Christmas in Budapest 1

We dreamed up this trip before the baby was born. He should be at an age where he could handle a small trip abroad. Regular readers know that we didn't make it anyway and went to Austria before that. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. It has become our unwritten custom to go abroad for Christmas markets in December.

Budapest - Christmas Market in Vörösmarty Square

In general, we always try to visit new places, and this year we thought of trying Budapest. We have been there a few times, but not at Christmas time. Plus, it's not too far for us to not make it with a baby. Originally more of us were supposed to go, but health complications of one of the members chained the others out until we were left alone for this trip. To get to Budapest we used the train, which runs directly from Prague, of course, and with a month's advance purchase, the prices were reasonable. The price level was not consistent and varied quite wildly. When we happened to check, the price was showing between five and six hundred. I managed to buy a ticket from Budapest for 500 CZK, but Zanet showed it as 800 CZK. However, I just had to wait until midnight and the price dropped to 600 CZK. Then there was a problem with buying tickets, as the My Train app did not allow to buy tickets for all trains in 2023. Because of this, we had to go one train earlier and we also had problems with buying tickets back, when it was not possible to buy them at all. Provisionally we bought them at the ČD ticket office, where it was possible, but we couldn't choose a carriage. The seats were randomly generated for us. As of the new timetable 2023/24, the My Train app can now display a map of Hungarian trains and it is possible to make a selection on the app. This meant we found ourselves sitting in a carriage where there was no option to put our large pram down. However, the children's carriage was included on the service, so we still re-purchased our seats here to avoid any unexpected complications.

It's Wednesday, D-day, and we leave Mlada Boleslav at ten o'clock for Kolín, where we change to the EC Metropolitan train going to Budapest-Nyugati station. In our children's compartment there is a Slovakian sleeping, who works in Germany. He got drunk there and at one in the morning he decided to surprise his girlfriend by coming to Slovakia unannounced. But he couldn't stand it anyway, and in the morning he gave himself away. However, when he woke up, he thought he was already at the Slovak border, even though we were just outside Pardubice. An hour later, he called his girlfriend to tell her where the train was, and she told him the next stop was Brno (we were just passing through Ceska Trebova). He told her on the phone that he couldn't make it to Brno sober, and he did. Fortunately, he found a friend in another carriage and soon moved in with him. The rest of the journey was not very interesting.

The train is moving fast in the Czech Republic compared to Slovakia, where the lines built under Husák are still in the same condition as when the comrades cut the ribbons. This results in a train taking a comparable time for a much shorter distance, making the journey across Slovakia endless. On the Hungarian side it's only an hour, and by then it's going pretty well again, thanks in part to the fact that we have to pack up and get the baby ready to get off. To my great surprise, we arrive on the minute. The only complication was getting the stroller out. There was a Slovakian carriage, which has a loading area where the Czech conductor opens the big door and you load the pram in. But the Hungarian conductor didn't give a damn. She didn't open the door for us, and she wasn't anywhere. Fortunately, the cargo compartment was not locked, so I folded the carriage and with slight complications carried it out the normal way through the corridor. Fortunately, we were at the final destination and thus had plenty of time.

Budapest-Nyugati pályaudvar - Children's carriage with load compartment

Budapest-Nyugati pályaudvar

From the station we go straight to the tram. In the vending machine we buy a 72-hour Budapest-Travelcard for 370 CZK per person, which allows unlimited rides on public transport in Budapest. After the successful purchase, we get on tram number 4 and go to the Blaha Lujza Tér stop. On this line, there are modern low-floor trams from CAF, which have a completely stupidly designed space for a stroller, which is in the next carriage, where there is no door, and you have to fight your way through the crowd to get to that place. The tram runs every 4 minutes on this line during rush hour during the day, and every time it was full.

From the tram stop, it is about a 5-minute walk to the apartment. Check-in was done electronically, and we did the check-in ourselves according to the information. But the door wouldn't open after we put our card in. So Janet growled and ripped the door off the bottom hinge, which flew open. Fortunately, it was fixable. However, right from the start it is clear to us that the accommodation will be of Hungarian quality. The same surprise awaited us at the TV, which we turned on and saw only a glowing spider web, where the screen must have fallen on something.

Budapest - St. King 1 by Hi5 Apartments

We arrived around 7:30 p.m., so we won't be able to do anything today. We washed the little one in the sink and while Janet was putting him to sleep, I went to the nearby Spar to do some shopping. In the basket there was a Hungarian sausage and a bottle of Tokay. When choosing, I only took into account whether the cap was screw cap or not, because we didn't know if there was a corkscrew on the apartment. However, because of this, we stumbled upon a great wine on our first try, which we then took home four bottles. So I'll end the evening with wine, sausage and off to bed.

