November and December are fantastic months to visit Budapest. You don’t have to fear extreme heat, and you can visit the magic Christmas markets the city has to offer. If you haven’t read our guide to the Christmas markets in Budapest already, that is a good place to start. But, maybe you know everything there is to know about the Christmas markets. There is, however, one remaining question – what hotel should you choose for your trip to Budapest?
The most important to know is the location of the Christmas markets. Below we have created a little map showing the locations of the two major Christmas markets in Budapest; Vörösmarty square and Sas square.
It is important to understand that the two locations are close. It only takes 5 minutes to walk from one of the Christmas markets to the other. But, the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square is located at the end of the shopping street Váci utca, making this area better for shopping lovers.
Based on this information, we will recommend a couple of hotels. We will include some recommendations for those who are on a budget and who don’t mind using the metro for a few stops as well. But, the main goal is to recommend a few hotels very close to the Christmas markets, meaning that you can leave the entrance of your hotel and almost start drinking hot wine and eating Hungarian lángos immediately.
Let’s start with the cheapest solutions…
The best hotels for Christmas market tourists in Budapest with a low budget.
We cannot guarantee low prices on these hotels, but they will be cheaper than most central hotels in Budapest. No matter your choice, you can reach the Christmas markets using the subway (metro), and you don’t have to change lines.
Easy Star Hotel (Sziv utca 13, 1063 Budapest)
This is absolutely fitting into the category of a budget three-star hotel in Budapest. It is located 150 meters from the metro stop Kodaly Körönd (yellow line). This is the second oldest metro line in all of Europe, making it an attraction itself. The hotel has breakfast available. It isn’t luxurious at all, but if you just need a place to sleep and eat breakfast (and you’d rather spend your money at the Christmas markets), this is a great option.
How to get to the Christmas market from this hotel?
Walk to the Kodaly Körönd metro stop and travel to the end station of the line (Vörösmarty square). You will immediately be at the biggest and most famous Christmas market in Budapest.
This hotel is 2,2km from the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square. It is a very nice walk if you don’t mind using your legs.
Would you like to live a little bit nicer, but you don’t mind using the metro for a few stops? The next hotel is a great pick for you!
Hotel Andrassy (Andrassy ut 111, 1063 Budapest)
Hotel Andrassy is one metro stop further away from the city center than Easy Star Hotel (mentioned above). This hotel has a good reputation in Budapest, and it has been around for a long time. It has four stars, a nice restaurant in the building, and it sure looks nicer than many other hotels in Budapest. In other words, you don’t get the very cheap feeling as you walk around in the building. But it is still cheaper than living at four-star hotels in the very heart of Budapest.
The location is also close to the Heroes Square and the City Park, making it easy to visit this fantastic area where you can find the popular Szechenyi thermal bath, the Zoo, the Vajdahunyad castle, the Heroes square, and several nice museums.
How to get to the Christmas market from this hotel?
Walk 150 meters to the metro stop Bajza utca. From there, travel in the direction of Vörösmarty tér and get off at the end station. You will then be surrounded by stalls and feel the smell of hot wine immediately.
If you don’t mind walking, this hotel is located 2,7km from the Christmas market at the Vörösmarty square by foot. It is a fantastic walk along the beautiful Andrassy Avenue (which has beautiful lights before Christmas). This street is also known as the street for luxury shopping in Budapest (in the area near the Hungarian State Opera).
Have you had enough walking already? Are you coming to Budapest to live in a great location? Don’t you want to spend time and energy buying public transportation tickets or walking a few kilometers to get to the Christmas markets? It is time to come up with some recommendations for you!
The best hotels very close to the Christmas markets in Budapest
Would you like to feel the smell of Hungarian sausage as you leave your hotel? Are you traveling to Budapest to relax, not to mess with public transportation tickets, taxis, and other things that you’d rather avoid? Here you have some hotel recommendations located no more than a few hundred meters from the Christmas markets in Budapest. We have included some cheaper and some extremely elegant solutions to the list.
Hotel Promenade (Váci utca 22, 1052 Budapest)
What should we say about this hotel? It has three stars, and it is located in the shopping street Váci utca. You can easily use this as your base for exploring Budapest and the Christmas markets, but do not expect a lot of extras. The main entrance is located in the shopping street, but it is easy to overlook it at first glance.
WiFi is available to all guests free of charge, and breakfast is available in the hotel. This is perfect if you want to live quite cheap at a very central location in Budapest. Would you rather spend some more and stay in a nicer hotel (with four stars)? Read the two recommendations following this.
Mercure Budapest City Center (Vaci utca 20, 1052 Budapest)
Mercure is a hotel brand that many travelers know. This is something you can trust. The hotel is located in the pedestrian street Váci utca and it is often preferred among travelers who want to live in a four-star hotel without spending all their money paying for accommodation. You can order your room with breakfast if that is preferred, but you can also book without breakfast and just leave the hotel and eat breakfast elsewhere nearby during your stay in Budapest.
As you leave the hotel, you need to walk approximately 250 meters to get to the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square. Some people fear that the hotel is noisy as it is located by the shopping street, but this is seldom causing any trouble.
