London Stansted - Budapest - Oct 4th - £16pp with Ryanair via Budgetair

I'm in Budapest now and I've faced or seen no issues at all.

It's a 'living with Covid' country pretty much the same as UK - no masks needed anywhere (except in hospitals etc) or any other restrictions currently (I can't speak for Ryanair's rules). No proof of vaccines needed at Passport Control.

Have you been?

Outside Budapest it can still be 90p (HUF 400) for a lot of drinks ie wide range of local beers 500ml/ half litre, bottled and on tap, same price for local spirits, palinkas etc. I like to be posh (not really, I just like Scotch) and my Ballantine's on ice is a whopping £1.20 (HUF 500). Would be similar for the premium spirits like Absolut, Gordon's, JD's etc). More realistically, those are the prices in a modest village bar where we have a holiday house - in towns/ country cities it's going to be somewhat more. In Budapest, it won't generally be London prices, think more like Wetherspoon's++. In many places (even in Budapest) you can get a big glass of nondescript wine for a pittance, say, 50p.

I booked travel (not Hungary) at the end of the month but didn't pay in advance for the hotels... Probably going to cost at least £200+ extra just because the pound is basically a dollar now

The best 'good' recommendation is don't pay for your seat choice if you're only flying about 2 hours (unless you're feeling flush, I guess). Don't check in until very late in the day maybe 5 hrs before flight & you'll probably get a window, an aisle or an emergency exit for free.

Otherwise (if you must pay in advance to secure a good seat) - it's the same as above only try to get a seat near the front so that you can get off first/ go through Border Control first. Though typically Ryanair planes deplane into 2 coaches which take you to the terminal, so you don't get a huge advantage. Not that there's ever much delay, it's always nice & quick. Flying INTO Budapest from UK, I think right hand side window seat (not over wing) normally gets you a good view of Budapest, Danube, Chain Bridge etc as you cross over city to get to airport. But it could be the other side if wind direction/ runway choice alters.

That can be true, not of all. Arrogance and a superiority complex are somewhat endemic, perhaps (some) Brits who let themselves down with silliness and drunkenness on the cheap booze/ stag nights etc haven't helped. Brits used to be highly respected 25 years ago but that has largely disappeared.

Driving is always an exercise in self-control, meeting arrogant drivers on every trip and staying safe by letting them overtake in rather stupid situations, ie you slow down and pull hard towards the verge so that the crash is avoided & they can get by. I must overtake, I MUST OVERTAKE, it will only save me 5 seconds but I must overtake. If you don't like the driver behind you driving up your car's jacksy, ie literally nearly touching your exhaust pipe - don't drive in Hungary. They get upset if you don't let them pass you on the motorway, you might be going at the speed limit in the fast lane and overtaking somebody yourself, that won't stop them flashing headlights at you and blaring on the horn if you won't get out of the way.

Not all Hungarians are like that, of course, it's invariably mostly younger men under 40 and usually not women; and Hungarians who have worked elsewhere in Europe are generally better behaved.