark.]

wiffmaster said:

Local customs:-

They are the most surly, unfriendly, mean and miserable people I've ever encountered

Seems a bit harsh, We were there last year and found the people generally very friendly. Only came across one waiter that was a bit of a tosser but then you can get that anywhere.

[wiffmaster]

Mark. said:

Seems a bit harsh, We were there last year and found the people generally very friendly. Only came across one waiter that was a bit of a tosser but then you can get that anywhere.

I had to go back a second time...just to make sure that the miserableness I encountered the first time wasn't a one off. It wasn't. Maybe I was just unlucky both times, but I've never felt so unwelcome in a city before or since.

[DJRC]

Went for our honeymoon. Brilliant, fantastic, wonderfully awesome place.

The baths are brilliant. Open air bathing in Feb and its snowing!
If it still exists I can recommend Franko's restaurant I think. Check the lonely planet guide, fairly sure its in there. The coffee and cake cafe up by the Palaces.

I found the people polite, friendly and very helpful. Their English is frequently excellent. The Hungarians and Budapestis in particular have a big chip on their shoulders about being regarded as second rate compared to the Austrians and Vienna. Its a fair cop aswell in my humble, Budapest far outweighs Vienna.

[Highway Star]

wiffmaster said:

I had to go back a second time...just to make sure that the miserableness I encountered the first time wasn't a one off. It wasn't. Maybe I was just unlucky both times, but I've never felt so unwelcome in a city before or since.

Shame that, I've always found Hungarians to be brilliant, but then again I'm biased as my wife is half Hungarian. We don't tend to spend too much time in central Budapest when visiting family, but by all accounts, petty crime is more common than it used to be in the city centre, so be on your guard. Avoid drinking or eating on Vaci Utca as suggested and generally if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, it's not as cheap as it used to be, so overly cheap prices are usually accompanied by a scam.

Szchenyi baths are great, as are those at Gellert, which are inside. The treatment rooms there are brilliant, but they are single sex and nudity is encouraged, so perhaps not best if taking kids... I've heard the museum at Octagon is good, but haven't been, it's a bit close to the bone for some family members.

Gerbeaud is a proper old school Viennese coffee and cake house and if you do ask for langos (yum!) don't be surprised if you are asked if you want ste on it. Sajt is Hungarian for cheese.

Stick to proper bars and avoid anywhere described as a 'kuchma', 16 year olds should be fine getting served unless they act like dicks.

[toasty]

Somewhere worth visiting if you're in the area is a sweetshop called Sugar! They do drinks, icecreams, cakes as well.

http://www.sugarshop.hu/index-en.html

[oblio]

Highway Star said:

Stick to proper bars and avoid anywhere described as a 'kuchma'...

Could you explain what you mean?

btw thanks to all for the continued information - much appreciated

[Timja]

toasty said:

Somewhere worth visiting if you're in the area is a sweetshop called Sugar! They do drinks, icecreams, cakes as well.

http://www.sugarshop.hu/index-en.html

This place is excellent!