I’ve always heard that Budapest is one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. It didn’t disappoint. I spent a week here and enjoyed every single day.

I was there in late August and found it to be a very good time to visit. It felt more like spring weather, which made walking around very pleasant. There were a few days when there were rain showers but they weren’t bad at all. There were many beautiful, old buildings, cathedrals, museums, and monuments to see. It’s hard not to stop and admire the architecture while exploring the city. You have to see the city both during the day and at night.

I rented an apartment outside the center for about $23/night through AirBnB, which is not much more compared to a dorm bed in a hostel. It was in a very quiet neighborhood and I can get to the center in about 15 minutes as the bus stop is less than a 5-minute walk away from the apartment. If you’re staying for a week, it’s worth purchasing a 7-Day Travel Pass at the ticket window of one of the metro stations (note that this is not the same as the Tourist Pass).

Since I’m not staying in a hostel, I used CouchSurfing to meet people. Budapest has a very active CouchSurfing community with regular weekly meetings. Most of the meetings take place in a restaurant or a bar. It’s a good way to learn more about the country and the city from the locals or find other travelers to do tourist activities with.

If you like thermal baths, you have plenty of options in Budapest. They seem to be very popular here.. My last day there we went to the most famouse one called Szchenyi Bath, which has a really nice setting. I heard that on Saturday nights they have bath parties here that could get pretty wild.