Like most other travelers, I manage to stay on the road for the major part of the year by paying for my accommodation. That means – by finding great hotel and hostel deals! While I’m checking many resources, the service I use the most is Booking.com, which is why I also personally recommend it.

While the bookings in 2017 were suggesting the popularity of Southeastern Asia, the data of 2018 puts a spotlight on Southeastern Europe!

The good news is – you are using it too! In 2018, there have been 81.838 of you who have visited Booking.com through Pipeaway’s affiliate links. And while the volume is confirming the trust you have in our recommendations, the concrete bookings you make can tell us more about the traveling trends of our users. While the bestselling bookings of 2017 have been putting the spotlight on Asia, the hit destinations, according to the data of 2018, are centered in Southeastern Europe!

Wherever you choose to travel in 2019, you can find some fantastic deals on Booking.com. But if you are a first time user, you might want to scroll down to the end of this article! I will be giving you an additional 10 percent discount on any booking deal you can find on that website!

But first, let’s see Pipeaway readers’ top accommodation choices in 2018!

1. Best Rest Guest House, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

In 2019, Plovdiv in Bulgaria is a European Capital of Culture. This will certainly make it one of the most attractive European destinations! If you didn’t know it already, this is the oldest continually inhabited city in the whole of Europe! Plovdiv is packed with historical heritage behind every corner. On the other side, it is urban, creative and artsy at the same time, making it a perfect destination for the younger travelers too! It is therefore not such a surprise that the Best Rest Guest House recommended in our article is your no. 1 choice. If you are heading to Plovdiv, book in advance, as good beds in 2019 will be selling fast! To find other propositions on what to do in the town, follow Pipeaway’s 24-hour itinerary through Plovdiv.
Booking.com guests review – 9,6/10

2. Hotels in Greece

Greece will definitely be a great summer destination in 2019! I was traveling through this beautiful country in May and June last year, and while I focused my writing mainly on Cyclades Islands, Delphi, and Mount Athos, there is so much more to explore in Greece! I will be probably heading back very soon! Here are some places whose popularity from 2018 will only grow:

Syros

Emily Hotel – Settled right on the Achladi Beach on the island of Syros, this small family-run hotel is just the right size! I wrote about it in the selection of the best beachfront hotels in the Cyclades.
Booking.com guests review – 9,8/10

Syra Suites – Not far from the previous hotel, Syra Suites offers luxurious, fully-equipped apartments. If you want to be self-sustainable during your Syros holidays, this should be your choice!
Booking.com guests review – 9,5/10

Serifos

Coco-Mat Eco Residences – Just above the Vagia Beach, one of the prettiest ones on Serifos, this hotel with exceptional breakfast places its rooms into the renovated miners’ houses. It was my top choice in the best Cycladic beachfront hotels!
Booking.com guests review – 9,1/10

Paros

Paros Bay Hotel – Another eco-friendly hotel on the island of Paros is showing great respect towards the traditional Greek island architecture, but also incorporates a nice pool to refresh yourself, in case that waves on the beach are too rough.
Booking.com guests review – 9,0/10

Zefi Hotel – Naoussa is a traditional fishermen village on the northern coast of Paros. Zefi Hotel centers around the lovely swimming pool, a great option when you are too lazy to even walk to the special beaches the area is famous for. Here is a selection of things to do in Naoussa.
Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

Athos

Gkeea Boutique Hotel – This stylish property with a wonderful breakfast is located in Ierissos, one of the lazy towns at the entrance to the mystical Holly Mountain (Agion Oros). The peninsula is reserved only for men, so Gkeea is a perfect oasis for the female part of the family, as well as for men returning from visiting the ascetic Mount Athos monasteries.
Booking.com guests review – 9,5/10

Delphi

Kastalia Boutique Hotel – If you are visiting Delphi, the center of the ancient world, Kastalia Boutique Hotel, run by a former plane crew couple, is a great choice! The portions in their restaurant are very generous, beware!
Booking.com guests review – 8,8/10

3. Hostels in Budapest, Hungary

Hungary is another country in Southeastern Europe that comes with a lot to offer, for extremely affordable prices. My favorite thing to do in Budapest is visiting its amazing spas such as Rudas Baths, or just enjoying some extraordinary cultural events in the city such as the annual Sziget Festival.

Here are the hostels Pipeaway’s readers were booking in 2018:

Flow Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,8/10

Essential Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

Marco Polo Top Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

10 % DISCOUNT FOR YOUR BOOKING

Now that you got some ideas on where Pipeaway’s followers enjoyed staying in 2018, why don’t you look for your own getaway on Booking.com?

If you want to use a 10 % discount on your first booking, register through my referral link: https://www.booking.com/s/97_6/centar95. You will get a 10 percent refund reward after you make your first booking!

After registering, get back to this list of bestselling properties in 2018. If our readers AND other guests loved these, Pipeaway-approved listings might be your new compass for picking a place to stay! Start your best travels ever!

