An Introvert's Guide to Budapest

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In a desperate attempt to squeeze in a holiday before starting a new job, I spent a couple days in Budapest at the start of June.

Impulsive trips like these represent why being (somewhat) comfortable solo travelling is so important to me. There's a lot of the world I want to see, and if my friends want to come too, then that's great, but becoming an adult involves understanding that everyone has a different life to live, and life's too short to wait around for stars to align.

I'd heard great things about Budapest and it definitely didn't disappoint. It's full of energy, charm, and fellow solo travellers. It's on the cheaper end of European city breaks. Safe and familiar enough to calm the jitters, and quirky enough to keep me entertained.

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Budapest, Hungary - 18th-21st June 2025

"Whoever invented Saunas is an absolute manic"

I remember thinking to myself, as I took laboured breaths of scalding steam. At first I thought the 'Aromatherapy' promised on the sign outside was a complete hoax, but it worked more magic than I could have ever Imagined.

I decided to try Szechenyi baths, which is the most popular thermal bath with tourists and commonly Instagrammed, so you have probably seen it before. Some people prefer to go 'where the locals go' rather than the standard tourist spots, but when I travel solo I tend to prefer the opposite, as it usually means bigger crowds to blend in to. It also meant a bigger entry fee, at around £25.

The outdoor baths really hit the spot in the 30 degree weather, and while we were still a minority, there were others bathing solo as well. I claimed a lounger and a spot on the stairs, and took in the sun for an hour or so. Don't be put off by the name 'thermal baths' in the summer. The water is about the same temperature as a resort swimming pool.

Inside is where they quite literally turn up the heat. Here you will find heated pools of varying temperatures, steam rooms, and saunas. I'd never tried a sauna before and was excited to see what the fuss was about. Sitting in a car that's been parked in the sun for three hours would have given me the same experience.

I've been told the point of the sauna is the relaxation and relief you feel after

stepping out, and to it's credit that might be true. After showering and going back to my locker, my phone had disappeared, and along with it basically everything I needed to survive in the city until my feet touch the ground at Stansted. But did I break a sweat? No! Mainly because all the sweat in my body was now fused with a pine bench. I calmly explained the situation to an attendant who grabbed my phone from the office behind him. I held the screen up showing a selfie I had sent my parents to prove that the phone did indeed belong to me, and thanked him profusely.

As cameras and water don't really mix, I didn't take many good photos here. I just really wanted to tell the sauna story.

A Walk in the Park

After the phone palava, that's not quite how I would describe my first twelve hours in Budapest, as by now the sauna magic was waring off. The park opposite Szechenyi baths was prepared for a festival or a funfair of some kind, and the camera came out for it's first serious session of the holiday to capture these slightly nostalgic shots of the lanterns and tourists scattered around the park. I'd just bought my Lumix GX80, so this was it's test drive. It's an absolute joy to travel and shoot with.

In the same park is a little circus of kiosks, and the one in the centre sells a traditional Hungarian street food called Lángos. This is a deep fried disk of dough, with sour cream,

cheese, and garlic on top. Other sweet and savoury toppings were also on offer. If anything has cheese on it, I'm instantly interested, so I was a big fan of this.

Knowing Your Target Audience

When the sun goes down, Budapest has no shame making it clear what it's known for - Giving stag/hen/party groups infinite ways to get as drunk as physically possible.

I found a group to have a drink with one evening using the city-wide chat in Hostelworld. I've done this in a couple of cities, and while I don't find it's chatrooms get many replies, with enough perseverance you can usually find a group to tag along with. I met two very lovely solo travellers who I would catch up with both evenings of my trip.

If you want a cheap drink, Wombat Hostel Bar has you covered. This came up a lot as a popular place to stay and the most social-oriented hostel in the city. It's bar is open to anyone and very popular with guests and non-guests alike. From there, we moved onto the famous ruin bar Szimpla Kert. Living up to it's name, it has a

scrapheap vibe and a vintage charm that I absolutely loved. Amongst the graffitied walls, a Canadian traveller tried to explain a card game to me, that even sober I wouldn't understand. The queue to enter is long, so get there early, or you can pay to skip the line. Once inside, you are paying tourist prices, but I stuck to beer and was still paying what I would consider reasonable. If this bar opened in London for example, I'd need to take out a mortgage to make it to midnight.

On the other hand, if you want an astronomically expensive drink, Gozsdu Udvar is a street lined with karaoke bars. This is where my second evening took me. The place we went to was like a Magaluf strip bar on steroids, complete with a fully lit karaoke stage, and a passionate MC ready to jump in whenever the vocals got too ropey. I went to the bar and ordered a rum and coke, and after nodding at whatever the bartender said to me (I couldn't hear a thing), I watched in horror as I was poured a pint of Captain Morgans with a whisper of coke, and charged around £20 for it.

If late nights are your thing, I'd suggest seeing if your hostel has a pub crawl to join. If it doesn't, other hostels will usually let you tag along to theirs.

Right, enough moaning... Time for some actual photography content!

Slow Down, Breathe...

