I was in Budapest twice, once in the 1980s when it was still under Soviet rule, and again in 2019 just before the pandemic. It's hard to describe how much the city changed in those intervening years. In the 80s it was dirty and service was terrible, and the people were downcast. I remember crossing the border into Austria on a train from Hungary and it was like going from one planet to another. Budapest today is one of the great cities of Europe and offers fantastic culture, food, sights, and things to do, all at a reasonable price. I stayed in a nice Airbnb in the center of the city for $50 a night, back in 2019 mind you, but still way below what I was paying for similar accommodations elsewhere in Europe. I recall visiting just about every place you mentioned (except for the Ruin Bar) and enjoyed my time immensely. Just a couple of other things to mention for viewers: if you are interested in music the opera is fantastic as is other music including Hungarian folk music. The Franz Liszt Academy Hall was one of my favorite concert halls in Europe. I realize this is a beer channel but I also recommend trying the wine, Hungarian wine is excellent and a trip to the wine country just outside of Budapest was one of the highlights of my trip. There are some great restaurants in Budapest and if you enjoy goulash you won't be disappointed. The New York Cafe is worth visiting just for the experience. Also on the historical side, if you are up at Fisherman's Bastion take a walk down to the Hospital in the Rock for an unforgettable if somewhat claustrophobic experience of World War II resistance by the brave Hungarians. Memento Park is also interesting as a reminder of the Soviet era although a bit out of town. I agree that the public baths are not for everyone, but Hungarians seem to enjoy them, and if you are in Budapest it is an experience not to be missed. Finally, check out the statue of Ronald Reagan near the Parliament, it may remind you that the US played a constructive role in freeing Hungary from tyrannical Communist rule way back when.
My advice, as a Hungarian, is to come to Budapest in a few years' time if you come for the historic architecture. At the moment, the entire castle district is a construction area. The whole Royal Palace is being restored to its pre-WWII state the inside-outside. It will be the most majestic palace in Europe!
I've been watching your videos for a while now, and this one made me subscribe. Everything mentioned reminded me of when I went to Budapest in 2016, and now I want to go back. If you're still there and have the opportunity to do so, I recommend going to a classical concert at the Basilica. The acoustics are amazing!
Budapest is def. on our bucket list! We just got home from two weeks in Puglia. You guys were right, it is an amazing area in Italy with very few American tourists! Great video!
Love this video! I'm watching this to get new ideas for our upcoming trip, and I love seeing places we've never gone--but will check out! My husband grew up in Hungary and his parents still live in Budapest, and we always seem to visit during new historic heat waves. Tips on Budapest when it's super-hot outside would be great! We've found that churches seem to be naturally a bit cooler. Standalone restaurants and cafes often don't have a/c, ditto for museums! Some public transportation has a/c, some doesn't--ditto for rental lodging. Malls do, but I've never wanted to travel only to spend time in a mall with chain stores. Evenings cool off but daylight is long. When it's hot, we go to pool complexes and lakes as much as possible (both are cultural experiences in themselves)...along with a lot of humanity, but at that point, who cares! Outside of Budapest, but train-accessible: we love Lake Balaton (far for a day trip though) and the cute nearby town Szentendre (perfect for a day trip).
Hungary is an underrated country ,it is worth visiting it,great food,great culture,great arquitecture and not as pricey as the most famous countries in Europe,very informative video about Budapest!!
Thanks for the memories. Surprised you did not mention the very moving Shoes on the Danube river which is a memorial to honor the Jews who were massacared during WWII. It was one of my most memorable sites in Budapest.
We have been there twice, both times before starting a river cruise, One east to Germany and the other west to the Black sea. There were a couple spots we didn't visit, so maybe we will have to go back.
I was in Budapest last Christmas was my first time in there. I loved it was so amazing. Thinking to visiting it again but in summer next time. Hello from Chicago 👋
Totally agree Budapest is so underrated. I went twice this year , we were there end of June as well . One thing to remember is to make sure if u stay in Airbnb that it has AC, it’s hot! Most buildings are ruins as well , look at pics of building before booking. We preferred Moments hotel over Airbnb .
Love this video I went there during Christmas time and so there’s Christmas markets all around and it was so beautiful, but I’d love to come back in May or September as well.
the Budapest Card was a frustrating experience for me, the vendor told me it was best to get the 96 and I discovered that each card/tier offers different admissions and that some of the places I wanted to visit weren't on mine yet if I had purchased one at a lower price I would get free admission (which I felt made no sense)...the vendor clearly didn't explain and I hadn't researched enough before arriving. Great video!
The city is easy to navigate but any place within walking distance to the downtown historic area is ideal. If you like the nightlife, stay on the Pest side of the river.
This video came at a great time - we have a quick trip to Budapest this Thursday-Saturday. I had already booked a couple things, but added a couple more after your video. We're doing the central market, a thermal spa, a walking food tour, the parliament building and a late evening sunset dinner cruise. We're packing a lot into a small window of time.
Haha... Yes, shorts are the new addition. But I actually am wearing my skirt right now. They take up zero room so it's nice as a change every once and awhile
Another great video. Cant wait to get there one day. Carrie was wondering if the tanks youve been wearing are linen? Curious if you guys are finding some materials hold up better than others?
