For the adventurous tourist a wonderful change to historical and cultural tours is a trip caving. There are a few caves in Budapest, the most well known and visited though are the Szemlohgyi Cave which is suitable for the whole family including wheelchair users, and the Pal-volgyi-Matyas-hegui cave which is more heavy going with very narrow passages. Both caves are well lit and easy to access from above ground with only 15 minutes on foot between them. If you would like to do both in a day it is possible to get a joint ticket for the standard tourist areas of the cave which make it a more economical option. Locals do suggest that if you choose to go on an extended and more strenuous tour you will get to experience much more than the standard tours.

Hungary’s largest airport, the Budapest (Ferihegy) International Airport is located approximately 10 miles from the city centre and has two busy terminals. The Hungarian airline MALEV operates mostly out of Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 houses more of the budget airlines such as easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair. If you are looking at flying into Budapest you are well advised to price search for flights well in advance using ‘screenscraper’ websites such as Travel Supermarket, Kayak and Skyscanner.

Locals report that getting around in Budapest is fairly easy as the city is structured in quite a logical manner. The easiest way to figure out where you are is by the placement of the bridges over the river. From North to South they are as follows: Arpad Bridge, Margaret Bridge, Chain Bridge, Elisabeth Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Petofi Bridge and Lagymanyosi Bridge. These will all be clearly visible on a map and as well as prominent landmarks they are an excellent way to orient yourself.

In comparison to the rest of Hungary, hotels and hostels are more expensive in Budapest. However, you will be pleased to learn that in comparison to most European tourist destinations, the prices compare very favourably.

As with all hotels, the best advice is to search around for the best deal online and to book as early as possible – this will ensure that you arrive in the city with a place to stay and for a good price. If, however, you are happy to ‘wing it’ and see what happens, you are likely to be greeted at the train station by a multitude of people offering you either a room in their house or a room and a free ride to a hostel. Obviously these offers should be carefully considered before you accept them as you may well end up staying in a dodgy end of town with some unsavoury characters.