News Archives - Page 6 of 30

Tesco house delivery

Posted on November 27, 2013June 4, 2021 by Budablogger

A while back Tesco spread the rumor that house delivery was about to be launched, and now it is finally here. We have tried Tesco house delivery and we were very impressed!

For a long time I waited for the Tesco house delivery to come. Last Saturday I was out walking in Budapest and suddenly I noticed a Tesco house delivery car passing by. As I got home in the evening I visited the Tesco website, registered for house delivery and placed my first order. Before ordering I was curious whether the prices would be the same as in a normal Tesco shop, would club card points be gathered during an order and what would the price be for delivering the goods to my house. I got answer to all my questions!

My Tesco house delivery answers

Together with my wife we made a list of all kinds of products from a mixture of the „products on sale” and from the normal Tesco catalog. We immediately noticed that all prices are exactly the same as if we would go and shop in Tesco ourselves. Our order had a total value of a bit more than 10,000 HUF and after filling our shopping cart we needed to arrange with time of house delivery.

It was very easy to reserve a price for the goods to be delivered to our house. We ordered on Saturday evening and we could select for our order to be delivered in the evening next day, Sunday. We could have asked for the goods to be delivered a week later as well, meaning we were free to decide for the time of delivery ourselves. The price for the house delivery was 899 HUF, and it had no influence what time of the day or what date we chose for the products to be delivered.

During registration I was also able to add my Tesco club card code, meaning that I gathered points when ordered products to my home.

Tesco delivering to my Budapest home

Sunday evening arrived, and so did the guy from Tesco delivering the products. He carried everything to our door (turning twice). A good manner in Hungary is to tip those delivering products to your home, so I found some money and wanted to give it to the guy who was a real service man, smiled and did a great job… he really deserved it. As I stretched out my hand to give the tip he said that they were not allowed to receive any money, not to carry any money in the car. So, he turned down my tip, gave me the bill and left. I felt kind of sorry for the guy, but hopefully his salary is better than most other delivery boys, making him survive without tip from the customers.

In addition to being nice and polite, the delivery guy explained that two products could not be delivered, so instead they chose to products similar to those we originally ordered.

We were extremely satisfied with the house delivery and in the future we will for sure use it again. 900 HUF for the house delivery isn’t really much, considering that you save time, you save gas, and you do not do lots of extra shopping that you are tempted to do walking around between the shelves in a real Tesco store.

Why I don’t like to write Budapest reviews

Posted on November 27, 2013December 8, 2022 by Budablogger

If you have followed the Budapest blog for a while you may have noticed that there are quite a lot of reviews and thoughts on different subjects here. The truth is, however, that I do not really like to write Budapest reviews, and here is the reason!

In today’s Internet world people keep looking to the Internet for information before coming to a city. Here they will find information about restaurants they consider to visit, hotels they might want to live in and activities they want to check out. This is great and can help the traveler find the best activities, restaurants and hotels, and it is truly for the good of the traveler that it is this way. But, there is another side of the coin.

My Budapest review problem

When I visit a restaurant I always plan on writing a review and share my thoughts about the place in the blog later. As long as the food and the service is great I write reviews and share my experience with great joy. But, from time to time I visit places were either the service or the food, or maybe even both are bad, or maybe even worse, terrible… and that is when the problem occurs.

When some tourist ask me about night clubs in Budapest I always tell them that I do not really have a clue and that they should ask Google instead. If they see a night club they might want to enter, type the name into Google first to see if it has a good reputation, or if it is a well known rip-off place (which unfortunately can be said about quite some night clubs in Budapest). Before entering a restaurant to grab something to eat, many people do the same and Google the restaurant to read some reviews before entering. And, if someone Google a restaurant that I have visited and written a poor review about it, the result is that the person will go somewhere else and not visit the given restaurant. Is that a problem?

No… but, maybe yes! There are people working in that restaurant, and some of those people have looked for ages for a job and they do their best to get things going around. A couple of bad reviews on the Internet can in some cases be enough to destroy the total reputation of a restaurant, at least if it is quite new on the market. This will with time result in a restaurant closing down and people losing their job… But, when I wrote that original review it wasn’t my intention for anyone to lose their job, all I wanted to do was to inform people about my experience. But, the consequence of doing so had greater impact than I imagined. (luckily this is hypothetical, so this has not happened and hopefully will never happen).

