The dream of every student has come true: summer is here, and better yet, Covid seems to have started losing its grip on our lives. Restrictions are being lifted day by day, our opportunities are increasing, and normality is creeping back into our days slowly, but steadily. After such a stressful, bleak and unpleasant period, many have vowed to refresh themselves by going on holidays this summer.
Whether you choose to travel to different countries or spend a week or two in Hungary, it is guaranteed that rest, relaxation and fun will come as the relief we have all been craving for so long. This guide will help you with the latter option (holiday in Hungary) by sharing advices regarding budget, destinations, travelling and more. We must note that however much we’ve had enough of it, the pandemic has not gone away entirely yet, and thus it is advised to stay vigilant and still pay attention to health and safety during this summer.
Budget
Hungary is not an expensive country by European Union standards (having lived here, you most likely know this by now), but it is also not as cheap as one might think when it comes to popular tourist places; besides, prices have seen a considerable surge in the recent decade as well. Still, travelling on a budget is entirely possible and well within the range of opportunities of a university student. It is important that you research precisely how much money you’ll need for travelling, accommodation and such, in order to construct a helpful system of tracking expenses. Prices are varying greatly depending on what you want to visit, so determining a solid budget is almost impossible. It is just as possible to organize an excellent holiday out of 50.000 forints as it is to go on one with 200.000 at our disposal.
Destination
Hungary offers almost everything someone on a holiday in the summer could desire: from waterside activities, calm relaxation in luxurious spas, adventurous hiking in beautiful locations, to sightseeing in gorgeous towns and cities. There are festivals and concerts (in limited number sadly, due to most being rescheduled to next year because of Covid), culinary trips and wine-tasting holidays, lakeside apartments and camping, long bike-journeys and extreme parks, and so much more. It is impossible to list every one of them, or even the best of it, so personalized research is advised. On a very general note, a holiday in Hungary without including lake Balaton is not a true holiday. Being the number one most popular destination, it offers innumerable genuinely fun activities and opportunities for groups of friends and lone travellers as well.
Booking
Popular booking sites such as booking.com and szallas.hu are trusted and widely used for reserving places at hotels, hostels and apartments, with Airbnb also being an option in Budapest and other bigger cities. These sites usually have English language accessibility as well. As previously mentioned, prices vary greatly depending on many things, but as a very general rule, 5 to 10 thousand Hungarian forints per night should get you sufficient enough accommodation in most places, depending on what you're looking for. This is the part that will give out the bulk of your budget, so being wise with the booking is very important when it comes to affordable holidays. Thankfully, most modern booking sites offer services of comparing different prices and locations, so finding the best offer only depends on perseverance and quickness. Important: due to this summer still feeling the breath of Covid-19 on its shoulders, some compromises have to be made. Unfortunately, booking places will most likely officially accepted require vaccination certificates, making it generally harder to organize a holiday.
Travelling
Having or renting a car is obviously the most convenient way of travelling, since it makes reaching everything so much easier. This, however, might not be accessible for a lot of students, making them have to rely on public transport. Fortunately, trains and buses are reliable and get the job done sufficiently enough. Buying tickets can be done entirely from the internet, even though those services might be slow and tedious. Students usually get discounts, and prices are totally manageable, so these costs will constitute only a smaller part of the budget needed for a holiday. Most popular tourist destinations are reachable entirely by public transport, but if you for some reason planned to visit a very obscure part of the country, taking the car is advised. Hitchhiking is also a possibility, but that option carries the risk that it has always carried, and should be utilized accordingly.
If you have already put together a nice plan for a holiday in Hungary, don’t hesitate to start developing it and get to business: places are already full and it’s definitely looking like this is going to be a busy summer. It is advised to start booking and preparing if you haven’t done so already, lest it be too late to get that well-earned relaxation. Have fun!
