As an addict of the TV series Friends, I was drawn to ‘Friends Hostel Budapest‘ when looking for places to stay for my 4 day trip to Budapest in Hungary. The hostel name makes it sound like such a lovely place to stay so I had high expectations and was hoping this would be the best hostel in Budapest for my trip.
Read my full review on ‘Friends Hostel Budapest’ and why I think its the best hostel in Budapest.
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Friends Hostel Budapest Information
Hostel Address:
1066 Budapest, Teréz körút 4, 2nd floor
Location:
Friends Hostel Budapest is located on the Pest side of the Danube and in a great central location in the city. A short 5-minute walk to the popular Jewish area which is full Hungarian restaurants and the famous ruin bars.
For someone who loves exploring a new city by foot, it’s ideal. Only 15 minutes walk from the airport bus drop off at Deák Ferenc tér, known as Deák Square, 15 minutes to St Stephen’s Basilica. And in the other direction 25 minutes to Heroes Square and the famous Szechenyi Spa Baths.
There are great transportation options in Budapest too but this gives you an idea of how close you are to everything!
Hostel facilities:
- Dorm, private rooms or apartment available
- Friendly social areas
- Kitchen and cooking facilities
- Free tea, coffee, sugar available
- Information available
- Laundry facilities
- FREE Wi-Fi
- Hairdryer
Friends Hostel Dorm room:
- Spacious dorm room
- Secure lockers
- Bedding provided
- Seating/lounge area within the large dorm
Hostel Costs:
Dorm rooms from 8 EUR per night*
Private rooms for 2, 4 or 4 people (shared & en-suite bathrooms available) from 15 EUR per night/ per person*
Apartments (3-8 people) from 19 EUR per night/ per person*
*Prices at ‘Friends Hostel Budapest‘ range due to the time of year. All rates correct at time of writing. For latest rates click here: Hostel rates
About Friends Hostel Budapest
Friends Hostel & Apartments are located in a huge renovated residential building. It has a fun and social atmosphere but is not a ‘party hostel’, so try somewhere else if that’s what you’re looking for!
‘Friends Hostel Budapest’ has dorm rooms, private rooms and apartments. In total there are 10 rooms and 7 apartments within the renovated residential building. The hostel and apartments are split into different sections, it’s like mini hostels within the building with the main social area is next to reception.
Arrival and check-in
Following the directions from Friends Hostel website and Google maps (offline of course!) I initially walked past the front door! That’s just normal for me, it was dark when I arrived. The entrance is a huge door set back from the street with a very small sign saying ‘Friends Hostel’. It’s right next to a tanning studio which is easier to spot with its neon lights!
There’s a buzzer system, simply dial 22 for the reception where they buzz you into the building. At first, it seems a little eerie, stone steps leading upwards and a retro lift that looks like it’s from an old movie (I did see people using it but I opted for the steps).
Christina greets me on reception, she’s absolutely lovely and so friendly. Very apt for the name of the hostel of course! She gives me my keys, including key fob to buzz myself in and a map, highlighting where we are and a couple of key tourist spots.
My first fob didn’t work but she was quick to swap it to one that did. Useful to check before heading out late as reception is only open until 11 pm!
The room at Friends Hostel
Next, Christina shows me where my room is. We go through an entrance hall, past the two shared bathrooms, a kitchen/social area and into the biggest dorm room, I’ve ever stayed in.
The room is stunning, high ceilings with huge windows looking out to the street below. There are 8-beds around the room, with a 2-seater sofa, chair and table in the middle.
I’ve been allocated a top bunk, which is always a bit of a pain but I should be used to climbing up bunk beds by now! Bedding is provided but you need to make your own bed up when you arrive. My duvet is really thin and I’m worried I will be cold (it is winter and minus 3 outside). If you want extra warmth there are spare blankets if you need them. But with the storage heaters in the room, I found that I was lovely and warm.
Overall thoughts at Friends Hostel Budapest
For me, Friends Hostel was the best hostel in Budapest. I met numerous people during my trip and heard a few horror stories of the party hostels they were staying in so I definitely picked the best one.
The hostel dorm and social areas were kept clean and tidy. And little things like taking your shoes off at the entrance and not leaving personal items in the bathroom make it a nicer place to stay.
Maybe another shared bathroom would be good, (there were two between my 8-bed dorm and three private rooms). In the mornings you might need to wait your turn for the shower. I opted to warm myself once I got back to the hostel after spending a day in the freezing cold. And a lovely addition was the hairdryer, I always travel light so would have frozen with wet hair otherwise.
Top tip – if you want to wash your hair don’t use the bathroom with the bath, as you have to duck down to use the showerhead!
Read: Hostel dorms – What to expect staying in a hostel dorm room
The one small downside of Friends Hostel Budapest is that although it’s a great location in the city. The hostel dorm is directly above a busy street with noisy traffic outside. To be honest, most nights I was exhausted from exploring Budapest as I was spending nearly 8 hours plus walking around every day.
I don’t think any hostel in the city would be 100% quiet but remember to take some earplugs to guarantee a good nights sleep.
Read more on Budapest here
- 3 days in Budapest (including budget planning)
- Top Budapest places to visit and cool things to do (& Free activities!)
- Travellers pick the Top 4 Best baths in Budapest
- Caving in Budapest Adventure – All you need to know!
Would I stay at Friends Hostel Budapest again?
Yes, I loved everything about this hostel. I think it’s up there with the best hostels in Budapest. And I loved Budapest too so would definitely visit again. I’ve recommended it to three people and I’ve only been back a day!
For further information or to book go to www.friendshostel.hu
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*I was a guest at Friends Hostel Budapest. However, all views and opinions are my own.