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Ah, Budapest—the city that stole a large piece of my solo traveling heart. I took two solo trips to this gorgeous city, and both times I fell madly in love with it. And both times, I visited the famous thermal baths of Budapest, both of which were great for solo travel.
The first time I opted for the cheaper bath, Rudas. It was the last trip I took while studying abroad, so funds were very low! The second time I decided to splurge a bit and go for the more expensive Gellert.
Going to swimming pools alone isn’t exactly ideal, and I was worried I’d get bored alone. I remember I did research on which baths would be best for someone solo traveling. I didn’t find any info, so I’m writing this to help the anxious solo traveler choose the best option.
Here’s what my experience was like in both Rudas and Gellert as a female solo traveler.
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Rudas Thermal Bath
While the main reason I chose Rudas was because it was a cheaper option, I also chose it because it was female only on the day I went (Tuesday).
I figured it would be much less awkward to be hanging out at a pool by myself on this day. I was right.
Many of the women enjoying the baths were local women who also came to the baths alone. There wasn’t too much chatter, and it was nice to relax in an almost divine quiet after a few long days of sightseeing.
I love solo traveling, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s extremely exhausting. When traveling alone, am solely responsible for choosing where to go, navigating myself through a foreign city and deciding where to eat. Preferably in a place where I won’t stand out if I’m sitting at a table set for one.
Rudas Bath was the perfect place to get away from the bustle and to regenerate for the remainder of the trip. I didn’t have to talk to anyone, I didn’t have to make any decisions, and I didn’t have to think about where to go next. All I had to do was soak in the thermal water, allowing both my body and mind to rest for a bit.
The physical baths themselves weren’t as grand as some other baths in Budapest (like Gellert), but there’s an ancient beauty to them. I felt like I stepped back into time to a medieval world.
The best part about Rudas Bath is the ceiling dome over the largest, octagonal pool. It has colored glass circles embedded in the raised dome. This causes the sunlight shining through to create colorful spots on the gentle ripples of warm, therapeutic water.
This, combined with the thick columns and ancient elegance, made me feel not only as if I stepped back into time, but into a whole other world. In the most un-cheesy way possible, this place felt like magic.
And after showering, I felt like a brand new person as I grabbed my things out of my (free) locker to step outside with the sunset painting the sky above the city that I was now ready to explore further. (Although don’t plan to do too much after soaking at a thermal bath- while relaxing, it also made me feel really drowsy after!)
Warning: on the female only days, women can bathe without their swimsuits and with just a flimsy apron around their waist. So be prepared to see the naked breasts of older women.
Gellert Thermal Bath
The second time I decided to solo travel in Budapest I wanted to try out a new bath. I was stuck deciding between Gellert and Széchenyi, as I heard great things about both. I chose Gellert because it was located closer to the area I was in. Like Rudas, it lies at the bottom of Gellert Hill on the Buda side.
Since I already had seen pretty much everything there is to see and do in Budapest on my first solo travel trip, I decided to devote an entire day at Gellert. There’s definitely more than enough to do there for an entire day, and it made me feel less guilty about spending a lot of money. Okay, so it’s actually not that expensive—but everything that wasn’t free or dirt cheap seemed expensive to the broke college kid I was at the time!
From the first moment I stepped inside I was already impressed. Gellert Bath is located in the Gellert hotel, and the entrance to the baths was gorgeous. From the beautiful colors of the intricately tiled floors to the painted and glass-decorated ceiling, the entrance kept my phone busy taking pictures.
My admiration increased when I entered the actual baths. The most impressive is the large indoor pool with Art Nouveau architecture—I felt so fancy just standing there! It is by far the most fancy, beautiful pool I ever stepped foot into. Literally just a foot, because I couldn’t swim in it. You need a cap for your hair to go in this pool, and I didn’t want to shell out the extra money for a cap I would wear only once.
But even if you don’t have a cap, there are many pools to enjoy at Gellert. Twelve in total, to be exact. The thermal bath located in the indoor pool room doesn’t require a cap, and neither do the nine other thermal baths or the outdoor wave pool.
The indoor pool room is extremely grand with its many intricate columns and the high glass ceiling shining with natural light. But I thought the rooms housing the other thermal pools were more beautifully and extravagantly decorated. Colorful tiles decorated the floors, walls and ceilings, and sculptures added extra elegance to the space.
It was a beautiful day when I visited Gellert, so it was nice having the outdoor area too. I enjoyed a book and a nap on a lounge chair in the sun while getting a tan. And for lunch I had a goulash soup outside at the tables in front of the restaurant. It felt nice to feel a cool breeze in the shade after spending the morning soaking in hot water.
The outdoor wave pool was fun to swim around in when the waves turned on. But to be honest, it probably would have been more fun if I was there with other people. Desperately trying not to let a wave throw me on top of a stranger was quite the workout. And not what I was looking for on the day I designated for relaxation. So after a short time, I instead opted for the outdoor thermal bath and the sauna located next to it.
I very proudly sat in the wooden barrel filled with freezing cold water after the sauna as one by one, others failed to join me. They would dip a foot in and quickly back out, clambering quickly down the ladder and off to the safety of warmer waters. If you’re a solo traveler because you don’t like being around people, this barrel is for you. It was by far the most unpopular and people-free part of otherwise crowded Gellert.
Overall, there was plenty to do for a relaxing day in Gellert. I felt so refreshed when I left and as took a nighttime walk through the city after.
Like Rudas, there was a locker included in the price. If you want, you could rent a private changing room to yourself instead for a higher price. I opted for just the locker and didn’t think the private room was necessary. There were also showers, though they didn’t have doors or curtains like in Rudas. That was fine, since I just showered with my swimsuit still on and then changed in a changing stall.
If you want to see what Gellert Bath looks like, check out the video I made here.
Verdict: Is Rudas or Gellert better for the solo traveler?
I definitely felt less self conscious about being alone in Rudas (anxiety disorders suck when you love solo travel so much!). And it’s quieter, so it’s the place to go if you need a break from the exhaustion solo travel causes.
On the female only day, there were a lot more people there who were alone too. In fact, most of the women were there alone.
At Gellert, I was one of the only ones who seemed to be alone.
But Gellert is much bigger, and if you’re the type of person who likes to meet new people while solo traveling, this is a better option. I’d recommend the sauna for making new friends. No better way to bond with a stranger than by sweating together in a small, sweltering room!
I enjoyed my time in both, so it really depends on what you’re looking for as a solo traveler. If you’re looking for alone time, I’d say go with Rudas Bath. If you’re looking to meet new people and have a variety of things to do, go with the larger and louder Gellert Bath.
Solo travel accommodation in Budapest
If you’re planning on solo travel in Budapest and want to meet new people, try staying at a hostel! Here are my tips for staying at a hostel.
Even though I like meeting people in hostels, I also like privacy in my bed. That’s why my favorite hostels are the ones that have both a common area to meet people and also curtains on the beds for privacy. Avenue Hostel offers both and is in a good location for visiting these two baths in Budapest.
