Author Topic: Budapest Master Thread (Read 194815 times)

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #720 on:** April 26, 2022, 07:31:29 PM »

Quote from: hvaces42 on April 26, 2022, 07:09:30 PM

If youre going next week there may be later minyanim. I've never been there for the yahrtzeit so I dont know. I know when I was there in the summer with many tourists there was still only one steady minyan at Kazincy and it was 6:30 and then at some point it became 7.

I'm here now.
Was hoping to get a little bit more sleep, oh well.

EliJelly · « **Reply #721 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:20:43 PM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on April 25, 2022, 11:53:55 AM

any reviews on this place
Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Quote from: nafnaf12 on April 26, 2022, 07:31:29 PM

I'm here now.

How is the hotel? Almost booked it a few weeks ago but then I decided to stay with my group at the Continental which was walking distance to the shul and food. Pictures looked next level luxury.

hvaces42 · « **Reply #722 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:23:28 PM »

Quote from: EliJelly on April 26, 2022, 08:20:43 PM

How is the hotel? Almost booked it a few weeks ago but then I decided to stay with my group at the Continental which was walking distance to the shul and food. Pictures looked next level luxury.

How bad was the Continental? Its really only good for the location. And there is a cool Har Habayis piece of art behind the front desk.

EliJelly · « **Reply #723 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:27:10 PM »

Quote from: hvaces42 on April 26, 2022, 08:23:28 PM

How bad was the Continental? Its really only good for the location. And there is a cool Har Habayis piece of art behind the front desk.

Wasn't bad at all, very nice and immaculate, but the Matild Palace for 40k Marriott was too tempting to pass on. Choosing the Continental for a single night was the right decision at the end given the location.

hvaces42 · « **Reply #724 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:31:42 PM »

Quote from: EliJelly on April 26, 2022, 08:27:10 PM

Wasn't bad at all, very nice and immaculate, but the Matild Palace for 40k Marriott was too tempting to pass on. Choosing the Continental for a single night was the right decision at the end given the location.

I was there with my wife. Our first room couldnt fit us and our suitcase. It was tiny. The upgraded room wasnt much better. Vinyl flooring. Beds a foot off the ground.

EliJelly · « **Reply #725 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:32:41 PM »

Quote from: hvaces42 on April 26, 2022, 08:31:42 PM

I was there with my wife. Our first room couldnt fit us and our suitcase. It was tiny. The upgraded room wasnt much better. Vinyl flooring. Beds a foot off the ground.

The Continental??

hvaces42 · « **Reply #726 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:33:16 PM »

Quote from: EliJelly on April 26, 2022, 08:32:41 PM

The Continental??

yes

EliJelly · « **Reply #727 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:39:04 PM »

Quote from: hvaces42 on April 26, 2022, 08:33:16 PM

yes

Interesting. This was my room, not large but not tiny for a city center hotel. There's ample closet space in the front hallway too. (Made good use of the Walmart deal spinner

Thanks again @jj1000!!)

hvaces42 · « **Reply #728 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:41:35 PM »

My room was the size of a walk-in closet. And even the upgraded room wasnt that size.

EliJelly · « **Reply #729 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:42:27 PM »

Quote from: hvaces42 on April 26, 2022, 08:41:35 PM

My room was the size of a walk-in closet. And even the upgraded room wasnt that size.

Busy season?

hvaces42 · « **Reply #730 on:** April 26, 2022, 08:42:55 PM »

Quote from: EliJelly on April 26, 2022, 08:42:27 PM

Busy season?

January 2020

seemorehabs · « **Reply #731 on:** June 26, 2022, 04:13:03 PM »

Been to Budapest within the past few months?

Which kosher establishments are actually open?

Thank you!

hvaces42 · « **Reply #732 on:** June 26, 2022, 06:26:59 PM »

Quote from: seemorehabs on June 26, 2022, 04:13:03 PM

Been to Budapest within the past few months?

Which kosher establishments are actually open?

Thank you!

