Ferenc Liszt Airport (BUD) is about 25 km south-east of the city, with no metro connection. The simplest route: the direct 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér in the heart of Pest in around 40 minutes — but it needs its own dedicated ticket, and ordinary transport tickets and travel cards are not valid on it, so buy one from the machine before boarding.
The cheaper alternative: bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest, then the blue M3 metro into the centre, on two ordinary tickets. A taxi from the airport's official company runs at a near-fixed HUF 10,000-12,000 — book at the airport desk and never go with anyone who approaches you in the terminal.
One integrated network: four metro lines (the historic yellow M1, red M2, blue M3, green M4) plus trams, buses, trolleybuses and the HÉV suburban rail within the city boundary. A single ticket is about HUF 450, a 24-hour card around HUF 2,500 and a 72-hour card around HUF 5,500 — the last pays for itself quickly if you move daily.
Validate single tickets when you first enter; inspections at metro exits are common and fines immediate. Time-based cards need no validation, but carry them at all times.
Tram 2 along the Pest bank is the finest line in the city and costs an ordinary fare: it passes the Parliament, the Chain Bridge and the Shoes on the Danube — the cheapest river tour available. The M1 itself is a sight: opened in 1896, it is the oldest metro line in continental Europe.
A bath is not a quick stop: allow at least three hours. Széchenyi is the largest and best known, half of it outdoors and open summer and winter; Gellért is the most beautiful architecturally, in full Art Nouveau; Rudas is Ottoman in origin from the 16th century with a rooftop pool over the river; and Szent Lukács is the locals' choice and the quietest.
Bring: a swimsuit (required in mixed pools), waterproof sandals, a towel (rental is expensive) and a small padlock for the locker. Booking online in advance is cheaper and faster than the ticket window and saves a long queue.
Important for families: some baths have single-sex days or sections, and some bar children below a certain age from particular pools — check the website before you go. And do not go to Széchenyi on a Saturday night if you want calm; loud night parties are held there.
The currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), not the euro, despite Hungary's EU membership. Places that accept euros apply a poor rate. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts.
Withdraw from major bank ATMs inside branches, and avoid the high-fee yellow street machines. When paying by card always choose to be charged in forint rather than your home currency — the on-screen conversion costs you more.
The numbers look enormous (a meal at ten thousand forint) but are not — divide roughly by 400 for an approximate figure in dollars.
April-June and September-October are best: mild weather, parks open, fewer crowds. July-August is hot and busy, and August carries major festivals that push prices up.
Winter has a particular advantage in Budapest specifically: the outdoor baths are better in the cold, and the Christmas markets around St Stephen's Basilica and Vörösmarty tér are among the finest in central Europe. It is bitterly cold, but the city runs at full strength.
Budapest has a mosque and prayer rooms run by the local Muslim community; locations and times change, so check online before your day. Quiet parks such as Margaret Island and City Park are practical fallbacks for prayer while sightseeing.
Halal restaurants are reasonably well provided for, clustering in District VII, around Király street and along the Grand Boulevard, mostly Turkish, Arab or Pakistani. Check the certificate displayed at the door rather than the sign alone.
Traditional Hungarian cooking leans heavily on pork and lard, even in dishes where it is not obvious (bean dishes, soups, potatoes) — ask before ordering in non-halal restaurants. And real Hungarian goulash is a beef soup, not a vegetarian dish.
Budget: about HUF 20,000-30,000 per person (simple lodging, a day transport card, local meals and one paid sight). Mid-range: HUF 40,000-60,000 including a bath and a good restaurant.
Budapest is among the cheapest European capitals for a visitor, and much of the best of it is entirely free: both Danube banks, the Chain Bridge, Heroes' Square, Margaret Island, Gellért Hill, the Shoes on the Danube, and the Parliament façade at night.
Europe-wide emergency number: 112. Most museums close on Mondays, and the Jewish sites (Dohány synagogue, the Holocaust Memorial Center) close on Saturdays and Jewish holidays — build your days around that.
Watch for a well-known Budapest scam: a friendly invitation to a bar or club that ends in an enormous bill. Do not enter a venue on a stranger's street invitation, and ask for the price list before ordering.
Customary tipping is 10%, but check your bill first: some restaurants add a service charge automatically, so you need not pay twice. And avoid the front-row restaurants on Váci street — one street away the bill drops noticeably.