fezzyeads, on Jan 27 2010, 04:40 PM, said:
Thats just it, am not too sure were is close to the festival etc, if we were to stay in a hotel?
The closest hotel to the festival site is the Ramada Plaza Budapest, just by the Arpad Bridge. Don't confuse it with the other Ramada hotels in the city though, because at least one of them is a good long walk from the city centre.
We've stayed in hotels and apartments for the duration of the festival, largely because I'm getting on a bit now and I appreciate a comfy bed and a hot shower! It's not too difficult to find something that suits your budget, and getting around is pretty easy. The areas we usually look for are Districts 7 and 9.
District 9 (Oktogon) is a very trendy area with lots of bars and restaurants, it's also very close to Andrassy Street and Heroes Square if you want to do the touristy thing, and a short hop away from the zoo and the Szecheyni spa.
If you opt for a city-centre base, you can buy a 7-day pass for the HEV which is pretty good value if you're using public transport to and from the festival site every day. The metros in the city stop running around midnight and start again around 5am, so if you're planning some post-mainstage partying on the site, you will probably not get back into the city until the trams start running again!
There is also a dedicated cab service from the festival site, the City Taxi company has a fleet of cars that go into the city and have fixed prices for a lot of locations - we used them several times and even when we've been in the outer parts of the city it's only been about £4 each (four sharing) in a cab. If there are more of you and you need a bigger cab, you will have to pay extra but they will tell you before you get in the cab how much it will cost so you can decide whether to take it, or split your group into fours to get normal cabs. Simples!
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