Public Transport Tiecket Budapest

It will be over with the little orange strips called “Vonaljegy” that you need to validate in trams, busses and the metro in Budapest soon. Well not too soon but at least starting from 2014 progressively a new so called E-Ticket system will be introduced. Plan is to have it all done by 2014 which is not a tough deadline I would say.

The tickets will be step by step replaced with a plastic card which is based on the same technology as PayPass and many people know already from cities like London where the Oyster Card also replaced paper tickets.

The first step will be to replace time based tickets such as monthly tickets which allow owners to travel unlimited within Budapest. As a second step than the one time tickets will fade out and the last step is the installation of automated entrance and exit stations that might will probably result in less jobs in the public transport sector as inspectors will drop out by 2015.

Additionally the city is planning to introduce P+R parking spots connected to the HÉV stations which are the suburban trains and also for Metro Line M2. With this step obviously the heavy city traffic should be reduced.
The entire project is connected to a cost of 1.1 billion HUF which is roughly 3.75 million Euro.

I myself started learning Hungarian in 2005 and can agree that it is a very hard to learn language but once you get into it and you mix with the locals and speak to Hungarians a lot e.g. at work or in the pub it just gets in your brain as it probably does with any other language to learn. In case you would like to learn Hungarian here is a list of Language Schools in Budapest or in case you just come for a visit check out some words you can learn and use quick.

So Hungarian is hard to learn and it is spoken only by a few people, why to bother? I think that it is only fair and showing respect towards locals if you at least make an effort towards them the same you would expect it from foreigners in your country as well. Not that you need to speak perfect Hungarian but at least some basics and some friendly expressions that help you through the day. Just my 2 cents concerning this topic.

What is your opinion on Hungarian as a foreign language? And what do you think, should expats learn Hungarian or is it not necessary?

I think that it is a cool way to show your interests or what you like, in my case it is the parliament building by night. therefore I have collected som nice images of Budapest that you can save to your computer and use them as your Cover picture on Facebook. Have fun and show your support to Budapest. Click to enlarge the pictures. If you would like to add an image as well just let me know.

Cost for Food in Budapest

• Daily Menu in the business district – 1.300 HUF
• Fast Food Menu (e.g. Big Mac menu) – 1.200 HUF
• 1kg of chicken breast – 1.200 HUF
• 1 liter of milk – 250 HUF
• 1kg of tomatoes – 480 HUF
• 12 Eggs – 400 HUF
• 1kg of normal, local cheese – 800 HUF
• 1kg of apples – 300 HUF
• 1kg of potatoes – 330 HUF
• 0,5l can of beer – 200 HUF
• 1l bottle of normal quality red wine – 1.800 HUF
• 1l Coca Cola – 330 HUF

Housing costs in Budapest

• monthly rent for a 85 m2 furnished downtown apartment – 125.000 HUF
• monthly cost of utilities such as gas, electricity, heating etc (2 people in a 85 m2 apartment) – 40.000 HUF
• 8MB internet flatrate per month – 5.000 HUF
• 40″ flat screen TV – 150.000 HUF
• Microwave – 20.000 HUF
• Cleaning help (hourly rate) – 2.500 HUF

Costs for Clothes in Budapest

• Pair of Levis 501 – 25.000 HUF
• 1 pair of Adidas trainers – 20.000 HUF
• 1 pair of average business leather shoes – 18.000 HUF

Costs for Transportation / Mobility in Budapest

• Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI – 4.300.000 HUF
• 1 liter of gasoline – 420 HUF
• 1 ticket for Public Transportation – 360 HUF
• Monthly ticket for Public Transportation – 9.000 HUF
• Taxi from the airport to the city center – 3.000 HUF

Costs for Personal Care

• 6 days of normal medicine against flue – 1.500 HUF
• Average Deodorant – 580 HUF
• Regular Hair Shampoo – 750 HUF
• 4 rolls of toilet paper – 370 HUF
• Tube of toothpaste – 470 HUF
• Standard Mens haircut – 2.500 HUF

Costs for Entertainment in Budapest

• Basic dinner for 2 persons in neighborhood area – 4.500 HUF
• 2 cinema tickets – 2.500 HUF
• 2 theatre tickets – 7.200 HUF
• Dinner for 2 in an good restaurant incl. wine and dessert – 10.000 HUF
• 1 cocktail in a city center bar – 1.300 HUF
• Cappuccino in the downtown area – 500 HUF
• 1 beer in the pub – 450 HUF
• Monthly fee in the fitness studio – 15.000 HUF
• 1 package of Marlboro cigarettes – 690 HUF

Please keep in mind, as mentioned above, that prices are only approximate as they very much depend on the place and also change very fast. A proper dinner for 2 can also be 6.000 HUF only or exceed 15.000 HUF easily. Beer in a real kocsma can be 300 HUF only but in trendy bars don’t be surprised to pay 750 HUF. This article should just give a rough overview of what to expect for certain services. If you have a special request for a service or product  or you disagree strongly with a point just drop me a line in the comments.

