Lonely Planet: Budapest / Steve Fallon

Lonely Planet: Budapest
by Steve Fallon

travel

copyright 2011?
read in July 2014

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

It's a typical Lonely Planet book -- packed with info, packed with advice, too much to read and absorb.

I think there are two ways to use this style of travel book. (1) Skim through it, get a general flavour of the area, put the book away and go on your holiday. (2) Take the book with you and follow it slavishly.

For some travellers, (2) would be ideal. Budapest -- the book -- is interesting, informative and clearly written by someone who knows and loves the city. That, however, is also a minor drawback...

The author knows and loves the city. In my skimming -- I prefer approach (1) -- I am sometimes confused. Have I missed an earlier explanation ? Or has the author forgotten that his readers do not have his own background knowledge.

Some of my confusion is due to the city itself... The language of Budapest -- the city -- is unique. With no similarity to English. A paragraph refers to a street... or is that the name of the railway station ? or the museum... ? And even in my own mind I have no idea of how to pronounce the name.

Here's a thought for an English language tourist guide to Budapest: after each Hungarian name, provide a pidgin version. For example: "Szechenyi rkpt (Sheckni avenue) runs beside the River Danube. Szechenyi u (Sheckni lane) takes you past Szabadsag ter (Sabadsag gardens)." Which may or may not be correct -- but is the way I would like to read the guide.

There is one page which provides a brilliant overview of the city. An overview which should be right at the front -- the first page to be read. The page is a concise pen picture of each district of the city.

The page heading is, "Where to stay". A list of the nine major "neighbourhoods". A sentence for each, why stay there, and why not. Brilliant !

Forget the tourist sites. The first decision for a tourist is, where to stay ?

I needed to book a hotel in Zurich. Where to stay ? Lots of advice -- in books and on the web -- of what to see and where to shop. But... where can I stay that is accessible from the tourist spots but that is not an all-night tourist trap ? I actually rejected one hotel because Google Street View showed boarded-up shops and graffiti.

"Very central to things that matter" but not much happening after dark... Exactly what I want to know ! Put that page right at the front of the book !

In fact: that one page is the very best feature of this book. The rest is interesting, possibly useful, one person's opinion. Worth reading. Needing to be balanced against every other printed and online book and website.

Not worth buying the book for one page... Well worth borrowing the book -- before you pick a place to stay on your holiday in Budapest.

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Problems ? Solved