Tips to go around Hungary - Budapest, Romenia - București & Serbia - Belgrado.

I did this trip in January 2012 with one friend.
For this reason I can share with you some advices I think are important.

The begining ... Budapest:

First of all you should think 300 HUF (forint) = 1EUR

About a place to stay i have no idea :P I staied in a friends flat... I can't help you a lot in this task, but I know are there a lot of nice Couchsurfers and about hostels some quite cheap and good... You just need to do an easy search.

I get there from Poland. From Cracow you have bus per 6900HUF by Orangeways (if you buy one month before your journey is cheaper) or 4900HUF by Eurolines. However Orangeways have bus more often.

In Budapest the best ways to move around are by tram and Subway.

Each ticket of subway, each journey costs 300 HUF. I think the tram is the same price. But if you buy inside (if there's security inside tram you can buy to them the ticket and is a litle more expnsive... 400 HUF).

They have a really good network so is very easy to get everywhere even between Buda and Pest.

 Must to see:

When is the changing between day and night you shoul climb until Szabadság Szobor or Statue of Liberty. You will have a GREAT view from there.

You should go inside the church... inside the rock - is very interesting and different. ( I was there at same time of the mass - the price is 500HUF. It's ok - not very expensive.)

If we have time please go to the warm swimming pools - (I hadn't time but anyway in the winter some of them are not working, at least outside ... as you can imagine)

For eat you should try Langos... but must have to be in the biggest and famous market there. Even very expensive (like 850HUF !!) you should taste this hugee fried pancake with nutella and almonds mhammmmmm!! You wil be completely full, but It is really really good and tasty.(I didn't have time to taste anything more so I can say anything else about that:S)

 [the picture is from wikipedia but it was ...really ... everything i could see]

"to where now ?" "Lets go to ... Bucarest (București)"

Is the biggest city in Romania.

However, in my opinion, 2 days is enough to have a good idea of the city.

Its a very cheap country. The currency is RON 1 EUR = 4 RON and I felt like a very secure country. You can see a lot of security there.

I went from budapest to Bucaresti by bus: First until Cluj Napoca by orange ways and after we changed to a bus from Autogara company to Bucaresti. It was quite long journey. The departure was at 11pm and we arrive at 6.30am ! Don't forget in Bucaresti is GMT + 2h . We could have arrived 2 hours ealier if we hadn't forgot this point. We lost the frst conection bus in Cluj Napoca. This last one bus is a quite old bus but it's ok for the price. We paid more less 13€ + 12€ with buses.

I staid in "Happy hostel" for 6 euros per night. Even I think it was just lucky ... We staid ... JUST me and my friend in a room for 4 persons with private bathroom (this one with a kind of massage system eheh). Everything was very clean and the staff friendly. The location was good... not really in the center but in 5 min walking we could get there.

In the way from hostel to the center there's a BaR/Restaurant you can eat for a really  budget and is very very good (i don't remember the name but you will find it easily) is in front to a "Dristor Kebab 2".

In one of the mornings we went to one Free tour . It was quite good besides the cold, I think it was -12º. In the end the guide will recommend you a restaurant - please don't go there. It is very expansive and really nothing especial besides tipical food. I have tried corn breaded chicken. It was good but very very expensive and so so small, really !! and worse: when you orther the meal you will order separated the meat /fish and the accompaniment. So you can have an idea of the final payment.

We staid out just one night (Friday night) but it was very very good. FIrst... we went to a bar with alive music called "True Social Club" http://www.facebook.com/truesocialclub. We had to pay 15RON to enter but we spend there, more or less, 3 amazing hours. There we assist to a really good alive concert 

After we went to a disco about 150 mt far from there - in Strada Francesa. It was SO SO GOOD!  - and FREE entrance. Everyone inside was very polit with us. Even being obvious that we were foreigns and just two persons together. The guys aren't agressive at all... actually very friendly. It seemed to be a very secure night. I have to say me and my friend got really surprised with that!

 The Taxis are really cheap and the Subway ticket for day is 6 RON. :D

 General opinion: The night is quite good (I REALLY would like come back in the summer). The people was nice looking but the city is nothing really really special (maybe the cold didn't help to enjoy at all)

 And What is next? Belgrade {Beograd]:

The currency in Serbia is the dinar (RSD).

Keep in your mind: 100RSD is 1 EUR

Belgrade Is the capital and the largest city of Serbia

We staied in "Go2 Hostel". Is in the heart of city ans we paid 8€ per night in a 10 beds mixed room. Bathrooms were shared with everyone. Just 2 bathrooms. Very old an without a lot of conditions. The internet wasn't working. And there was just one computer over there. Well... at list... there were WI-FI. The staff was friendly :) If you haven't another choice it's ok to stay.  But nothing special at all]

 You have cheap and fast food everywhere.

The tram number 2 makes a full circle around the city and its very nice to take it to get to know the sorroundings Two days is enough to take a look of the city.

 Snacking and eating in Belgrade is easy and cheap. Bakeries – called "pekara" – are ubiquitous in the city center, and you will find a wide assortment of breads, sweet and savoury pastries, sandwiches and pizza on offer. Some are open 24 hours.

In the main bus station, near and under Macdonads, you have some bar on the street offer you some delicious fast food for less then 1 Eur. There is an hugeeee crepe with anything you want for a big budget. I ordered one crepe with nutella and banana for 115RSD (IT was a LOOOT of nutella :P...awsome! )

 In one of our nights we went to Street Skadarlija, a very famous street full of restaurants and bars in order to try some tipical restaurant and food. I have eaten the most famous dish in Serbia, ćevapčići. Also called Ćevapi. It consists of different types of minced meat mixed together, shaped like small sausages, and then put on the grilled with diced onion - it was good. The restaurant was amazing with musicians playing instruments and singing in the middle of the restaurant room while we were eating. The restaurant closes at 1 a.m.

 After... like Belgrade is famour by having on of the best night lifes in Europe, we went to a Disco called "Mr. Stefan Brown" one of the only ones i think open on Sunday - It was crowded... with live music first. All the staff was very very good looking. We met a lof of people ... it was an amazing. unexpected, really good night.

One really must to see, and for me one of the best points in Belgrade: Hram Svetog Save.

GO around the streets in the city center in the way from Moscow Hotel to the Fortress. It is a very nice and large street with a lot of shops.

GO to the another part of river. It is really nothing special but if you climb until rich the small tower in the top you will get one amazing view from Belgrade.

And well... what I remember.

That's it ! :D

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