Post: #1

Budapest Datasheet

I spend approximately 5 months in Budapest last year. I really developed a love for this city. It feels like a mix of the fast-paced living of New York without too much jadedness, and the architecture and history of an old European city.

Daygame
Go between april and june, when the university is open.
There's a nice street between the city center and the university where all the college girls walk by. You can just stand there and have a hot girl pass you by every 20 seconds. It's the best location for daygame I ever encountered.
You don't want to be there after september or before april as the weather can be pretty bad. But during the other months the weather is comfortable and it's a nice way to get to know some girls.
An other good location is the mall near the central station (Nyugati). Although the traffic isn't filled with the super-hot college girls from all over the world - lots of exchange students here - you find more working class girls.
Also just walking around the city will do a lot. Friends of mine had a lot of success approaching girls at night (but they come accross as super friendly).
If you decide to walk around the city center in non-university / tourist areas during the day, realise that the young professional girls you'll talk to have "made it". If they are in Budapest, this means they have something going for them, otherwise it's hard to stay in this city. In one hour I'd number close a circus artist on cruise ships, waterpark manager and an attorney who were similar ages to me. So expect ambitious girls here who have their shit together.

Nightgame
Even though Budapest is a big city, it's nightlife is quite limited compared to other Eastern Europe cities I've been to. Before I dive into specific venues, I want to give you some general info.
Budapest is a town that's attractive for travellers. In the month of august, there are quite a lot of tourists and backpackers. This is good if you like hook-ups, as most of these tourists aren't there to become a nun. This is bad if you don't like British dudes vormiting in front of your favourite picturesque bar, or annoying girls throwing pizza on you because you had the nerve to say hi to them.
If you want to boink different nationalities without leaving a few square kilometers, this is it. In an example week I did the following nationalities: French, Swedish, American and Indian.
If you happen to like Dutch and Belgian girls, the Sziget week is great. You don't go to the festival itself, just hang out in bars before, during and after the week.
Although july isn't as crowded as august, this is when the flow of tourists start and a lot of college kids and young professionals are going out less. My favourite club would lack the Hungarian stuck-up girls I've come to know and love and changed in a revolving door of tourists having a good time.
The general vibe of picking up in the nightlife is less spontaneous then in other cities. Local people here are more reserved in public. Acting up isn't rewarded. You could call it boring or even a bit jaded. Expect a lot of shit-tests from Hungarian girls.
Speaking of making friends, because of all the options in the city there are a lot of expats. Poker players, digital nomads but also washed out American musicians. I've met them all and they are all there to have a good time. Not as much criminals as in SEA. Me likey.
Drugs are available if you are into that sort of thing. i don't have an idea about the laws, but if there are any, I have never seen them reinforced in the clubs I went to:

Instant
I hate this place. I can't stand it. It sucks the soul out of the body of the people who come there. However, it's always open, it's where you have to go after 3 or 4 and I've had quite some fun there party-wise, just because my friends and all the other crazy people go there.
To elaborate a bit: it's a hostel meets club with about 6 rooms with all kinds of music. Meet a mix of locals and tourists. It's where the regulars go, but also attracts a lot of travellers. Want boring girls who want to act slutty for a night? Go here.

Hellobaby
This is my favourite place in Budapest. It's high-end, at least for Budapest standards, but the people are approachable. Fridays has a too young crowd but saturday is a great night because the young professionals (and the occasional expat groups) are there to have fun. It's an open-air club in a very old building. Highly recommended.
Vodka-clubs go for around 3 euros.

Szimpla
Structurally named as one of Europe's best bars, this attracts a mainly tourist crowd. This is where you go for easy tourist pussy. I had my fair share of enjoyable nights there. My friends and me met there to start the night.
Realise that this is a ruin bar, so it's more focussed on conversation then on dancing. If you have that one guy in your group (or if you are that guy) that opens smoothly, just open groups and you are set for the night.
Good on every night of the week.

Otkert
This is where the young, jaded fashionada's go. The club looks good and it has a nice EDM atmosphere but status is very important there. If you can the fashion look off, go here. The girls are not super-hot though. The vibe is good on thursday.