Coffee Cat in Budapest

Coffee Cat is a small, cosy and friendly café in the centre of Budapest offering a superb selection and quality of coffee. If you want to get away from Starbucks and Costa Cafe quick drinks for a lot of money I can only recommend you to visit Coffee Cat because the coffee is really excellent, if not the best I had in Budapest. Located in a quiet area of Ó utca which is known for bars and pubs Coffee Cat is a very small but super friendly and cosy place to have your coffee in the morning or afternoon.

Above the counter you can finda  visualized selection of all the coffee types available ranging from a normal Espresso, the traditional cappuccino to Mexican Coffee and Iced Latte Macchiato so whatever you prefer you will find it in Coffee Cat. The coffee is according to the website 100% Columbian Arabica which reflects in the taste so you really have quality coffee in your hand. The prices in Coffee Cat Budapest are avarage, maybe a bit above but for the quality I am willing to pay some Forint more, so for an Espresso you pay 310 HUF, for a large Cafe Latte you get charged 510 HUF which still is probably 25% cheaper than in some trendy café. Also very popular in Coffee Cat are the croissants.

Though I was invited on a coffee by the owner I chose to give it a try without free coffee to check the staff as well and I, as well as the persons in front of me, were treated really friendly and helpful. The coffee is really made with love which takes its time but I guess that for a good coffee everybody is willing to wait. The interior in Coffee Cat is simple but absolutely sufficient and comfortable. Also as I can see the staff is treating its regular guests in a special way even dedicating them a picture and small description on their website naming it the “Cat Family”.

So if you enjoy a  good coffee at any time during Coffee Cats opening hours, weekdays 7.30 – 16.00 and Saturday 9.00 – 11.30, I strongly recommend you to have a look and try out one of their coffees because they are really fantastic and maybe you will get your section in the Cat Family soon as well.

Coffee Cat Information:
Address: Budapest, Ó utca 44.
Tel: 708-0170
Or visit the website and like Coffee Cat on Facebook.

Indigo Budapest

Indigo in Budapest is an Indian restaurant offering really a massive variety of Indian dishes with a very nice flair and a cool location. They state on the website that “Indigo Indian restaurant opened in december 2005 with a vision of providing authentic indian flavours in a relaxing atmosphere” which is partly true, the flavours are great and authentic, though the atmosphere is a bit busy and somehow typical Hungarian so for me it was not really a relaxing experience. However the food, and they offer a lot, was great and the portions rich so there is nothing to complain about. Located in Jókai utca it is not far off the pulse of the city actually it is still considered as the city centre.

As mentioned the food is really great and the portions are enough to get full. I tried the typical Chicken Tikka Masala which was well spiced and had a really great taste and also the traditional Hungarian Dreher beer was good. It took me actually a long time to decide what I eat because the menu is ridiculously long with tons of dishes for every meat and fish type you can imagine. Chicken, pork, beef, fish, vegetarian in all kinds of variantswhich makes it not easy to chose something especially if it is full of Indian expressions such as Tandoori, Tikka or Paneer which maybe not everybody understands or knows what it is.

I think that the service was not the greatest, at least it took a while to get each and every drink so that you almost could order your next beer while you get one in case you want to have one more, maybe it was because we were sitting upstairs but there did not seem to be a dedicated waiter for this area. Also when asking for the ingrediants of a certain dish the waiter could not really explain us what it was and tell us what it is made of which for me is not really professional. So from this standpoint restaurant Indigo in Budapest is not the perfect place to go. However if you know the Indian kitchen a bit or have no problems chosing a dish that you might not know and just try I do recommend to visit Indigo.

Overall I was satisfied with the overall experience in restaurant Indigo with some remarks that you can accept. The prices for food are a bit expensive so that you are not leaving the place without paying around 2000 HUF for a main course without drinks. Although the food was very good I am still a fan of the Indian restaurant Hathi in Budapest in the 13th district which for me is the best Indian food you can get in the city. It is a bit far outside and not really nice to sit there for an evening though. But if you fancy some Indian food in the city centre do not hesitate to go to Indigo.