What is the solution to my review problem?

Should I really care? If a bad restaurant is closed down and the people working there lose their job, isn’t that a good thing? At least no more people need to suffer eating their food and paying for bad service and food… Or maybe I should write the review, share it with the owner of the restaurant first, and see if he has any response to it. If he doesn’t care, then it really is his problem, but if he believe this to be a mistake or an unlucky evening, then maybe he will invite me back for a dinner another night to make it good again and show me what the restaurant is really like? But, maybe I will then be treated in a certain way because I am a blogger, while all other guests are treated in the same poor way as I was treated before the owner new that I was a blogger.

Another solution would be to not write anything at all when I feel like writing a negative review. In that way I will not harm anyone, except from other people throwing away their money on the same poor experience I had myself.

Help me guys… anyone got any idea on how to solve this? Should I care, or should I not care? What would you do?

Christmas market at Kalvin square

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Budapest Guide

The big Christmas market at Vörösmarty tér will only open tomorrow, but there are of course many more markets available in Budapest. One such market is located at Kalvin tér.

The market at Kalvin square has already been opened, so we visited the market earlier tonight. It is not the biggest one, but for those who visit Christmas markets to eat chimney cake, drink hot wine, eat sausage and maybe some bread langos or real langos, this market has it all (but not so much more). So, not the biggest market, but very cose and nice, not to crowded, and with cheaper prices than at the big market at the Vörösmarty square.

The market will be open until December 24th. Here you can find some pictures taken at the market. For more information about the Christmas markets in Budapest, visit this page.

Christmas activities in Budapest

Posted on November 22, 2013March 27, 2024 by Budapest Guide

Christmas is approaching and if you are looking for some Christmas activities in Budapest, here are suggestions!

The most important Christmas activity is the Christmas market. In 2013 it will open on November 27th and be open until December 31st (the Christmas market at Vörösmarty tér). Here you can eat Hungarian sausage, drink som hot wine and shop all kinds of Christmas presents.

Another place worth visiting is the Andrassy út. This avenue connecting the Elisabeth square (Deak Ferenc square) to the Heroes Square is beautiful lightened up in the time before Christmas, so take a walk here one evening, it is worth it. As you walk you can either do some exclusive shopping in shops like Max Mara, Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Burberry, or maybe just grab a cake somewhere or eat some more serious food in one of the restaurants at the Liszt Ferenc square.

These activities you can easily arrange for yourself. But, there are some Budapest Christmas activities that is harder to arrange all by yourself. Here are some activities that we would love to help you with, if any of them sounds interesting.

If you wonder what to do on December 24th, why not enjoy a river cruise on the Danube?

Christmas activities in Budapest arranged by us!

Christmas dinner by a family

Would you like to eat a traditional Hungarian Christmas dinner in a normal Hungarian home? Then you should try this program. Here you will actually come home to a family and taste the traditional Hungarian Christmas food as they prepare it. They will gladly show you their home, answer all sorts of questions, and simply let you get a close look at what life is like for a Hungarian. You want get any closer to the reality than this. The program is gift-based, meaning that you give to the family what you feel they deserve as the program is finished. It normally last for 2 – 2 1/2 hours and we can of course arrange with transportation to the home if required.

Christmas trip to Vienna

Let us arrange a day trip to Vienna for you. The Austrian capital has beautiful Christmas markets, especially the one in front of the city hall. Spend 7-8 hours walking around, eating some Austrian food and getting a sip of the Christmas atmosphere in Vienna. You can read more about this program at the following page.

Christmas in Szentendre

Come join us on an excursion to Szentendre. The city has a cosy little Christmas market, and in addition to time for shopping, you will also be able to visit the marcipan museum, taste seven Hungarian wines in a wine cellar and enjoy a three course lunch. The program lasts a total of about 5 hours. Read more about the program here.

Big dinners in Budapest

Would you like to enjoy a lot of food and drinks? Then we can warmly suggest one of the following dinners!

