Michelin-Star Meal for $40 in Budapest, Hungary with Tim & Amy

It was a pleasure to interview my friends Tim and Amy Rutherford of Go With Less about Budapest, Hungary. Tim and Amy’s tips for the best things to do in Budapest are packed with interesting places to visit and amazing food to sample. They were on a five-week, ten-city European tour and four of their favorite meals of the trip were from Budapest.

Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast. It is available on all of the major podcast channels, such as Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.

Tim and Amy slept a couple of nights on this boat on the Danube River.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a fascinating city with so much history. It is actually two cities (Buda and Pest) that are opposite of each other across a river. There are historic castles, delicious restaurants, and gorgeous neighborhoods waiting to be explored.

For travelers that are a bit uncomfortable traveling internationally, you will be happy to know that English is widely spoken in Budapest, so it is easy to communicate with the locals. The people are friendly and Budapest is incredibly affordable.

We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Budapest Info, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests. Consider purchasing the Budapest Card, which includes 30+ services for free, plus an airport transfer, a cruise on the Danube, and a chimney cake from Molnár’s.

Make sure you try the Lángos!

Best things to do in Budapest

• Budapest Castle Hill Funicular (reviews) – a cute train is a 19th century railway that goes up and down the steep hill to Budapest Castle.
• Fisherman’s Bastion – This 19th century fortress had seven turreted lookouts and offers 360-degree views of the city.
• Free Budapest Walking Tours (reviews) – one of the best ways to explore a city is by taking a walking tour led by a local. Although they are “free” expect to tip the guide.
• Heroes’ Square (reviews)- is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It celebrates the seven tribes that came together to found Hungary.
• Hungarian Parliament Building (reviews) – The Parliament building should be seen during the day and also lit up at night. It’s stunning and dramatic.
• Labyrinth Of Buda Castle (reviews) – this labyrinth once jailed Vlad Tepes (aka Count Dracula)
• Széchenyi Chain Bridge (reviews) – is a 19th century suspension bridge. Very interesting bridge to walk across.
• The Buda Castle District (reviews) – The Buda Castle District is on a hill which provides a beautiful view of the river and Pest.
• The Danube River (reviews) – The Danube River is a lovely river that divides Buda and Pest.
• The Dohány Street Synagogue (reviews) – The Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest in Europe and should be part of a tour to see and understand how the Holocaust affected this area.

Best places to eat in Budapest

• Retró Lángos Büfé (reviews) – For $2.76, we shared a langos for lunch. I’ve been dreaming of this perfect morsel ever since. Langos is deep-fried bread served with a variety of topping options. We opted for sour cream, shredded cheese and onions and are under the impression this is a classic version. It’s even better than it sounds.
• Stand25 Bisztró (reviews) – Stand25 is an affordable restaurant from the highest Michelin-starred chef in Hungary. For $37.17, we had an exceptional, gourmet meal. The prix fixe menu changes with the seasons.

Best places to stay in Budapest

Here are the best places to stay in Budapest.

• Budapest Marriott Hotel (reviews) – Marriott properties are well-represented here
• Radisson Blu Béke Hotel Garázs (reviews) – Radisson Blu Beke Hotel was in a very accessible part of town, close to lots of the action. The room was tiny, the bathroom was even smaller. We would highly recommend this for 1 night because the view was to-die-for.
• The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest (reviews) – Marriott properties are well-represented, including a Category 6 Ritz Carlton.

Getting around Budapest

The local airport is Budapest Airport, which is about 22 kilometers away from the city center. It will take about 40 minutes to get from the airport whether you are taking public transportation or a car. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.

Tim and Amy say that there’s no need to rent a car. The city is very walkable and it is easy to get around. Public transportation is easy, cheap, and efficient.

If you must rent a car, click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.

Places we talked about on the podcast

Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Tim and Amy Rutherford about Budapest, Hungary. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.

• Red dots = best places to eat in Budapest, Hungary
• Green dots = best things to do in Budapest, Hungary
• Yellow dots = best places to stay in Budapest, Hungary

Who are Tim and Amy Rutherford?

Tim and Amy Rutherford have achieved the goal that many of us can only dream of. They were aggressive savers and paid off all of their debt so they could retire in their 40s to travel the world. Tim and Amy have been retired since 2015.

They blog about traveling the world without spending a lot of money. One of their favorite “hacks” is to housesit so they can stay in a local’s home for free!

Tim and Amy love to record videos much more than writing. Their blog isn’t updated every week like some bloggers. Instead, you’ll find their best content on YouTube:

• Top 10 Things to Do in Europe on a Budget
• House Sitting Best Practices – Before the Sit
• How Did We Retire Early? 10 Things We Did (+ an outtake!)

They post new YouTube content every Wednesday, so subscribe today so you don’t miss their next video.

You can connect with Tim and Amy on their website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Click here to download our one-page guide of Tim and Amy’s tips for Budapest.

Big thanks to today’s podcast sponsor – Minute Suites

Traveling across different time zones can be exhausting. It’s hard to sleep or get work done on a plane, and even harder in a crowded terminal. Now, when you have a long layover or flight delay, you can book Minute Suites by the hour.

Private room at DFW. Photo courtesy of Minute Suites.

These private suites are located inside security and offer a daybed for napping, wifi to get work done, and TV so you can veg out. Basically, a traveler’s retreat from the chaos of the terminal. Minute Suites has six locations in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dallas and is planning to double its locations in 2019.

Book your next stay in advance on their mobile app or at WeTravelThere.com/minute. Use promo code “WETRAVELTHERE” to save 15% off any hourly or overnight suite rental. Please note that the discount does not apply to shower add-ons and cannot be combined with other offers.

Stay tuned for our next episode

Listen to the next episode when Jen Ruiz of Jen On A Jet Plane shares where to get the best Cuban food in Miami, Florida. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.

What’s your favorite part of Budapest, Hungary? Let us know in the comment section below or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!

Please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts or Stitcher so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends.

To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”You have to listen to the @WeTravelThere #podcast! So many great tips from local experts about the best things to do, eat, drink, and see in cities from around the world.” quote=”Tweet the podcast to your friends!” theme=”style3″].