Restaurant Indigo Information:
Address: 1066 Budapest, Jókai u. 13.
Tel: +361 428-2187
Or visit the official Indigo website

Sweet Days Budapest

The Sweet Days Festival or “Chocolate and Candy Sweet Days festival” as it is called officially is a 3 days festival in the Buda Castle all about sweets, candy, ice cream and chocolate. Organized by the supermarket hipermarket chain Cora some 60+ manufacturers (list further down) of sweets present their products to the interested audience. Mostly small local sweets producers coming from all over the country are exhibiting their work which is far more than just a bar of chocolate or a bag of candy.

On the Sweet Days in Budapest you can find hand made chocolate in all different styles, types, shapes and colors such as green tea chocolate or little chocolate pieces on a stick turning into hot chocolate when you put them in hot milk. Also you can see and of course buy a lot of cookies and other candy but the chocolate is probably the most spectacular.

If you are a fan of sweets I think it is worth to go to the sweet days festival in Budapests castle even though you have to pay a tough entrance fee of 1900 HUF for the day which is around 6€ just for entering the area. The festival takes place in mid September so it is still reasonably warm and you can enjoy an home made ice cream while shopping or just exploring.

For more information please check out the website.

Here is the list of exhibitors in 2011:

90.9 JAZZY RÁDIÓ
Assist-Trend Duna Kft.
Bakos Marcipán Kft.
Balaton Ice Kft.
Bobojka Kft.
Bonbonetti Csoport
Bravico Trade Kft.
BTSZK
Budapest Cukrászda
Cacao.hu Kft.
Cadeau Bonbon Manufaktúra
Café Shambala
Chocim Kft.
Chocoland
Choc-O-Lait
ChocoMe Kft.
Choko-Pompadour Kft.
Cora
Csoki Anno és Ipacs Pince
Csokoládia Manufaktúra és Mézmúzeum
Detki Keksz Kft.
Disznókő Szőlőbirtok és Pincészet
DiVino
Eredeti Ziegler Ostya Kft.
Fast Hungary Kft.
Féda Kft. Csokoládé Múzeum & Rákóczi Pálinka
Fragola Fagylaltozó Kft.
Frőhlich Cukrászda
Gelarto rosa
G.I.F.T. Kft.
Gyulai Pálinka Manufaktúra
Harrer Csokoládéműhely és Cukrászda
Hegyközi Manufaktúra Kft.
Heinemann Testvérek Kft.
Hungarian Flavours Kft.
Karamell-Snack Kft.
Kertész Családi Pincészet Kft.
Kézműves Csokoládé, S. Nemzetes Krisztina
Királyi Marcipán Desszert Kft.
Kovács és Társa 2005 Kft.
La Delizia Kekszmanufaktúra
Levendulapince
Magyar Édességgyártók Szövetsége
Magyar Konyha és Heti Válasz
Maresi Foodbroker Kft.
Második Belga Praliné Kft.
Meggy és Jazz
Mevigold Progressio Kft.
Panyolai Pálinkabolt
Pap Emese
Pataki Cukrászda
Royalsekt Zrt. Pezsgőpincészet
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé
Schoco Bon
Sixi 2000 Kft.
Stühmer Kft.
Szamos Marcipán Kft.
Szántó Tibor, Kézműves csokoládé
Szerencsi Bonbon Kft.
Szőke Food Kft.
Team Magic Kft.
Tiffán Ede és Zsolt Pincészete
Tony Bennett Hungary Kft.
Tortafaló Kft.
Turizmus Kft.
Urbán és Urbán Kft.
Vinoport Borbár
Vitéz Kürtős Bt.
Westcafe Kft.
Zangio családi csokoládéműhely
Zila Kávéház Kft.

http://www.sweetdays.hu/

“Apple’s support included cash and computers at a time when Graphisoft was a small company with limited resources, working within the economic and political confines of what was, at the time, communist Hungary. Apple also introduced Graphisoft to its worldwide distribution network, which we rely upon to this day.”

The statue is made of bronzed by the Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth who created it the way Steve Jobs is probably most remembered, turtleneck, jeans and round glasses. If you want to see the statue of Steve Jobs in Budapest you should visit the Graphisoft Park (See on map) which you reach the best with the suburban train HÉV to direction of Szentendre.

