City Break in Budapest

The hotel - LeMeridien in winter is an excellent value given the facilities. Ice-skating at Heroes Square is cool if you're a child at heart. Views from the castle at night are spectacular. Several open air markets are around - browse while drinking gluhwein and eating hot sugary pastries. The Terror Museum was interesting, if not spectacular, and the Museum of Contemporary Art is a beautiful venue, although I didn't think much of the temporary exhibition. Wandering around the castle complex is also a must.

Quick Tips:

Time Out Budapest is the best guidebook by far.

Best Way To Get Around:

The metro is good, but walking is easy and picturesque (avoiding the dodgy neighbourhoods, of course). Buses are difficult because Hungarian is totally indecipherable to us language-handicapped folk. You won't recognise a single word.

It was superb and the cheapest of all the five-star places in Budapest at the same rate for a three-star in London (in winter, of course). It is small(ish) with very attentive service, good without groveling and friendly without pretension. Rooms are firmly old-fashioned luxury, but the beds are comfortable and huge. The top-floor pool and sauna are free, as is the gym (if that's what floats your boat on holiday). We got a free upgrade because they had room. The bathrooms are superb (heated tiles, etc.). The restaurant is expensive (by local standards), but the food is excellent. It’s in a good location for sightseeing by foot.

This is a lovely restaurant in a very nondescript alley-like street. It is chic and modern, with attentive and non-stuffy service. The food was superb pan-European fusion (tuna and lobster risotto and several foie gras variations), and desserts were splendid. There is an excellent Hungarian wine list and knowledgeable staff to guide you through it. It makes for a very sophisticated night out without being stuck-up, indulgent and very enjoyable. It's not the cheapest, though.