BEAUTIFUL BUDAPEST

Budapest,Hungary

In early May, I traveled to Budapest Hungary for the start of a Uniworld River Cruise on the River Beatrice.  As excited as I was to experience the River Beatrice (named the #1 Riverboat in the world by Conde Nast travelers), I was even more excited to finally visit Budapest!   I was not disappointed!  Budapestis a beautiful, magical city with friendly people and amazing vistas.  

I stayed at the Marriott Executive Apartments, which offered a 1 bedroom, full kitchen & living room for about the same price as a standard hotel room.  It featured a great breakfast, full fitness center, sauna and hot tub, laundry facilities and a “pantry” store.  It was only about a block off the Danube, so it was a perfect location for exploring Budapest. 

The first morning in Budapest, I purchased a Hop On, Hop Off Tour ticket, which included 3 different tours, one of which was a river tour.  Starting with the river tour, the boat sailed up the Danube past the looming neo-Gothic Parliament building (inspired by the British House of Parliament) to Margaret Island, home of the Budapest Zoo and CityPark.  Sailing south we passed the Gellert Hotel and Mineral Baths, where you can still enjoy a thermal bath (made famous in Budapest). 

For the next two days, I made extensive use of the Hop On, Hop Off double-decker busses to see much of Budapest.  If you’ve never had tried the Hop On busses, they stop at 25-30 places throughout the city usually at museums, churches or other points of interest.  If you get off, you can explore as long as you want, then return to the bus stop and join another HOHO bus to continue your tour.  Generally the busses have headsets with 5-10 languages, which have a running narrative of the area you’re passing.  It’s a great way to see a city efficiently—you stop at points of interest to you and pass on things you only need to “see” to enjoy. 

I spent quite a bit of time exploring St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Buda Palace and the Fisherman’s Bastion on the Buda side of the river.  All offered amazing views of the Danube and the city of Pest, across the river.  I walked across the Chain Bridge to the Shoes on the Danube Memorial, commemorating the drowning of Jews during World War II. 

One evening I met with 3 women who are tour guides for the Beyond Band of Brothers Tour (an historical tour of the US Infantry movement inEuropeduring World War II).  I had talked with them on the phone frequently while arranging tours for my clients.  When they heard that I was going to be spending some time in Budapest, they suggested that we get together for dinner.  We took a ride on Budapest’s shortest subway route (Budapest has the oldest subway system in Europe) to Raday street, an area of more than 40 open-air restaurants and bars.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of Hungarian appetizers and entrees, sharing each offering. Budapest is beautiful at night!  The bridges and most museums are fully lit, creating a magical aura. 

I was amazed by the number of riverboats that were sailing the Danube.  Generally several would be docked along the banks of the river, but there was a constant parade of European riverboats sailing by.  Many of the riverboats cater to passengers from a specific country or language.  Most were sleek and new, offering a wonderful way to thoroughly enjoy the European river vistas.

If Budapest,Prague, riverboat cruises or Europe in general are on your bucket list, I can assist you in making your dreams come true. Europe is amazingly affordable this summer and fall.  Call Caryl at 269 982 0901 or email me at:  colson@cruiseplanners.com to create your perfect vacation!