Impressions…

• We decided not to drive in Hungary, so we left the rental car in our apartment’s garage in Vienna and took the train. RailJet first-class tickets were very reasonable, the car was not crowded at all, and the trip took only 3 hours. We got an Uber driver to take us from Keleti Station to our apartment.
• Our decision not to drive was a good one. Even the Uber driver had trouble getting us close to the apartment, which is in a pedestrian area.
• The apartment owner was very patient and met us at Hard Rock Cafe, very near the apartment entrance. He was very thorough in explaining everything in the apartment and made sure we had everything we needed.
• The apartment building opened directly on Vörösmarty tér (square), the main square in the city center and site of the biggest Christmas market.
• There are many Christmas markets in Budapest and we missed more than half of them. All but one of the markets we visited are near the city center:
  • Vörösmarty tér is probably the largest.
  • The Fashion Street market is on a pedestrian shopping street beginning at Vörösmarty tér.
  • There are small groups of booths near Erzsébet Square.
  • The market in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica is almost as big as the one at Vörösmarty tér.
• All of those markets are crowded, especially at night. The least crowded market we visited was in the center of Óbuda (Old Buda). As far as I could tell, we were the only tourists there. It’s a very small market but very interesting.
• We walked across the chain bridge from Pest to Buda. There was a funicular to the top but it wasn’t working – so we climbed many stairs. The view of Pest from the top made the climb worth the effort. We also enjoyed Buda Palace and watched the changing of the guards. And the best part was seeing a rainbow.
• We enjoyed an organ/vocalist concert at St. Stephen’s, followed by a dinner cruise on the Danube. The night views were beautiful and the buffet was very good. We had a nice conversation with a couple from Scotland at our table.
• The dinner cruise was not cheap. In addition to the tickets, we paid a tip to the musician’s who played a request at our table, we bought their CD, and we bought a picture from the photographer. There was no pressure for any of those but we thought it was money well spent for an enjoyable evening.
• The Great Market Hall is a huge indoor market. The ground floor is mostly booths selling fresh food, like a farmer’s market. With dozens of booths selling the same things, I don’t know how they can make a profit. The second floor is mostly souvenirs.
• The return train to Vienna was a little more challenging than the one from Vienna. It was much harder to tell which track and which car and there was very little help available. We did find our car and had no problems on the return.

Don’t miss…

• Budapest Eye – It’s supposed to be the largest ferris wheel in Europe. I don’t like height, but the cars are enclosed and it wasn’t too bad.
• Danube Cruise, with or without dinner and music
• The views from the top of Buda

If you drive…

• Don’t even think about driving into the inner city. If Uber drivers have problems, visitors won’t have a chance.
• Driving to Budapest isn’t necessary given the train service from Vienna.
• Driving in Budapest isn’t necessary given the availability of Uber drivers. Even our longest drive – close to 30 minutes – was only about $8. (January 2016: Check on Uber before you go; cab drivers are protesting by blocking traffic.)

Beaten path index: 2.25 (See the key here)

• Cameras: 3
• Language: 3
• Path: 1
• Tourists: 2

The only part that was really off the beaten path was the market in Old Buda.

Priority for a repeat visit (1-5): 5

• Visit all the Christmas markets.
• Eat at the places featured on CNN’s Parts Unknown.
• Take a walking tour.

Links
Downtown Christmas Markets
One of the best guides we have found to Budapest
Another great guide to Budapest

Heart of Budapest Apartment

There isn’t any need to look for another place to stay in Budapest. We will definitely go back to this apartment. It is beautifully furnished and the owners are great. The location is perfect. Be aware that the apartment is in a pedestrian zone and a taxi cannot get you to the door. We knew this in advance and took only the luggage we could carry. Also be aware that the apartment is in an older apartment building that is somewhat rough-looking. The apartment itself more than makes up for the old building. You can find it on HomeAway, but the primary listing is on Only-Apartments. The brown door on the right is the entrance to the apartment building. Next door is a very nice Italian restaurant.

And this is a view of Vorosmarty Square from the apartment entrance. The square was filled with Christmas market stalls when we were there.

Performers
Two guitarists, good enough that we bought their CD
(more videos at the bottom)

Some of our favorite photos

Other photos

Some of the places we visited (Careful – if you’re using a scroll wheel it will cause the map to zoom)

Other videos