I am beginning this trip report now, realizing that since dinner will be ready in 30 minutes I probably will not finish it in one sitting.

I spent six great days in Budapest from December 1st through the morning of December 7th, and I hope that my experience there will encourage more of you to visit Budapest.

While I wanted to make "an appearance" at all the normal tourist sights to snap the token photograph, my main goal was to visit places where there were no tourists and to see as much as possible the normal, every day Budapest as lived by the people there.

With that in mind, I stayed at a bed & breakfast (a flat) owned by two Americans. Ron and Ryan were the perfect hosts. Available to me if I wanted suggestions or had questions, but never did they try to impose on me what they thought I should be doing. Their flat is located two blocks from a metro station, tram stop, and bus stop, yet it is also within easy walking distance of city center Pest. The flat is located in a residential/business area, not a tourist area. For a great place to stay in Budapest, check out www.budabab.com.

The first two days I was determined to cover as much of Budapest as I could on foot. The first day I walked around the main area of Pest to familiarize myself with the city.

The second day I walked from the flat through Pest, crossing the Chain Bridge into Buda. In keeping with my goal of that day of ON FOOT, I did not take the Siklo (funicular) up to the Varhegy.

Walking along Fo ut, I went up to Batthyany u--just taking my time, looking at the buildings and the people, trying to blend in as a non-tourist.

Walking along Batthyany u, I found the stairs at Kagylo u. Taking a deep breath, I started up the stairs. Many steps later, I was at the top and I turned around and looked at what I had climbed and the view. Every stair was well worth it. And to make it even better, I was in a park and there was no one around. I was totally alone in a Buda park, enjoying the view in complete privacy.

I then hit the Varhegy, making my token appearances at all the big tourist spots: Matyas Church, Fishermen's Bastion, and Buda Castle. But, as you might suspect, all these places were filled with tourists, and the goal of my trip was to be as much as possible a non-tourist.

I then walked along the wall on the opposite side of the tourist areas. Happily, I report that I was able to walk in almost complete seclusion, enjoying the view from the top of the hill and the buildings around me.

Leaving the hill, I walked down by foot since this was my day to explore Budapest by foot only.

Another goal of my trip was to eat in no restaurant where the menu was in English (no, I do not speak Hungarian). However, on this day I was going to make an exception because there was a restaurant in Buda which had been highly recommended. Down the hill and a few blocks more, I was at Markus Vendeglo on Lovonaz ut. The experience there was everything I was told it would be: friendly staff who spoke some English, large portions of Hungarian dishes, and highly reaonsable prices. I had Hungarian tripe stew with way too many potatoes, a full basket of bread, and a very large beer for $9.00, including tip. The funny thing is that since I don't cook and don't pay attention to foods I did not know what tripe was until after I emailed by wife and told her how great it was. Now I know why when I ordered it, the waiter asked, "Do you really like tripe?" If I had known what it was before hand, I would have missed out on a great dish.

While I am on restaurants, let me tell you about two other ones:

Arany Talca on Akacfa u--a great cafeteria; no menu in English (one of my requirements) but you can point at the food you want

Falafel on Paulay Ede (very near the Opera House)--great vegetarian dishes; again no menu in English but you can point

Amstel River Cafe on Parizsi u was the only other restaurant with an English menu in which I ate. Again it had been highly recommended to me and it was well worth the visit.

For my other meals, I can't tell you the names of the places I ate because I would just walk the streets of non-tourist areas, find a place that looked good, and go in. Never was I disappointed. Never did I encounter unhelpful people. Always the food was great.

In fact, one night I wanted to make sure that I ate in a restaurant where I would definitely encounter no other tourist. I hoped on the subway and rode line 3 to the very end of the line. Sure enough I feel confident that I was the only American within a 30 block radius. I left the metro station and just walked until I found a restaurant that looked good. Again I had a great meal.

During the six days I was in Budapest, it was amazing how I survived in the non-tourist areas with just a few Hungarian expressions. I knew jo napot (good day), koszonom (thank you), igen (yes), nem (no), szivesen (you are welcome) and my favorite one beszel angolul? do you speak English?

