Why do I like Budapest so much? 1. it’s a great location. The city is in the North Central part of Hungary and is a short 2 direct flight from Paris, London, Munich and dozens of other cities. The airport is fairly small and accessible even though it’s an international airport and they have a customs location for some VAT refund options. Next is the cost, Budapest as of 2022 is a fairly inexpensive European city, you can get a 5-star hotel for a third of the price of one in Paris or London, and other class hotels are usually about 40% to 50% less and food and drinks are about 25 to 25% less than competing tourist countries. Don’t let the savings deter you the service and quality are amazing and so is the availability. People in Budapest are pretty awesome as well, it isn’t an overly diverse group, but the people are very friendly, readily speak English, and are very kind to tourists. In the main parts of town, it feels very safe and walkable with plenty of food and shopping. Food is another plus here. You will find it all, Italian, French, Hungarian, Arabic, Argentinian, English and International alike. There is also some Indian but we haven’t found anything we love yet, but I’m sure it’s there as well as various types of Asian food. More specifics to come. Lastly, is the culture, which is wonderful as well. Hungary has influences from all over eastern and western Europe since they have been occupied by so many other countries. You’ll feel a sense of Russian influence, French influence, significant Jewish heritage, and some Austrian/German influence. They are surrounded by it all. As of this writing, while Russia is occupying Ukraine, there is minimal impact on Hungary from a safety/day-to-day perspective. Life is normal and there is no reason to think otherwise. Finally since we are in the post-COVID world, Hungary is a conservative country so they didn’t lock down much or give much consideration to masks, etc. In the service industry everyone was masked for the sake of the customer, but for the most part tourists and locals alike did not make.