Istanbul and Budpest ( One Great one Not)
 

Hello,

I will be posting my trip report soon on Istanbul and Budapest. Turkey is one of the best places I have ever visited and Budapest was horrible. Istanbul is amazing, the people are great and the food is very good. ( By the way Turkey is cheap and safe). Budapest looks like it is still in the communist era and has very bad smog. The people act like they are doing you a favor when they help you and the place is the worst city I have ever visted in Europe.... Anyway, go to Turkey.. Awesome..

Did you visit Istanbul and then go to Budapest?
2 very different cities with cultures that are so far apart.
I liked Budapest more than Istanbul. At least nobody hassles you to buy stuff in Budapest!

Yeap, went to Istanbul first and then Budapest. I didn't mind the hassle, part of the fun... Just look them in the eye and say not and dont turn back!

Funny, I liked Budapest so much I'm going back for more...(And, yes, I liked Istanbul too). True, off the main streets, it was clear that not much renovation had been done, and customer service hadn't reached Western European (ever mind American) standards. But, fabulous synagogue and opera house, interesting museums, lovely evening cruise on the Danube, great fun at the baths, super public transport, good food.

"Just look them in the eye and say not and dont turn back!"

You sound like my husband! Did you find Budapest expensive after Istanbul?
Hurry up with the trip report!

Yes,

Budapest was more expensive with the hotels, food also. Just didn't like the pollution, I have bad allergies. Also, the people in Turkey are so nice and then I went to Budapest and they seemed like didn't care.... Go to Turkey

I loved Istanbul and plan on returning there someday. Next summmer we have plans to visit Budapest, and I don't get what your problem is with the place. You can find friendly and unfriendly people everywhere. Maybe you mistake not understanding what your questions are to being unfriendly. You just had a bad experience, don't condemn everyone. And pollution? I haven't been to Istanbul since 2001, but as I recall it was pretty smoggy and dusty too. Maybe they have cleaned it up, but I don't see how. I look forward to your trip report.

Sorry you didn't like Budapest... we kinda fell for the place. But I think I can see why you'd feel that way after Istanbul or another lively location. Budapest is pretty westernized (despite some of the areas still not renovated).

We had that same sort of feeling leaving Morocco and then entering Spain for the first time during the same trip. Got used to have interactive Morocco was and it was jarring to jump back into a place where everyone sort of minded their own business. I think we'd have enjoyed Spain more if we'd just went there by itself. But then again, maybe you'd have not liked Budapest anyway. Not everyone likes everywhere. I kind of thought it was interesting how reserved, but sort of in a shy way, everyone seemed to be, eventually opening up if a talk went on for a bit.

Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing about the Istanbul part. A city that's always intrigued me and yet I haven't had a chance to go - yet.

I'm guessing you were in Budapest during the recent hot weather, so it's no wonder you were afflicted by smog. I haven't been to Budapest, but my experience is that big, old cities do not improve when the temperature is 100F or so.

Good job you didn't go to Belgrade then. The traffic fumes there really got to me!
It makes Budapest seem like Paris.

I think it would have been different if you'd gone to Istanbul after being in Budapest.
This happened us when we travelled with our 2 friends who adored Prague and didn't want to leave, then hated Budapest as it was so different. We had been to both places before, but because they were so "down" on Budapest, we didn't enjoy that part of the holiday at all.

I found your comments on Budapest interesting. I went in April for 4 days, and I didn't like it much either.

It looks an elegant and gracious city in the guide books and pictures that we see, and certain parts are indeed attractive and a hundred years ago it must have been really nice with just the wide boulevards, horse drawn carriages and the trams - and probably a few cars. Now it is very busy and noisy - heavy traffic, and very dirty and graffiti everywhere. Paris has similar wide avenues and streets, and elegant buildings but Paris is pretty, and feels happy - it wasn't called "gay Paree" for no reason (in the old sense of course!). Rome is also traffic filled and noisy but has it's own charm of cobbled streets and alleys with little piazzas and ancient ruins everywhere, and Rome feels alive. Barcelona is just fun!

Budapest (for me anyway) felt oppressive and gloomy. We had wonderful weather, bright and warm sunshine every day, but it just didn't do it for me. I wouldn't say I was particularly sensitive but I did not feel comfortable there - it seemed the city was haunted by the terrible events of WW2 and the communist regime that took over. The people did not seem friendly at all, and did not seem to smile much.

I have since spoken to someone else I know who's been there and she said it felt like she was being being slowly throttled.

I don't recognise one of my favourite cities, Budapest, in the negative comments made here.

