It’s the perfect place for an Easter or summer holiday, as there’s so much to see and do, and it’s very easy to get around.
Nicola Roy Multimedia content creator
12:54, 18 Mar 2026
Budapest is home to the Danube river, a stunning place to walk(Image: Yasonya via Getty Images)
A stunning European capital has been crowned one of the most walkable, making it ideal for a summer or Easter break with countless attractions to explore. Better still, it’s affordable to reach, with UK flights available from just £19 in April.
Budapest in Hungary has repeatedly featured in conversations about great holiday destinations. There’s good reason for its popularity – getting around on foot is effortless, it’s steeped in fascinating history and brilliant attractions, plus the cuisine is great . In fact, travel experts at Freetour named it the top city to visit in 2026.
The specialists explained: “If there is one city that tops every travel ranking time and time again, it’s Budapest. The Hungarian capital claimed first place across all FREETOUR.com destinations in 2025, and 2026 is shaping up to be no different.”
They continued: “It has everything a curious traveler could want: the medieval Castle Hill and the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter, fin-de-siècle thermal baths and street food at the Great Market Hall, the misty Chain Bridge at dawn and a symphony of lights over the Danube at night. Budapest is a city where every free walking tour feels like a genuine discovery.”
Budapest often appears in lists about the most pedestrian-friendly cities globally. In Guru Walk’s rankings last year, it secured second place, with Rome claiming the number one position, reports the Express.
The professionals noted: ‘Known as the “Pearl of the Danube”, Budapest blends imperial architecture with a vibrant cultural scene.’
Two of Budapest’s main attractions – St Stephen’s Basilica and the Houses of Parliament – are conveniently located just a 15-minute stroll apart. However, if you’re not keen on exploring entirely by foot, the city boasts an efficient public transport system, complete with trams, buses and metros.
Undoubtedly, one of Budapest’s standout attractions is the Szechenyi Thermal Baths. It’s one of the largest complexes in Europe, supplied by two thermal springs, with the indoor and outdoor pools tracing their history back to 1913.
The waters are rich in health-enhancing minerals and temperatures vary from a comfortable 27°C to a warm 38°C.
After your relaxing soak, you can indulge in Budapest’s lively street food scene.
Karaván, nestled in the heart of the Party district, is a must-visit for those eager to sample local delicacies, such as Lángos, a deep-fried flatbread garnished with garlic, cheese and sour cream.
Flights to Budapest start from just £19 from Gatwick in April.
Hannah and Simon took an ‘extreme day trip’ instead of having date night in the UK
Hannah West, pictured with husband Simon, claimed they ‘could easily have gone to London for the day’ and spent the same amount
A couple swapped their usual UK date night to fly to the French Alps for five hours of skiing and fondue. They claimed it could “easily be the same price” to go out for dinner and a show in London.
Hannah West, 39, and her husband, Simon, 52, wanted to see if an extreme day trip to the mountains was really possible. The couple, from Brighton, had an early 6am start in the airport but claim the trip was “totally worth it”.
The pair boarded a 6.10am flight from Gatwick Airport to Geneva in February, and despite the plane being delayed by an hour, they touched down in France by 10am. The content creators spent the afternoon skiing in La Clusaz before grabbing a fondue and flying back to the UK at 9.30pm.
They were back in time to kiss their kids goodnight. They added that, despite the trip setting them back £671.80, it could easily cost the same to go to London to see a show and have a nice dinner.
Hannah said: “We got in five hours of skiing which I think is how much most people would do in a day anyway. I feel like we got a really decent amount of skiing in. It was definitely worth it.
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“You could easily have gone to London for the day and spent that if you went to watch a show and had dinner. The fact that we got to do that much skiing and it’s something we will never forget, I think it’s totally worth it.”
Hannah and Simon decided to challenge themselves to an extreme day trip after seeing others go on quick getaways. The mum-of-two said: “I’ve seen a lot of people doing them for city breaks, but I wanted to see if it was possible to do it for a ski trip.”
They spent £164.99 per person on return flights and determined to maximise their time on the snow, the couple hired a car for £59.18 straight from the airport and drove to the resort, allowing them to squeeze in five hours of skiing.
They arrived by midday, and after skiing, the couple still had time to get dinner and drinks. They spent £61 on a cheese fondue for two, dessert, one glass of wine and one cola. Hannah said: “The whole day felt magical and I felt like I was beaming the whole time. I couldn’t believe it was possible, the whole day I was on a high. It was the best date day.”
Their flight back to England was at 9.30pm. They managed to get back to their home in Brighton around 11.30pm, where their children – 11 and eight – were being babysat by their grandmother.
Hannah said: “This is such a great opportunity to have an amazing date day with your partner – to do something you both really love together and have a really special day you’re going to remember forever. It was exhausting, we were totally knackered.”
In total, the trip cost £671.80, which is £335.90 per person. While that may sound steep for a single day, Hannah argues it compares to a luxury day out in London.
She added that booking flights further in advance or travelling in a group would have reduced the cost. She said: “It’s not about replacing a week-long ski holiday, or am I suggesting this is something to do on a regular basis.
“But if you’re time-poor, or don’t have childcare for a week away, you can still have an amazing, special day together.” While she wouldn’t rush to repeat the adrenaline-fuelled day, she says she would do it again if the opportunity arose.
