Where do they dock?

[travelling fools]

We are taking a river cruise that ends in Budapest.Can anyone tell us where the MS Symohony docks?Is it close to Sofitel Hotel?

Any reviews on the Symphony?

[gracecarmo]

Hey Joe and Doris:

We just went on the Aria (GCT) from Budapest to the Black Sea. The riverboats dock along the river near the opera house and near the market. I did notice several docks along that stretch.

No, it is not near the Sofitel, at least not near the one that we stayed at. I think there is more than one in Budapest. The hotel we stayed at is more in the center of town in a pretty busy area.

The Symphony is a nice ship, but the only other riverboat we have been on besides the Aria was the Melody.

Much different that an ocean cruise.

What itinerary will you be going on?

 

Tom and I are doing a B2B on the Summit for the whole month of Feb. Then we are booked for 06 on the Summit for a RT Hawaii.

 

E mail me if you have specific questions. Good to hear from you, hope Doris is doing ok.

 

Grace

[travelling fools]

Sorry Grace but it it is not Doris writing this message but I do appreciate the answer to my question.

We are doing Avalon Waterways-MS Symphony next summer.They do 3 days in Paris,then bus you to Trier and then 14 days down the Danube to Budapest.We have opted to stay in Budapest for 3 days after.We think we are staying at the Sofitel Atrium.I think it used to be the Hilton but not sure.

Sounds like you enjoyed your river cruises.

Do you have or anybody else have any recommendations on restaurants in Budapest or Paris?

[gracecarmo]

Joe: sounds like a good trip, and you will certainly see a lot. Also: Trier is on the Mosel, my grandfather was born near there. So you most likely will take the Mosel to the Rhine, then connect to the Main enroute to the Danube. At least that is how you will do the riverboat to Budapest as I see it. The Mosel and Rhine are really the most interesting, and of course the places in Budapest.

If the Sofitel is the old Hilton, I do believe you are right on the river. We stayed at the Hilton once and it was really very nice.

Restaurants in Budapest: we were taken to a nice restaurant serving authentic Hungarian food. Most of these types of restauants are for the tourist groups. Music played so loud you could not have a conversation. (Gypsy violins). The best meal we had was right in the hotel. There is a pedestrian shopping section nearby where many nice restaurants are located, and they put the menu outside.

Paris: well, our most memorable meal was several years ago, at a posh restaurant on Momart. (business trip). The taxi did not want to take us there as it was really out of the way. The entire restaurant was mirrored, with beautiful floral arrangments on tall candleabras on each table. Reflections of these beautiful arrangments all around, and you felt like you were in a garden. I believe the name was Jardin de Momart, but may have changed by now. Pricey, as is everything in Paris.

What time of the year are you going?

 

Grace

[gracecarmo]

Joe: a correction re the Sofitel. It is near the river, and we stayed there when it was the Hilton.

The hotel we stayed at this past June was the Accor Novatel in the city center.

 

Grace

[unberwoob]

Sorry to correct, but the Sofitel Atrium used to be the Hyatt Atrium. It is at Roosevelt Ter, on the river, a few steps from the Chain Bridge. The Hilton is across the river on Castle Hill.

Dennis

[gracecarmo]

Thanks Dennis: I stand corrected! Anyway, I knew the hotel started with an "H". LOL.

 

Grace

[don_ken]

The Sofitle Atrium is on the river; I would estimate a 15 minute walk north from the piers. An interesting resturant we tried in October is:

Kárpátia Étterem Restaurant

 

Ferenciek tere 7-8.

It is near the Market Place

Budapest Sun Online has a neat web site for resturants. Check it out.