The Penthouse
Welcome to our home! We hope you have a pleasant stay and take away wonderful memories of your time in Budapest. We've tried to think of everything to make your stay as comfortable as possible — the codes to get in, how things work, and our favourite corners of the neighbourhood. Tap any section to open it, and if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach us.
We're a Belgian-Hungarian couple in our 40s. We're into fitness, hiking and wine ;) and we love travelling and discovering new countries and cities.
By taxi: install Bolt or Uber before you arrive and order a car from the airport — about €25–30, 25–35 min.
By bus: take bus 100E to Corvin-negyed (first stop), then transfer to tram 4 & 6 to Rákóczi tér (2 stops). Our flat is just behind the market hall. About €6.
Tickets: download the BudapestGO app — you can buy a 24 / 72-hour pass and single tickets there. The airport bus (100E) needs a separate Airport Shuttle single ticket in the app.
- ›Nyugati — tram 4 & 6, 5 stops
- ›Keleti — metro M4, 2 stops
- ›Kelenföld — metro M4, 7 stops
Check-in is independent — let yourself in whenever you arrive. If anything goes wrong, call Matthias on +32 473 61 40 57.
- 1At the intercom, press 29, then the bell key.
- 2Enter the entry code we sent you.
- 3The street door will open.
- ›Walk down the hallway to the lift.
- ›Step in and make sure the doors are fully closed.
- ›Press the button for the 5th floor.
On the 5th floor the key box is on your left as you step out of the lift. Open it with the code we sent you.
On the keychain, the big key opens the hallway — a shared technical area that lift technicians sometimes use. The apartment door just beyond it has a smart lock, so that's the last key you'll need.
The apartment door has a keypad smart lock. We'll send you your own code before you arrive.
- 1To get in: type your code, then press the ✓ check button at the lower right. The door unlocks.
- 2The lock closes automatically whenever you shut the door — no need to lock up behind you.
- 3To get out from the inside, press the big round button.
Pods are under the sink. Press the power button on the left and close the door — the default cycle runs about 4 hours. It pops open on its own at the end to help drying, so don't be alarmed.
It's an induction hob. Press On/Off, choose a burner, then use + / − to set the heat; burners switch off automatically for safety. The built-in hood has a fan icon if you're cooking something fragrant. It scratches easily — use the soft side of the sponge, and there are microfiber cloths in the drawer below.
Tucked in the pantry — the door next to the bedroom door.
Coffee pads are in the tin next to the coffee machine.
There's a separate tap for filtered drinking water — turn the knob on the left of the faucet for fresh, filtered water.
Cutlery is in the top-right drawer of the island; plates and pots live in the surrounding drawers and cabinets.
It folds out into a 2-person bed if you need the extra space.
The grey remote controls the surround-sound volume. The black one is for the smart TV — sign in to whatever streaming services you use. There's no cable service.
Step out for the rooftop view over Budapest — there's a grill, a dining table and a hanging chair. The best seat in the flat.
It'll be freshly made for your arrival.
The wardrobe on the left as you enter the bedroom is free for your things if you'd like to unpack.
For a shower, we'd suggest the small bathroom with the walk-in shower.
The big tub in the master bathroom looks tempting, but our boiler is only 60 litres for now, so it'll run out of hot water before the tub is full. A bigger boiler is on the way.
A set of towels is laid out for your stay.
In the big bathroom, under the sink, in the bottom-left basket.
The apartment is fitted with a few smart devices to make your stay easier. None of it is compulsory — everything also works the old-fashioned way.
Most lights are smart, controlled by the Hue remotes — one on the desk in the living room, one under the mirror in the bathroom.
- ›Top — lights on / off
- ›Middle — brighter
- ›Lower — dimmer
- ›Bottom — cycle through scenes (press again for the next)
There are Apple HomePods in the living area, bedroom, kitchen, terrace, small bathroom and office. Wake word is "Hey Siri".
- ›Play music — "Hey Siri, play The Beatles" (Apple Music)
- ›Control lights — "Hey Siri, turn on the kitchen lights"
- ›Set timers — "Hey Siri, set a timer for 5 minutes"
- ›Weather & news — "Hey Siri, how's the weather today?"
Sensors in the bedroom softly turn on a light if they detect movement after sunset or before sunrise — so you won't stub a toe on a midnight trip to the loo. To switch them off, just pop them in the wardrobe drawer. You'll find them on top of the wardrobe, on the windowsill by the bathtub, and behind the toilet on the right.
Lights, heating and more are all in the Home Assistant dashboard.
Open Home AssistantRákóczi tér is our square, a couple of minutes from the door. At its heart is the beautiful market hall (Vásárcsarnok) from 1897 — fresh produce, Hungarian deli counters, and a few good places to eat, including a new ramen spot. Trams 4 & 6 stop right on the square, and metro M4 has a station right in front of the market hall — so you're a quick hop across the river or around the ring. The square itself has been smartened up in recent years, with a fountain, benches and a café or two.
You're in the 8th district, Józsefváros — a real, lived-in part of the city that's quietly become one of Budapest's most exciting, full of specialty coffee, wine bars and little bistros. Cross the körút (the ring boulevard) and you're in the Palace Quarter (Palotanegyed), the grand old corner of the district — 19th-century apartment houses, quiet leafy streets and the Hungarian National Museum. The Danube, Kálvin tér and the Great Market Hall are all a 15–20 minute walk.
We've pinned the cafés, restaurants and spots we love around the district.
Open our neighbourhood mapGetting around Budapest is easy and cheap. Here's the lay of the land — and the apps worth having.
The metro, trams, trolleybuses and buses all run on the same tickets. Download the BudapestGO app to plan routes in real time and buy passes or single tickets.
If you're staying longer than a week or so, the monthly pass works out cheaper than stacking 72-hour ones. The airport bus (100E) needs a separate Airport Shuttle single ticket — you can buy that in the app too. Validate your ticket before you board. (Euro prices are approximate.)
For planning journeys, both Apple Maps and Google Maps have excellent public-transport routing in Budapest — live departures, the right tram or metro, and walking directions door to door.
Order a car straight from your phone with Uber or Bolt — usually cheaper and simpler than hailing on the street, and you see the fare upfront.
MOL Bubi is the city's green public-bike scheme, with docking stations all over town (there's one near Rákóczi tér). Unlock one through the app and drop it at any station.
We're central, so a lot is walkable — the Danube, the Great Market Hall and the inner city are all an easy stroll.