Month: September 2016

Fast Food in Budapest

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Please, no! I beg you not to look for a fast food restaurant in Budapest when you start feeling hungry.

Even if you only have a minute to choose and grab your sandwich and coke so you can quickly continue your sightseeing tour and have more time to admire this wonderful city. Hungarian cuisine is so varied and delicious with rich flavours and unique character,…

… Oh, you want to go to the McDonald’s at Nyugati Train Station? That’s a splendid idea.

Go ahead.

The contrast will shock you. This fast food restaurant is not what you might expect.

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Interior of the Mc Donald’s at Nyugati Train Station, Photo: Virag

Classical bourgeois atmosphere blends with the present day requirements of the franchise. In any case, I recommend you take a look at this interesting mixture of styles.

The fast food restaurant is in a side building of the Nyugati Train Station that opens from the big ringroad. (address: Teréz körút 55). Both Nyugati Train Station and the building of the recent McDonald’s were designed and built by Gustave Eiffel’s company (constructed between 1874-77). Gustave Eiffel is the man who went on to design the Eiffel Tower in Paris about 10 years later (constructed in 1889).

 

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1877 before finishing the ring road, Source: Fortepan / Budapest Főváros Levéltára, Levéltári jelzet: HU.BFL.XV. 19.d.1.05.201

 

 

 

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The same building in 2016, Photo: Virag

Although the food and beverage selection is the usual menu and the service is the same as any other McDonald’s restaurant in the world, here you can fly back in time while sipping your coffee and munching on your hamburger.

The interior is beautiful and unusual with a staged setting. The service area is split into two levels with a McCafé upstairs, and the normal fastfood restaurant below.

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Interior of the Mc Donald’s at Nyugati Train Station, Photo: Virag

The dining area is spacious and elegant with huge windows, decorated walls with reliefs and a high curved ceiling.

From spring till autumn the restaurant has a lovely outside area as well, looking out at a green space.
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Outside area, Photo: Virag

 

It’s one of the busiest fast food units in Hungary and surely one of the nicest ones in the world.

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About the authors: Virág and János

Virág, a native of Budapest, and János, who’s been living in the city since 1997 are real fans of the capital of Hungary and try to awake the enthusiasm of others. They are dedicated to helping tourists to make most out of their stay.

 

Here you can read more about us: http://katonaapartments.hu/

Arriving at Budapest Airport -­ How to Exchange Money and Where to Buy Bus Tickets

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Tourists traveling to Hungary for the first time may be a bit confused about currency issues and the public transport system. Here are some suggestions to help things go smoothly.

Exchange at the Airport

Be aware! If it’s not completely necessary, don’t change cash at the airport. The exchange rates there are ludicrously unfavourable. Unfavourable for you, not for them.

Don’t go for their “No Commission” offer.

In other parts of the city including the city center you can find fair exchange rates.

It’s a much better option to get Hungarian Forints (HUF) cash from the ATMs at the airport.

Read more about currency issues here.

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ATMs at the airport

Where to buy tickets for the bus and metro

Both on Terminal A and B there are BKK (Centre for Budapest Transport) offices and newspaper stands where you can buy your public transport tickets. This is the cheapest way to get to the city center, but it is also the slowest and most challenging.

Read more about the suggested route here.

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Newspaper stand at the airport

The BKK Ticket Office is open from 8 till 22 (10PM) on Terminal A, and from 9 till 21 (9 PM) on Terminal B. The newspaper stand on Terminal A is open from 8.30 till midnight. The terminals are a 3 minute walk from each other. Both the ticket offices and the newspaper stands accept bankcards and HUF cash, but no EUR cash.

The second option is to buy tickets is from the ticket vending machines that are installed in the bus stop of bus 200 E between Terminal A and B. They feature touchscreens in multiple languages and they are easy to use. Bankcards and HUF cash are accepted but they don’t accept banknotes with a higher denomination than 2000 HUF. The machines are accessible 24 hours a day .

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Ticket vending machine at the airport in the bus stop

The third option is to buy a ticket from the bus driver on spot. Instead of 350 HUF it will cost you 450. Buying a ticket from the driver is not an option on all buses in Budapest but it is possible on the airport bus.

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Bus stop 200E at the airport

Your whole trip to the city center with public transport will cost you 700 HUF (one ticket to the bus 200 E, and another to the metro 3. Each costs 350 HUF) but it may vary from the exact place you go. It’s cheaper with a transfer ticket (costs 530 HUF).

For a more confortable transfer take a taxi that will cost you roughly 7800 – 8800 HUF depending on the actual traffic. Send us an email to info@katonaapartments.hu if you’d like us to book one for you.


About the authors: Virág and János

Virág, a native of Budapest, and János, who’s been living in the city since 1997 are real fans of the capital of Hungary and try to awake the enthusiasm of others. They are dedicated to helping tourists to make most out of their stay.

 

Here you can read more about them: http://katonaapartments.hu/