With the exception of one, all Hungarians I met and tried to talk to were friendly and helpful and appreciated any effort I made to speak their language. The one exception was the lady collecting money at the WC at Fishermen's Bastion. I saw the sign for how much it was in EUR but did not see the sign for HUF and she growled at me. How I wanted to tell her off and to explain to her that the only reason she had a job was because tourists had to use the bathroom. However, as I walked out, I smiled and said: koszonom.

After two days on foot, it was time to hit the mass transit system.

I am from Maine. We don't have subways here. In Boston, New York, London, Prague, I rode the subway with someone who knew what we were doing. This was the first time I had ever been on a subway by myself.

The Budapest subway is so easy even a boy from Maine can ride it. So if you are subway impaired, don't worry about Budapest. Get a good map. There are only 3 lines; they meet only at one place (Deak ter). With map in hand, just know which direction you are going (the end of the line) and you will be all set.

OK; just got the dinner call from my wife. I will finish this trip report some other day...

It's fine by me if the approach you describe makes you happy, but it strikes me as a strange choice. The normal life of Budapest residents does not involve avoiding places where they might see tourists. Sure, most locals do not go every day to Fisherman's Bastion, but the majority of people you see in most areas in downtown Budapest are Hungarians. Go to a residential area during the day, and many of the residents are not there: they are out trying to earn a living, often in the places you were avoiding.

I recently spent an enjoyable week in Budapest on my own, and rambled in some places where visitors were to be seen, and other places where they were scarce. In general I did not bother with the standard tourist targets because I had been there before. I suspect that I got as good a sense of the city as you did, and without setting down rules for myself.

I used trams a lot, and found my way to residential neighbourhoods, some rough-looking, others quite nice. I also found industrial areas. And I spared my feet!

With a cup of coffee near me, I will continue relating some of the details of my recent trip to Budapest.

First of all, getting there and, I guess, this will be a report on two airlines.

I flew Icelandair from Boston to Amsterdam (with the customary change of planes in Iceland). I flew business class (because I had point to upgrade), and the service on the plane and in the lounges was exceptional. I still maintain that Icelandair in the one airline whose staff consistently makes you feel welcome and that they are very happy that you chose their airlines. For me, the food on the planes was very good.

From Amsterdam to Budapest, I flew Sky Europe. I must admit that I was slightly hesitant because of mixed reports about the airlines -- so much in fact that I scheduled a day in Amsterdam each way just in case Sky Europe failed to deliver.

Both Sky Europe flights were excellent. Both planes left on time and arrived on time. Being a budget European airlines, all food and drink is at an extra price, but for a two hour flight that is not a problem.

The one thing I learned about Sky Europe was that when the fasten seat belt sign is on the airlines means it. You do not get up. The door to the WC is locked.

The Budapest airport minishuttle is an excellent way of getting to and from the airport. For my pickup on returning, they were at my door exactly the time they said they would be there. When leaving the airport when I arrived, I did have to wait 30 minutes.

From my experience, I will tell you that Budapest is a very safe city. I rode the subway and buses alone; I walked city streets at 2 AM. I went places where I had no idea where I was. Never did I feel unsafe. I witnessed absolutely no pick pocket activity. Yes, I feel certain that they were there, but they did not touch me.

I spent portions of many evenings on the river front on the Pest side between the Elizabeth and Chain Bridges. The view from there of Castle Hill is outstanding.

As a man alone, I was a target for both the women on Vaci u and the rent boys on the river front.

The women on Vaci u attempt to entice a man/men to a certain bar to get the man/men to buy them a couple of drinks. The bill is then presented for the few drinks and it is over $1,000. When the man/men complain, the muscles guys come over. When the man/men say, "I don't have that much money," then the muscle guys indicate that they will accompany the victim to the ATM.

Everytime I saw one of them (either female or male) approach me, I would start saying, "Nem, Nem" and keep walking.

I went to the Opera House for two performances. Prior to the trip online, I purchased tickets for the best seats. In my opinion, for only $50 per performance, why not sit in the best place.

Seeing the Opera House on the inside was worth the cost of the tickets, but adding the performances made it even better.

I had to smile one night when I was there because I was listening to an opera sung in Italian while glancing at Hungarian subtitles being projected on a screen above the stage.

One night at the Opera House there was an "ugly American" scene.

A woman and her friend came in and sat in the row in front of me (the very first row).