Doboz
This club looks amazing. With a purple dance floor, an open-air area with trees where you can chill out, several lounge bars, this is a club I enjoy mainly because of the way it looks. The club is more friendly then most so approaches are a bit more warm. Heck, I had a few girls open (and close) me there. Quite a few Scandinavians and overall a good atmosphere. Open on friday and saturday.

Other places:
Romkert - Open air bar that has an ESN party on wednesday.
Badgirlz - have heard mainly bad things.
Parties in the bathhouses - if you want to pay 40 bucks to swim in a hot pool filled with used condoms

Players
After a few months I had a great group of friends around me who were doing the same thing I was. A mixed group of expats just having a good time and partying.
However, there are quite a lot of pick-up guys moving to Budapest nowadays. This has to do with several authors doing workshops there. This does something with the reputation of the town and you shouldn't expect that moving there will cause a tsunami of horny women to smack you in the face.

Where to stay
There are plenty of options on AirBnB, but I'd recommend getting an apartment there on a 3-month lease. It's the more economical way to spend your money. For about 1000 USD for 3 months (or 1000 USD for one month on AirBnB), you get a one bed room on walking distance of the bars and clubs. The best options you'll find on Facebook. For bonus points, join a cool house with other guys.
The best part of town is the 5th district, but it's also the most expensive. You can also choose to live in the 6th or the 7th which aren't necessarily further away from the nightlife or the right daygame spots.

How to move around
If you stay in the 5th, everything is atwalking distance. If you are a lazy bastard, trams, metros, Ubers and taxis are abundant and cost next to nothing.

Where to eat
Budapest has great value when it comes to restaurants. I used to have a great place just outside the 5th where'd I eat 1-2 times a day for anything between 6-12 USD. And then we're talking good quality/quantity meals. A friend of mine hired a private chef who'd cook 2 paleo squares a day for less then 50 USD a week.

Gyms
I enjoy lying in a sauna after a workout, so I mainly use Oxygen. Check out the website to see 13 saunas, a hot tub and an awesome looking pool. Life1 is way cheaper, good equipment but lousy vibe. Around the city there are smaller gyms which are nice to do your workout.

What is missing from this sheet? Let me know down below and I'll update it.

Post: #2

Solid sheet. Thanks.

Post: #3

This is a really good datasheet. I was there for a year (left last summer) and it matches up with what I experienced.

Good observation on BP girls who have "made it." Taking it a step further, I noticed that girls born and raised in BP had a harder edge and were a bit more jaded. Over my year there the girls I was able to have the best connections with (more than one night) were those who had grown up in the secondary cities (Gyor, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, etc). I suspect if a Western player went and lived in one of the second tier cities, he'd meet amazing women. He'd just be completely isolated.

Central Budapest is a bit of a showcase city. When you are there you are inside a bubble. Sparkling buildings, nightlife all over the place, restaurants galore. The country is poor and its economy is still in shambles, but if you are spending time within the downtown core (inside the 4/6 tram line or in Buda) and meet people who are living around there, you'd think you're in a country that enjoys Western standards and opportunities. A few times I ventured out to the end stations on the metro lines to explore the outer suburbs. I remember one visit to the 10th district, the tram I rode on was stuck at a platform because some gypsies tried to cram a baby carriage filled with crap through a door and wouldn't let it shut. Even on the Buda side, as soon as you get past the hills (Bikas Park, Kelenfold) it's all terrible apartment blocks.

Do you have any leads on finding those 3 month leases on apartments? I found my apartment on AirBNB. I was paying about $485USD per month (in forints, cash). I've been thinking about going back to Budapest for another stint but it seems like with the spike in tourists, apartments on airBNB have had a huge surge in pricing. People want $700-800 per month now.

Post: #4

Good sheet. Bad Girlz is a place where you have to know people or you definitely wont enjoy it.

Post: #5

(02-05-2016 12:07 AM)Nemausus Wrote:  Do you have any leads on finding those 3 month leases on apartments? I found my apartment on AirBNB. I was paying about $485USD per month (in forints, cash). I've been thinking about going back to Budapest for another stint but it seems like with the spike in tourists, apartments on airBNB have had a huge surge in pricing. People want $700-800 per month now.