Steve Jobs Statue in Budapest

Restaurant Jardinette Budapest

First time that I have been to restaurant Jardinette in Budapest was at a wedding I was invited to but obviously the menu was different from what the restaurant usually offers. However the chef was probably the same and as the food was very good I decided to visit restaurant Jardinette again.

Located in the beautiful Buda hills close to a cemetary Jardinette is in a really nice, calm area of Budapest. A large house with an attached garden functions as the restaurant. The interior is a bit boring to be honest but the garden is nice with a lot of trees and an area for kids to play. That makes jardinette very nice especially in summer.

Coming to the menu of restaurant Jardinette in Budapest which is fairly international but here and there you can find a typical Hungarian dish such as goose liver or cat fish paprikas. I decided to take the “Cream of aubergine with zucchini and toasted turkish bread” as a starter followed by a classic “250 g. beef tenderloin steak with rough pepper, served with cognac sauce, parsley mashed potatoes and glazed vegetables”. The aubergine cream was fantastic and tasted much better than what you usually get in Hungary. The beef itself was also great even though I like it more if it is seperated from the sauce, this one was covered with and swimming in sauce but the quality of the meat was excellent. One of the best steaks I have had in Hungary. The other dishes we had at the table unfortunately haven’t been too good, the cat fish paprikas was not hot enough when it came to the table and the trout was not really tastey. The only reason to not go there more often is that it is a bit pricey for Hungarian means.

Overall I was satsified with the visit in restaurant Jardinette in Budapest even though the ambience is not too exciting inside so if I go there again it would be in summer when you can sit outside in the garden. But if you want to have a nice dinner than I can recommend to go to Jardinette.

Restaurant Jardinette Budapest Information:
Address: 1112 Budapest, Németvölgyi út 136.
Phone: +36 1 248 1652
Or visit the official website

Steak at Jardinette

Hop On Hop Off Bus Budapest

The Hop On Hop Off Bus in Budapest is one of the best combinations of sightseeing and public transport. After buying the 24 or 48 hours ticket you are obliged to take any of the 3 lines (one of them is a boat) on their route at any time, wherever you are. That means you can take it to get from one place to the other or just sit inside and get your sightseeing Tour by Bus. Best however is the combination of both. You can get on the bus to start your city tour and if there is a sights that you consider to be interesting you hop off and visit the sight. After you had a look or guided tour e.g. in the Budapest Parliament you go back to the bus stop and carry on with your tour.

In this way you can easily spend the entire day seeing all the poplar and important places in Budapest while hving a comfortable ride in between with audio guide along. These hop on hop off bus tours are popular all over Europe, often you can find several offers in the same city. In Budapest you buy 1 ticket valid for 48 hours for 23 Euro per person and can take any of the 3 different lines.

The audio guide is offered in the following 16 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew and Hungarian (The boat line tour is only offered in English and German). The bus lines start every 30 minutes and you can buy the tickets online or in any of the bus lines for approximately 23 Euro.

Routes of the 3 Hop On Hop Off Bus Lines

Red Bus Line

The Red Bus Line is the longer of the 2 bus lanes and goes far more outside the city, e.g. to the city park. It also takes you to the spectecular view on Gellért Hill which you should not miss. The Red Bus Line is for sure the more popular one because it passes more of the famous sights.

1. József Nádor Tér (See on Map)
The József Nádor Tér is on the backside of Café Gerbeau from where you can have a nice walk along Vaci Utca, to Chain Bridge or to Basilica. All in a walking distance of 5 minutes.

2. Erzsébet Tér (See on Map)
Erzsébet Tér is not far away from József Nádor Tér, you can easily reach the Basilica, take a walk on Andrássy Út or take a beer at Gödör Club.

3. Andrássy Út (See on Map)
World famous Andrássy Út is perfect for a nice walk on a sunny afternoon with many cafés and restaurants. Also worth a visit is the Opera.

4. Opera (See on Map)
The Opera itself is of course worth a visit otherwise there is not much to say what hasn’t been said above already.

5. Liszt Ferenc Tér(See on Map)
On Liszt Ferenc Tér I recommend to visit one of the bars and restaurants around which are especially interesting in the summer time when the entire square is filled up with tables, chairs and of course people.

6. Heroes’ Square (See on Map)
Heroes’ Square is one of the main monuments in Budapest and a must see for every tourist. Beautiful at night and impressive there is no way around visiting Heroes’ Square in Budapest.

