Last stop in my inter-rail adventure - Budapest

Our final inter-railing destination was Budapest.

The scenic train ride brought us into the Hungarian city’s main station and from there, we got a tram to our hostel.

It had just two quite hard beds in a room, wifi, bathrooms and showers but was safe, and located near lots of transport links.

We then found a lovely café called David’s Kitchen. My travelling companion Niamh Finn and I shared a slice of chocolate babka and were amazed at the combination of the soft and doughy bread, the fudgy and rich chocolate swirled throughout, and the crunchy exterior.

I also got an espresso which was delicious, and there was a relaxed atmosphere, with a chatty buzz filling the family-run cáfe and bakery.

We went back the next morning for a delicious shakshuka, served with their incredible homemade bread, as well as more babka and coffee.

The temperatures were very high so we strolled in the shade to the opera house, which was a stunning building. 

The ceiling inside was beautifully and incredibly decorated, laced with gold and flowery details. It was amazing to be able to walk in and see it.

We then walked to a lovely park where we nestled under the shade of a grand, towering tree and watched people go around the white ferris wheel.

We then got a tram across the river and up to castle hill. From there, we walked the steps to the castle.

This castle was far more like a princess’s castle from any fairytale. The entire fortress was absolutely stunning.

We walked around the area, sat chatting by the fountains, and soaked in the views of the city below, which were breathtaking. The river flowed through the middle, dotted with bridges. The horizon was dotted with white stone and orange roofs.

Amongst the sea of buildings, structures, side streets and parks, one particular building really stood out to me. This was the Parliament building, which is so vast and impressive even from so far away, we made the decision then and there to get closer and to go visit it.

Up close, the Parliament building, surrounded by well-kept grass, is amazing. The meticulous detail on every side is exquisite and the red dome is astounding. There’s also a viewing point from here which is brilliant. Having just witnessed the city from the castle, we got to witness the opposite view of Budapest.

We made very good use of the trams and metros in Budapest because it was much hotter than the previous cities we had visited. We hopped on a metro back to our hostel, showered, got changed and headed out for dinner.

We had noticed, reading the menus as we travelled, that food seemed cheaper here than in Berlin, Prague, Vienna or at home in Ireland. So, having saved money on food by mainly eating from the nearest supermarket available to us, we decided our treat sitdown meal would be in Budapest.

By the opera house, we saw a lovely restaurant that looked rather fancy. We would have probably walked past, except the menu was outside the front door and we couldn’t believe how affordable the prices of mains were.

Niamh and I decided to take full advantage and waited to be seated. We both ordered pasta dishes and afterwards shared a simply perfect creme brulee. Inside, a pianist began to play and we were enamoured by his craft.

There was a perfect view of the magnificent opera house and we were able to bask in Budapest’s atmosphere, observing the city’s transition from day into night. We people-watched as the gorgeous glow of sunset fell on passers-by.

The next day, we made our way to Heroes Square. It was really different to all the other squares we had passed through whilst interrailing because it was so wide and open. It felt huge.

We then walked across the river to the park and strolled around under the tree’s shade. Niamh and I picked an ideal spot to sit and read for a while, under a particularly tall tree and overlooking the river and the Vajdahunyad Castle.

We’d each gotten a book in the Sigmund Freud museum in Vienna so we read them to pass some time, avoiding the hottest time of the day. We then got ice cream before going to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths.

Located in the park, the baths were amazing. Inside the bright yellow building were the saunas, spa and locker rooms. Outside, there was one pool for actually swimming, lots of loungers, and the baths themselves.

I couldn’t believe how warm they were. It was 36 degrees that day, and inside the water it was 27! It was so relaxing, to just sit on the steps, submerged in the warm water.

We simply enjoyed the heat and floating in the water for about 20 minutes, this is as long as is recommended you go in for at a given time. We then just relaxed on sun loungers for the afternoon.

Just as we had nearly reached our hostel, we found a gorgeous Italian just five minutes from where we were staying. The prices were once again very good and the restaurant was really authentic. We shared some pizza and pasta before going back to our hostel for our very last night inter-railing.

Overall, I thought Budapest was an absolutely beautiful city. I hadn’t expected so many of the buildings to be so pretty and exquisite.

The views from the castle were incredible and the baths were a brilliant experience. Also, we definitely had the tastiest food of the trip in Budapest!

I especially loved going to the parks and enjoyed being surrounded by people just laying out in the sun, eating picnics, relaxing, walking their dogs, playing football or cards, and so on.

Finally, I will be reflecting on the entire trip tomorrow, and divulging all of my inter-railing tips and tricks!