I used FB groups. It took me literally 20 minutes to get 3 viewings the same day for apartments in my price range.

You have to negotiate the term down, most landlords ask 1 year (but there are exceptions). You'll pay a little more each month.

I can put you in touch with my landlord when you go there. She has great offerings in the city center. My apartment was literally next to parliament and the donaub in an quiet building with doctors and lawyers. Cost next to nothing :-)

Post: #6

Quote:Central Budapest is a bit of a showcase city. When you are there you are inside a bubble. Sparkling buildings, nightlife all over the place, restaurants galore. The country is poor and its economy is still in shambles, but if you are spending time within the downtown core (inside the 4/6 tram line or in Buda) and meet people who are living around there, you'd think you're in a country that enjoys Western standards and opportunities. A few times I ventured out to the end stations on the metro lines to explore the outer suburbs. I remember one visit to the 10th district, the tram I rode on was stuck at a platform because some gypsies tried to cram a baby carriage filled with crap through a door and wouldn't let it shut. Even on the Buda side, as soon as you get past the hills (Bikas Park, Kelenfold) it's all terrible apartment blocks.

I completely disagree with that.Budapest isn't that much different.

Almost every major city's downtown is a showcase with sparkling buildings,nightlife,restaurants.
Budapest has also some nicer in the outer parts(XVII district fro example),maybe you just not visited them.

The ourskirts,well...I'v been to the US,where i'v seen much worse,places with crumbling buildings,dirty neighbourhoods,pimps all over(LA for instance).
Areas which could give Budapest run for it's money in terms of ugliness.

So,for the record there are a couple american cities which have uglier outskirts than the hungarian capital.
Public transport options i dont even mention...

Overall,Budapest is like any typical westernized city with nicer,with a better looking downtown,and an uglier,not so good looking outer part(with some exceptions).

Post: #7

Fresh into Budapest. Anyone living here want to meet up, drop me a pm. Looking forward to exploring the city!

Post: #8

(02-04-2016 11:10 PM)asdfk Wrote:  Ubers and taxis are abundant and cost next to nothing.

Just a comment on this, Uber is now banned in Budapest, and taxis are not cheap at all, probably the most expensive I have experienced in Central/Eastern Europe. So it's worth paying a bit extra to be in walking distance to the nightlife.

Post: #9

(10-24-2016 12:16 AM)Pornopung Wrote:  

(02-04-2016 11:10 PM)asdfk Wrote:  Ubers and taxis are abundant and cost next to nothing.

Just a comment on this, Uber is now banned in Budapest, and taxis are not cheap at all, probably the most expensive I have experienced in Central/Eastern Europe. So it's worth paying a bit extra to be in walking distance to the nightlife.

I think that largely depends on if you get a gypsy cab or a legit taxi. A proper taxi with a legit meter will be quite cheap. A 40min drive from the airport to the Jewish Quarter is only about 20eur. Any smaller distances around the city are obviously a lot cheaper.

A gypsy/not legit cab, which a lot of tourists get screwed by, will be Western European prices or worse, though. Thats how people end up paying 15eur for only going a few km.

There's so much accommodation close to Budapest's nightlife though I do agree its worth just staying within walking distance if you can.

Post: #10

I've been living here for 2 months. Not much has changed. The descriptions are pretty accurate. However, Otkert(younger girls) and Bob (older girls) have the best talent in the city in my opinion. Szimpla is good for touristy chicks. Instant sucks.

I went to Hellobaby once and didn't like it.

As for the taxi, I wouldn't say it's cheap in terms of prices in Budapest. I remember a 15 min walk distance cost me 2000 something forints(8USD). But watch out for the gypsy cab. I have heard stories of tourists got scammed here.

Post: #11

(10-24-2016 06:15 AM)zatara Wrote:  I think that largely depends on if you get a gypsy cab or a legit taxi. A proper taxi with a legit meter will be quite cheap. A 40min drive from the airport to the Jewish Quarter is only about 20eur. Any smaller distances around the city are obviously a lot cheaper.

