#acl All:read,write
# Leave as writable by all until the event, then lock down
Budapest Tips
Getting from the Airport to the Hotel
Help from a local needed!
The "hotel location" page has some details under "How to get to the hotel"
Getting from the Railway Station to the Hotel
Fancy taking the train rather than the plane to ApacheCon? There's plenty of options for people from the UK, France, Benelux, Germany, Austria and Switzerland!
Can someone please list how to get from the station?
Budapest Visitor Information
Where to eat near the hotel
Where to drink
Where to play
Where to stay (if the conference hotel isn't your thing)
Get out - where to visit nearby
Thinking of heading to Budapest a few days early? Or maybe staying a few days more? Beyond some great things to do in the city, it could be worth planning a day or two's exploring nearby.
Can a local please suggest what's good to see near-ish by?
Unsorted information, from a fellow Apache member
The Budapest Zoo [1] is a great visit (if you enjoy zoos), and they have an additional themepark (where there used to be a very old crufty themepark named 'Vidam park'). If you get a chance (and if it is still around) a ride in the Hullámvasút wooden rollercoaster is really something. Last time I was in it, it had a driver manually controlling the brakes when the train hit 60km/h.
There are several escape rooms for indoor entertainment.
You can get a guided bike tour [2] through Budapest (great way to do the sight seeing) from the square in front of the Szent Istvan Basilika (highly recommended, especially if you go across the bridge to Buda and up the hill).
The Buda part (the hill's) are also nice to visit and climb, they have a cavern system (the labyrinth [3]) you can walk through with some entertainment for children. The view from the Fisherman's Bastillion is awesome.
You should pay a visit to the thermal springs (I'd recommend the Szecheny Fürdö baths, in the same park as the Zoo and vidam park)
A couple of years ago there was a technological exhibit where you (i.e. your 10 yr old) can climb, and do sorts of science experiments but I don't recall the name and don't know if it is still around.
Money
Just go to an ATM and get it from there. Those accept maestro, mastercard, visa etc. What the websites told me is that the yellow cabs are required to have an electronic payment terminal. Chip and pin should be supported (maestro), but I think my Budapest friend usually pays by cash or credit card. Don't keep too much cash at hand as it is next to worthless when you leave the country, but it is great for scrap booking :-D
Safety:
The streets in Budapest are (in the center) pretty safe, just use your normal precautions. My friend living in Budapest treats it like he lives in Mexico City or Juarez, but I think the crime level is on par with any city with about 2M inhabitants. I don't feel more unsafe in Budapest than in Amsterdam.
Traffic is a bit hectic as people drive fast. The metro system is a great way to go about the city, and you put the trams to good use as well.
[1] http://www.zoobudapest.com/en
[2] http://www.budabike.com/en/contact-us/
[3] http://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-castle-district.html#labyrinth
Other Open Source Events
Help needed! What other Open Source events are on in Budapest at the same time?