As a family of four, I have done quite a deal of research as to which destination, could be our next travel. And Budapest just sounds nice for several reasons. Here is what I found.
Is Budapest Child Friendly? Budapest is not dangerous. Just like any European city. The worst you can encounter is pick-pockets and scammers, that work large public areas. Strict gun laws in Europe and the generally welcoming attitude makes Budapest a great travel destination for families with kids.
Read on, as we take you through some of the children-friendly highlights we found in Budapest. Maybe this will Budapest your next family vacation destination.
5 Facts to Spot If Budapest is Child Friendly
When you considering a new destination with your family, you want sure would want to know how child-friendly the destination is, but let us also explore, what makes a city or destination child-friendly.
In my research for creating this traveling website, I’ve come across quite a lot of blogs and other travel-related websites, the vast majority would categorize child friendly by the following categories.
#1 Easy Transportation, and Infrastructure in Budapest
When you research for a location to travel to with your children, one of the things that comes in mind, is the public transportation, and getting from a to z easily.
Hungary is, like Denmark, a heavy taxed country, and some of the money goes to great infrastructure and getting around easier.
Budapest is the main capital of Hungary, which makes it likely to have some of the best infrastructure of the entire country.
NOTE: When writing this article, there is a law that gives free passes to all transportation for kids under the age of 7, but if you are reading this years from the date I have written it, or are in any doubt, you should maybe research this, if this is still true.
I imagine, from looking at how our own politicians debate all the time, that this would be something to cut, if they needed to save on public spending.
And as for getting around with a pram, or a stroller, it should be very easy. The roads are great and people will move out of the way to give you and your children some room. At least the locals will. Remember there is more than 25 million tourists in Budapest each year.
#2 Fun Stuff to Do for the Kids in Budapest
If you want to go for a city holiday with your kids, it seems that the collective online blogger society thinks, that Budapest would be the city to choose, why? Because the inner city are literally supposed to be filled with great playgrounds.
Not horrible old, worn down rusty metal and questionable playgrounds like in Bulgaria, no. Fully fenced great fun, and great quality.
Why is playgrounds a great thing, in big cities when traveling with kids? Simply, because walking around and looking at castles or beautiful city architecture is made possible with child-friendly distractions for the little ones.
If the weather allows it, about a half an hour away from Budapest you will find Aquarena, the biggest water park in Hungary. And about 20 minutes away, there is something called Challengeland, an adventure, wall-climbing and zip-lining park for bigger kids.
Indoor activities would include Miniversium, Minihotel, And for the bigger kids and teenagers you could look up, Center for Scientific Wonder. One indoor activity to mention would also be the Budapest great Circus, which should be one of the only permanent circuses in the world.
Budapest should be filled will a lot of fun activities for the kids.
#3 The People Are Accepting of Kids and Love Them
The Hungarians have made efforts to get locals to have more kids, and everything in Hungary is about kids. They have one of the longest paid maternity leave in the world and would pay families a grant of what would equal to a year’s average salary if you pledge to have at least 3 children.
Also with the free public transportation, and cities designed with playgrounds all over, you will discover that it is not only a matter of people, but it is a political issue, to take care of every child.
Of what I am reading about the Hungarian people, it sure seems like traveling to Budapest with kids, will give you an advantage over tourist who actually does not bring kids.
People will move out the way, and they’ll give up their seat for your kids.
#4 Eating and Accommodation
Comparing Hungary to Denmark, where we come from, everything would seem cheaper for our family, but even the American bloggers describe Hungary as being quite cheap, with examples of ice cream cones for less than a dollar.
Read more: Is Denmark Expensive?
As for accommodation, you’ll just like any other place, get what you pay for, but visiting Budapest with kids, would be cheaper compared to Paris, London or Madrid, not only for accommodation but also for eating out.
Eating out should also be easy with kids, in Budapest, most menus will be displayed in English, and you’ll find some easy dishes most places, that even the pickiest children would happily consume.
#5 Safe and Sound in Budapest
From the Crime and Safety statistics of numbeo, to bloggers and travel-related websites. Budapest is described as a perfectly safe city.
Considering some of the stuff you’ll need to learn, to know if a destination is child-friendly, then safety would be one of them.
Comparing the crime statistics of Budapest to Phuket, Thailand would make Budapest look like a pink happy-zone playground, and make Phuket look like a dangerous destination, statistics is not all, but they tell some of the stories.
Europe is generally quite safe for families, I would not be afraid one second, to visit Budapest.
I definitely think that Budapest deserves a spot on our family list for at short extended weekend or 1-week holiday.
When Is the Best Month to Visit Budapest?
Budapest is not a hot country, no, you could argue it is a cold country, by the statistics, it looks colder than here in Denmark.
If I were to visit Budapest, it would be high summer, from late May to early September. By the looks of it, it is also a quite rainy country, so the weather really would feel like home, for us.
When we travel, we often go for a nicer and warmer climate than in Denmark. But sometimes it can be too much, if you are looking for something other than beaches and hot air, Budapest might be the destination for you.
I would consider Budapest a great children friendly destination, because of the more mild weather, as a kid, I could not stand the heat. So if you like a destination where there is also some beauty and history and a more mild climate, Budapest is for you.
Month | Celcius | Fahrenheit |
---|---|---|
January | -4 to 1 | 25 – 34 |
February | -2 to 5 | 29 – 40 |
March | 2 – 10 | 35 – 50 |
April | 6 – 16 | 43 – 61 |
May | 11 – 21 | 52 – 70 |
June | 14 – 24 | 57 – 76 |
July | 15 – 27 | 60 – 79 |
August | 15 – 26 | 59 – 79 |
September | 12 – 22 | 53 – 72 |
October | 7 – 16 | 44 – 61 |
November | 2 – 8 | 39 – 46 |
December | -2 to 3 | 28 – 38 |
Source: https://travel.usnews.com/Budapest_Hungary/When_To_Visit/
Is Budapest Dangerous for Tourists?
By looking at the statistics of crime, muggins, and safety that I always check online before researching travel locations, Budapest and Hungary are, like any other European country, a pretty safe destination for travelers.
The crime rates might be a bit higher than in Denmark, where we come from, but much, much, very much lower than in Thailand for example.
According to the Daily News Hungary, there is about 28 million, and closing in on 30 million tourists visiting the city each year, which makes Budapest amongst the most growing tourist destinations in Europe.
As the story is everywhere, the locals residing in Budapest have a love-hate relationship with the vast amount of tourists. They hate it, because they crowd the city and drive up the prices on everything, but they also love it, because the economy thrives on it, and it creates jobs.
My conclusions for reading the reports online and experiences from travel related websites and forums is, that Budapest is a very safe city to visit, and I wouldn’t think twice about bringing my kids.
Related Questions
Do they speak english in Budapest?
English is not the first language of Hungarians in Budapest, but you can get around easily in the capital city of Budapest with English. Most menu, signs, and transportations are also translated into English to make it easier for travelers and tourist to get around easily.
What is Budapest famous for?
- Royal Palace, Ruins, and Castles
- Painted Eggs & Hungarian Porcelain
- Goulash soup and heavy paprika foods
- Adrássay Avenue to Heroes Square
- Budapest Opera House and Museum of Fine Arts
- The Parliament Building
- Gellért Baths
Is it safe to drink the water in Budapest?
As with most water on destinations, the local drinks it very safely, but the longer you travel the more different bacteria you are used to. You should be fine drinking the water, especially if you are from a country that resides very near Budapest.
TIP: As a rule of thumb, it’s a good practice to drink bottled water when traveling.
…