This is a quite cheap four-star hotel very close to the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square. Would you rather live in a cheap four-star hotel near the Christmas market by St. Stephen’s Basilica? The next recommendation is for you!
Hotel Central Basilica (Hercegprimas utca 8, 1051 Budapest)
This four-star hotel is located almost at the square of the Christmas market by St. Stephen’s Basilica. It isn’t a very luxurious four-star hotel, but it has a great location, and it makes walking back and forth in Budapest easy due to its location. You can easily book your room with breakfast, but due to its location, you can easily book without breakfast as there are plenty of places where you can eat breakfast nearby.
Once again, this is a quite “easy” four-star hotel, but a great choice if you want to live with style without paying a fortune.
Would you like to live in a five-star hotel instead? Below you can find our final two suggestions!
Kempinski Hotel (Erzsebet ter 7-8, 1051 Budapest)
This is a very nice five-star hotel in Budapest with a great location. It is 150 meters from the Christmas market at Vörösmarty square and 250 meters from the Christmas market by Stephen’s Basilica. You will find lots of great activities available within the walls of the hotel (SPA treatments, restaurants, swimming pools, fitness center, and more), and you will absolutely enjoy how close it is to the Christmas markets. It is also practical that it has its own private parking for guests, making it easy if you arrive in your own car or if a taxi will drop you off at the hotel.
The hotel is located by the square where you can find the famous Budapest Eye. This is a nice activity worth testing, and it looks fantastic at night.
This is a typical five-star hotel with gracious rooms and lots of air. In other words, you really get that luxurious feeling as you enter the hotel.
Kempinski is a very nice five-star hotel. Would you like even more luxury and something even more special? Below you can find our final and the most luxurious recommendation.
Aria Hotel (Hercegprimas utca 5, 1051 Budapest)
This hotel is for those who want luxury like nowhere else in Budapest. It is a very expensive hotel and extreme in its level of luxury. The hotel is located less than 50 meters from the Christmas market by St. Stephen’s Basilica. If you want to relax after a tiring day in Budapest, this hotel has a bar at the roof, a spa center with a pool, and free WiFi. This hotel is special because it is built around different music styles. Free wine is available to hotel guests each day between 16.00 and 18.00, combined with a cheese buffet. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the breakfast is amazing. In other words, this is the ultimate place for luxury near the Christmas markets in Budapest.
We have recommended hotels ideal for your trip to Budapest in this article. Some are extremely close to the Christmas markets, while others are further away and require you to walk more than 2km or use public transportation. No matter what you are looking for, we are quite convinced that some of these will suit you and your needs, and let us not forget, your wallet.
If you have further comments or questions, write a comment below!
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Budapest during the Christmas market period.
Is it cheap to book a hotel in Budapest in November and December?
The time before Christmas is supposed to be a “low season” in tourism. But, due to the Christmas markets, it has turned into a high-peak season. As a result, you will most likely find cheaper hotels in the start of November (before the Christmas markets open) than you will in December. Budapest is still a cheap city compared to cities such as Vienna, where you have to pay 2x-3x more for rooms of similar quality and with a similar location in the city compared to Budapest.
How should I travel from the airport to my hotel in Budapest?
There are several options for this. You can arrange the airport transfer directly with your hotel. It is also possible to book an airport transfer in Budapest with us. You can find more about airport transfers in Budapest right here. There is also a bus that connects the airport with the city center. This works well for most of the hotels described in this article, and the price is 1500 HUF per ticket.
Do you have any restaurant recommendations for Budapest in November and December?
Most restaurants operate with normal opening times during this period. But, it is worth noticing that many restaurants have lots of reservations, which means you will often be sent away if you try to just walk by a restaurant in the evening without a reservation. As a result, it is worth reserving a table, at least if you desire to dine in a certain restaurant.
- Most restaurants have normal opening times until December 23rd.
- On December 24th, 95% of the restaurants in Budapest are closed. As a result, it is hard to find places where you can dine on December 24th. The best is to eat your Christmas dinner in your hotel or book months in advance in restaurants such as Aszu and/or Rezkakas. These restaurants operate with set menus for December 24th, and also for December 31st.
- Many restaurants remain closed on December 25th and 26th, but a very popular restaurant like Sir Lancelot is open again on December 25th. Rezkakas and Aszu are open as well on December 25th and December 26th.
- Many restaurants are open on December 31st, but most of them have special menus for this evening. These have to be reserved beforehand (in most cases).
To sum it up, book a table in advance if you come to Budapest in this period. Some restaurants that are worth considering are:
- Steak restaurants: Pampas Steakhouse.
- Fine dining: Aszu, Rezkakas and Gundel
- Great experience: Sir Lancelot.
What is the price of eating breakfast in Budapest (not in your hotel)?
This depends on where you eat and what you eat, but a cheap breakfast costs approximately 1200-1800 HUF (3-4 euros), while a more expensive breakfast will cost around 3000 HUF (8 euros).
Will my hotel offer dinner opportunities on December 24th and December 31st?
It is impossible to give a general answer to this question. The wisest thing is to contact the hotel directly to get an answer to this question. Most hotels with a restaurant and with four or five stars will offer their guests dinner on these days, but you should definitely contact them to be sure.