The woman turned to her friend and said (yes in English), "Well, this isn't like New York and London. People here really get dressed up. It's not like New York and London where you can wear anything."

I leaned over (probably should have kept my mouth shut) and explained to the woman how I had read online that Hungarians take the opera very seriously since for many that is the only cultural event they can afford to go to and as a result they get dressed up and consequently even though it was a pain I had brought a sports coat with me.

At this, the woman says in a relatively loud voice: "Well, the Hungarian women may dress nicely, but they sure don't dress stylishly and fashionably. Their style is out of date. I may not be dressed nicely, but I am dressed fashionably." Luckily at that point the performance began.

At intermission, when the couple who were sitting to my right returned to their seats and the man said to me in perfect English "Excuse me," I thought to myself, "Holy crap." Turning to them, I asked if they were Hungarian and they responded, "Yes." At that point, I began apologizing profusing for the woman's comment, which, of course, they had heard.

So the lesson to be learned is "Americans, watch what you say in a foreign country. It is highly possible that someone near you understands English."

Time to refill my coffee cup and then I will relate my thermal bath experience.

I knew that I should have a thermal bath experience, but choosing the one to go to was a difficult choice.

A main problem I had in making the decision is that I did not want to have to have wet swim trunks to worry about or to return to the flat before I continued on to other areas of Budapest.

Szechenyi Furdo, of course, was highly recommended. But there in addition to the swim trunks I would have had to bring a towel.

Gellert Hotel is magnificent, I heard, but full of tourists.

Kiraly is one of the oldest thermals in Budapest, but swimn trunks are needed and the place, evidently, is full of rent boys looking for older guys like me.

Narrowing the list down, I finally decided on Rudas. It has just been renovated and was easy to get to for me.

The hesitation about Rudas: it still operates on the apron system, but, at least, that solved my swimn trunk problem.

My thermal experience was great. Since Rudas has recently been renovated and the officials want to recoup some of that money, Rudas wants tourists to go there. As a result, all staff members were very helpful in assisting me sort out the procedure and protocol. The place is very clean.

Yea, initially it felt weird walking around in this piece of cloth (apron) that barely covered my frontside and left my backside for all to see, but I got used to it.

It was nice just soaking in the warmer thermal. I tried the three steam rooms: no problem with the one which is 50 degrees C, nor the one which is 60 degrees C. I stepped in the one which is 70 degrees C and lasted less than one minute. Boy, those 10 degrees sure make a difference.

I then saw a room marked (in English) "HOT ROOM: YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH IF YOU ENTER." OK, I'll give it a try! Well, 15 seconds later I was out of there. Hell, could not be more uncomfortable.

By the way, I did have a quick meal once in the McDonalds around Vaci u. Something to know: ketchup is not free and it comes in a larger packaging than in the U.S.

Prague or Budapest? I am glad that I have been to both. When I went to Prague, I hired a tour guide. I did Budapest alone. I was in each city 6 days. I enjoyed my Budapest trip a lot more. In looking back on both trips, I feel as if I VISITED Prague for six days. However, I feel like I LIVED in Budapest for six days.

If you are considering a trip to Budapest, my thoughts/suggestions are as follows:

*** stay in someone's flat (a B & B), not in a hotel

*** don't be afraid; I can attest that Budapest is a safe city

*** be brave; stay away from restaurants that cater to tourists; find little places that have 5 to 10 tables

*** walk up the stairs to Castle Hill; the effort and heavy breathing is worth it

*** as long as you have a good map of Budapest, don't be afraid to hop on a bus or tram and just ride; don't be afraid to get off anywhere and get out and just walk

*** go the the opera and spring for the best seats in the house

*** go to 10 AM Sunday Mass at St. Stephen's Basilica (whether you are Romnan Catholic or not)

*** learn a few basic Hungarian expressions (that you can pronounce correctly) and use them whenever possible; it is amazing what these few words can do

I have visited Dublin, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Prague, and Reykjavik. Of course, I enjoyed these cities and my trips there. However, my six days in Budapest were the best. Again, I guess it is the way I approached this trip; I feel as if I visited the other cities; however, I feel as if, even for just a brief time, that I LIVED in Budapest.

