Budapest

I'm thinking of going over Easter. Anyone got anything good or bad to say about it?

Places to stay etc.? Dont really want youth hostels, might see how super short term flat renting is. Is it a bad idea to go over Easter?

went a few years back in Aug, lovely relaxed city. really old skool, lots of run down buildings etc, but i believe a lot more $$ is entering thus lots more renovations.

Hostels are fairly pricey so expect shot term lets to be more so - unless you stay a fair way out of the centre. I was there last summer - stayed at marco polo hostel which was crap - yellow submarine hostel is supposed to be decent.
plenty of campsites in centre as well. for the best steak ever (if you aint veggie) go to cafe intenzo/inferno and get the budapest style steak. if you are taking a bike, you can get to Estergom along the Danube in a day - i highly reccomend it - very nice place. If you have loads of time, I would suggest cycling to Budapest, it only takes a month.

I was speaking to a Spanish fella in Brixton Cycles the other day, he was riding a gorgeous lugged steel track frame that he picked up in Hungary... Hand made to fit him by some old guy and cost him pennies... Wish I'd asked him where now... :S

Spa!

Went last year for music related stuff. Can't recommend it highly enough. They're **quite **into their techno there, but there was enough stuff to see to last you more than a week. I'll dig out some names of bars (mostly south of the river), which were memorable. One was a giant sand castle. In a basement.

ps Spa!

when the weather warms up a bit there's some lovely temporary outdoor bars. getting around on bicycle is recommended. have a Time Out guide book if you want to whisper me your email

I went and it was sick, nice and old school, lots of tradition and some awesome architecture.

Highly reccomended if you want something that isn't the stock english holiday of beer, tits and football.

all i would say is that when i went i found it be less 'derelicte' than i was expecting, compared to cities i've been to in other former eastern blocs. it was one of the first countries to be released for soviet power and has done a good job in getting up to speed. it's one of the richer countries in eastern europe i believe. oh yeah, and it's great. you probably already know that it's really two cities, Buda and Pest. Buda is where it all happens and pest is older and smaller but perhaps prettier. The river separates them.*

we were molested by two lovely women when we got off the train until we agreed to stay at their apartment. it was mint, central and cheap. there was bar nearby that seemed pretty popular but called something daft like 'old mans bar' or something. if you are a fan of excruciatingly attractive barmaids, go there.

*don't hold me to any of this.

Apparently they have pretty awesome Critical Masses...I don't think it's every month, but the guy I stayed with
(from Warm Showers the tourers directory), had amazing footage of thousands of folks hoisting their bikes in the air. WS is great- meant we had a free place to crash and met a great local cyclist who showed us around on bike, knew the bike stores... I'm pretty sure he'd be up for recommending you some places at least, if you want his email, I'll check.

Definitely check out the flea market- there is an old guy who had some super nice old frames, and generally there are a couple other stands with interesting (and cheap) stuff.

Getting in and out of that city is hell- but if you can, the foothills to the north east, are amazing- and wine country... not a problem just camping out around there.

I've got a few relations over there and Hungarian blood running through my veins, but I've only been to Budapest once. It's a really beautiful city. Be sure to spend a lot of time down by the riverside. Don't expect to understand any Hungarian, it's bonkers!

Cheers for the tips... yeah any detail, names, places, bars whatever its all good.

I'm going with my g/f so i was thinking if we could short-rent a flat or something for max150£ a week or something it would be nice enough + we would save money cos we could cook in.

They have bike polo there i've heard ;)

can i come

Budapest would be sick with the missus, good work! Currently mine wants to go to the Lake District or Oktoberfest...

