Bumping our way down a dusty track alongside the Danube River, we briefly wondered if we’d made a mistake. Budapest lit up beautifully in the lowering sun, and the orange rays glimmered on the surface of the water. Everyone around us was lapping up the views, and so were we… but we were also navigating a pushchair around jagged rocks and trying to steer around crater-potholes. Dust kicked up around us and though Pebble looked content enough in her seat, I gripped the handles of the pram desperately. Budapest with a baby mightn’t be as simple as I’d thought!
Then the path sort of ended, and we had to navigate back up to street level. And the only way up? A series of rather steep steps!
We burst out laughing. Before us were about five pram and pushchairs, all with parents doing exactly as we were – preparing to lift the pram between us up the flights of stairs.
Everyone gathered around, helping each other get their children safely up to the street above.
First thoughts:
This moment, seemingly small, made me realise something. Sure, the path may have been unpaved and bumpy, and not everywhere has pushchairs and prams in mind. There might be countless flights of stairs to navigate. But we were by far NOT the only parents there. And no matter how inconvenient it may be, there will always be ways around things.
This happened a few hours after arriving in Budapest, and I’m so glad it did. Travelling with our baby for the first time was an adventure, but we are not the first, and will not be the last to do this trip! There will always be people will to lend a hand. Ben, Pebble and I had the best time in Budapest, and we want you to feel the same!
Being new parents is a vastly different experience to travelling solo or as a couple! We booked our trip not knowing really what to expect, but knew that we didn’t want having a baby to stop us from going places we wanted to see. If you’re in a similar boat, read on for our experience of travelling to Budapest with a baby, complete with some hints and tips on how to make your city break work for all of you.
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Contents:
(click on the title to be taken to the relevant section!)
- Getting there
- Arriving in Budapest
- Getting around
- Stroller-friendly Budapest?
- Seeing the sites and sights!
- Restaurants
- Must-try foods!
Getting there:
Obviously the easiest way to get anywhere nowadays is via a flight. Our flight was booked with Wizz Air, with whom neither of us had any experience, but were cheapest by far to fly with! The flight was the part I was dreading the most. I’m a whizz (ahem ahem!) in the airport – I wear leggings and a dress with no jewellery, I pack my liquids in the top of my bag with any electronics, and I always go through without a hitch.
Even with a baby, this didn’t phase me. One perk of having a young one is the priority status – you will be ushered through to shorter queues, you’ll have priority boarding on the flight, and you won’t be glanced at if one of your bags is a bit big to go under the seat! We were lucky in that Pebble was hungry and sleepy, so right before take-off I started feeding her… and she went right to sleep for the entire journey! She was honestly a dream!
Things to note:
- Small airlines often make you pay for baggage other than a small bag you can shove under the seat. However…
- …your infant, even a lap infant, gets their own bag. Ours was kind of bulky, as we packed her box of milk formula in it with her clothes, but it went in the overhead bin and nobody said a word to us (obviously this was our personal experience, I CANNOT speak for all airlines, even Wizz Air).
- You will be given an infant seat belt and they will show you how to put it on you and your baby.
- Don’t worry about the people around you. We found that, contrary to popular belief, most people are friendly, helpful, and very forgiving when it comes to young children!
Tips for flying to Budapest with a baby:
Note: Pebble was 4.5 months old at this point!
- Prepare feed for the plane. We fed Pebble before going in through Security in the airport. Then once through we played with her and entertained her until boarding. She then had lots of fun chatting to people around us before I settled her down to feed right before take-off. This kept her ears from popping and allowed her to be calm. She then slept the whole flight. Obviously babies don’t always follow your pre-determined schedule (we failed on the way home and she screamed!), but it’s worth trying. Also bring a dummy/pacifier to help with the ears too, if your baby uses one (ours does not).
- Bring some favourite toys/comforters. Pebble was only just really learning to enjoy toys at this point. I recommend a few soft, crinkly books to shove in a bag. She also had her favourite Pooh Bear comforter, and a teething accessory for onboard.
- Bring a foldable stroller that folds into one piece. We went to the check-in desk, had a sticker attached to it, and then kept it right until we were boarding. We then left the stroller by the entrance to the plane, and got it back at Baggage Claim the other side.
