Transportation in Budapest

I have been here a little more than 3 weeks and I finally feel like I can manage getting around easily. Let me explain. I live in the "greenbelt" of Budapest. Unlike American cities with their sprawling suburbs and their big-box store malls, European cities like Budapest are surrounded by farm country and small towns. That said, I live in a housing development obviously built out of farmers' fields. Since I live this far out, transportation is definitely important.

So here's my typical summer day (before school started this week) so far. I get up, shower, have breakfast, the normal. Then I choose a daily itinerary, let's say walk in Varosliget Park, and then I map the route on public transportation. So here goes! First I walk down my road to the "volanbusz" (public town bus) that stops about 100 yards away. I take that bus about 10 minutes to the "Hev" train (commuter train). This train looks and feels old (see picture 3), like a throwback to older times in Eastern Europe, except with seventies/eighties cushions on the seat. Of course there is no A/C, so you have to pull down the windows for a little breeze (so make sure you don't sit at the front of the car or it's Sweatsville, HU). Then I finally reach something city-like. A mall.

Well, actually two malls and an Ikea. Here you can get almost everything the an American consumerist heart desires. Electronics, designer clothes, jewelry, and of course Ikea furniture (those insidious Swedes and their tasty meatballs!). I spent almost 2 hours in the huge grocery store my first day exploring there. It reminded me of a Target or Wallmart, but with more food and less stuff. Also, they have this ENORMOUS fresh meat section. The sausage section is big enough to scare the skin off a pig (literally).

Ok, back to transportation. This mall is at the end of the Red Line, just like in DC, and I flash my monthly pass ($45 for all metros and busses- not bad eh?). Budapest has the oldest metro system in Europe, so I've read, and despite the trains looking old, it runs amazingly efficiently and timely (we can only wish in DC! See picture 2). There is no A/C again, but with windows it is actually cool. Another 20 minutes or so and I arrive in downtown Budapest.

So the Metro is impressive, but I don't think driving would be. First, all the cars are small (see picture 1 - my school and a normal little red car). Not that that's a problem, but it would be a tight squeeze with more than 2 in some cases. And forget about transporting lots of stuff, most trucks wouldn't fit more than a backpack! Also gas here is EXPENSIVE. You can be duped into thinking it's the same, most gas stations advertise about 300 Forints (that's about $1.50), but then you notice it's in liters, not gallons! With 4 liters to the gallon you're looking at about $6.00 a gallon! And we thought we had it hard last summer! And honestly, unless you're used to driving in Boston or other crazy places (DC maybe?) people are not the nicest or best drivers I've seen. You get the point.

So, what is an intrepid traveller to do? Do I buy a car? Buy a scooter? Ride my bike? Take public transportation? There are plusses and minuses to each option, but for now I'm sticking with public transportation. It's pretty available, efficient, and timely. Of course I'd welcome any suggestions you might have.

Well, I guess that's all for now from Hungary! Let me know what you'd like me to talk about in the next blog if you want. Probably all of you have questions about how my first couple of weeks of school went. I'll let you know about it soon enough.

Sziastok!

Jay