Hotels-BUDAPEST,PRAGUE,VIENNA
 

We are going to the above cities in about a month and we are hoping to find charming, clean ,well
located hotels for approx. $100.US. Please help!!

My husband and I were in Budapest Christmas 1995. We stayed at a hotel called the Gold Hotel. It is outside of town. Very clean, private bath, tv, free breakfast. It was about a 1 block walk to catch a bus that took you to the middle of Budapest. We paid $50 USD per night. The staff was very helpful and spoke English. I would recommend it. We were didn't mind having to ride a bus into town because we saved a lot on the hotel. Once in Budapest, the trolly system is simple to follow. It is a lovely place and the food was good. We also stayed in Prague. The room we had there was clean but very plain. We got a reference from the travel department in the train station. We wanted one for around $50.00. Depending on your budget, rooms can be had if you are willing to ride the subway or tram into Prague. It is my favorite city. Of course, we were there in the winter, maybe rates were cheaper, and there certainly was not a crowd on the subways or trolleys. Hope you have as good a trip as we did. We did not encounter any trouble (pickpockets).

In Budapest the Hotel Erzsabet was $102 a night this July. It is modern rather than charming, but has several advantages. It is 1 1/2 blocks from a blue line metro stop and from the Hungarian National Museum. It is less than 3 blocks from Vaci utca, the "walking street" AND the front desk is *very* helpful. The lobby is very utilitarian, but the rooms are very clean and well-appointed. Not "charming", but a really good location and a *great* desk.

Can you recommend a hotel in Vienna ( probably/preferably ) in the inner ring for around US$100. ( we'll have acar and thus need a garage. ) Is the "rathaus" mentioned in fodors any good ?

My wife and I were in Vienna at the beginning of the month and stayed at the Hotel Rathaus. My overall rating is maybe a B. The staff was friendly and helpful and all the desk clerks spoke fluent English. And the room was clean. However, both rooms we tried were a little shabby and had eccentricities (a low hanging lamp in the center of the first that hit me in the head and a shocking orange, molded plastic bathroom in the second), and it's located up a hill and a few blocks from the Ringstrasse and the museums (comfortably walkable but not in the center of things). Overall it wasn't quite as nice as similar priced hotels in Berlin and Prague. When we go back, I think I'll try Pension City -- also recommended by Fodors and in the moderate range. I didn't pick it the first time because of the puzzling reference to small bathrooms. However, now that I've been in Vienna, I have a better sense of the location -- must be convenient to most everything. Vienna is wonderful; have a great trip.

HOTEL IN BUDAPEST - WHEN I TRAVELED TO BUDAPEST IN 1990 WE DID NOT STAY IN A HOTEL, BUT A PRIVATE RESDIENTS. WE FOUND IT BY GOING TO A TRAVEL AGENCY WHICH PROVIDE HOUSING AFTER WE ARRIVED IN BUDAPEST. WE STAYED IN A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE LARGE ROOM WITH TV, BALCONY AND WE SHARED THE BATHROOM WITH THE FAMILY. WE TOOK PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GO INTO BUDA PROPER AND OVER TO PEST. I THINK AT THAT TIME IT WAS.25CENTS ONE WAY. THE WOMEN OF THE HOUSE WAS AVAILABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE COUNTRY, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SITE WE WANTED TO VIST. WE ATE ALL MEALS OUT. THE NEIGHBOHOOD REMINDED ME OF MY OWN HERE IN THE BOSTON AREA.

Definitely stay in the home of a private citizen!
I stayed at a B&B that I found by chance at Kaleti Station, and it cost me about $14 US / night for new year's '96/'97.

I can recommend a specific place, but you can find all kinds of locals right at the station. It was quite a leap of faith, but it paid off immensely. Plus, you get the opportunity to interact with the locals.

Walter Jacques
[email protected]

Joe
saw your posting on the fodor site, I'm going to vienna end of oct and would appreciate your advise on the best areas for hotels plus and other pointers.

Many thanks Bill

Vienna: My husband & I stayed at Radisson SAS Palais
Hotel for two nights 9/97. For a total of $313 we
had a luxurious stay in a "palace" with garage on
the ring...easy walk to everything in city center.

Vienna: My husband & I stayed at Radisson SAS Palais
Hotel for two nights 9/97. For a total of $313 we
had a luxurious stay in a "palace" with garage on
the ring...easy walk to everything in city center.