Thank you so much ❤️. Yes, the latest tanks I got are a linen mix. They aren't the best choice to travel with, they wrinkle like crazy. But, I was desperate and needed something new and they were pretty inexpensive. They most likely will be tossed before we head out again.
Like you, my husband and I really enjoyed our time in Budapest. We especially loved all the exploring by foot. So much to see. We did many thermal baths (this is a must). If you only do one, and want a real cultural experience, I recommend the Szechenyi Baths. Hope you get to experience it.
Are you planning on going to Lake Balaton? Its not far and you can take the train directly. Its quite a big and impressive sweet water lake. Maybe check out Balatonfüred or Tihany
Surprised you did not mention the shoes on the edge of the river behind the Parliament Building....sobering reflection of part of the history of the city.
Great to see you folks put together all important sites. We missed few like the Margaret Island, the park where you filmed this. There is a scenic tram ride , tram 2 could also be added for those who do not want to walk across. We bought the 14 day public transport pass which is not at all expensive includes unlimited travel in buses, trams and the metro lines. We did the thermal baths in one of the less crowded less expensive ones, must do, as Budapest on earth’s fault line these thermal waters rich in minerals and recommended for people who have muscle pains. Surprisingly we found grocery stores small and run out quickly especially the bakery and produce. We stayed for 20 days and would love to come back. Cheers 😀
if you in the buda castle i recommend the national gallery insted the city musem that you were in. the national gallery has a pretty good art collection.
Great video. You guys get better all the time. Brian, you really need to wear a hat whenever possible. Your forehead is showing sun damage. It’s apparent when you filmed in the shade. Stay safe. 💙
Hi both, we’ve followed you for some time now and love your content. We stayed at HSuites due to you and loved being there. We’re looking to slow travel in Budapest this autumn, please could you tell us where you stayed?
Budapest is stunning. But the nickel and diming admissions would drive me up a wall. I would just assume skipping all that out of protest.... Hungary is not the cheap "eastern" oops, I mean "central" European country it once was.... Nice video. Thanks, guys! 😊
Do both of you know that there is a beer bath at Szechenyi bath? It's another entrance. I went with a friend last year. You can lay in a beer bath for 45 minutes, with unlimited beer on tap.
We enjoyed our visit to Budapest two years ago. Some other interesting free sites are the Elvis stature near Parliament to commemorate his support of the Hungarian 1956 revolution, also the Reagan statue placed purposely near the Russian embassy, and the very sad Jewish shoe memorial along the Danube. Go Dawgs.
Hey Guys! My wife and I have seen all your videos, and follow you closely! ONE QUESTION you have never addressed (that we have found); HOW ARE YOU PAYING FOR YOUR EARLY RETIREMENT?? most other couples on RU-vid have shared this and it has helped us greatly. We need your help to learn more. Did you cash in your 401k early and pay the taxes? Are you living off savings until your social security kicks in? Are you working online? Or do you have investments that pay you monthly? How do you do it?? We plan to live off the interest/ROI of our investments to retire early. Please share guys, we really want to know 🙏
They both had property so I’m guessing they either sold it or are renting it out…. or perhaps they got an inheritance? The point is does it matter? They’re mostly travelling budget not blingy so they’ve made it work for them.
We've sold everything, including our homes, for a life of full-time travel. Being debt-free, we're bridging the financial gap with savings and income from our RU-vid channel until we can access our 401(k) and pension at 59.5. We're excited that RU-vid is finally starting to subsidize some of our travels. We've discussed this in our Q&A videos, and we want to emphasize that we don't have a large savings, inheritance, or lottery winnings. 😁
The wording in this comment seems really odd. When looking at their profile, the account was just started 2 days ago. They're big fans and watched every video but never heard this answer before?Seems sketchy.
Is St Steven’s a Roman Catholic Church? Do they have mass there? We have found that if you attend Mass (and stay thru the service), you can usually get in to churches for free.
Brian, congratulations for your shopping in Budapest, now if you want to re-brand your channel you could call it "Traveling with Gorgeous and Handsome" 😀
I enjoy all of your videos and this was a great one! I’m going to Budapest this summer and had read that it was culturally inappropriate for women to wear shorts in Hungary. I see several women in the videos wearing shorts though. It will be hot, what were your experiences? Are shorts ok for a woman?
HUNGARY LOOKS GREAT ,NO MIGRANT PROBLEMS ,A VERY WELL RUN COUNTRY ,I AM GOING TO BUY SOME LAND NEAR LAKE BALLONTON ,TO BUILD ON .IVE HEARD THEY ARE NOT IN THE CLIMATE SCAM ,SO ENERGY COSTS ARE MUCH LOWER THAN COUNTRYS PUSHING NET ZERO ,AND ALL TAXES THERE ARE WAY LOWER ,HUNGARY IS THE LEADER IN COMMON SENSE .
I visited Budapest late last year and can confirm the lot. Instead of staying in Germany and Austria longer, I stayed in Budapest the longest. No scary illegal immigration or high taxes, no scary propaganda, great coffee culture, beautiful city and so much to see. The bridges, the buildings, great service and funky food on Pest side. Beautiful island. Not so expensive accommodation. I might go back in a few days. Also thinking of buying in a smaller town. I've heard that it is hard to live there on permanent basis, unless you are of Hungarian background. And yes, common sense rules here :)