Five course dinner with six glasses of wine (13,000 HUF per person)
This dinner takes place in a wine restaurant in the very center of Budapest. It is not a gourmet dinner, but the quality of the food and the wine is more than enough for most people.
Brewery visit with lots of food (10,000 HUF per person)
This might not sound like a Christmas program, but for many Christmas is about eating and drinking a lot, and if that is so, this program is ideal. At the brewery visit you will taste 4 different beers produced at the spot, you get the chance to taste 4 Hungarian fruit-spirits (Palinka) and last, but not least, you will get four courses of traditional Hungarian food.

Does any of the programs sound interesting to you? If the answer is yes, just fill in the forms and contact us today, and we will do our best to help you out!

Rollingbeer – Beer Bike

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Probably you know that the Hungarian nation don’t despise tasty drinks. The country’s alcohol culture is very important part of tourism. We don’t talk about alcoholism, it is liquid gastronomy, because delicious homemade beers, fantastic wines and the special national short drink, the pálinka are very demanding drinks which should only be enjoyed with responsibility. There is an opportunity in Budapest where you can burn calories while drinking: the Rollingbeer.

Maybe you have heard about this structure earlier in other countries. The Rollingbeer is a 14 seats + 1 driver seat vehicle with pedals and a round counter, what is safely and easily accessible for everybody. The delicious beers and wines provide for the great atmosphere, moreover there is a disco ball over the counter and a music center, what can play your taste of music, if you bring a CD or an MP3 player. 8 pair of pedals help the progression, but those, who can’t feel the power to ride, can sit on one of the 6 lazy seats, and don’t have to do other, just drink and sightseeing.

This tourist attraction and/or party opportunity is the perfect choice for a friend group, who love tasty drinks, but don’t want to waste their time in Budapest in a pub, but want to meet the local attractions. Smoking is possible on the Rollingbeer.

Public transportation tickets at Budapest Airport

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Until know you have only been able to buy a very limited amount of public transportation tickets at Budapest Airport, but that is about to change.

Last week I noticed a temporary stand that has been placed in Terminal 2A where visitors can buy quite a lot of different public transportation tickets such as 1-day card, 3-day card, 7-day travel card, some group cards and single tickets. This is a great improvement, because earlier you had to buy single ticket at the airport and travel to Köhanya Kispest, and only there you could buy a one day pass, three day pass or a pass for one week.

At the moment this is a temporary stand, but as I asked them they said that in a while they will get a permanent stand looking nicer with an even larger amount of tickets for sale. So, if you want to travel from Budapest Airport using public transportation instead of a private airport transfer, then this makes it a whole lot easier.

Change in taxi prices from Budapest Airport (and in the rest of Budapet)

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Budapest Guide

There are lots of changes taking place in the taxi business in Budapest. The most visible change is that more and more taxis are turning yellow. Another change is that fares are going up.

Until now visitors coming to Budapest just jumping in a taxi at the airport would get a set fee based on what area of the city they were going to, at least if they used the official Airport Taxi company named Fő Taxi. Due to the changes this has now changed, and you will not be able to know the price of your ride to your Budapest hotel before you actually arrive, because how much you pay is based on the length of your ride in kilometer and in time. The fee you pay per kilometer and the initial fee for just jumping into a taxi has also been raised. The new initial fee is 450 HUF and the new kilometer fee is 280 HUF.

For you as a tourist this means that traveling with taxies in Budapest has gotten more expensive, but do not be afraid, it is still cheap (if you are not tricked). As you come to Budapest Airport your taxi towards the city center has also gotten more expensive, maybe with 1500-2000 HUF compared to earlier. This means again that our fares for prebooked and private airport transfers cost exactly the same as if you just jump into a taxi at the airport, however you will know the price beforehand and you do not have to fear that you are being tricked by a driver taking slow roads, standing in lines on purpose and so on.

Enjoy your taxi ride and enjoy Budapest.

Night in the Amusement Park

Posted on September 11, 2013January 6, 2023 by Budapest Guide

We recently got the sad news that the famous Amusement Park in Budapest will close. The park has been open since 1950, but now the area will turn into a part of the Budapest Zoo. But, before it park wants to go down with a bang, so in all of September we can enjoy a “night in the amusement park.”