If you want the perfect book recommendation for the flight, take a look at my review on Katalin Street here!
Arriving in Budapest with a baby:
Arriving at midday, we were ushered through customs in the family-friendly line. We were straight through (after Pebble received her first passport stamp – so proud!), collected our stroller at a Lost and Found desk by Baggage Claim (it gets taken there, so don’t be alarmed), and then out into the sunshine we went!
There are multiple ways of reaching the city, but we took Bus 100E, which takes you straight from the airport to the city centre for only 2200 HUF. It’s right outside the airport exit, and you can buy your ticket on a little machine by the bus bays. With Pebble, this was the best option (and cheapest!) as we did not bring her bulky carseat with us.
After checking into our hotel and having a little break which included playing with Pebble and feeding her, we were able to head back out for an entire afternoon of exploring. This was perfect for us, just seeing what was around, strolling down the river bank, and getting our bearings on this new city.
First impressions?
We were instantly enamoured with Budapest! Such a pretty, bustling, vibrant place, with clean, tree-lined streets, wide pavements, and beautiful architecture. There was always something to awe at, and the people we came across were all lovely. When Ben, Pebble and I stood on the bank of the Danube River, with the low sun perfectly framing Buda Castle on the hill in front of us, and the glimmering water reflecting the rays, we just knew that this city was a new favourite of ours.
Getting around Budapest:
Budapest is super easy to navigate, especially because the Danube River is a central point in the city and easily separates it into two halves. Not only this, but there is SO MUCH public transport, and many options depending on what you prefer!
Most people’s preference would be the tram, for it’s picture-perfect quaintness and ease of use. You simply hop on and off! Then there’s the metro system, which is perfect for hopping from Pest to Buda and back again. The buses are also absolutely everywhere, though of course you need to know the name of your stop and when to get off (just ask the driver to let you know if you’re unsure).
Definitely check out the Budapest Card passes here that you can get from tourist hubs around the city. You can get multiple different passes for various lengths of time, and they get you discounts or even free rides on public transport and to various sightseeing places!
Getting around Budapest with a baby:
We opted to go without the Budapest cards, because, as anyone with a baby will understand, travel with little ones is unpredictable. We saw no point in spending money on a card when we might not get around to many attractions, and we certainly didn’t use any public transport – trams and metro are not particularly easy to access with a pram, and we like to walk anyway. However, if it was just Ben and me visiting the city, I would definitely opt for the cards as they are a great way to save some pennies! If you are going to Budapest with a baby, I would still consider the card, depending on what you want from your trip!
Stroller-friendly Budapest?
So, the downside of travelling with our smaller travel stroller and not our pram? No suspension. Whilst Pebble enjoyed facing forward and soaking in the sights, she also had a rather bouncy experience around the streets of Budapest! The city is beautifully paved, with tree-lined pavements and nice flat tiled surfaces. However, especially on the Buda side of the river, there are a lot of bumpier streets, a lot of stairs, a lot of steep hills and some bits that are just completely unpaved (I’m looking at you, oh lovely River Path!). I’m amazed she was able to sleep at all whilst out and about. Although saying this, I guess those unpaved streets were often better than the pavements around our home here in Wales…
Tips with a baby:
- Attach toys to the stroller to keep Baby entertained during your sight-seeing days.
- Be aware that you may reach a street that you can’t take a stroller down very easily. In this case, you may need to search for alternative routes. We really got our step count in one day when in Buda, looking for streets we could actually stroll down!
- If you don’t already have a travel stroller, maybe invest in one with suspension!
Seeing the sites and sights!
Be aware that Budapest is an old city. A lot of the sites are not built with wheelchair or pram access in mind! Many of them have lifts installed now, but others do not. Research first, or ask at ticket offices, as they are always ready to help. Even so, you may find yourself having to lift the pram up a few unexpected flights of stairs! Buda Castle was FULL of stairs, and we were glad to have packed the baby carrier!
For more information about all the fabulous sights and sites to see in this city, head on over to our perfect 3 day itinerary!
