Is Ferencváros a good place to stay in Budapest?

Ferencváros is a good base if you want a central, well-connected part of Budapest with lower prices than the Inner City. Kálvin tér is a busy metro interchange, Corvin-negyed and Ferenc körút have metro stops too, and trams run along the Grand Boulevard. It suits budget travellers, food lovers and anyone happy to walk a little to the main sights.

The area mixes old apartment blocks with newer developments. Ráday utca is a pedestrian street lined with restaurants, cafés and bars, the Great Market Hall sits at the top of the district by Liberty Bridge, and the riverside has the Bálna building and the grand old customs house of Corvinus University. Further out, the Holocaust Memorial Center on Páva utca and the Corvin Quarter around Corvin Plaza show a quieter, more everyday Budapest.

The downside is that Ferencváros is less polished than the Belváros or Lipótváros. Parts of it are plain residential streets, the outer side of the Grand Boulevard can feel scruffy, and you'll walk or take the metro to Parliament, the Basilica and the castle. Some hotels are on busy roads.

What makes Ferencváros worth considering is value. Hotels cost noticeably less than in the Inner City, Ráday utca gives you a lively place to eat every evening, and with the metro at Kálvin tér, the rest of Budapest is never far away.