My trip to Budapest was as spontaneous as they come. After three weeks of late nights and weekend work, I was starting to pull hair, and while waiting for my train on a cold Tuesday evening, I decided a change of scenery might do me some good. It was still early in the year, so my travel pot was substantial. I scouted the last minute deals out of London for the weekend when I arrived home. There were a few options. I settled on Budapest because it was one of the cheaper options, but most importantly, Budapest was in the top five of my Europe bucket list, and there was no better time to visit. I bought the tickets ticket night and was on the 7:30 a.m. flight on Saturday heading to Budapest.

Visa Requirement. If you have a travel limiting passport, Hungary is a Schengen member country, which means you can access a valid Schengen visa. When applying for a Schengen visa, Pro tip makes sure to request multiple entries - not two entries. Certain Schengen countries have the option for "two entries" on the application, so make sure you select "multiple entries" on your application form. Also, make sure to apply to the country you will be spending the most time on - I cannot stress that point enough.

[read - travel destinations if you have a travel limiting passport]

Getting around. There are a shuttle bus and train that gets you from the airport to the city center. I opted for a taxi because of time constraints. Once in the city, avoid the taxis like the plague (if you can); if not, confirm the rates with your hotel before the ride; more than one experience of a dubious cab driver in Budapest. You are better to offer walking or navigating the bus and trains. 

Money in Hungary. At the time of this post, Hungary does not use the Euro, and very few businesses accept anything other than the local currency - the Forint. Complete the foreign exchange before arriving or visit stores that accept credit cards.

How many days do you need? I arrived just on the first flight from London and was settled into my hotel by 11 a.m.' I was on the 5:45 p.m. flight back to London on Monday evening. Monday was a remote workday, so besides a trek to and from Breakfast and lunch, there was no sightseeing on Monday. I got to pack a lot into less than forty-eight hours. 

Where to stay. There are two sides to the city separated by the Danube river; the Buda side vs. the Pest side. Buda is known as the calmer, more leisurely part of town, while PestPest is known as the party's tourist part. That said, I found accommodation in Buda to be more reasonable than the Pest part of town. I stayed at Art'otel Budapest by park plaza, which is in the Buda part of the city; I got a room with the castle view (which I highly recommend if you stay here). See for yourself.

Where to eat. Three (maybe two) years before I arrived in Budapest; I saw a dish on my Instagram feed; that looked amazing; I saved it to my bucket list; the meal was from Mazel Tov in Budapest, and it was my first meal stop in Budapest; the meal was delicious. The little Melbourne cafe was an excellent spot for coffee and dessert - I enjoyed the apple pie and hot chocolate was. Zeller Bistro was an excellent stop for a sit-down dinner; the service was top-notch; the meal was excellent. The brunch/breakfast menu at Borze was delicious; they open early if you are looking to get an early start on your day. The great market food hall is an excellent spot with various food options. This site gives a local's guide to navigating the food hall.

Where to explore. Let's get this out of the way if you search for a great party in Europe; Budapest ranks very high as a top city for nightlife. If that is something you search out on a trip, Budapest should be at the top of your bucket list. The views were the best part of the hotel; the room was a castle view and let me tell you - I got a great view of Buda Castle. Just across the street from the front entrance of the property is the Danube river and a great view of the Hungarian parliament - it is a stunning piece of architecture if you are into that sort of thing; make sure to see it out twice - in daylight and at nighttime. It is always a spectacular view. I started my time in the city with a trek across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, one of several bridges connecting the Buda part to the Pest part. Arriving in PestPest, make sure to take in the spectacular view of Buda across the Danube river. Then I made my way toward the Hungarian parliament (which is third largest in the world), stopping by the memorial of victims of the arrow cross malitia shot into the Danube river in 1944/45; the monument is poignant and like not other memorials you will see. Continuing along the river in the direction of parliament, I stumbled on the great Hungarian poet's statue - Attila József; before arriving at the parliament building. Make sure to make the loops around it, so you don't miss the garden, and if you have time, you should take the paid tour of the parliament. I recommend buying a ticket in advance if you can and make sure to pay attention to your ticket's time, and they are very strict about that. I made my way back to the Buda part of town to visit castle hill; I chose to get my workout in by making the trek uphill; however, there is a tram that will get you up there without the exercise. You will find Buda Castle, Matthias Church (take a peek at the roof of this one); the tiling is a thing of beauty; Fisherman's Bastion. The viewing terrace at the Bastion has the best view of the city. 

The next day started with a hike to Gellért hegy (aka Gallery hill), making stops at Jubileumi park and the citadel. After the walk, I headed to PestPest across the liberty bridge; the first stop was to St. Stephen's Basilica. You can come to Budapest without visiting a thermal spa. These are very popular amongst tourists and locals; many spas are scattered around the city; the top two recommended are Gellert Spa and the Szechenyi thermal bath. I visited Szechenyi; at the time of my visit, they had three packages - Basic, Beauty, and Superior with prices ranging from 56 Euros to 103 Euros (these prices were in 2019 and may have changed). If you are already on this side of town, make time to visit Budapest's vajdahunyad castle. If you are visiting in winter, an ice rink is set up in the city park next to the castle that opens up for skate parties and games in the evenings. You will find the heroes square a short walk from the castle - it is the city's largest square. Across the street from the square is the museum of fine arts. This was one of the top recommended things to do in Budapest, and I enjoyed my visit here.