Reading your trip report reminds me of the trip that I took to Budapest with my sister and grandmother in 2000. My grandfather was Hungarian and it was a thrill to see his homeland and walk the streets where he lived. We spent much of our time with a Hungarian family that my grandmother has grown close to and they showed us parts of Budapest and surrounding towns that we never would have experienced on our own. The daughter who received a scholarship from the scholarship fund that my grandmother set up in honor of my grandfather was our informal guide. She spoke relatively good english, so she translated for her parents who spoke no english and for us because we spoke little Hungarian. It was an amazing experience.

It is an amazing city and I definitely want to go back. I think I was really intimidated by the language barrier, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This time I'd like to stay in Pest, though. I don't know if I could do it alone, though.

Thanks for your report!

Thanks for this report. I've enjoyed reading it. I am going to Budapest in April with my almost-18-yo daughter and we are renting an apartment very close to where you stayed so it is really good to know that area is well-located. I have had and am still having many doubts as to whether we should stay there or on the river on the Buda side (Hotel Victoria) overlooking the Danube, Chain Bridge and Houses of Parliament. Your report has helped to weigh the balance to us staying in this more residential area, but with excellent tram and bus connections. Like you we want to feel we have lived in the city rather than just visited.

Hi Centralmainer, thanks for sharing.

Can you explain to me what "rent boys" are?? I have never heard of this before and I am curious.

Thanks.

Layla

Lyla,

I answered your question earlier this morning and thought I had answered it in a way suitable for a public forum. However, evidently I must have gone into too much detail because it was not posted.

I will try again.

A rent boy is USUALLY a young adult male who offers "companionship" to an older adult male.

Centralmainer - Back in 1997 when I did my month long backpacking travel through Europe, one of the places I visited was Budapest. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't feeling the best at this point in my trip but I did try to enjoy myself a bit. My second lodging place was the citadel on top of Gellert Hill since it has a hostel there. The first night there I joined some Americans and Australians in our quest to find a place for dinner. I vaguely recall either riding the tram or walking...it's a bit hazy at this point. Very fine views from the Citadel though.

Your mentioning of the Rudas makes me laugh a bit. That was the one and only thermal spa I went to as it was close to where I was staying. One of the guys who was in the group of diners I went with had mentioned that spa and the apron system, so I knew what to expect. When I was in the changing locker, it was taking me longer than usual to put the apron on (the attendant even checked on me). Of course, it didn't dawn on me to tie it in front and then swing it around to the back! D'oh! It took me awhile to realise the varying temperatures of the 4 small baths. Oh, and the steam rooms! My god! I only made it into the 2nd room for a few minutes when I came to the conclusion that this was pretty extreme. One of the things I like about travelling - and also one of the reasons why I decided upon this thermal bath - is that you can take chances/do things that you normally wouldn't do at home because if there are any fellow countrymen around, you will probably never see that person where you live (unless they're your friend that happens to be travelling with you). Glad you had a good time in Budapest!

Thanks, Trafaelwyr

It does sound as if you, too, had a good time in Budapest.

And, yes, I agree that you are inclined to do more fun things if you are not around people who know you.

That is actually the only reason I ultimately got enough courage to go to Rudas and wear that apron -- because those people did not know me and would probably never see me again.

Thanks for the report! We like Budapest a lot. We didn't face those stairs, but instead took the series of sloped street and ramps, with just little sets of stairs, that wind back and forth in front of Buda castle. Definitely appreciated the funicular after that, so I can imagine what those stairs were like.

We just booked a trip with an extra 2 days on our own in Budapest (River boat company will be taking us to the typical tourist spots when we meet up with group), so I was delighted to read your itinerary and restaurant recommendations. I am the young traveler (50-something) and my 3 relatives I'm traveling with on our upcoming trip are in their mid 80's, so we won't be doing quite as much walking as you were able to do. Your thoughts are much appreciated, and if there are any tips you can provide for some less strenuous activities (and off the beaten path), I'd appreciate your feedback.

I think that if you eat a meal at Falafel and Arany Talca, then you will, in a sense, be off the beaten path. Both places are easy to get to by subway (within three blocks of the subway station).

Don't be afraid to hop on the subway and go to the end of a line. Get off. Walk around a little, and you will find a little non-tourist place to eat a meal.