I’D LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU IF YOU STAYED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES MENTIONED ABOVE! HOW DID YOU LIKE THEM? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW!

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The post Bestselling Bookings of 2018: Discover Europe with 10 % Discount! appeared first on Pipeaway.

Set on the bank of the Danube, Buda side, at the foot of the Gellert Hill, just next to the Erzsebet Bridge, Rudas Baths were built in the 16^th century, during Ottoman rule.

The healing center with the baths was actually there from the 13^th century when the Knights of St John built the hospital.

The renovation project was monitored by Pasha Mehmed Sokolovic, who had ordered the use of the best materials and tiles imported from Turkey!

The relaxing and healing qualities of 21 underground springs laid the foundation for the long history of Terme Rudas Budapest.

Rudas Baths are among the 18 best thermal baths in Europe, according to travel experts. Three Hungarian baths made it to The Yogi Wanderer's list!

Rudas Baths Men’s Day

Unlike the other Budapest bathhouses that are open to both men and women on all days, Rudas Bath during the week caters to one gender only, like in the old days! Tuesdays are reserved for the ladies and other workdays for gentlemen.

Bathing suits are required only during the weekends. On a same-sex day, you literally don’t have to bring anything!

Daily thermal ticket costs 6.700 forints (17 euros/18 dollars). If you want to reduce your Rudas Baths price, Budapest Card will provide a 50 % discount, but also free public transport, free museum tickets, and many more benefits!

At the reception of Rudas Baths, you will receive a plastic bracelet with a magnetic chip. Use it to pass through the turnstile gate!

The staff inside does not speak much English, so just take the white piece of cloth they are offering to you, and approach the wall-mounted machine which will scan your bracelet and inform you about the number of your cabin. Find the booth and undress! Use the wristlet to lock the cabin again.

There are Asian baths where visitors are separated by gender and enjoy their experience bare naked. Check out the Korean spa!

The revealing apron

It might seem awkward at first because the apron you got is covering only the front part of your crotch. But that is the traditional way!

Sure, you might jump into your swimming trunks, and I have seen exceptionally shy visitors doing just that (or taking two aprons to form the full circle skirt!), but honestly, you would only look like an idiot.

Ignoring the local customs draws attention and raises the level of embarrassment and awkwardness, not the other way around.

So just go with the flow, feel free, and relax! If Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to survive it when they were filming “Red Heat” here, so can you!

You can watch the entire “Red Heat” movie here! Here’s a preview of the scene filmed in the baths!

Swimming under the Rudas Baths’ rainbow

First, you will arrive at the shower area. Make sure to shower before entering the baths! That is the fundamental rule of hygiene.

The soap provided might not be of the best quality, so if you prefer something else, bring with you whatever suits you better!

The main thermal area room is dominated by the magnificent octagonal pool.

Covered by a hemispheric 10-meter diameter dome supported by eight pillars, the pool is a place of the play of light. The tiny windows in the cupola filter the light beams and wash the pool in different colors of the rainbow!

With the echo of the space, the voices of visitors produce a reverberating sound that inspires one’s meditation.

The temperature of the water in the main pool is 36 degrees Celsius. It is surrounded by four smaller pools, where the temperature ranges from 28 to 42 degrees.

Some of them are perfect for plunging in after the visit to the sauna. There are three consecutive Finnish saunas connected to each other with gradient temperature, and one steam room.

The idea of the loincloth is that you turn it around in the sauna, so you don’t sit on the chair with your bare bottom. The consequence of this idea is that your front is now exposed

Nudity and gay cruising

When you exit the pool, your loincloth will, naturally, get wet, and this means your anatomy will be more visible than you have possibly planned.

But if you want to enter the saunas, you should really leave your inhibitions in the pool! The idea of the loincloth is that you turn it around in the sauna, so you don’t sit on the chairs with your bare bottom. The consequence of this idea is that your front is now exposed to the views of the other visitors. So is theirs. Get over it!

Even if some visitors might be interested in something more than bathing, this is not a gay establishment! Everyone is welcome and friendly, so follow the usual respectful manners, and you will enjoy the atmosphere of this special place!

One of the Korean spas in our selection of the best jjimjilbangs in Seoul also turned out to be an informal gay cruising spot. Would that deter you from visiting?

The healing touch of masseurs at Rudas Baths

The next area is dedicated to various types of massage.

I have tried Rudas Baths’ signature water massage with soap foam, which is rather affordable (5.200 forints or 13 euros/14 dollars for 20 minutes, at the time of writing; nowadays, only available as 40-minute treatment for 12.000 forints which equals 29 euros or 32 dollars), but also quite enjoyable.

Even if the establishment has younger masseurs, I was treated by the expert hands of Mr. Laci, who has decades of experience which indeed transfers.

Before exiting the thermal baths area, there is another plunge pool, for the bravest ones. With a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, this was the only one I didn’t dare to try.

Towels are available at the exit, and you can stay in the resting zone until you gather back your strength. Taking a nap is welcome!