The couple took their trip in February 2025. Flight prices will likely be different now and will vary depending on the location people fly from, if trying to replicate a similar experience.
Check the latest air travel status including departures from popular holiday destinations such as Dubai, Cyprus and Egypt after the Iran war forced airports to close and airlines to cancel flights
War in the Middle East is causing flight disruption across the world(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Conflict between Iran, the US and Israel has spread across the Middle East and triggered widespread airspace closures, sparking major disruption to flights, and leaving thousands of British tourists stranded abroad.
Popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are among those to ground all flights or severely limit departures, but the ‘ripple effects’ are also impacting travel to and from a number of other countries, including Cyprus and Turkey.
Here’s all the latest on flight cancellations, cruise ships and your rights if something goes wrong:
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The UK Foreign Office now advise against all but essential travel to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
Airspace closures mean flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait and Oman are almost entirely cancelled, with aviation largely reserved for military and cargo flights.
If you have a flight due soon to one of these countries, you should get in touch with your airline as soon as possible.
While flights to and from Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey are going ahead largely as scheduled, they may be subject to short-notice delays or cancellations, so you should check regularly with your airline before you travel.
Dubai and UAE travel advice
The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates.
Your travel insurance could be rendered invalid if you travel against this advice.
British nationals currently in the country should stay indoors due to risk of missile attacks, and the current advice reads: “Remain indoors in a secure location, avoid all travel and follow instructions from the local authorities.”
Cyprus travel advice
After a suspected Iranian-made drone was fired at the RAF base at Akrotiri, the Foreign Office updated its advice to read: “Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.
“British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration. British nationals in the Republic of Cyprus should follow any instructions from Cypriot local authorities.”
Turkey travel advice
The Foreign Office advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to “fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism”.
Egypt travel advice
There is “heightened risk of regional tension” which “could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts”, the Foreign Office said.
Which airlines have cancelled flights?
A handful of flights will bring British nationals stranded in the Middle East back to Britain today – but the majority of departures from the region remain cancelled.
The current Emirates flight status is that the airline plans to operate two flights to Heathrow, and one each to Gatwick and Manchester. At least some of these flights will be operated by the airline’s A380 jets, which can each carry up to 615 passengers depending on how they are configured.
Emirates usually operates 146 weekly flights to the UK, which is the equivalent of about 21 per day.
Etihad Airways has scheduled one UK flight on Tuesday, from Abu Dhabi to Heathrow.
Qatar Airways, which usually serves Heathrow and Gatwick from Qatar, said on Tuesday morning that its operations remain suspended because of the closure of Qatari airspace.
British Airways has cancelled its timetabled flights to Heathrow from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha and Dubai on Tuesday.
The airline told passengers: “We are closely monitoring the situation and have cancelled a number of our flights to the Middle East.
“Safety is always our top priority and we would never operate a flight unless it was safe to do so.”
Passengers with bookings on certain routes up to March 15 are being allowed to amend the date to fly on or before March 29.
Virgin Atlantic axed a flight from Dubai to Heathrow.
What about connecting flights?
You could also be affected if you’re due on a flight that changes at an airport disrupted by the war – such as Abu Dhabi, which acts as a major hub for connecting flights to Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia and New Zealand. Check with your airline in advance if you’re in any doubt.
What if I’m stuck abroad?
British nationals currently in the Gulf have been advised by the Foreign Office to remain indoors and follow local authorities. Plans for evacuation repatriation flights are going ahead, but at a very limited capacity, and you should not make plans around these until you have been contacted by British consular staff.
What are my rights if something goes wrong with my flights?
Don’t cancel your own ticket if your destination or connecting flight is affected – instead, wait for the airline to cancel the flight.
If you cancel voluntarily, you will likely forfeit your right to a full refund or rebooking under UK air passenger rights.
It’s important to check your travel insurance, as standard policies will usually cover extended emergency medical expenses if you are stranded abroad – but many exclude cancellation or curtailment costs arising directly from acts of war.
What about cruise ships?
Thousands of cruise line passengers are currently trapped in ports in the Middle East due to the war in Iran.
At least six well-known ships from big companies, including TUI, are reported to be at a standstill and awaiting news of when they can leave.
Cruise liners affected include TUI Cruises’ ships Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, which are stranded in the ports of Abu Dhabi and Doha. The cruise line has had to cancel its upcoming departures due to the lack of operating repatriation flights.
The MSC Euribia remains docked in the port of Dubai, under strict security measures, with embarkations suspended until further notice.
The ships Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery have also had their departures cancelled and are being kept under supervision in regional ports.
TUI Cruises said in its latest alert: “We are currently monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East region and the latest guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”
Disruption ‘could last weeks’
Last night, US president Donald Trump said the joint US-Israel military operation in Iran could last four to five weeks or “far longer”.
Aviation consultant John Strickland said it could take weeks to clear the backlog of passengers, even if the conflict ends sooner.
He said: “It’s a bit uncertain (when that will happen) because of course it will depend on how long the airspace restrictions remain in place.
“But factoring in the high volumes of normal daily traffic and the high capacity of aircraft such as the A380 and the Boeing 777, plus the fact that other flights covering similar routes operate at high occupancy, then it will certainly be quite a period of time which would likely run into weeks.”