A gypsy/not legit cab, which a lot of tourists get screwed by, will be Western European prices or worse, though. Thats how people end up paying 15eur for only going a few km.

There's so much accommodation close to Budapest's nightlife though I do agree its worth just staying within walking distance if you can.

I'm talking legit cabs. They all have the same rates, I couldn't find any budget option. They are quite cheap by western standards, but compare to e.g. Bucharest, where cost of living is maybe 20% lower in general, taxis are 3-4x more expensive. Compared to Warsaw, with almost the same COL according to Numbeo.com average taxi price is around half of Budapest (and there are cheap companies almost at Bucharest level).

It smells like some kind of a cartel, I've heard it's cheaper in smaller Hungarian cities, whereas in Romania and Poland the capitals are cheaper with fierce competition.

Post: #12

+1 for Szimplica.

Easy to meet tourists looking to bang.

Post: #13

A couple clubs missing from the list:

Corvin - they play underground techno music and get some big names. The place has a rooftop deck for smoking. If you go on a night with a big DJ you'll see lots of extremely sexy girls. If you're not into techno music I'd avoid this scene, but if you are (like I am), then the hottest girls you'll find anywhere (which applies universally) are found in these sorts of venues. Lots of people on drugs.

Akvarium - same as above. This place is that it's divided up into several clubs (each with different cover charges I think). The techno room gets some big names in the underground scene. What I like about this place is the central area between the clubs. There's a bar and couches. This and the outside smoking area makes it easy to talk to people if you need a break from loud music.

Aether - Has an outside smoking deck with lots of hot girls. Upstairs plays shitty music but there are a couple bars and it's conducive to meeting people. Downstairs is loud, dark and plays techno music.

Post: #14

+1 for Szimplica ruin bar.

Definitely worth a visit.

Post: #15

Any guys here still kicking it here in Budapest? I'll be here for 3-4 months.

Post: #16

Did anyone ever rent an apt at 5th district? I'm thinking to go there for a month. What's the roughly estimate? I really prefer small studio as I won't stay much at the apt.

Post: #17

(11-12-2017 08:36 AM)Rossi Wrote:  Did anyone ever rent an apt at 5th district? I'm thinking to go there for a month. What's the roughly estimate? I really prefer small studio as I won't stay much at the apt.

That probably wouldn't be a good idea at all... Flats are cheap this time of the year you'd be better off sticking with the center with decent logistics

Post: #18

The 5th is as center as it gets, iirc. No?

Post: #19

Shit for some reason I read 8th wow, glad I didn't. Yes 5th 6th very center where you want to be this time of year is extremely cheap, just go on Airbnb and make an offer shouldn't be too hard to find good deals there are also other short term leasing sites.

Post: #20

Doboz is a great club to check out in Budapest as well. There's an open area where you can easily chat up girls without loud music blasting in your face.

Post: #21

Nothing is better thank BoB on a Wednesday night.... it's the place where dreams come true. And as much as everyone hates it Instant can make miracles happen

Post: #22

(11-12-2017 09:19 AM)ElJefe1 Wrote:  That probably wouldn't be a good idea at all... Flats are cheap this time of the year you'd be better off sticking with the center with decent logistics

Where should I look? I don't like taking taxi's or transportation much. I like walking a lot and I want to be in the very center. Get some girls from bars/club, walk home and bang.

Post: #23

The fifth district or the area to the right (where the old Instant was). The fifth is great for walking around and the area east has the nightlife you’re looking for.

Post: #24

(11-13-2017 05:33 AM)ElJefe1 Wrote:  Nothing is better thank BoB on a Wednesday night.... it's the place where dreams come true. And as much as everyone hates it Instant can make miracles happen

and sometimes, next morning nightmares

Post: #25

Agree with my man El Jefe, 5th and 6th district is where its at.
ill add a few things but im lazy soo will keep it short
BoB on wednesdays.
4BRO is o.k.
Szimpla - Most the times I went there, I left within 5 minutes. Also the bathroom smell is probably the worst smell I've ever encountered.
Instant - It's a place most people don't like, but still go there cause it's open late and you can pull.