Travel to Budapest
We traveled to Budapest, Prague directly from a friend’s wedding in Dallas, TX in early May 2019. Lucky for us, we were able to book our international flights for free with the use of credit card points thanks to our Chase Sapphire Reserve card. What this meant, though, was a rather long journey from Dallas to Budapest which included four different flights and almost 24 hours in airports or planes. Still, we arrived in Budapest ready to explore, and even more so, EAT! It always amazes me how much energy we have when fueling on excitement and adrenaline alone.
We booked all of our accommodations for this trip to Central Europe through AirBNB, a first for us. Spending no more than $55/night gave us the ability to not think twice about our spending on experiences and excursions. In Budapest we stayed at the Gloria Apartment in Central Pest just off Vaci Street. The location of this apartment was absolutely perfect for us and within walking distance of many restaurants and shopping. With metro stops close by, we were easily able to access all of Budapest. It was easy to arrange in-person check-in, and we were even given a small bottle of champagne to help us celebrate, which we found to be a delightful welcome to the city.
Our First Traditional Hungarian Dinner
After unpacking and quickly freshening up, we set out down Vaci Street to find a place to eat. Unfortunately, rather than the 65-70 degree (F) temperatures that we were expecting when we packed, a cold front had presented us with 50-60 degrees, and a quick detour to find Emily another layer was needed. Thankfully she quickly found a denim jacket, and we were back to our search for some grub. We perused around Central Pest, stopping and viewing many menus until we found the most charming looking restaurant called Szazeves Etterem. Little did we know when we walked in, this restaurant claims to be the oldest in Budapest, dating back to 1831. The food was fantastic – perfectly traditional Hungarian cuisine that matched its cozy, antique atmosphere. What made the dinner even more spectacular was the group of Hungarian musicians that began playing half way through our meal.
Vaci Street and Central Pest
Following our first fantastic Hungarian meal, we continued to walk through the Pest side and explore our new surroundings. Vaci Street is a famous walking street in Budapest that runs parallel to the Danube. Here you will find everything from fine dining to fast food and from fine shopping to souvenir traps. But it truly is a lovely street to stroll down, particularly at night when it is less busy and more tranquil. As mentioned above, our AirBNB was just around the corner from Vaci utca, so we enjoyed this scenic walking street many times during our short visit to Budapest.
Ruin Bars
Many travelers that visit Budapest have made the Ruin bars a must-visit for a night out, and for good reason. Many of these bars are located in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest and are essentially bars opened in dilapidated buildings and open spaces. What makes them so neat is the laid-back and relaxed atmosphere that accompanies them as well as the bizarre mix of decor found all over the walls, floors, and ceilings.
Since we had been up for over 24 hours at this point, we only ventured to one Ruin Pub, the original Szimpla Kert. The bar was very crowded for a Tuesday evening and had a mix of tourists and locals sitting down to enjoy a beer or drink. There were many different bars in different rooms each specializing in a different kind of drink. Prices were fair, and there were plenty of Hungarian beers to choose from. I tried a Hungarian cherry-flavored beer which was certainly interesting, and Emily went for a more standard lager. While we enjoyed our drinks, an employee of the pub stopped by and offered us a large carrot to purchase as a snack, explaining that its a bit of a tradition at the bar to purchase a freshly-peeled carrot. Quite obviously, we bought one and nibbled on it while we finished our drinks.
After one drink at the Ruin Pub, we were ready to retire for the evening. It had been a long day (and then some) of traveling, and we were proud of ourselves for making the most of our first evening in Budapest. More importantly, we were incredibly excited for everything that our only full day in Budapest had in store for us starting the next morning!