As previously mentioned, I bumped into a guy who'd had a track frame built for him in Budapest by some old framebuilder, the frame was excellent and very, very reasonably priced... Long shot, but does anyone know who he is? I'll be there in June and wanna check him out... Ta muchly... TDS x

Joe, having remembered that i once saw a top gear which featured the old bicycle factory in Pest i searched a few things and this is the best I could do:
bike stores:
[=109900]link fixed](http://www.caboodle.hu/nc/directories/category/subcategory/?user_bd_pi1[showSecondLevelCategory)

Schwinn-Csepel Bike factory ( which if you follow the links highlights a whole bunch of other bike manufacturers:
http://schwinn-csepel-c.cegbongeszo.hu/termekszolg-en.htm

Cheers Henry, I'm all over that info... :]

hey dude! i am more than happy to show you around in my town(if you are about to go to budapest), depend on when you want to travel. i ll go home in april, from 2th to 27th, and yeah, do not miss the critical mass, it's gonna be by 26th or 25th (www.criticalmass.hu) and it's held only two times in a year(day of earth and the international carless day) not every friday which means there are thousands of cyclist on the route, like little ants... it's pretty good fun, a bit of carnival feeling... budapest gonna be nice and warm from the begining of april till late august, with nice places around, and with a good night life, filled up with cheeky girls(ohhh, you are going with your girlfriend, iam sorry). places to see: one of the thermal Spas(Gellert furdo, Szechenyi furdo, or Rudas furdo), Godor Klub(loads of youth and cyclist/famous meeting place of the hungarian bicycle couriers during the workday and afterwards/ are chilling and hanging around it by the summer time and the place is in the heart of the city), Szimpla kert, Szoda, Mokka Cukka, Corvinteto, A38 ship(with loads of very good music and cultural events, has set up with a very good sound system and stage technic, )Sarok terasz(one of my favorite place, it's on the south end of Margaret island, close by margaret bridge, open air place with a quite chilled atmosphere, its more like a drinkink, chating, chilling place), if u want to have a look at some secondhand market: Verseny street(near by eastern train station) i'd say its a bit a kind of doggy,dirty but definetly excellent and funny place as the rear area of brick lane with the stolen, and who knows what kind of staff with, and where they came from... :) and Varosliget park if you want to get away from the traffic.. it's all what i can recommend for first, there must be few other nice things to do which i do not know, or cant remember at the mo... and the other places known from the tourist guide of course... and place to stay.. iam sure we can find something if you guys.. all hail travellers, nice one :)

I really don't like this city. I think its like London, fine to live in and fun, but not exactly thrilling to visit.

Its big, a bit dirty and at times, for some reason, seedy.

For me, one of the best cities in Europe is Belgrade.

Im here almost solely for the seediness.

Im going to sziget festival in august with a load of mates, anyone been before?
hopefully beer is cheeeep.

I really don't like this city. I think its like London, fine to live in and fun, but not exactly thrilling to visit.

Its big, a bit dirty and at times, for some reason, seedy.

For me, one of the best cities in Europe is Belgrade.

Hah.. the one city that Belgrade reminds me of it Budapest. Both are suitably seedy and 'real'.

Nicest city in Europe for me, Llubjana!

Hah.. the one city that Belgrade reminds me of it Budapest. Both are suitably seedy and 'real'.

Nicest city in Europe for me, Llubjana!

But Belgrade has stunning weather, no tourists, and so you are treated well. More than other other city I've been to in the whole of Europe, it felt friendly - its inhabitants see to love life. Arund the old Roman Castle where children are playing baskteball is all feels so fresh and alive. And the Sava is so uch more spectacular than the Danube! :)

I do take your point, though, that Belgrade is a bit like Bidapest in that there isnt realy many sights about etc.

Although in summer Belgrae girl are superior - al have massive norks. Unfortunately, I was taveling with my girlfriend.

Ljubajajan, however the hell you spell it, is charming, but thats about all. Too small to live in!

Lovely clean air, though, dont you think? I would definately like to go back to Slovenia.

OK, I'm bumping this up again for flea market / bicycle bargains.

Staying with someone who runs a hostel, so accommodation, drinking and sight seeing is all in hand. I'm going to trawl through the links above, but if anyone has any more recent information, that'd be great.

There's that ebay guy who always has Modolo brakesets isn't there? I'm off to google shops, but if anyone has any other ideas, I would be most grateful.

Can't wait to go and play chess in a spa again!

ps. P-M really was a bit of a twunt wasn't he?