Travel in Hungary

Did you know that there are European countries that don't use the euro? Of the 27 nations that make up the European Union (EU), 20 use the euro as their official currency, in the region known as the Eurozone. While most countries that join the EU are required to adopt the euro as part of their membership, there are seven member states that have yet to adopt the currency.

The Austrian Alps are known for their visually dramatic walking trails. But equally alluring are the sumptuous spa-hotels where hikers can relax aching limbs in a maze of saunas and steam rooms, all scented with eucalyptus. And no spa is more labyrinthine than the radioactive caves I found myself (naked) in in Bad Gastein.

As temperatures drop and days become shorter, warming up in an outdoor thermal pool or natural spa is a great way to keep the winter blues at bay. We’d love to hear about places you’ve discovered for a spot of pampering – perhaps you’ve lazed in healing hot springs in Italy or “taken the waters” in geothermal pools in Hungary. Luxury spa hotels are often built close to these natural resources – but we’re looking for suggestions for affordable experiences. Closer to home, for example, there have been a number of mobile saunas appearing on beaches or near rivers to take the sting out of an icy dip. Tell us about your discovery and why it’s a top spot for a winter wellness boost and you could win £200 towards a holiday.

The rules for most people entering Europe who don't have an EU passport are changing and after several delays, the EU has confirmed when and how they will roll out the two new border controls that will impact travelers arriving into the Schengen area from 2024 onwards.

Three small European cities you may never have heard of will soon come under the cultural spotlight as Europe’s latest Capitals of Culture.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Krisztina Rakos, Barni's mom. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Families stroll and savor gelato cones as bike couriers whiz by. Pensioners relax on benches near manicured flower beds while earbud-wearing hipsters walk dogs and children chase pigeons by a fountain laden with bronze fish. The scene in Victory Square in Timisoara, Romania, is quintessentially European — modern meets Old World.

Whether you're an enthusiast of timeless traditions or eager to stride through the country’s cosmopolitan streets, Hungary has something for everyone. Its varied flavors ensure it lives up to its name as the “Spice of Europe.”

TTC Tour Brands is launching a new familiarization trip with its guided vacation company, Trafalgar, for BIPOC travel advisors, departing March 11, 2024 for destinations across Europe. 

Solo travel is on the rise as travellers seek greater freedom and independence.

Ryanair is aiming to double its business in the fast-growing Polish market and expand across eastern Europe over the next decade, executives said, taking on rival Wizz Air and opening a new front in the battle of the budget airlines.

National Park Service rangers scoured the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in recent weeks, bolt cutters in hand, and took aim at their targets.

A handful of restaurant tables in New York just became even more coveted reservations. Tacking onto the 15 New York additions to the Michelin Guide announced in September, the Michelin Guide just added 11 more restaurants.

Hungary 's tourism sector shines brightly on the world stage as it continues to collects an array of awards, solidifying its status as a premier travel destination.

Rivers have long been the lifeblood of civilizations’ past and present, and today, travelers can visit some of the bastions of history and local heritage on a river cruise with AmaWaterways. 

I planned a trip on a luxury river cruise with a potential suitor I met through friends in Barcelona. He was from a municipality in Spain called Valladolid, and his eagerness to travel together was evident from the first time we met.

When Khalil Karawan buys his chickpeas, he does it not in grams or kilos, but in tonnes. It takes such elephantine quantities to keep up with the fierce demand at Abu Hassan, the renowned hummus empire started by his grandfather in the 1950s. The business has grown so much from its humble food cart origins that 27-year-old Khalil can now sell thousands of plates each day across three locations in the ancient district of Jaffa. And when I visit his Shivtei Israel Street outpost one Friday morning, I arrive at peak hour.

Few places are as synonymous with Jewish food as New York City. Manhattan's Lower East Side neighbourhood served as a culinary cauldron when it was home to the largest Jewish community in the world in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, blending centuries of diasporic gastronomic knowledge.

In the first half of 2023, Europe experienced tis hight number of tourist stays in the past decade, according to the Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency. Europe recorded 1.19 billion night stays between January and June 2023, up by 0.9% and 12.9% from the same period in 2019 and 2022, respectively.

One of the fruits of getting on a train is that it makes me want to chat. So instead of gazing at Kent as we proceed to Paris from London, I talk to my neighbour. Martha grew up in San Francisco, studied in Oregon, and puts syrup on everything. When we part ways on the concourse of Gare du Nord – she to lunch with a friend from Wisconsin, me to amble around before continuing towards Turkey – she says the best things about the US are Taylor Swift and meatloaf. It’s good to talk.

Robert Louis Stevenson once described Edinburgh as leading a “double existence”. He may well have been right — to this day, Scotland’s capital city manages to be simultaneously quaint and decedent, its crooked medieval streets bursting with innovative places to eat and drink. Step beyond its UNESCO-listed old and new towns, however, and there’s even more to discover. Join us below as we explore some of the city’s most exciting wine bars, from humble bottle shop hybrids to Michelin-starred mainstays.