Viking Idun Review - (long)

[Cary Cruiser]

Cary: So sorry for all the questions but you are so knowledgeable and willing to answer my questions.

Should we exchange money into HUF or Euros? How did you pay for the paprika in the Christmas markets. A BIG HUG AND THANKS!!!!! iris

 

Iris - Many vendors/stores accepted Euros, but the best prices were if you used HUF. When we asked about using a credit card, some places offered us a 10% discount if we paid in HUF. So that became sort of a game - ask about paying by CC, get offered the discount, then whip out the forints and pay. And if they didn't offer the cash discount we asked if there was a cash discount.

 

Hope you have a really wonderful time on your cruise.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Cary Cruiser

[irismike]

Carry: Thank you so much!!!!! Iris

[irismike]

Carry: Thanks for all the helpful info. Can you walk to the Parliament from the Hilton and can you do tours in the afternoon. We don't get into Budapest until 2:00 PM, doing a tour and won't finish until 2:30. Would hate to miss the Parliament. Thinking of doing a Jewish Quarter tour on Sunday before we board the river cruise. Take care. Happy Thanksgiving. Iris

[Cary Cruiser]

Carry: Thanks for all the helpful info. Can you walk to the Parliament from the Hilton and can you do tours in the afternoon. We don't get into Budapest until 2:00 PM, doing a tour and won't finish until 2:30. Would hate to miss the Parliament. Thinking of doing a Jewish Quarter tour on Sunday before we board the river cruise. Take care. Happy Thanksgiving. Iris

 

Iris - the Parliament would be a long walk from the Hilton. You will be able to see it very well from the hotel, but would be a long walk.

 

If you arrive in Budapest at 2pm, by the time you get to the hotel and check in, you won't have much time to do anything that day. Also, if you are like most people you will be exhausted from the flight and confused by the time zone difference.

 

I have heard that the Parliament tour is worthwhile. We did not get to do it. You can only do so much with the time you have. Sunday would be a good day for the Dohany Street Synagogue. I'm not sure what other Jewish sites there are besides that.

 

Here is a link to the synagogue website:

 

http://www.dohanystreetsynagogue.hu/

[irismike]

Carry. Once again a big thank you I really appreciate all your input happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Iris

[irismike]

Carry: I really wanted to see you but now I have a private tour on Friday 12-13, arriving around 2:00 PM, Saturday we are doing a private tour until 1:30 or 2:30 and Sunday, 12-15 we are going on the River cruise. I think I read they are closed on Monday's. Do you think you can walk to the Parliament from the Viking Ship? I believe you said we can walk to the Christmas markets from the ship. Once again, a big THANK YOU.!!!! Iris

[Cary Cruiser]

Carry: I really wanted to see you but now I have a private tour on Friday 12-13, arriving around 2:00 PM, Saturday we are doing a private tour until 1:30 or 2:30 and Sunday, 12-15 we are going on the River cruise. I think I read they are closed on Monday's. Do you think you can walk to the Parliament from the Viking Ship? I believe you said we can walk to the Christmas markets from the ship. Once again, a big THANK YOU.!!!! Iris

 

Iris, Sorry - I don' know anything about the Christmas Markets. The walk from the ship to the Parliament is fairly short along the river and you will go by the Shoe Memorial at the river's edge.

[irismike]

Cary: Me again. Do the men wear dungarees during the day? What is the dress code for the day and night. Thanks. Iris

[Cary Cruiser]

Cary: Me again. Do the men wear dungarees during the day? What is the dress code for the day and night. Thanks. Iris

 

Hello Iris - Jeans were acceptable day and night for both men and women. In general, dress is very casual. Some of the women, including my wife, dressed up a little bit, sometimes for dinner, but again it was mostly casual for everyone, all the time. If you like getting dressed up for dinner - do it.

 

On the Captain's dinner night and at the Farewell dinner, I changed from the jeans I was wearing during the day to a pair of black cargo pants. Not exactly real dressy, but a step up from denim.

[Jgg630]

Great to read your review. We are on Viking Bragi leaving December 1, 2013 going the opposite direction of your cruise. This is my 2nd Viking cruise having done Basel to Amsterdam Christmas Markets last year. I am bring 3 friends with me this time. Any tips on must sees would be appreciated.

[noe4laj]

Not all of the bus tours in Budapest with Viking stop at Heroes Square. They drove us around it twice and kept right on driving. We didn't get off the bus until we got to Fisherman's Bastion. I wish we had done Budapest on our own instead of being bussed around. We were on the wrong side of the bus for 90% of the sights so didn't even SEE them. The one thing we saw in abundance? Bathrooms. The guide was constantly pointing them out to us.

 

L

 

The Viking tour of Budapest is mostly a bus tour. We got off the bus at Heroes Square, Mathias Church (where we went inside) and had some free time at Fisherman's Bastion adjacent to Mathias Church (and the Hilton).

 

Our cruise ended in Budapest. On the last day on the ship we had the bus tour in the morning and I believe they offered an optional Jewish Sights tour in the afternoon. We opted to take a walk down the Vaci Utca to the Central Market instead. If you are starting in Budapest you might want to contact Viking and see if this optional tour is offered on your cruise. I regret having missed the Great Synagogue, but there is only so much you can do in a few days and there is much to see in that city.

 

There is a bus just a couple of blocks from the Hilton that goes to the Pest side . The Viking Rep at the Hotel can give you info about it.

[noe4laj]

You may want to check in advance on the Jewish Quarter option in Budapest. They cancelled that as an option when we were on our Viking Cruise and replaced it with a horseback show (didn't attend).