Budapest recommendations

[RewildingAmbridge]

I've just bought flights to Budapest on a whim for our wedding anniversary. It's the kind of thing we used to do multiple times a year before DS. PIL babysitting services are being gratefully utilised. I won't tell DH until after Christmas.
So we have 4 days 3 nights in Budapest, arrive around 11 am and leave around 6pm, early February. I've not booked a hotel yet and only have some vague ideas about what to do.
We both like nice food and wine, history, places of interest. Also both quite active/adventurous and like to have fun. I'm aware it will be VERY cold (we managed a similar time of year in Krakow). We're happy to hire a car if necessary, but also happy to walk and use pubic transport.
Anyone have any recommendations?

Public transport!!!

Random one but restaurant rec - hot stone steakhouse. sooo yum

Definitely go on the hop on hop off bus. It's a great way to see everything without all the walking. We used motorised scooters to get around but that was in the summer.
A must is Margaret island with its musical fountain. It's a coloured musical show every night - I assume that still happens in winter. And it's free.
The thermal baths will be amazing in winter.
Do a trip on the Danube at night.
We picked a pan hotel but it was outside the centre. I wish we'd stayed in the Jewish quarter. There's hotels there for all budgets and it's right in the centre.

@NCTDN mentioned Margaret Island - the baths there are lovely (the Palatinus baths). We went to the really touristy popular Szechenyi baths and they were very grubby and busy so I’d recommend the Palatinus. Or one of the other ones - there are loads about.

For a hotel I’d really recommend Parisi Udvar, it’s in a beautiful historic building have a look.

The good on Budapest was great - we had loads of lovely meals - head for the Jewish Quarter for places like this. Check out some ruin bars too!

Lots of museums with obviously a lot happening in modern history.

We walked loads in Budapest so wear comfy shoes!

I loved Budapest, it’s a great city!

Budapest is my favourite city! So much to see and do. It's just beautiful.

Fisherman's Bastion (recommend arriving as it goes dark, it's stunning)
The palace, also ice skating here in winter
Hero's square
Trip along the Danube past Parliament
The thermal baths

There's a rooftop bar called 360 with views across the city.
A champagne brunch bar I can't remember the name of but worth a look!
Mozel tov restaurant. We had to book in advance.
Boutiq bar for cocktails
Ruins bars. Very lively but couldn't miss them while there.
Have

We stayed near district 7 and walked everywhere. They do have their own version of Uber too.

pack flip-flops, bathing suits for the thermal baths, there are may across the city. We choose an Art Deco thermal baths and went during the. O-ring when it wasn't so busy.

The trams are easy to use to get about.

The food was ok, but nothing particularly stood out as excellent.

river boat trips are great and a walk around the old part of the city with the views is good

Definitely the Great Market Hall if you’re foodies.
Palvolgyi Caves are great if you like exploring and they’re easy to get to by public transport.
For great wine and an amazing view, go to Solid

Oh how fun, i LOVE budapest. Some things i enjoyed there
The dracula caves (i REALLY enjoyed these)
Monument park (you need to take the metro here)
The cathrdral and palace thing in the old town
The indoor baths like gelert
The opera
Walking up to the fotress (might be too icy?)
The parliament building

Following this as we have booked to go in March! 😃

We went here on recommendations and it was a very relaxed but lovely evening. kolevesvendeglo.hu/en/frontpage/kert/kepek

We visited in Feb half term this year with teens but would highly recommend the following for a couples trip too:

Here to eat for local cuisine, need a booking:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274887-d15643967-Reviews-Retek_Bisztro-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

A really fun trip was getting the ski lift up into the Buda Hills behind the city - very easy to get to by public transport or a Bolt taxi. It seems to be where all of the locals go on a Sunday for hiking, leisure etc. We were trying to combine it with a trip on the children's railway (which we did many years ago and loved pre-children) but settled for going up and down on the ski lift which is a fabulous experience:

www.bkv.hu/en/zugliget_chairlift_/

Also liked here for food:

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274887-d17425406-Reviews-Byblos_Fine_Lebanese_and_Levantine_Cuisine-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

As others have said, public transport is excellent (we got a 3 day public transport pass from a street vending machine) used apps to work out the more complicated connections and just enjoyed wandering around. I thought it would be freezing in Feb but actually it was about 10-12 degrees and mostly dry with some sun but we could just have gotten lucky! Have a great trip - I remember it being excellent value for money too which is a bonus 😊

I enjoyed the underground hospital

Just to say that I love Budapest.
I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world. Budapest is one of my top three cities
Have a great time Op

Op, try to visit some of the antique shops in the city centre.
I bought a beautiful gold ring and coral beads at very reasonable prices

www.szazevesetterem.hu/eng/

100 year old restaurant, I had the best strudel ever there. The local wine was great too!

We found this place really interesting en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_Park

@RewildingAmbridge
Margaret Island won’t be great in Feb and fountain was closed in winter 2022. Usually fountains close due to possible freezing and burst pipes!

We found Budapest slightly drab. A bit uncared for in places. Good for one visit but not the depth of Paris, London or Berlin as capital cities. Our friends recommended a restaurant that was awful. You have to avoid the touristy looking ones. The best cafe was in the Tom Dixon lighting shop! Near the synagogue.

We stayed on the Pest side but Buda has more going on. DD did a lot of research on restaurants and we found several very decent ones but others are quite old fashioned. Michelin guide gives you the best options. It used to be good value!

I'd love to go to Budapest, need to see if there are any flights from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

We stayed in the Hilton. It was quite a few years ago so all I can remember going to was a marzipan museum 😆

Budapest is a great city. It quite walkable so you don’t need to hire a car. There are lots of interesting places to see. The thermal baths, The Hospital in the Rock and The House of Terror are all well worth a visit. The great market hall has a great traditional restaurant upstairs that serves very good Hungarian goulash, we also could not believe how little the bill was. Prices vary, the more touristy places are more expensive.

Budapest is my fav city. It’s amazing and cheap and beautiful

I’d recommend the Barcelo hotel, it was fab. There are beautiful bars and restaurants. The tourist bus is really handy for getting around, Margaret island was lovely and agree re the hospital in the rock

dont go to New York hotel cafe. Awful

my lists

The spa is fun, even in midwinter (i went in snow and a lot of its outside). The opera house is great, (opera and ballet). Lots of museums, there's a funicular railway (or cable car, i might be confused).

Download the Bolt app - it's like Uber. Very easy and reasonably priced way to get around.

Ryanair fly from Edinburgh as do Wizz air.

Thanks for letting me know, will have a look! I'd like to go somewhere beginning of January but not sure if too cold.