socaltraveler

I have researched previous threads on this question and find most to be several years old. While I think I can figure out which side (since that vibe doesn't change), I would like to hear from anyone who has made a more recent trip. We are going to be spending several nights there at the end of a river cruise next June, and are not signing up for the post-cruise package.

suec1

Smart move - post cruise packages are almost always quite over-priced - I'd suggest going to Tripadvisor and looking for some hotel options there. I think we stayed on the "new" side but can't remember if it was Buda or Pest. We really enjoyed that city - a very pleasant surprise. Many many lovely buildings, art-decoish but some not in very good shape. Still, a city that was more elegant than we expected. I was a bit concerned about the cuisine too but was also pleasantly surprised in that area as well. Enjoy!

Skip01

We spent several days there about a year ago; stayed at a B&B on the Buda side just below Fisherman's Bastion (I could find the name if intereted). Found it very convenient; not as "busy" as Pest side (most hotels and such are on the Pest side). Yet was very easy to get back and forth between Buda and Pest.

ellen75005

We were there last month. I booked the Gerloczy Hotel based on Rick Steve's recommendation. It's on the Pest side, on a quiet street, but just a few minutes from the river. We couldn't have been happier and we still talk about it. The food is excellent and in August we were able to eat outside, under the stars.

Each side of the river has a very different feel. Buda seemed much quieter and has a beautiful view of Pest, so I really don't think you could go wrong either way. If we go again (and we hope to - we were very pleasantly surprised with Budapest), we'll stay at the Gerloczy.

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you have.

Ellen

jamikins

We also stayed at a B&B just under fisherman's bastion on the Buda side and loved it. Easy walk to everywhere.

ellen75005

jamikins, I loved looking down at the street just below fisherman's bastion; I can picture the area you stayed, and as much as I loved the Gerloczy, I can also easily see staying there. We loved walking over Chain Bridge.

Ellen

Skip01

The B&B we stayed at on the Buda side was the Bellevue B&B. Believe we took "best" room and it was 75 Euros a night. It was also a Rick Steves recommendation. Judit was very helpful; market and bank a metro short walk away. Straight up the steps to Fishermans Bastion.

mindylt1

We were there just 3 weeks ago for my husband to run the Budapest Half Marathon. We stayed on the Buda side in this apartment: http://www.tastehungary.com/accommodation/ The location was excellent! A quick walk across the Chain Bridge and we were in Pest, and there was a market and transportation hub a few blocks away. The owner is very nice and accommodating, too.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about Budapest, and found it to be so much more beautiful than I imagined. I loved it, and can't wait to go back. Have fun!

socaltraveler

Thank you all - we are going to stay on the Pest side, that much has been decided. As we are a group of 3 couples, I don't think the apartment thing will be best for us, so I am looking at hotels now.

ellen75005

I would encourage you to look at the Gerloczy, www.gerloczy.hu. As I mentioned, it's in a great, quiet location, just a few minutes from the river. The rooms are fairly large (especially by European standards), the staff couldn't be nicer, and they have a wonderful restaurant. Good luck!

StuDudley

We returned from Budapest a week ago. We spent 5 nights there. Beautiful city - exceeded our expectations. We stayed on the Pest side near Andrassy and Oktogon (major transportation hub). We stayed at the Kapital Inn ( www.kapitalinn.com ) and we were very pleased with both the location of the B&B and the B&B itself. The B&B was absolutely quiet, and close to several nice restaurants. However, it has only 4 rooms and only 2 have a bathroom in the room - the other two share a bath "down the hall". I believe the Kapital Inn is recommended in the Rick Steves guide also.

We spent a morning on the Buda side - and were glad we did not stay in that region. We really were not that impressed with the castle area, & some of the areas around the castle seemed a little scrufty (did not explore the area below the fisherman's bastion). 90% of the places we visited were on the Pest side - an easy walk away, or a subway or tram ride from Oktogon.

Stu Dudley

lincasanova

stu.. that place looks lovely!

LisaG

Stu,

So glad to see your report on the Kapital Inn. I had just made reservations there for our trip in April 2011 when I saw your recommendation. Coming from you, that means alot to me as I am a fan of your reports and information. Always spot on.

Thanks so much!

LisaG

StuDudley

Say "hi" to Albert for us. Listening to him explain what things were like during the Nazi occupation, communism, and even after the fall of communism (major problems adjusting then) was one of the highlights of our trip. He would take an hour or so to tell us about something, then we would think about what he said for much of the day, and then we would have even more questions to ask him.

Don't worry about the flights of stairs & your bags. Albert will carry all your bags up & then down the stairs. We had to catch a taxi to the airport at 6:30am, and Albert knocked on our door at 6:20 to carry our bags down. We tried to talk him out of carring our bags the night before - but he wouldn't have anything to do with NOT carring our bags. He carries 2 big bags at a time.

Stu Dudley

annhig

Hi, we stayed at the Hotel Pest on the Pest side. it was very convenient for the central area, the underground, the museums, and the river, and we could walk over to the Buda side.

it was a nice hotel, with largish rooms, arranged round a courtyard, with a decent breakfast included in the price. staff were friendly and helpful. I think we paid about €80 per night, about 3 years ago.

chernsu

Friends & I were in Budapest last month. I'm glad to hear you decided on staying on the Pest side. I think it has more to offer as far as restaurants, transportation, sightseeing...

We stayed at the Marriott which was pretty convenient, right on the river with great views and close to transportation. I'm not sure of the cost because we used points.

I didn't expect to like Budapest as much as I did. I think part of the reason was we had a wonderful tour guide who truly loved the city. Her enthusiasm was contagious. If you're interested, her name is Gabriella Torok.

And, our favorite restaurant was Cafe Kor.

socaltraveler

As I am also looking into tour guides, thank you for the recommendation.

ellen75005

It's interesting to see your remarks about liking Budapest more than you anticipated. I had read quite a bit about it, here and other places, but the reviews were somewhat mixed and I really didn't know what to expect. I liked it much more than I thought I would; in fact, we loved it. So much of the architecture is massive, but delicate, ornate and beautiful at the same time which I just loved. I don't think I've ever taken so many pictures of buildings!

StuDudley

>>I don't think I've ever taken so many pictures of buildings!<,

My wife's name is Ellen also. She took 225 pictures of the buildings in Budapest.

Stu Dudley

chernsu

Here's Gabby's contact info in case you want to contact her. We realy loved our time with her...especially the afternoon trip to Szentendre.

Gabriella Torok
www.privatetoursbudapest.com
Tel: +36 30 369 2662