Budapest Student Guide: 10 reasons to choose Budapest for your study abroad

Prestigious universities

Budapest has a number of prestigious universities, each with a long and proud heritage, including Semmelweis, ELTE, BME, BGE and Corvinus. Nobel Prize-winning scientists, famous writers and leading economists all studied here.


Other institutions specialise in specific fields. Depending on yours, you should find a bachelor’s or master’s course offered by one of them in English – or at least the opportunity to attend for one semester as an Erasmus student. ESSCA is a French management school based in Budapest whose bachelor’s programme is carried out in English. We will introduce the city's universities in more detail later in our Budapest Student Guide series.

While you may not understand a word of Hungarian (don’t worry, we will help you with the basics in another article!), locals won’t expect you to speak it. English is the go-to language among local and international students.

Location & travel

Budapest is perfectly situated in the heart of Central-Eastern Europe, and well-served by budget airlines. This means you should be able to arrive here from most points in Europe quickly and relatively cheaply, and there are also direct flights from North America, China and the Gulf – although Hungary has no national airline.

Once you’re here, you can discover nearby destinations easily, such as Vienna, Prague, Poland, Croatia and Slovenia. Erasmus Life Budapest organises trips to many of them. To travel independently, you can find good deals with FlixBus and Hungarian train company MÁV.

While you’re here, you can explore the Hungarian wine regions of Etyek and Eger, the picturesque towns of Esztergom, Szentendre and Visegrád, as well as Lake Balaton, Lake Bokod Floating Village, Lillafüred, Miskolctapolca and its Cave Bath. Check out the latest excursions at ELB’s events page.

Safety

Budapest is one of the safest capitals in Europe with low rates of street crime. The main central districts, where international students usually live and go out, are not intimidating, although you should always be sensible.


Given the relatively small size of the city centre, it’s probably a good idea if you arrange your accommodation in the more central neighbourhoods of Budapest. See our tips on finding student accommodation in the first part of our Budapest Student Guide. Many bars and restaurants open late, night buses and tram 6 go through until morning, overseen by transport security, the streets by police and district security.

Public transport

Run by BKK, Budapest transport is extensive, reliable and affordable. Four metro lines, bus, tram and trolleybus routes, cover the whole city and wherever you are, you’re close to a stop or station. Trams 4/6 serve the main artery of Pest, the Nagykörút, every few minutes, and the number 6 runs all night.


Download Budapest Go onto your phone for tickets, passes and information, there are machines at main stops and BKK offices at major stations. For students, an unlimited monthly pass is 3,200 forints/€8. A ticket for the airport transfer bus 100E is 1,500 forints/€4.

Cycle-sharing service Bubi bike is also a convenient and cheap option to get around in the city. Taxis are plentiful and cost 400 forints/km, 100 forints/minute, plus a flat fee of 1,000 forints. We’ll be dealing with all aspects of getting around the city in a later section of the Budapest Student Guide.

Affordability

The Hungarian currency is the forint, usually abbreviated to HUF or Ft. Given the recent changes in the exchange rate, €1 is now worth 400 forints, compared with 350 six months ago, so even with inflation, Budapest remains pretty affordable.

Monthly rent for a private room should be around  €350-€400 (see our article on how to find accommodation), for students, public transport is €8/month and a gym can cost as little as €17/month thanks to a 20% discount through Erasmus Life Budapest.


Supermarkets are pretty much the same as Western prices, with far fewer discounts, although street food is cheaper and a main dish in an average restaurant is around €5-€8. (See below Food & drink.)

A large glass of beer at an average bar is €2, cheaper for a domestic brand.  Student entertainment is cheap. Erasmus Life Budapest arranges free parties every week, themed club nights at €4-€8 and boat parties for around €15.

Food & drink

Carnivores will love coming to Hungary as the cuisine is heavy and meat-based, although there are many vegetarian and vegan options around Budapest. International restaurants abound. Local fruit and vegetables are top-quality and equally abundant, with farmer’s markets regularly set up around the city and regular produce markets in most districts.

You can also take advantage of the Erasmus Card by ELB that gives you 1,500-forint coupon for the Wolt food delivery app.

Coffee is generally excellent, with new-wave cafés all over town. Local craft beer has been another trend. Hungary is well known for its wine culture and ELB hosts wine & cheese tasting events held by sommeliers so you can find out more. In summer, everyone drinks spritzers (fröccs), white wine and soda. The main domestic spirit, pálinka, is a traditional brandy distilled from all kinds of fruit, with quality brands selling upscale versions.

We’ll be dealing with food and drink in more detail in a later article in our Budapest Student Guide series.

Thermal waters

Hungary is rich in natural thermal waters, and Budapest is a spa capital. The most famous baths, the ornate Széchenyi, hosts regular Sparty pool parties and the Rudas is worth a mention for its panoramic jacuzzi. Spas aren’t cheap but you can usually find discounted prices for entry towards the end of the day.


Perhaps the most unique baths in Hungary in Miskolctapolca, where you can bathe in a natural cave system all year long – Erasmus Life Budapest organises day trips there.

Sights & architecture

Budapest comprises Buda and Pest on facing sides of the Danube, providing Europe with one of its most stunning cityscapes. Look over from the Pest embankment and you see Buda Castle, Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Look down from the top of Castle or Gellért Hill and you can admire Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica and the other landmarks of Pest. Parks such as Margaret Island and Városliget are spacious green areas for recreation, while the Buda hills provide great hiking and cycling routes.


You can also join the Free Walking Tour offered by Erasmus Life Budapest at the beginning of each semester to explore the city together with other students newly arrived in Hungary.

International community

Thousands of international students come to Budapest from all over the world each year to begin their studies or Erasmus semesters. Most are here alone, keen to make friends just like you. You needn’t be limited to only meeting your classmates, as you can enjoy the company of international students from all other universities, too.


ELB organises many community-building events in the beginning of each semester, as part of the Welcome Month activities, besides the walking tours, trips and parties mentioned elsewhere in this article. There’s Speed Friending and Botellón in summer, and ice skating in winter, for example.

Before your arrival, feel free to join the Facebook groups for internationals in Budapest here and here, and the Telegram group chat with hundreds of students here.

Nightlife

In one of the party capitals of Europe, you can go out every night of the week, starting with Mondays at Morrison’s 2 club, beer pong, karaoke, six dance floors, cheap beer and free entrance with an ELB Card. Themed ELB parties are mostly organised on Thursdays: Welcome Party, UV Lights Party, Nations’ Flag Party, Halloween and other events. If you’ve any influence over your timetable, it may be wise to keep Tuesday and Friday mornings clear – you will thank yourself later.

In addition, ELB organises ruin bar crawls, club nights, boat parties and spa parties at the Széchenyi on Saturdays.