Hungary on a budget: how much to plan?

The flight is negligible, and that is rare. At €21 return from London in November, it costs less than one three-star night. Shifting your dates to save on airfare makes no sense here: the gap between the cheapest and priciest month is €20, the price of a dinner.

Lodging decides, and the gap between tiers is surprising. From €17 in a hostel to €78 in a three-star, the ratio is more than fourfold. Over seven nights, that single choice moves the trip from €406 to €1,288. That is the line to think about, not the ticket.

The table is the real advantage. Lunch at an étkezde, a neighbourhood canteen, costs a few euros. The set lunch in an ordinary restaurant stays under fifteen euros, drink included. The terraces in central Pest and around Parliament charge prices that have stopped being Hungarian, without the cooking improving.

The baths are the expense nobody budgets for. They are not one sight among many, they are why many people come. A day ticket at the large thermal establishments sits in the fifteen to twenty euro range, and most visitors go back. Three visits over a week weigh more than two hostel nights.

May, June and September are the window to aim for. Mild temperatures, open terraces, and a city not yet saturated. It is also when the outdoor baths become pleasant without being packed.

Summer is hot and heavy. Budapest is far from the sea and July is stifling, which empties the streets at midday and fills the baths. Hotel rates rise, though nowhere near Western capital levels.

Winter is the real bath season. Sitting outdoors in forty-degree water while it freezes is what the city sells best, and it is also when lodging costs least. Days are short and grey, but the programme happens indoors.

The flight starts at €21 in November and peaks at €41 in August, a €20 spread across the year. That is not the parameter that should decide your dates.

City transport is cheap and complete. Three metro lines, trams and buses cover the city, and a day ticket pays off from the third ride. Checks at station exits are frequent, so validating is not optional.

Currency exchange is the local trap. The country is in the EU but not the euro, and central exchange bureaux post very poor rates. Withdrawing forints from a bank cash machine costs noticeably less, and cards work almost everywhere.

The cooking is generous and rich, unapologetically. Goulash, stews, stuffed peppers: portions are large and one dish is enough. Lángos, fried flatbread sold at markets, costs two or three euros and replaces a lunch.

Ruin bars are not only a sight. Set up in empty buildings, they charge ordinary prices, well below the tourist terraces next door. They are often where you eat and drink cheapest in the centre.

The currency is the forint, not the euro: a few tourist businesses accept euros, at a rate that never favours you. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including for small amounts. Hungarian belongs to no neighbouring language family and cannot be guessed at, but English is common among people under forty and throughout the tourist trade. The country is in the Schengen area, so no formalities for EU citizens. A tip of around ten per cent is customary in restaurants, sometimes already added to the bill, which is worth checking before paying it twice.