When the Sun goes down, the city lights are turned on and that is when life starts in the City Park. That is why you can visit the amusement park in all of September from 8 PM until 1.30 AM.

The Night Amusement Park’s ticket prices are a little bit more favorable than during daytime. Those, who buy their ticket after 8 PM have to pay only 3300 Forint instead of the original 5000 Forint, and they can enjoy the flickering lights and popular toys. Moreover you can buy the night tickets earlier than 8 PM, so you don’t have to spend neither a second from your precious night time at the Amusement Park in the line.

If you spend some days in the Hungarian capital, Budapest in September 2013, you definitely should visit the Amusement Park until you can and make this visit more special with the night’s atmosphere and lights. Don’t miss this adventure! Have fun!

Monet, Gauguin, Szinyei Merse, Rippl-Rónai exhibition at the National Gallery

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Yes, you actually read the title correctly; these and other famous painters’ work are exhibited at the National Gallery in Budapest until 13 October 2013!

The exhibition is special in several ways. First of all, this is the reunited Museum of Fine Arts’ and National Gallery’s first common exhibition. The other reason is, the Israel Museum have big part in the exhibition’s life. The institution in Jerusalem and the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts have worked together earlier, when the Holy Land’s Heritage exhibition was in Budapest in 2009 and at the same time the Israel Museum showed Hungarian graphics to its audience.

The three cultural institutions, the Israel Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery show masterpieces like Monet’s, Gauguin’s and the Hungarian Rippl-Rónai’s and Szinyei Merse’s works, as you can see in the title. Besides them visitors could admire in the art of Pissarro, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne and Van Gogh too, and they are just the foreign names! Naturally the Hungarian talents can’t stay out from this monumental event, so you could see the masterpieces of Ferenczy Károly, Vaszary János, Fényes Adolf or Mednyánszky László in the Gallery.

If you like art and your favorite topic is exactly the impressionism and post-impressionism, you should definitely visit the National Gallery until 13 October 2013 in Budapest!

Exhibition-group at the National Gallery
Until October 13th

Hungary vs. Romania tonight

Posted on September 6, 2013May 3, 2018 by Budablogger

Tonight is the night that can bring great glory to Hungarian football for the first time in a while, but it can also destroy most hope of having the chance to take part in the World Championship in Rio next year.

Hungary is playing against Romania tonight at 20.00 in Bucharest and I will for sure watch. It is going to be a very interesting match where the Hungarian will hopefully do great and end with with at least 1 point, hopefully 3. If they end up with three they will have taken a long step toward getting a good second place in their qualification group (behind the Netherlands) which again will give them the chance to play qualification match against some other nation about getting to the World Championship. With one point the still have a good chance, but with 0 points tonight, it will get much tougher, especially since Romania has easier matches ahead of them than Hungary do.

The last time they played

Last time Hungary played against Romania (earlier this year) it seemed as if Hungary was going to win the match, until Romania got their 2-2 goal in the 92. minute. Let us hope Hungarians will have more luck on their side tonight!

How to watch the match?

If you are in Hungary, you just turn on your TV at 20.00 on M1 (normally the first channel you can find on your TV). If you only have a computer, you can visit telesport.hu where you will find a link to the actual side of the online stream some minutes before the match starts.

If you are located outside Hungary and still want to watch the match, you can still do so online. If you get an Hungarian IP address you can still watch the live stream on telesport.hu (it has a geo block supposed to make it available only to people in Hungary), so if you want to get a Hungarian IP address you can read more about that here. The match will also be broadcasted on Romanian TV, so if you need to bypass some IP restrictions, you can find out how to get a Romanian IP address here.

Let us all cheer for Hungary tonight and let us hope that it will be a victorious night. I have my doubts, but lets at least hope and be very positively surprised.

[stextbox id=”info”]The match can be seen at the following address: http://www.telesport.hu/online1.aspx[/stextbox]

What do you guys think? Do Hungary have a chance against the Romanian team tonight? What do you guys think will be the score?