Also, toilets. Just note that not many toilets, especially in Buda, have changing facilities. To combat this, we packed a thin, foldable changing mat that stays in the bottom of the pram. If we needed to change Pebble, we took her to a quiet area, I would slip the mat underneath her in the stroller, Ben would hold a blanket up around us, and I would quickly change her. Easy peasy (and probably cleaner than most toilets!). It might require extra planning, but seeing the sites of Budapest is perfectly possible, and fun, with a baby!
Tips with a baby:
- Pack a baby carrier! It really did help us see more places we might otherwise have skipped.
- Prepare to leave the pram in random places. At the Fisherman’s Bastion we left it at the bottom of the entry steps. In Buda Castle we left it in a very open cloakroom area. Just don’t leave any valuables in there!
- Pack a travel changing mat! It was absolutely life-saving for us!
- Bring extra bibs, cloths and milk (if bottle-fed), and a change of clothes. Pack a hat too.
Restaurants:
We didn’t find this an issue with Pebble. Ben and I like to eat at small local places as opposed to more expensive touristy ones. Never do we feel like we’re missing out doing this – we skipped the big price tags and that was it! We found an adorable little pub-like place that served the most delicious goulash and fresh bread for a fraction of the price at the restaurants on the touristy streets. Another place we randomly found served tasty langosh. We found a favourite coffee and pastry place that stocked oat milk. In all of these places, we asked first about our stroller, and they were all happy to help us find seats with room for Pebble. Other times we chose to eat outside because the weather was nice!
Tips on restaurants in Budapest with a baby:
- It’s always polite to enquire first about space for a stroller. Some restaurants and cafes are small and might not have room, though everybody we met was more than willing to accommodate.
- Time your restaurant trips well. We tried to go either when Pebble was napping in her pram, or just woken up. We accidentally went for langosh after she had been up for a while and she got tired and grouchy! Ben went up to the counter and explained that our daughter was getting grumpy. He laughed and happily boxed it all up for us. We had a very pleasant evening in the hotel then!
- Prepare for the occasional McDonalds…! We love food. Ben and I adore new restaurants and tasty new foods, but with a baby it isn’t always on the cards. One evening Pebble was wiped out and we decided to leave her nap in her crib. Ben went out and returned to the hotel with some Big Macs and fries! Eating out with a baby in Budapest is more than possible though!
Must-try foods in Budapest!
Some places are just KNOWN for the delicious foods, and Budapest has some of the best dishes we’ve tried! As big foodie people, we love trying all the new foods! I found a lot of the food to be rich with homely flavours, warming foods that are perfect for chilly autumn evenings.
Goulash:
This is a national dish of Hungary eaten across Central Europe and ohhhhh it’s a perfect winter-warmer! Try a small place, somewhere the locals go, and you’re bound to find the best goulash on offer. A thick soup or stew loaded with vegetables and the most delicious chunks of beef, this dish is served with fresh bread and will hit the spot no matter the time of year.
Lรกngos:
A traditional Hungarian flatbread, it’s a thick dough that’s fried into a flatbread, and topped with sour cream and basically anything you can think of. Chicken, hams, and sausage are common, always with a healthy sprinkle of cheese on top! I tried a delicious paprika chicken with sour cream and cheese and it was absolutely lovely, and Ben had a chicken and cheese special!
Chimney cake (Kรผrtลskalรกcs):
Wow, is all I need to say about this. A sweet dough smothered in butter and crystalled with sugar, rolled into a hollow, cylindrical chimney shape, this Hungarian pastry is served at all the local bakeries, and specific chimney cake shops! You can pick the flavour of the dough itself (we both went plain because we wanted to taste the original), a topping (Ben went none, I went with Nutella. It is smeared around the rim of the chimney), and an ice cream filling. It was honestly scrumptious. Perhaps a bit too much for me, but absolutely delightful all the same!
Overall thoughts on going to Budapest with a baby:
So, as you can hopefully see from this post, we had the best time in this city! Taking Pebble abroad for the first time was always going to be nerve wracking, but honestly, she only added to our joy of being there. Budapest is the perfect place to go with a baby, and makes for an excellent first trip away from home. If you have any questions that aren’t covered in this post, please do let us know below!
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Have you travelled to Budapest with a baby? What tips would you add?
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