Travel author, Sosaucer, and Students in Europe blogger Megan Eaves joins us on the Travel Geek blog to share tips for fun budget trips in Europe. Her new travel series, Thrifty Thrills, returns this week to discuss the ancient city that is Athens, Greece!

Thrifty Thrills is a monthly column where I bring you the best of budget, backpacker and student-minded bang-ups, bites, beds and beers throughout Europe. I’m constantly on the prowl for cool and inexpensive (preferably free!) sightseeing spots, things to eat, places to sleep and drinks to quaff, so if you’ve got the inside scoop on someplace and think I should know about it, leave me a comment below!

Budapest is probably one of the coolest European cities I’ve been to. I went not expecting much, thinking Budapest would be a drab series of concrete apartment blocks set among a maze of grimy streets. What I discovered is that, in fact, Budapest is really cosmopolitan and quite beautiful. At least when I visited a couple of years ago, it was in an interesting interlude between “former Eastern Bloc” and swinging hip European capital. On any given city block, you are bound to pass a chic wine bar with dim lighting and glammed up people laying around on pillows on the floor next door to an abandoned building with illegible graffiti smeared down one wall and a few half-torn rock band flyers hanging next to a broken out window.

Suffice it to say that I really liked Budapest and I would very much like to go back sometime soon. During my stay, I learned that the city is actually split into two smaller towns, Buda and Pest (yep!) by the Danube River and that is has easily the most beautiful parliament building in all of Europe. I also discovered it is a great city in which to experience a traditional Turkish bath and that there are plenty of cheap student travel options in Budapest, if you know where to find them.



Budget Bang-Ups

One thing I really loved about Budapest, especially as a student traveler, is that there is no shortage of cheap and free things to do around town to keep yourself busy during the day. In fact, Budapest’s most famous attraction, Castle Hill is basically open free to everyone. Here on the Buda side of the city, you’ll find the Royal Palace, known as Buda Castle, which includes the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and the National Library, as well as a number of churches, towers and statues, and Fisherman’s Bastion, a lofty defense terrace with absolutely amazing views of the Danube River and Pest.

There is no entrance fee to wander the grounds and surrounds of Castle Hill, including most of the exteriors of the Royal Palace and Fisherman’s Bastion, and these are definitely the best spots up there. To get in, for instance, to the Castle Museum, costs a mere 650 Forint (roughly US$3), while International Student Identity Card holders get in for free on the first Saturday of the month.

Buda Castle

Another super cool free activity in Budapest is walking one or more of the beautiful bridges that connect the two sides of the city across the Danube. The most famous of these is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge that dates back to 1849 and was the first permanent bridge in Budapest. There is a pedestrian footpath the runs along one side of this absolutely gorgeous bridge, and although the walk can feel a bit intimidating at times as cars rumble past giving the bridge an unnerving shake, it is a really worthwhile way to see the city (and also a great way to save on transportation costs). A walk across takes 20-30 minutes.

Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Map

Budget Beers

Drinking in Budapest can be expensive or cheap, depending upon which part of the city you’re in and which type of bar you’re at. Hungarians love their beer, but the country also has a wine-producing region that knocks out some fantastic, highly underrated wines. If you want to sample some, just head into any small convenience store or supermarket and buy a bottle or two, which should only set you back 700-800 Forint (about US$4-5).

To get off the tourist track and find the cheapest beers (and meals) in town, you’ve got to head out into the suburbs a little ways. One bar that’s great to start out with is Mister Sörház. Purportedly the largest bar in Budapest, this laid back place brews its own very tasty lager and offers hearty meals that won’t set you back more than a few dollars, including drinks. The staff here generally doesn’t speak much English, but as long as you know the Hungarian word for beer (sör, sounds like “shuh”), you’ll be fine. To get here, take bus numbers 5, 104/A or 204 to the Kazinczy utca stop.

Mister Sörház

Map

To learn more about Budapest, check out Sosauce user Stephen’s trip to Hungary:

For a few more ways to travel cheap in Budapest, check out my recent Students In Europe blog entry, ‘4 Great Ways to Spend 2000 Forint’.

Read more posts by Alisha

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 1:15 PM and is filed under Europe, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.