When to Go

When to Go

Dreaming of visiting Budapest on your summer vacation? Well, be careful what you wish for. Summer certainly does have its charms: the days are sunny and long, the gardens are in full bloom, and the chairs are set out invitingly at all the sidewalk cafés. Moreover, the activities calendar is packed. But so is everything else. In July and August -- the peak vacation season for Hungarians as well as foreign tourists -- Budapest gets crowded. The same goes for popular excursion areas like Danube Bend towns and the entire Lake Balaton region. Special events only compound matters. For instance, the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix (held annually in August) maxes out Budapest's hotel capacity, raising room prices in the process.

Traveling in winter also involves trade-offs. Admittedly, crowds and costs drop; however, the mercury in local thermometers does, too. Lake Balaton resorts are boarded up for an extended period (being as shallow as it is, parts of the lake routinely freeze) and even in the city certain tourist services are offered on a limited basis. So the ideal time to come to Budapest is in the spring (May through June) or late summer into autumn (the end of August through October). During these months you'll find the weather pleasant, the crowds manageable, and the landscape glorious. An extra incentive is that some of Hungary's major fairs, festivals, and cultural events take place in this period: including the Spring Festival, which runs from mid-March to early April, and the myriad wine-harvest festivals that are held in late summer and early fall.