Destination: Budapest
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Even more so than Prague or Vienna, Budapest is a city ruled by water: the Danube River, which separates Buda from residential Pest and which is crossed by eight bridges, including the iconic Chain Bridge. There are twenty-three districts, though chances are the main ones you will frequent during a visit are district I (Castle Hill, on the Buda side) and V, VI, VII (Downtown Pest). Don’t underestimate how large the city is when planning an itinerary: specific districts can be explored on foot, especially if you’re centrally based at a hotel like the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace or the Sofitel, but most sights are relatively far apart and will require taking cabs.
TIP: You can get the Budapest Card for either forty-eight or seventy-two hours, for about $40 and $49, respectively; it offers unlimited travel on all public transportation as well as free entrance to some sixty museums and sights, including the Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Applied Arts and the Matthias Church. You can purchase the card at the airport, all tourist offices and most major hotels.
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