Just returned from Black Sea to Budapest - add ons for those going in the near future
I just returned from this trip last night, and want to post for those who are going in the near future. MCD just wrote an excellent review which I will supplement after I get my thoughts together. For those going, in Bucharest, a MUST see is the Casa Ceausescu, which you book directly through the site. It is the home of the dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and his family. There are guided tours in English. We Ubered from the hotel for around $8. It was about a 20 minute ride in traffic. The traffic in Bucharest is reminiscent of LA. We were advised by the Tauck agent to stick to Ubers because the cabs on the street may not be honest. This was a highlight and not included in the tour. We had purchased Viator tickets to visit Parliament in Bucharest (Tauck does not go into the building) but the heat was so oppressive that day that we skipped it. In Budapest, if the opera is playing you can get discounted tickets from the concierge at the Ritz Carlton. We had a gorgeous box on the second tier with a fabulous view for 116 euros (total) for 4 people. The Budapest opera house is magnificent and is not part of the tour. It is easily the most beautiful opera house I have ever seen ( compared to the Met, Kennedy Center, La Scala, Sydney). The opera we saw, Rigoletto, was good fun, and it was a lovely way to spend our last night ( extra day/night) in Budapest. It was a 6 Euro Uber/ cab ride from the Ritz Carlton ( if you use Uber, a registered cab will come. Uber, per se, does not exist independently in Hungary). More later.