Quote:
Originally Posted by polak
Couple questions I thought some of you might be able to help me with for my upcoming trip.
- We're driving from Poland to Croatia and the best route takes us through Vienna. Naturally, we figure could stop for dinner and a little driving break there. Just from a quick google search it looks like Stephanplatz is the main "old square". Does that sound about right to people who have been to Vienna? or should we be stopping some where else for the hour or so?
- We're taking a different route home through Hungry on the way back. Anyone have any suggestions on experiencing the nightlife in Budapest? We have heard that it's quite the party city so we're thinking we'll get a hostel or some cheap room for one night and give it a whirl. Anything we should be aware of when booking a place to stay? I don't know how much time we'd have to sight-see.
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Oh nice, I love both cities (particularly Budapest). Too bad you don't have a bit more time in both of them. I can confirm that Stephanplatz is the main square in Vienna (expect it to be expensive) and also that Vienna has a fantastic subway system, my favourite out of the European cities I've visited. One hour may not be much time to allot yourself to get to the city centre and have a nice meal though.
Based on
this list, Lonely Planet has given bars in Budapest the #1 and #2 spots on its 100 great bars list. I visited both of them. The
A38 was cool, but for just one night I would recommend visiting Szimpla as part of a pub crawl through the ruins pubs (which is definitely a unique and very fun experience). Also, on some nights they open up the thermal baths for a party. I've never attended one unfortunately, but think it would be tons of fun.
For Hostels I stayed at Carpe Noctem near Nyugati Train Station, and had a fantastic time. It is best for solo travellers or very small groups, but they have some sister hostels that are good for larger groups that are probably worth checking out. If you have time the next day, a visit to a thermal bath can really help with your hangover! I went to Szechenyi Bath, which I believe is the largest in the city, but there are also some others.
Additionally note that unlike neighbouring Austria and Slovakia, Hungary does not use the Euro. They use the Forint (HUF). From what I recall, 1000 HUF is equal to about $5 CAD, and you can grab a beer at a bar for about 400 HUF. The proper pronunciation of the city is Buda-pesht, the locals will be happy with you if you know that lol.