Per the person who ran the Hanna for 20 years all the kosher restaurants are open.

seemorehabs · « **Reply #733 on:** July 10, 2022, 04:50:49 PM »

Our Trip, 2.5 days and 3 nights in Budapest. 2 adults that love to travel and 2 teens ( it was the teens first time in a European city)

Day 1:
Late morning Arrival at hotel K&K Opera Hotel took 2 of their upgraded rooms, was completely fine, not the fanciest we've been but certainly comfortable and spacious enough.
Went to lunch at Kosher Deli (dairy restaurant ironically) limited menu but pretty good personal pizzas.
Private guided tour of the Jewish quarter and shuls by a local Jewish guide Timea www.budapestjewishwalk.hu . Including the Orthodox Kazinczy Synagogue, Rumbach Street synagogue, and of course the Dohány Street Synagogue also known as the Great Synagogue Ghetto walls, stumbling stones and more.
Shopping.
Dinner at Kosher MeatUp.

Day 2:
Parliament building English tour (must book in advance on their official website, the English tour gets booked up well in advance) and you can only enter the building with a guided tour. 45 minutes to an hour.
Group Walking tour (https://www.guruwalk.com/) was an excellent overview of the city, the main sites the history and present day. Our guide was excellent and keep the attention of our teens as well as the whole group for over 2 hours.

Lunch at Tel Aviv Café. Stopped at small kosher makolet , Koser Piac (https://chabadhungary.com/en/food/) for snack/breakfast food for next day.

Shopping time on Vaci Ucta, walking around the pedestrian mall area to Central Market Hall, some bike rental/riding.
Walked over the Liberty Bridge and up to Gellert Hill, incredible view of the city. Can see both the Buda and Pest sides of the River Danube, well worth the discovery walk (uphill and not for those with challenges hiking hills or many stairs)
Dinner at Carmel (convenient having Mincha and Mariv Minyanim right outside the restaurant at the shul).
Ruin Bar (everyone said we must check them out, it wasn’t that great but ok)

Day 3
Metro line 1 (one of the worlds oldest) took it to Hero’s Square.
Ferris wheel at the park, great view a short fun ride.
Bike riding on the Buda side along the river.
Castle Hill District. Medieval Jewish Prayer Room (need local currency to enter, not credit cards). Fisherman’s Bastion.
Shoes on the Danube Bank- powerful memorial for the victims of the holocaust that were killed by Hungarian and Nazis in the Danube.
Dinner at Hana.
Opera - get tickets in advance. Worthwhile even if you don’t want to see and stay for the entire show, it’s the best way to see the building and have access to it all.
Pinball museum – a fun way to wind down the trip, suitable for kids, teens and adults! All the pinball machines and arcades are unlimited play included in your admission ticket.

A few practical take-aways: 1) Bolt- a taxi, uber like app, worth downloading and using. 2) if you enjoy bike riding MOL Bubi is the app to download and use with hop on and off bike rentals throughout the city. 3) Almost everywhere took credit card, even for something as small as 2 coffees or a soda , which are pretty inexpensive throughout the city (not sure you need to change any cash). 4) the metro apparently is easy highly efficient and a great way to get around, we used it just to experience the old line #1 but can be a cheaper alternative than the Bolt taxis. 5) the airport coming home, don’t need more than 2 hours max before your flight, small airport that seems to know how to keep the lines moving well. 6) A city that is easily explored by foot 7) Food, as I expected was fine and enough, nothing wow, esp if you’re coming from Israel, Paris, NY, LA, Miami, etc… Bring packaged snacks if you’ll need during the day. We were told by Chabad Hagen Daas is kosher there and found Ben and Jerry’ with a Kof-K in the supermarket. Otherwise, fruit, beer and coffee is the way to go.

hvaces42 · « **Reply #734 on:** July 10, 2022, 04:54:55 PM »

Nice TR. Stayed at the K&K 15 years ago. Location is amazing. Rooms were just fine. Would wake up to the opera singers practicing at their windows at the opera house next door.