I feel my photography comes alive when the sun goes down. There's something about the city lights, and the rush of people around you when your taking it slow with your camera. I especially love capturing this with slow shutter speeds. A photo walk back from Margaret Island provided plenty of opportunity for some stunning night shots. The fountain on the island performs a musical dance throughout the day, but plays to more well known rock songs at night, and lights up vibrantly. I couldn't not stop to take a photo.

The trams in Budapest are very photogenic, day or night. During the day, their bold orange facade glows in the relentless sun. I spent way to long trying to get some tracking shots, and the results aren't quite as sharp as I would have liked, but I cut my losses after an hour. This is an effect I've never tried before, and one to keep for the travel arsenal, but I need to do a little research before giving it another go. At night, the windows bloom with a cool blue light, cutting through the orange exterior.

One of my favourite ways to capture landmarks near water is to keep the shutter open, creating a glass-like surface to reflect the light. The water in front of the parliament building was a little to vicious to smooth completely, and instead, the booze cruises chugging past created streaks of texture underneath. I was making my way to the karaoke bar at the time, and so was in a bit of a rush to get this shot. I'd love to go back and have another crack at it.

My hostel treated me to an amazing view of an octagon shaped junction that was begging for a night long exposure, resulting in easily my favourite photo of the trip. Even at 2am, the streets were still lively, and I stayed up as late as I could to timelapse the cars passing by. This was post karaoke bar blunder, and I was very thankful to have a bit of time to decompress. It's ironic that I wish I have more time to myself that evening to take photos, but when I'm solo travelling I tend to stress too much about finding people to hang out with that I'll accept any plan they throw at me, forgetting that it's perfectly okay to spend time alone.

Another Mantra

I was determined to have a bit of solitude on my final day to focus on photography, and I picked the perfect time to do so. As I left the hostel, I walked into a Hindu parade making it's way slowly through the octagon junction. I know very little about the Hindu religion, but I watched as a diverse crowd pushed a float through the streets, receiving a shower of flower petals from the figures above. There was strange balance of chaos and peace, which I think I captured in this photo. The smiling supporters follow the cart underneath, kept in time by the blowing of a conch shell, a man deep in meditation along for the ride.

As the chanting made it's way into the distance, I'm not sure if the religious undertones had rubbed off on me, but I decided to check out St Stephens Basilica. Although I'm not religious, I find faith and rituals fascinating, and I'm always in awe of the fact that someone actually built

this. I was also promised there was someone's hand in a glass jar inside. I had timed my visit perfectly with the start of an organ performance. A church organ is a nostalgic sound to me, taking me back to memories of carol services with my family.

I left the cathedral and headed straight for the airport, playing it safe to make my flight. That's pretty out of character for me, but I was almost bumped off the plane on the way to Budapest for checking in late, so I'd decided not to push my luck and guarantee myself a seat home.

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Budapest, Hungary

Food: 7/10

Things to do: 7/10

Price: 7/10

Social/Nightlife: 8/10

Transport: 9/10

Total score: 38/50

Recommended restaurants and bars:

Ligeti Lángos is my suggestion for lángos, and conveniently next to Szechenyi thermal bath.

Szimpla Kert is always a popular bar suggestion, and shouldn't be missed, just be mindful of the queue.

Hippie Island was our stop before the fountain show. Prices are higher, due to it being on Margaret Island, but serves a range of drinks and bar food.

Gelarto Rosa serves flower shaped ice creams, and always has a queue outside. There's actually two kiosks, one either side of the Basilica. If you face the church and turn left, the kiosk down this street is much less busy than the one to the right.

Recommended accommodation:

I stayed in Avenue Hostel, which is ideal if you are looking for great value. Breakfast is included, and you get a meal for free if you buy a drink from the bar. They also run a free walking tour.

I only have personal experience of Wombat Hostel's bar, but I heard great things about the hostel itself too.

Recommended activities:

• River Boat Cruise - Great for a relaxing tour or loading up on prosecco, the Danube is infamous for its cruises. GetYourGuide is good for shopping around for tickets.

  
  

• Thermal Baths - Szechenyi being the most famous, or the more locally-popular Gellert and Rudas. Make sure to check the rules of each one online before going. For example, Szechenyi requires flip-flops/sandals to be worn around the building, as well as caps in the main pool (but not in the baths).

  
  

• Walking Tour - A great way to learn about the city, meet new people, and get recommendations from the locals, I usually do one in any city that offers them.

  
  

• Tram Tour - While not an official tour, the 2B tram takes the most scenic route through Budapest. You need two tickets to ride the whole trip.

Top Tips

1) Transport tickets - For the metro line 1, there is a card reader on the platform you can tap to buy a ticket. For the metro line 2 and the trams, you can buy paper tickets at machines. There's boxes on the platform and carriages to validate your ticket. You'll get fined if you don't do this.

2) Double check the card machine before you pay - The pours are lethal and the prices are too. Be aware of the conversion rate and check the terminal before paying. Most card machines in bars and restaurants will add a service charge automatically AND prompt you to tip on top.