Embarking on river cruise number 2. This time going to the north part of the Danube. Last cruise I ended in Budapest, this time I start there.
Our hotel, Novotel, is perfect. Right on the Danube, Buda side and facing the Parliment building. Quite beautiful views. Food is good too. Room is very nice, basic, has everything we need. This hotel was very well priced for its perfect location and amenities.
First day, after traveling overnight, transferring in Amsterdam at 5:30am, and arriving in Budapest at 10:30, was great! We were tired. One thing I will pay attention to in the future is the departure time from the US. Going to Europe only takes 6-7 hours, depending on your first destination and leaving at 5:00pm you really get no sleep time on the plane and arrive at midnight EST. A good way to mess up your body’s clock.
Budapest is divided into 2 sides with the Danube running in between. They merged in 1873. The first bridge to connect the 2 sides was built in 1849, each side of the river developing its own personality over many centuries and even today they are still very diversely different. The Szechenyi Chain Bridge,