Carpe Noctem Hostel in Budapest

zuletzt aktualisiert am 05.01.2010

Carpe Noctem (“seize the night”, for those who rightly gave up Latin just after it died) is more of a community than a bed and a room. It is the perfect hangout and base for single travelers, and backpackers who want to meet young and sociable people and be part of an interactive and lively hostel experience as well as maximizing the city in day time and seizing the night when the sight seeing has ended.   Atmosphere   Do you want to... - Be a single traveler meeting other single travelers in a homely, cozy and friendly atmosphere?   - Be given a warm welcome and a detailed introduction of the city with all the hot spots for sight seeing, pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs?   - Be introduced to other guests so you can instantly make friends for your travels...if not life?   - Feel like you are staying at a mate's house, chilling on bean bags and drinking free tea and coffee until beer o'clock?   - Go sight seeing with guests/friends you have just met?   - Go out every night on pub crawls, karaoke nights, cheap drink nights, live music nights?   - Be taken out by staff to cool underground places unseen on the common travelers route?   - Have the option of staying in and watching films or chilling on the free Internet if going out is too much for you?   - Feel like you are staying in a community style place not just a bed in a room?   - Save money by taking staff recommendations for cheap places, and using the specially negotiated food and drink deals for you?   - Be given all the help, advice and assistance for your entire stay in Budapest, and beyond if needs be?   - Stay in a place that doesn't believe in hidden charges so wants to give you as much for free as possible?   - Have staff that want to cook for you at least several times a week?     If you like all these options then Carpe Noctem is probably the right place for you. We are reviewed more than any other hostel in the city, because we have been successful in making single travelers and small groups of people feel relaxed in a home away from home atmosphere, making them feel like they are hanging out with friends rather than feeling isolated in a large hostel.   Everything we do is geared towards you meeting other guests, feeling at home, and having the most fun you can in a city. It is the reason that people extend their stay with us so much... they don't want to leave their new friends behind!   Facilities   We are well traveled staff and have all been in hostels where we have been frustrated by simple things which should be done right...which is why we offer:   * Free tea and coffee, not just when you arrive, all the time (and none of this European yellow label stuff, we get PG tips imported from UK) * Free padlock hire * Free use of lockers * Free use of electronic staff safe * Free towel hire * Free bed linen (who charges for that anyway???) * Beds made for you when you arrive * Free Internet use on at least two guest laptops, sometimes more * Orthopedic mattresses * Air conditioning * Electronic entry system... (no more charges for lost keys!) * Free use of skype headsets * Smoking area * Laundry service available * 24 hour check in * Very relaxed check out times (you can check any time you like but you can never leave!) * Free use of guidebooks, and book exchange available * Free use of kitchen for you to cook...or for us to cook for you! * No curfew (it's called Carpe Noctem..... so seize the night!)   Location   You will soon discover that Budapest is a large spread out city, but we are extremely fortunate in that you can walk to all the main sites including, House of Terror, Oktogon, Szechenyi Thermal Baths, City Park, Andrassy Avenue, St Istvan's Basilica, Freedom Square, The Danube, Parliament all within 10-15 minutes. Should you want to feel lazy and take public transport, we are surrounded by the most amount of public transport options, with the blue metro, yellow metro, 4/6 tram route, night bus route and trolley bus routes being just on our doorstep so there is no excuse to ever be stranded. We are a 10 minute trolley bus ride from the international train station, 8 stops on the metro from the international bus station, and just one direct train from Airport 1! In addition to this we are just off the main road which has pubs, cafes, bars, restaurants, 24 hour shops and clubs on it so there is no need to stray far for whatever you need, yet we are located on a quiet cobbled side street so you don't have to listen to the noise from traffic.   Building   We are located in a 19th century heritage listed building, which is very beautiful (if not a little dilapidated!). We have a very cozy and intimate set up which means it is impossible not to meet people and make instant friends. Our apartment on the top floor is newly renovated and we have added our personal touches, hand made bean bags which means you can chill wherever you want around the house, a large corner sofa to watch films on, tables to eat on or play drinking games, depending on your mood, murals of the sights of the city across most walls so you can decide what to see that day (if our 30 minute run through of everything hasn't been enough info for you!). We have a fully equipped kitchen for you to use, apart from the times when we are cooking up roast dinners, gypsy gulyas (goulash), breakfast of champions, or whatever else we think the hostel needs to prepare it for a good night out or to deal with a hangover! We are located on the top floor, and due to the status of the building we have no lift...so if you are lazy, you may be better off going to a ground floor hostel!   Conditions   We are ideally suited to single travelers, or groups of two or three who wish to meet people in a community style place, so if you just want an isolated stay with just a bed in a room, this is probably not for you. Regrettably and due to previous experience we can no longer accept groups of any kind (more than 4 people), nor can we take bookings for guests over the age of 40. We reserve the right the refuse any bookings that fall outside this criteria. We do have a smoking area inside the apartment, so if you do not like smoke, again this may not be the right place for you. We should also mention that we have a noise curfew at 9pm so that if you want to party, we will take you out in the city to do so to allow resident guests and neighbors to sleep in peace, or people to chill in the hostel after this time.   On a final note, we are from England and Australia and often miss certain things from home....if you want to bring us something from home to put a smile on our faces or potentially knock a euro or two off your stay, please email us!

Wegbeschreibung

From Nyugati train station. Come out of the station and turn left along Terez Korut. You pass over Podmaniczky Utca and then take the next left onto Szobi utca. We are on SZOBI (not Szondi) utca number 5 (the building with the Invia sign and opposite 'Parazs Presszo' with the orange fire sign) on the third floor, please ring doorbell 13.

From the airport...Ferihegy 1
- Get the train straight from the airport which takes you to Nyugati station (every 20 minutes, journey takes around 25 minutes)

Ferihegy 2
Get tickets from information and get the 200 shuttle bus headed for Köbanya Kispest, from here you can get the blue metro line to Nyugati Palyaudvar.

- From Keleti Station,walk to from Baross Ter and get the blue bus number 73 direction to 'Arany Janos Utca' and get off at Podmaniczky Utca. Or get the bus or the red metro to Blaha Lujza Ter and then take the tram 4 or 6 (soon to become your best friend) to Nyugati. Please note that most international trains come in to this station, so check before departing!

-From Negliget bus station, get the blue metro line to Nyugati and see above