Budapest is two cities in one, split by the Danube: hilly, historic Buda on one bank with its castle and old-world charm, and flat, buzzing Pest on the other with its grand boulevards, ruin bars, and thermal baths. Cross one of the great bridges between them at night, with the floodlit Parliament building glowing on the water, and you'll understand why this place is sometimes called the Paris of the East. It's beautiful, characterful, and unlike anywhere else, a city where you can soak in a thermal spa fed by natural hot springs in the morning and drink in a bar built inside a crumbling old building at night.
For the budget traveller, Budapest is a dream. It's one of the most affordable capitals in Europe, noticeably cheaper than Prague, let alone Paris or Amsterdam, and a long-standing favourite on the backpacker trail for exactly that reason. The food is hearty and cheap, the famous ruin bars serve drinks at a fraction of Western European prices, and a great deal of the city, the bridges, the views from Gellért Hill, the riverside, is free. Get a few choices right and Budapest gives you a grand, characterful European capital for genuinely little money. We'll show you how.
