Budapest in late November
Posted by jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit | budapest | View on Reddit | 32 comments
Hi! I'm British and am wanting to go to a Christmas market in the continent. I looked at Germany and Austria but all the flights were rubbish. I did find a reasonably priced flight to Budapest with good flight times. So how are the markets there? I've heard they're one of the best, but I'd like to here your opinions. Also, is everything open during the last week of November? (I.e: Museums, churches, Buda castle, parliament, and the spas)
Sorry this isn't in Hungarian
Specialist-Fix-9243@reddit
Sorry to add a questions as another tourist travelling early to mid November.
Late 30s couple but young at heart and looks are travelling to Budapest between 8-15th Nov. wife is on a business trip and hence will occupied during working hours.
Looking things to do post working hours together and some recommendations for the husband during daytime?
fishy_horcrux@reddit
The markets are really pretty, but essentially a tourist trap, overpriced, both food and souvenirs as well. Afaik there's no holiday last week of November, so everything should be open, museums are closed on Mondays tho.
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
But let’s get real: What counts as overpriced in Budapest would be normal-priced or even cheap in Vienna, no?
fishy_horcrux@reddit
Maybe? I'm not familiar with prices in the Vienna Christmas market, but 10+eur for a regular langos is crazy. We can be real, but there are better and cheaper places to eat and drink in the city.
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
What’s a regular lángos? Sajtos-tejfölös? And 4000+ Ft. for that!? No way!
In that case, yeah, that would be Western European prices! 😱
fishy_horcrux@reddit
Yep, sajtos-tejfölös, you can even google the articles for the prices of last years christmas market, they did an overview, crazy prices
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
Unreal! Why would Hungarians ever pay for that? Those prices are totally out of sync with restaurant prices, which are still way lower than restaurant prices in Austria.
(Since November and December really aren’t peak travel seasons, I’d assume that most patrons at Hungarian Christmas markets would be Hungarians.)
fishy_horcrux@reddit
November and December are peak travel seasons actually. Hungarians don't pay these prices, tourists do, hence why it's a tourist trap. I'm mainly thinking of the christmas markets in the city center as well.
Sheetz_Wawa_Market32@reddit
Interesting. People from what countries travel to Hungary in November/December?
Varekai79@reddit
I'm Canadian and will be visiting Budapest for the first time this November. It's mainly to attend a concert, but I'll visit the Christmas markets as well. The prices are frankly insane, so I'll just walk around without buying anything and eat elsewhere.
AnarchiaKapitany@reddit
As with many other cultural things, like thermal baths and ruin bars, as soon as they got a bit famous, tourists started flocking, and they began to cater to the wealthy crowd, so locals rarely go to either any more. Same wit the Christmas Market
Competitive_Meal_144@reddit
We moved to Budapest two years ago and it’s a beautiful country but I wouldn’t come over just for the markets. I hear Vienna is stunning for the markets. My father in law came over last year and spent £76 quid on kolbasz and chips for 4 of us without knowing the currency. I never had the heart to tell him how much it was once I realised he’d bought them.
The markets honestly aren’t all that. Budapest as a city, however, is incredible
VszVszVsz@reddit
vienna's christmas markets are traditional and big, varied and located at different parts of the city. budapest's oldest christmas market is maybe 25 years old. while nicely lit, they aren't especially big and get very crowded during peak times with other tourists. the prices for some food items are more than the equivalent in vienna.
if it were me and i'd never seen a christmas market before, then go to vienna and day trip to budapest because the two that people want to see in district v are close to one another and easily take less than 4 hours to thoroughly see.
Massive_Raspberry132@reddit
If you had a few days in Budapest, a day trip to Vienna is quite managable, so you could see both.
jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit (OP)
Ye, I was thinking of flying in on Thursday and coming back Sunday. Idk if that's enough time because I'd only have 1 full day in Budapest because of flights. I have considerable it though. How much r retention trains normally? Do u know?
Avocado_SIut@reddit
Honestly I'd only recommend either one if you're reaaally into Christmas markets.