7. Eastern Railway Station (See on Map)
The Keleti Pályaudvar is an impressive building but not really worth a visit. I guess it is nominated as a stop to catch people arriving by train to Budapest.

8. Astoria (See on Map)
The Astoria is one of the major junctions in Budapest and is named after the Hotel Astoria which is situated there. From here you are in walking distance to the Hungarian National Museum and the Synagogue.

9. Funicular (See on Map)
one of the fanciest ways to get up to the castle district is the Funicular, which is owned and operated by the BKV, the Budapest Public Transportation company. The Funicular is a tram which is going very steep up and down the hill. Worth a ride though often very crowded and pricey.

10. Castle District (See on Map)
A must see in Budapest, you have the best view over the city including a perfect look on the Budapest Parliament. The Castle District is a nicley populated area with bars, cafes, restaurants and even supermarkets. You chould not miss the Matzas Church.

11. Citadella (See on Map)
On top of the famous Gellert Hill you can find the Citadella, one of the main monuments in Budapest. From here you have an awesome view over Pest. Many people come here for that one picture.

12. Marcius 15. Tér (See on Map)
Not particularly worth visiting but the Marcius 15. square is close to famous vaci Utca as well as many hotels which are located at the Danube. It might be a get on or off point but not really worth a full stop.

13. Parliament (See on Map)
Must See, beautiful, impressive. The parliament in Budapest is again one of the main attractions for tourists and I recommend you to have a stop there and take the Budapest Parliament Tour.

14. Back to József Nádor Tér
See point nr. 1 above

Yellow Bus Line

The Yellow bus line is going through the city center as well as on the Buda side. Compared to the Blue Line it is shorter and stopping at the interest points which are in the city like the Synagogue or the Great Market Hall.

1. Erzsébet Tér
See Blue Bus Line point Nr. 2.

2. Synagogue (See on Map)
The Synagogue is the symbol for the strong Jewish community in Budapest. The enitre area around has a Jewish touch and the Synagogue itself is very beautiful and point of interest for many tourists in Budapest.

3. Astoria
See Blue Bus Line point Nr. 8.

4. Dózsa György Tér (See on Map)
The Dózsa György Tér is a good point to walk up to the Castle District or to go throught the tunnel (even though I wouldn’t recommend to go there by foot) otherwise there is not too much to see around.

5. Batthyány Tér (See on Map)
The Batthyány Tér itself is not an outstanding place to be but what this square is famous for is the one picture you want to take from the Budapest Parliament. Batthyány Tér is located directly opposite of the Parliament across the Danube so you have the perfect location for your picture.

6. Margit Bridge (Buda Side – See on Map)
This is the best stop if you want to have a look or walk on Margaret Island, located in the middle of the Danube. Since stopping or parking on margaret island is not too easy you have to take a little 5 mins walk to get to the island.

7. Parliament
See Blue Bus Line point Nr. 13.

8. Vigadó Tér (See on Map)
The Vigadó Tér itself is not spectecular at all but it is a perfect stop if you would like to take a walk along the Danube, jump into the city (Vaci Utca) for shopping, christmas market or a bite to eat and it is also very close to many Budapest Hotels next to the Danube.

9. Market Hall (See on Map)
The Gand market Hall at the end of Vaci utca is the perfect place to see Hungarian culture, cuisine and life in one place. Though very touristic it is worth to check the fruits, vegetables and meat sellers and maybe have a quick snack in one of the fast food stands in there.

10. National Museum (See on Map)
I haven’t been to the National Museum so I cannot say much about it but from what I have heart it is worth a visit especially if you want to know more about Hungary and its history.

11. Back to Erzsébet Tér

Blue Boat Line

The blue boat line of course differs from the 2 bus lines because it is going on the water but also the stops are just 3 different, the Vigadó square, the Batthyány square and the Margaret Island. I recommend to you to take the boat in the evening when it is dark or getting dark because you will see the shores of the Danube and the brigdes lighted up by tens of thousands of lights.

1. Vigadó Tér
See Yellow Bus Line point Nr. 8.

2. Batthyány Tér
See Yellow Bus Line point Nr. 5.

3. Margaret Island
Different from the stop Margrit Bridge of the Yellow Bus line with the boat you are stopping directly at the Margit Island and can start your walk or your visit to one of the bars or restaurants.

4. Back to VigadóTér
See point Nr. 1.

As I mentioned before I thinkt that the Hop On Hop Off Bus in Budapest is one of the greatest ways of exploring Budapest and you can adjust your tour to what you want to see while not missing any point of interested or a must see.