Budapest is a lively city that attracts travellers of all generations. There is accommodation to suit every budget.

Historically, Buda and Pest were two separate cities divided by the Danube River. The two cities merged and became Budapest in 1873. The city is now divided into districts. The former city of Buda is on the western side of the Danube. This is where you will find Budapest Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion.

On the eastern side of the Danube is where you will find the former city of Pest. If you are looking for a lively stay in Budapest, then I would recommend staying in the Jewish Quarter on the Pest side. Otherwise, as Budapest is easy to explore by foot and public transport, any area near the Danube river will be suitable.

Where To Stay In Budapest

These are some of the best budget hostels in Budapest, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Pal’s Hostel & Apartments
• Maverick City Lodge
• Central Market Hall Zen Hostel
• Pal’s Mini Hostel
• Metropolis Hostel
• Lavender Circus Hostel, Doubles & Ensuites
• Maverick Student Lodge
• Hostel One Budapest

Absolut City Hostel

I decided to stay in dorms for my visit to Budapest. There were many hostel options within the city centre. I was looking for a hostel that ticked the following boxes:

• city centre
• good WiFi
• access to a kitchen
• lockers
• privacy curtain
• night light and charging sockets
• good reviews (clean, good bathrooms, etc.)

This narrowed my search down to just a few. In the end, I decided to stay at a hostel called ‘Absolut City Hostel’ (map). It ticked all the above boxes and had good reviews online.

However, as soon as I booked it, I started reading the reviews on Google Maps and some were not so favourable. People mentioned rude staff, dirty entrance and even stolen property. I was beginning to regret my decision.

Arriving In Budapest From Bratislava

I took a bus from Bratislava station. I booked through Omio and I had an e-ticket so no need to print my ticket.

The bus arrived at Budapest Kaleti from which I needed to take tram 49. I could see the tram from the bus which was convenient. However, there didn’t appear to be anywhere to buy tickets. I spoke to a Chinese girl who could speak English and she told me I had to go to the main station, which was about 10 minutes away, to buy a ticket. Annoying.

After purchasing my ticket from the machine inside the station, I walked back to the tram stop. Thankfully, the trams are regular. I got on the tram and put my ticket in the validating machine. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing.

The machines are as old as the trams and they are ‘punch’ machines. This means that you put your ticket it and then pull the black handle down which perforates your ticket, thus validating it. Of course, this information is not explained anywhere.

Absolut City Hostel

The tram dropped me metres away from the hostel. I had to check the address as the hostel is not allowed to place a sign on the front of the building. I buzzed and was let in then told by a security man that I could take the lift to the 1/2 floor. Yes, in between the ground floor and the first floor, there is indeed a 1/2 floor. Budapest was already a bit nuts.

The entrance was not dirty at all. I entered the hostel and was greeted by a young woman who told me the rules and then showed me to my room. The lockers were a bit bizarre and I had to go back and ask her how they worked. It turned out the one I’d been trying was broken which is why I couldn’t get it to work. She gave me another locker and even loaned me a lock free of charge as mine was too small. Hardly what you’d call rude.

The dorm was fine too. It had everything I needed. The room had its own bathroom to be shared among a maximum of six people but the most guests at any one time was 4. Sometimes it was just 2.

I made use of the kitchen facilities on many occasions. The kitchen was very well equipped. It had everything you could need! There was also a washing machine which I used but there was no dryer. This meant I had to hang my clothes on a clothes rack in the room, causing a bit of a mini flood!

I originally booked for 5 nights at Absolut but ended up extending another 2. It was a perfect location to explore the city. Ignore the bad reviews on Google Maps.

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I paid £60 for a 7 night stay in a 6 bed dorm with shared bathroom.