Brian

Could someone please compare Budapest to other major European cities (Prague, Bratislava, Spain, Lisbon, Zurich, amsterdam, krakow?) I'm not sure if it's worth making the 7 hours train ride there and back because i will only have two days. thanks

ronaldo

Hungary is a fantastic country to visit. Budapest is often called the Paris of the East. The food is incredible (much better than Prague), the people are friendly, the nighlife is fabulous, the scenery is stunning. Make sure you visit the Parliament, and Gellert Hill where the former Austro-Hungarian castle is situated.

Uncle Sam

Having been there twice, I agree with the above comments. However, I was disappointed at the dirty state of many of the buildings. However, they were doing a lot of sand blasting to clean up the 50 years of pollution and grime accumulated under communist rule.<BR><BR>The paprika chicken and the goulash (sp) were fantastic and the Tokai wines are excellent as well.<BR><BR>US

Julie

I found Budapest beautiful but sad. There are many beautiful buildings there but so much work needs to be done to restore them to their rightful glory and so much money needs to be spent to get that to happen. There are many places that you can still see the bullet holes from the 1956 uprising. Prague has been treated much better by recent history. The people can spend their money on making things nicer, cleaner, prettier, rather than needing to restore whole facades. There is also a difference in how well the two cities and surrounding areas have been able to handle their solid waste disposal. As you enter Budapest by train you can see many places where appliances, and other durable goods no longer in working order have just been abandoned. We did not see similar problems in the countryside around Prague. That said, however, Budapest is a beautiful city and if you can put on your rose colored glasses and look at it in a sort of rosy haze you can see the basic beauty that is there. It is worth seeing.

dave

I have to say I found Budapest a little bit disappointing, but that's probably because I had an expectation of this incredibly exotic city (I was in college at the time!)... I was shocked to see a KFC right there in the heart of it, for instance.<BR><BR>However, there are some magnificent things to see, and the people are great. We stayed in a private home in the hills, and taking the bus out there we got some curious looks from residents. Tourists didn't go that far out too often, I guess. We went to a tiny restaurant near the house where no one spoke English, but they made us feel right at home. It was a highlight of the six week trip.<BR><BR>Overall, if you think this is your one chance to go, I'd do it- but I can't agree with 'Paris of the East', frankly (no offense, ronaldo)...

Jordan Kaye

I lived in Budapest last summer. I LOVE that city. The other cities of Eastern Europe that you mentioned are all very lovely but none of them are metropolises on the scale of Budapest. Budapest is a Serious City. <BR>Having said that, a 2 day trip isn´t nearly enough to "crack the code" on Budapest. It is a big city and takes some getting used to to get the most out of it. For a 2 day trip I might recommend Prague, which is smaller and easier to tackle. When you have more time on your hands, dedicate it to Budapest.<BR><BR>Bon voyage<BR>jordan

mark

They are slowly restoring buildings. I was there in May 2001 and then in December 2001 - one of my favoriite buidlings on Vaci street had gone from pocked marked to beautifully restored. It was an amazing transformation. I agree that Budapest is beautiful and sad - there is a certain melancholy. <BR><BR>More importantly though is where are you coming from? If Prague then I would say visit Vienna for the 2 days you have. I've not been to Bratislava. Traveling 7 hours to and from for 2 days doesn't seem enough bang for your buck.