Where to Base Yourself in Hungary as a Digital Nomad

The capital straddles the Danube, with hilly, leafy Buda on the west bank and flat, busy Pest on the east. Most nomads live in Pest: District V is the elegant centre, District VI around Andrássy Avenue is central and a little calmer, and District VII, the old Jewish quarter, is full of cafes and ruin bars, and noisy at night. District XIII and Buda are quieter and more residential. Budapest has the country’s coworking spaces, best hospitals, thermal baths, cheap public transport and most flights. See the Budapest digital nomad guide.

Hungary’s second city sits on the Great Plain in the east, about two and a half to three hours from Budapest by train. It is a big university town with a large international student population, the twin-towered Reformed Great Church, the Nagyerdő park and thermal baths, and the wide grasslands of Hortobágy National Park nearby. Debrecen Airport has a handful of low-cost routes around Europe. It is cheap and practical, but quiet compared with Budapest and has little nomad scene.

Szeged, on the Tisza river near the Serbian border, is known as Hungary’s sunniest city. Rebuilt in grand style after a flood in 1879, it has art nouveau buildings, a huge Votive Church, riverside walks and a large university that keeps cafes and bars busy in term time. It is about two and a half hours from Budapest by train. Summers are hot and long, and English is common among younger people.

Pécs, in the south under the Mecsek hills, has one of the mildest climates in Hungary and a Mediterranean feel. It was a European Capital of Culture in 2010, has a UNESCO-listed early Christian burial site, the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, a large university and a good wine region at nearby Villány. It is about three hours from Budapest by train, so it suits people who want a slow, cultured base rather than frequent trips.

Central Europe’s largest lake is Hungary’s summer playground, about one and a half to two and a half hours from Budapest by train. Balatonfüred on the north shore is an elegant spa town with a long promenade and vineyards behind it; Keszthely at the western end has the Festetics Palace and is close to the thermal lake at Hévíz; Siófok on the south shore is the busy party town. From June to August the lake is lively and prices peak; from November to March many restaurants and rentals close, so it works best as a summer base.

A small baroque town in the north-east, about two hours from Budapest, known for its castle, its thermal baths and the wine cellars of the Valley of the Beautiful Women, where Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) is made. It has a university and a friendly, compact centre, and the Bükk hills are close for hiking. It suits nomads who want a quiet, walkable town and are happy with a very small foreign community.

• Start in Budapest to sort your White Card or EU registration, SIM, bank account and contacts, then decide.
• Visit in spring or autumn. April to June and September to October are the most comfortable everywhere.
• Think about the season at Balaton. It is great in summer and very quiet in winter.
• Expect less English outside Budapest, especially in official offices.