One of the best short breaks in Europe.
We all need to take a break from time to time and there are plenty of brilliant places in Europe to visit at a relatively low cost.
With that in mind, we’ve started a new feature to give you the information you need about a city you might be thinking of visiting in the next few months.
=
This week’s city in the Hungarian capital Budapest, here’s how I (Joe Harrington) got on there in early October.
Flights from Ireland: You can fly direct from Dublin with Ryanair and Aer Lingus. You can also fly from Cork, Knock, Kerry and Shannon but there’s a stopover.
Accommodation: I went there with a group of friends – or a bunch of lads and ladies who don’t wish me any SPECIFIC harm – and we rented a huge apartment on Villas.com which worked out at €40 each for four nights.
If you’re going with your other half and have some cash to splash, the Corinthia is pretty swish and very central.
Must-See: The parliament building at night time is one of the most spectacular buildings I’ve ever seen. We took a river cruise down the Danube (€15) at night and this was our view.
https://instagram.com/p/8p41ezmHRg/?taken-by=imjoeharrington
Must-d0: The escape rooms. If you’re a fan of Cluedo or love a good puzzle then the escape rooms, which originate in Budapest, should be top of your list when you’re there.
You and your friends are locked into a room and you have to figure out how to escape using clues that are visible and hidden in the room. It was one of the most enjoyable activities I’ve ever done.
Best Pub: Szimpla Kert. It’s a massive beer garden bar located in the ruins of an old building that was destroyed by bombing back in the day.
The main floor is full of locals and tourists with old barrels used for tables and proper dance tunes blaring out of the speakers, that area is well stocked with fulls bars on either side of the room.
https://instagram.com/p/8qZwiNEuHq/?taken-by=szimplakert
There’s a live band at the back, a karaoke area, an upstairs area which is quieter and more chilled out and lots of little nooks where you can sit in and have a beer.
Best Irish Pub: Jack Doyle’s. We were there on the Sunday for the Ireland-France and Ireland-Poland games at the start of October and it was rammed.
To be honest, it was the only Irish bar we went to but it did the job.
Best Club: Széchenyi Thermal Bath. This is a ‘two birds with one stone’ type of thing because you get a nightclub and you can experience a traditional Hungarian bath.
We were told to visit the baths and ended up at Széchenyi, just beside the city park in Pest, and it was pretty wild.
https://instagram.com/p/9UZaAUADE3/?tagged=sz%C3%A9chenyi
We didn’t know what to expect but it ended up turning into a massive pool/bath party where we ended up staying until 3:30am.
It’s not for the prudish, though, because people were having sex at the side of the pool. Yep, that actually happened.
We’re told the more traditional (and non-sexual) baths are in Buda and are nice to visit during the day.
Must-Taste: Goulash. A local delicacy that’s a bit like a rich beef stew and is served with rice, pasta or potatoes.
We ate it a few different places and the sauce was always so tasty, it’s definitely one to gobble down when you’re there.
https://instagram.com/p/9Zqf2-uZtv/?tagged=goulash
You should also have a stroll down to the city park on Saturday if you’re there at a weekend, there’s a lovely food market with all sorts of pastries and meats.
https://instagram.com/p/8wL50lmHXy/?taken-by=imjoeharrington
Price of a Pint of Beer: It won’t be more than €2.50. The local beers are great, try Soproni or Dreher and you won’t go too far wrong.
Must-Say: Köszönöm. It means ‘Thank you’. It’s always important to be nice. Although, any Hungarians we met had perfect English so don’t worry too much about the language barrier.
Not in the Tour Guide: If you go in winter time they turn the man-made lake in the city park into an ice rink. It wasn’t up-and-running when we were there but the locals told us it’s spectacular.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