Yes, Hungary had a bad time at the end of WW2 and for many years after, and this shows in the tired condition of many buildings -- but renovation is now under way. Most of the important buildings are in a good state, as are many residential and commercial buildings. What I see is a city that is moving (slowly, I agree, but steadily) from a state of deprivation to one of reasonable prosperity. I don't see more dirt and graffiti than in other major cities.

Yes, there is plenty of traffic, but I do not see the city as being choked to the extent that Paris, Rome, and other major cities are, and in a number of visits I never experienced smoggy conditions.

I like the people there. I find, first, that they are basically polite. If you engage with them, many are friendly -- the word that comes to mind is "affable". I also get an impression that those who provide services to visitors are less grasping than in some other tourism destination, notably Prague.

There is plenty to see and do in Budapest, and I hope to visit again and cover some of the things that I have not yet got to in five visits.

Maybe some of this Budapest-hate has to do with expectations? No, it isn't like Paris, but why would it be? When I was there in '04 I thought it looked more like 5 years removed from Communism than 15, but that was part of the interest.

Maybe some has to do with the standard of comparison? Think pollution is bad in Budapest? Better not go to China! Think the streets are dirty? Forget India. Find the people unfriendly? No worse than Russia.

Maybe it has to do with where you stayed? I had a room in an apartment on Andrassy ut, with a big tree outside my window and the metro just steps away.

But I'm fine with fewer people going there - one reason I liked it was that it wasn't overrun with tourists the way Prague was. I'm glad I saw Prague, but I'm going back to Budapest, not Prague.

Thanks for the replys and I understand everybodys views..... I will never go back to Budapest, it just my choice. But please everybody understand that I guess it was just a big let down after Turkey. My favorite city I have visited in is now Istanbul.....

Hi
I was disappointed to read your criticisms of Budapest. I have bveen there several times and enjoy the lived in feel of the city. If you think it bad now, go back to the early 90's when I first visited. The buildings were covered with soot, people wore tired, old communist style clothing. The blackmarket in money transactions were allover. I remember the police asking us to move as they were about to arrest several individuals. Budapest has come a long way, albeit slowly at times. It is cleaner, the hotels are a lot better and it has a tired soul from all its problems. Prague, while beautiful appears more of a movie set. Istanbul, is a bustling dirty city in places. It is a great city that I want to visit again. I just get tired of being hasseled about buying things. I guess if I could live in Europe, I might choose Budapest.

If you are reading this, please don't X Budapest off your list. We liked its Central European flavor so much that we visited twice. We were in Turkey this summer and also really liked Istanbul so much that we intend to return someday to see all we didn't get a chance to see. Smog, oppressive, unfriendly people. We visited in both the fall and in the late spring and didn't find evidence of either.

I've been to Budapest a couple of times, and never ran into smog or anything. I've also been to Istanbul (love that city) - but I don't think you can really compare them, they are just really different. It's like comparing Vienna and Paris - another two awesome cities, but just really different. Budapest is much more old Eastern European coming into it's stride while Turkey is.... well, Turkey is Turkey. It's extremely unique. I like Budapest, and would definitely go back, but it wouldn't be at the top of my list only because there are other Eastern European countries I want to go to (Croatia and Czech Republic). If you didn't like Budapest, you also probably wouldn't like Belgrade, Skopje or Bucharest...

Please, sweetie darling. You had to have come across something fabulous in Budapest. Budapest is a world-class city there has to be something there worth the trouble. You didn't have any good meals; you saw no great architecture? Did you venture into a museum?

The way you go on about your allergies makes me think you are the Felix Unger type.

I don't think you are a traveller; you're a tourist.

Thingorjus

Budapest is a fantastic city to visit-=so much to do there, so beautiful on the Danube, particularly at night, great food, pastries, superior wine, wonderful Central European walking city, people I have met all been very friendly. I like Budapest far better than Vienna, in fact, it is one of my favorite cities in Europe. As for Istanbul, let's just say this: You're not going to be plagued in Budapest by the potential of being in the middle of a terrorist attack that directly targets tourists as you are these days in Istanbul-and it has been happening every 6 mos. or so, to a greater or lesser degree, since the terrible al-Qaeda directed bombings that killed dozens back in 2003. In my day, I've seen plenty of ugliness in that city, from both the people, and the environment, thank you very much-and although it is a very interesting city, it's not one that I care to go back to anytime soon.

As a world traveler from the US, I will be visiting Budapest for the first time in early November. I was taken back with your comments about the city being 'horrible'. My worst experience was in Athens (the pollution, the noise, the graffiti, the cats!) but it was still exciting to be among people of a different culture. Overall it was a fabulous trip and I will never regret having gone.

I am of the opinion that a place will be only as interesting and exciting as you yourself makes it. I always try to get to know the locals and their culture, since I am ‘invading’ their territory and I ALWAYS have a fabulous time on vacation.

Budapest here we come!