The following day

The baby will wake us up at six in the morning, but even so we won't be able to leave before nine. Our plan is to visit the Gyermekvasút children's railway. It winds in the Buda Hills around the János Hegy mountain. At eleven kilometres long, it is the longest railway in the world. In addition to driving the locomotive and safety equipment, it is completely operated by children between the ages of ten and fourteen. Trains run daily except Mondays. On weekends, nostalgia rides are also in operation, where the train is pulled by a steam locomotive.

We walk to Blaha Lujza tér, where I use the Raiffeisen Bank machine to withdraw the cash needed to buy tickets for free using Revolut. To get to the railway, we must first take tram number 4 or 6 and take it to the Széll Kálmán tér terminus (the red metro line also runs here). Here we change to the tram going to the final stop Hűvösvölgy. This is no longer a modern CAF tram, but a good old Czechoslovak tram from ČKD. We reach the terminus, which we don't know is the terminus anymore, because only half of the tram gets off and the rest are still sitting there. These are probably pensioners who, to save money on heating at home, keep warm all day on public transport. The tram sits like this for a few minutes until I get suspicious, peek out and see the stop sign Hűvösvölgy, which means we have to get off.

Budapest - Széll Kálmán tér

Budapest - Hűvösvölgy

The eponymous railway station is a short walk from the terminus, and at this time looked pretty deserted, to the point where we were worried if they were working over the winter. In fact, the online timetable states that the winter timetable is to be finalized. Well, if it's not still winter in December, I don't know. However, there is a timetable at the entrance saying that they are running today. Tickets are bought in the waiting area on the platform, where there are two ticket offices manned by children. They could speak English. Careful, they only take cash here. The fare was 1000 HUF (about 3 Eur) per person. Unfortunately we hit it wrong and the next train doesn't leave for 40 minutes (it runs at least every hour). However, they arrived 20 minutes early, so we spent the time taking pictures of the Christmas decorated train.

Budapest - Children's Railway, Hűvösvölgy station

Budapest - Dětská železnice Gyermekvasút

The fact that it's a children's train means that the dimensions are a bit dwarfed. Which sucks when you have a giant Thule stroller. However, because of this, I learned to fold it properly and found that it has a stop that keeps it in a fairly reduced state. We took the body and the little one inside the car and left the chassis in the aisle. Quite a few people had gathered as well, and the train was certainly not empty. Just like the outside, the inside is decorated for Christmas. The ride takes 40 minutes and there are six stops along the way. If you buy a flexible ticket, you can get off and on again. From some of the stops, there are hiking trails leading to the local hills called János-hegy with János Hill as the peak.

Budapest - Children's Railway car interior

Budapest - Children's Railway, Mr. conductor

Budapest - Children's Railway, Széchenyihegy terminus

We are going to the final station Széchenyihegy. From there, tram number 60 runs, which to my great surprise turns out to be a cogwheel. I don't know if any of the Alpine cities have it as part of their public transport, but I really wouldn't expect it in flat Hungary.

Budapest - Széchenyi-hegy Dentistry

The final stop of the cog railway is Városmajor, where you need to change to a tram that will take you to Széll Kálmán tér. Here we will arrive at lunchtime and breastfeeding time. Therefore, we head to the nearby Mamut shopping centre, where we feed and change the baby and then go to Spar for a snack. In addition to the shop, they have a Spar to go, which is a cafeteria with traditional Hungarian prepared food, plus they have a selection of schnitzels and other side dishes. Janet has a schnitzel and baked potato, and I have a delicious paprikash.

We're all fully fed. We can move on to the next item on our agenda, and that is the remains of the Roman city of Aquincum. The quickest way to get there is on the HÉV number 5 suburban train. The HÉV is a commuter rail system similar to Berlin's S-Bahn. It extends the function of the metro, with some stations directly connected to it. Like everywhere else, BKK tickets are valid here, but they don't cover the whole route! The Aquincum stop is included, though. In this historic area there are the remains of the arena, which are right next to the station. Then along the main road are the remains of the aqueduct and beyond the railway bridge are the remains of the town, where the museum is located. We'll walk through all that, but we're not going to the museum.

Budapest - HÉV line 5

Budapest - Aquincum, arena

Budapest - Aquincum

Budapest - Transition to nowhere

Budapest - Atrium of the building where we are staying

We take the HÉV back to the centre and go to the apartment to rest for a while before it gets darker to go to the market. We head to them after 5 o'clock. The main market is in Vörösmarty Square. The yellow M1 metro line station of the same name is located here, but the markets already start at Városháza Park, where there is an ice rink and a few other stalls. The two markets are connected by Deák Ferenc útca (Fashion Street). If you don't want to spend money on overpriced trdelnik, there is a stand in the Astoria metro underpass where you can get it for 50 CZK (800 HUF). We saw it for 2500 HUF at the markets. We browse through everything, but by early evening it's getting very crowded and the carriage wasn't going well, so we eventually give up and head back to the apartment. Here we put the little one to sleep and gradually ourselves. Tomorrow we continue our sightseeing in Budapest.