I spent three nights in Europe and it was cheaper than a train from London to Cornwall. Surely that can’t be right? Except it is…
Deflated by rocketing living costs and dystopian news reports warning of nuclear armaggedon, last November I set out in search of a relaxing staycation somewhere in the southwest.
But seconds after opening the Trainline app, I was spiralling into another pit of despair: the price of a return rail fare from London to Cornwall is now at least £136.80 per person. Off peak.
My weekend plans in tatters, I was pleasantly surprised to find Skyscanner coughing up return flights to Budapest on Wizz Air for just £59, from Friday to Monday.
A quick search of Airbnb delivered a dinky but perfectly functional studio for just £14.50 per person per night. So it was a no-brainer to shun the wilds of the southwest for somewhere a little more exotic.
And I’m not the only one.
Holiday-let owners across the UK are reporting a notable fall in bookings this year after a boom during the pandemic, with many blaming poor weather and prices resulting from the cost of living cisis.
Helen Angove, 58, managing director of Woodland Collection Holidays in Townshend, Cornwall, told The Guardian that demand in January and February fell by about 80% across her holiday lets on the same period last year.
Travel experts say holidaymakers are becoming more careful, booking later and spending less, all with the intention of getting the best value for their money.
Getting around Budapest
Few of Europe’s capital cities offer bang for you buck like Budapest.
Transport in Hungary is cheap, with Bolt-run taxis costing anywhere from 1,200HUF (£2.75) to 6.000HUF (£14.75). The city is compact and accessible, so this should cover you for anywhere you need to go.
Buses and trains are even kinder to your pocket, from 380HUF (£0.90) Metro jaunts to popular attractions, to the 600HUF (£1.40) airport shuttle straight to the city centre.
Like everywhere in Europe, Hungary’s cost of living has skyrocketed since the pandemic.
The average rent in Budapest’s central districts has risen sharply by 14% year on year, but at roughly £514 for two-bedroom apartments per month, it’s still cheap by London standards.
A long weekend in Budapest – by numbers
Flights: £59 per person with Wizz Air
Airbnb: £43.50 for three nights per person on Airbnb
Bus from Budapest airport: £1.40 per person, single
Stansted Airport express: £23 return
Budapest historical sights, bridges, castles and galleries: Free
Day pass for Szecheyni thermal baths: £25
Unlimited prosecco night river cruise: £22
Average dinner: £10 – £13
Average pint: £2.50 – £3.50
Food, drink and things to do
A beer will set you back around 850HUF (£2) while a decent dinner costs anywhere from 4,300HUF to 5,700HUF (between £9-£13), but you could keep your budget tighter by cooking in your Airbnb. We bought bottled water in our local Aldi for less than 20p a bottle, and a loaf of fresh bread for just over £1.
Considering we’d covered flights, accommodation and airport transfers for £128.30 (£23 of which went towards a return ticket for the Stansted Airport bus), we splashed out on a couple of activities that were still affordable to make our time memorable.
These included the historic Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Budapest’s most-visited attraction and the largest medicinal bath in Europe.
A day pass for the spa costs £25 on weekends or £21.50 midweek, with access to 15 indoor baths, steam rooms and three spectacular outdoor pools. There’s even a rooftop greenhouse that opens during the summer, and a set of saunas you sweat it out in for a few pounds extra.
A word of warning: make sure to bring a towel and flipflops. Both are mandatory and will set you back a cool £21 at the venue – our most expensive purchase in Budapest by a country mile.
My travel partne and I having recently turned 30, we felt a little too old to hang around for the famous Budapest Bath Party (‘Sparty’), a dazzling laser disco best described as a rave in a bathtub that takes place at Szechenyi almost every Saturday night.
Instead we dried off and headed back to our accommodation, a cosy flat in the trendy District VII, the heart of Budapest’s ‘Pest’ side which houses the city’s Jewish Quarter.
Steeped in history, the neighbourhood that served as the Jewish ghetto during WWII is now a vibrant party hub, packed with bustling restaurants and the thumping ‘ruin bars’ Budapest is famed for.
It was life-affirming to walk by plaques in remembrance of Holocaust victims on streets that now boast Jewish-owned cafes and imposing synagogues.
On the recommendation of a viral TikTok video, we booked a night river cruise on the Danube for £21 per person, complete with unlimited prosecco and a friendly tour guide who pointed out the best sights without encroaching on our evening.
The cruise takes 90 minutes and sails past Budapest’s spectacular parliament building, best seen after sunset when it glitters against the night sky.
The best thing about European cities is how much is free, from architecture and churches to expansive public parks. We took full advantage of this for our last day in Budapest, walking 20,000 steps across the city to the hilly ‘Buda’ side which boasts a 758-year-old castle and a mosaic-covered church built in 1050.
Our favourite spot was Fisherman’s Bastion, a panoramic terrace with fairytale turrets that gives you a truly breathtaking view of Budapest. Entry is free of charge between October 15 and March 10.
This long weekend, which also featured a standout dinner at the reasonably priced Mazel Tov restaurant, plus pancakes, pastries and some dangerously strong cocktails at TikTok-approved Rumpus Tiki Bar, cost us about £250 each all in.
Getting there:
Flights to Budapest start from £59 on Wizz Air
Value for money
I dread to think how much a similar weekend of spas, bottomless river cruises and delicious food would drain your bank balance in London or the southwest.
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that you could fork out half of what we spent on getting to your destination alone.
In March 2023, UK train ticket price hikes were capped at 9.5 percent in what was dubbed the ‘biggest-ever government intervention’ to protect passengers from the cost-of-living crisis.
It seemed bleak back then, but experts have warned that even larger increases are on the way in 2024.
Rail fares typically take effect in January, rising in line with the rate of inflation recorded the previous July. In August, the Telegraph calculated that some rail route season tickets could rise above £8,000 per year for the first time in history.
Your Daily Horoscope
It may well be capped or increase according to wage growth. But if it doesn’t, more of us might be advised to spend more weekends in Budapest.
How to get the cheapest deals on Airbnb, according to an expert
Travellers should follow these five tips to bag incredible bargains, Airbnb’s general manager for northern Europe, Amanda Cupples, tells Metro.co.uk.
- Use the flexible search tool – avoid being set on specific dates.
- Explore categories like Guest Favourites for hidden gem stays.
- Create wishlists to easily compare prices.
- Book outside tourist hotspots and away from peak times of year.
- Always check private rooms – you’d be surprised what you’ll find. More than 80% of private room stays are under £79 per night.
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