Generally they're overcrowded, overpriced tourist traps, both in Vienna and Budapest.
I wouldn't mind the pricing if they weren't so crowded, but in their current state they're just not enjoyable for me. I hope you have a different experience if you do decide to visit them.
jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit (OP)
What christmas market would you personally recommend? I've looked at flights to basicallt every city in Germany and the flights ate horrific
Avocado_SIut@reddit
I don't really have any better options, crowded and overpriced is just the nature of Christmas markets lately.
Arphile@reddit
You’re looking at flights 6 months in advance, they’ll get cheaper, don’t worry. If you want to go go somewhere outside Germany with a real Christmas market culture, Prague or Strasbourg are probably better choices
jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit (OP)
The flights to all them places either are too expensive, require transfers, get in late at night or leave early on the morning. The only good options were Budapest, Milan and Copenhagen. I don't really fancy Milan and I want to do Copenhagen as part of a larger trip in the future
Massive_Raspberry132@reddit
But I don't think Budapest+Vienna would be such a bad idea. Yes, they are touristy, but isn't that the whole point?
Massive_Raspberry132@reddit
I don't know the Christmas market situation, but I have found Munich a really nice place. Also, I recommend to check alternative dates for each town, if you could be flexible on your side. And you could check out Northern Italy, they have Christmas markets, too.
Expired_Raisin@reddit
It takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there by train if everything goes smooth. A round trip ticket should be around €80. Flixbus might be a lot cheaper, but longer in time, and less comfortable. Absolutely managable in one day tho.
jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit (OP)
How long do you recon it'll take to see Budapest. I'm flying in at 9:50am on Thursday and flying out at 4:40 on Sunday. If we say I go to Vienna on Saturday. Will I have enough time to see everything (I.e: Buda castle, the market, Danube river cruise, Parliament, Terror museum, Fishman's bastion, the Cathedrals, the Christmas market, etc)
Arphile@reddit
I’ve lived here for two years and I keep finding new places. There’s no such thing as « seeing everything », you’ll be able to see some things and that might be enough for you to be satisfied, but there’s only so much you can do in two and a half days.
jamjobDRWHOgabiteguy@reddit (OP)
Yeye. I get y'. But will I be able 2 do the touristy stuff in that time?
Arphile@reddit
Sounds like a hectic few days, personally I’d cut some, but ig you could do it if you really want to
Arphile@reddit
You can find round trip tickets for much cheaper, especially if booking in advance, looking at a random day in June it’s 21€ to 25€ each way
ilikebluehearts@reddit
i absolutely love the christmas markets here lol but i’m an exception. i would splurge on a good bailey’s hot chocolate with extra whipped cream while walking through the markets. i enjoy buying souvenirs from there every year and i bring them back home (to my home country.) i have made all sorts of memories in the christmas market in front of the basilica. i’m not hungarian though and maybe that’s why this activity appeals to me and not the natives but i definitely recommend it as a local!
Boovenussculpordwarf@reddit
As someone from Budapest, I find the christmas markets here quite underwhelming. Budapest itself is a beautiful city no matter the season but the markets are small and just simply not worth it. IMO the ones in Vienna are much better, although it might just be the memories I've made at the school trips to the christmas markets there every year 😊 I've seen you comment about what you want to see in Budapest and all sights are generally located close to each other so you should be able to cover them in a day but it's going to be a bit rushed. For example the Buda castle and the Bastion are almost right next to each other and the Danube runs in the middle of the city, there's no way you could miss it. The thermal bath might sound like a good idea but most people find it underwhelming as well as they are not immaculately clean and are always crowded. If it's not your cup of tea then you could leave it out, saving some time. But someone else commented and I agree with it: there's always much more to see in Budapest so the more time you spend here the better.
Arphile@reddit
You’re looking at flights 6 months in advance, they’ll get cheaper, don’t worry. If you want to go go somewhere outside Germany with a real Christmas market culture, Prague or Strasbourg are probably better choices
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