For proper sleep, book yourself one of the affordable accommodation options. Check the latest prices of the most recommended places to stay in Budapest!

Spa labyrinth

If you have bought the combined ticket that includes the swimming pool and wellness area, for 3.100 forints extra (8 euros/dollars more), your exploration of Rudas Baths has just begun.

The Ottoman-era wing was enlarged in the 19^th century and, in this classicist wing, one can enjoy swimming in the 20-meter-long pool.

This is a shared space between men and women every day, so you will need a bathing suit for this part of the building!

There are five more pools here, including the panorama pool on the rooftop, which provides excellent views of the Danube.

The wellness area is another labyrinth consisting of a Finnish sauna, aroma sauna, steam cabin, hot-air cabin, salt cabin…

When I say labyrinth, I really mean it. Even if, in my first passing through, I easily found the restaurant sandwiched between the wellness facilities, I had a hard time finding it later, when I actually got hungry.

If you fancy a full-day spa experience in Rudas Baths that accompanies thermal water pleasures with a three-course meal and a glass of wine or champagne, reserve your spot now!

Eat well

Rudas spa could benefit from some better sign navigation, but if you manage to reach the restaurant which serves Turkish-Hungarian fusion cuisine, you will not be sorry!

I have tried the local specialty – goulash soup with freshly baked bread! With the price of 950 forints (2 euros/dollars), and a free beer included (!), this was such a steal!

So I just had to try the cheesecake as well, which was delicious and refreshing for 1.150 Forints (3 euros/dollars more or less)!

After a good meal, you have to treat yourself to some delicacy! These are the best Hungarian desserts you can eat in Budapest!

Drink even better

Hungarians believe that Hungaria, Attila and Juventus springs provide health, so visitors are welcome to drink the water at the designated areas.

After bathing, your skin will be scented with a rotten egg smell, but that’s a small sacrifice for health benefits!

Interested in the water content? The spa website says that this is a “radio-active hot spring water with calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonate also containing sodium and sulfate and with a significant content of fluoride ions”. It might not tell you a lot, but supposedly it has a therapeutic effect on degenerative joint diseases, chronic and sub-acute arthritis, discus hernia, and neuralgia!

If you fancy naked relaxation, consider traveling to Greece! Discover their clothing-optional resorts and most fantastic nude beaches! 

From radio-active water to psychedelic music

Thermal baths are an unskippable part of any Budapest itinerary. Rudas Baths is a small window into the city’s past. The history of bathing as a socializing ritual that also brings health benefits to its practitioners reaches back to Roman times in this area.

Turks certainly brought additional value to the culture of soaking in thermal water, and while it was exclusively reserved for men for centuries, since 2006, women can use the baths on set days.

Weekends are shared, and at some places include even night bath experiences, which at Szechenyi Baths grow into sparty. The combination of spa and party comes with psychedelic music and laser shows!

The hippos in the neighboring Budapest Zoo are also enjoying the geothermal waters from the Szechenyi spring. Some experts interpret that the thermal waters are the reason why the hippo couple got a baby, which generally doesn’t happen in captivity.

Day by day, Budapest’s bath story is continuously evolving. We always knew that water means life. But here, where miraculous streams flow under our feet, we become aware that water does not mean just any life. It is an essential element of – the good life. The secret is to embrace it and use all its benefits!

But wait, that’s not all…

Gellert Baths – another spa labyrinth to get lost in

Sourcing its water from Gellert Hill, the same as Rudas Baths, Gellert Baths (Gellert Furdo in Hungarian) is another Budapest spa you can check.

Gellert baths complex opened in 1918, with the Art Nouveau building housing both the thermal baths and the hotel. The outdoor pools (including the wave pool and the Finnish sauna) were added later.

Until 2013, Gellert Baths were separated by gender, but today their clients can mix, which makes it more practical for the visit of couples and families. However, this adds up to the atmosphere of the space feeling more touristy, and personally, I prefer Rudas’ more relaxed local feel.

Famous for its Secession architecture and beautiful mosaic tiles decoration, Gellert Baths are still intriguing to explore.

However, you will need to put more effort into doing it! If you think the wellness area of Rudas Baths is a maze, wait to get lost in Gellert Baths! I literally had to ask several times to find the sauna area in this labyrinth, with two of the employees not even knowing the answer! Signage boards in the place could definitely get improved!

Another thing I need to object to concerns the metal parts of the door handles in the saunas. Heated up to such temperature, they become dangerously hot, so take care!

Gellert Baths admission costs 11.000 forints (27 euros/30 dollars), with locker included. The ticket price with the cabin usage is 1.000 forints extra (2 euros/3 dollars). At weekends, the price is 1.500 Forints more. If you stay at Danubius Hotel Gellért in the same building, you can use the baths for half of the price!

This article was originally published on the Pipeaway blog on December 16th, 2017, but was updated on April 8th, 2025. 

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Pipeaway may make a small commission, with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

The post Rudas Baths: Turkish Thermal Bath in the Heart of Budapest appeared first on Pipeaway.