The train from Munich to Budapest, by way of Salzburg and Vienna, only takes 6 hours. It’s a really nice way of seeing some of Central Europe’s grandeur, and enjoying the foothills of the Alps at the same time. I would’ve loved to check out Salzburg and Vienna too, but I simply couldn’t fit it all into my schedule.

Despite the Soviets having done their best to concrete-ify it, and the dilapidation that not having quite enough money brings with it, Budapest still clearly shows that it was once the co-capital of one of Europe’s great empires. The parliament building is stunning, located right on the riverside. The city had its greatest time of wealth between the 1860’s and the first World War, so it’s no great surprise to see many art nouveau / jugendstil buildings in the streets.

Budapest is not only full of monumental buildings, it also has really good food, fun little shops, and great places to go out. I was there 9 years earlier, in 2007, and back then, the nightlife was still a bit stereotypical eastern European; pounding electronic dance music with lots of sleazy girls and boys about. That has changed completely, and Budapest is now a favourite party destination for both western and eastern Europeans; it is full of quirky bars and clubs, and I really enjoyed my time there. Unfortunately, time constraints only allowed me to stay there for 2 days, so I made my way to the monumental train station, and got on the night train to Bucharest, Romania.