Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
3. Going for a Ride - Enjoying some transport
24 GOING FOR A RIDE route is around Margaret Island and up and down the city-centre stretch of the river. Children under four free, up to 14 years half-price (no need to book in advance). The same conditions for children apply on the company’s scheduled boat trips northwards to the (beautiful) Danube Bend [Dunakanyar], calling at places such as Szentendre, Vác, Visegrád and Esztergom. These are basically day and half-day trips. (Timetable with English text available.) Cruises operated by BKV (City Transport Authority) start from the embankment near Petőfi tér and vary from one to one-and-a-half hours on the lines of the standard route described above. BKV also operates longer cruises to Szentendre and back. Children under six travel free, those up to 14 pay half-price (Five-seater motorboats can be hired here and there is also a “water- taxi” service on demand.) Note: Cruises are being operated increasingly on “commercial” lines and by private operators. Prices can vary enormously. It’s worth making comparisons as there’s no need to pay “western prices”, possibly in hard currency, for something which could be basically had for relatively few forints! Information is usually displayed at the embarkation points. Where possible it’s usually cheaper to go for scheduled services. One of these is the BKV-operated “river bus” [Hajó vonaljárat] service. Four boats continuously ply the river taking passengers on a route from Boráros tér in the south to Pünkösdfürdő in the north. Pick-up and letdown points in the city centre are at Gellért tér, Petőfi tér, Batthyány tér and Jászai Mari tér at the Pest end of Margaret Bridge (from here they go northwards calling at Margaret Island, Óbuda Island and other places). Tickets on the spot. Using this service you can devise your own cruise at a fraction of the normal cost, e.g. by taking a boat to “Római-part”, walk northwards along this beautiful stretch of the river (where in summer it’s always lively with holiday-makers and water-sports activities) and return by boat from Pünkösdfürdő.
