Living Beyond 9 to 5

This is for all the Globetrotters at heart, even if you work from 9 to 5! We understand traveling for a living is not doable for most people, including us. We are two damsels in our early 30s, with regular 9-to-5 office jobs too that try to make the most of our time.

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Budapest: Arriving & Getting Around

Arriving

If you arrive by plane, you’ll land in Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD). Be warned that there’s no direct rail connection to the city center, instead you need a bus (200E or night-line 900) between the airport and the closest station (Ferihegy). In my opinion, it’s not worth the hassle of so many changes. So either just take the (express) 100E bus all the way or arrange private transportation. Many accommodations (not just fancy ones) offer transfers from/to the airport, so check with yours before deciding. There are always taxis too. For details on all options, see the airport’s official transport page.

The ideal arrival in Budapest is by train. In this case, you’ll probably arrive at Keleti, the main international and inter-city terminal. The station is connected to a subway stop of the same name, and access into the city center is quick and easy. The exterior is beautiful and has been recently renovated, so spare some minutes and don’t just go straight through the underground connection. You can find more info on the station and its offered services here.

Getting Around

If you are staying in the city center proper and will visit the basic spots, you will barely need to take any transport: just from/to airport or train/bus station and maybe one to go up to Buda (more on that later). But if you prefer to not really think about that, just go for the one-, two- or seven-day passes. Buy them at any subway station and don’t forget to validate it! The checks are so extensive here that they might as well install fixed controls.

  If you wanna take a break for walking, here are some thematic routes with public transport.

Budapest: Arriving & Getting Around was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5

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Milan: Getting Around

For the visitor within the urban/grey area below, the most convenient tickets are the one-day and two-days tickets, valid for 24 and 48 hours after stamping. There are other options but with these two you don’t need to worry about how many times you’ll use it. The combination of extensive network (including also trams and buses) and limited parking spaces makes this a definitive no-car city.

Milan Subway and Trains Network

Milan: Getting Around was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5

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Milan: Arriving

The Airports

Both Malpensa and Linate receive lots of international flights, however the from/to between them couldn’t be more different, so keep it in mind when making your plans. Here you can see their locations in relation to the Duomo/city center. Ryanair operates through Bergamo Airport (BGY), but it is too far out and time-consuming, so even though I’m skipping this one, you can find the access info here.

Note: You will never see suggestions for buses or taxis, unless there’s a very good reason for it. Making the most of your time and fitting trips into busy schedules means spending limited time for transit, so the most important factor when fixing an itinerary is reliability. Trains are usually faster and you avoid the risk of traffic jams. Although you do need to keep your eyes open for strikes in Italy.

Malpensa (MXP): the most convenient way to reach the city center is the Malpensa Express trains. The journey takes around 35 minutes, with various stops, including Centrale, Porta Garibaldi and Cadorna. Depending on your destination, choose one and continue on your way with the subway. Beyond that, there are also coaches available. I definitely discourage taking a taxi here, it will set you back on a fixed fee of €90!

Linate (LIN): This airport is much closer to the city center than Malpensa but (and it’s a big but) there are no train connections. So exceptionally for Linate, I suggest the taxis. Pay attention to the rush hour to avoid getting stuck in traffic! Additionally, find here info on the coach and bus services.

  The Central Train Station

Centrale is the main train station of Milan and you will likely arrive here if you are coming from abroad. It is connected to two subway stations, M2 and M3. Check the “Milan: Getting Around” post for more info on the subway system.

If you have enough time for side trips, here you can find extensive info on taking trains from Milan. But in short, you should look at Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord (for the Lombarby region).

Milan: Arriving was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5

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Accommodation: Booking.com

Although there are various booking websites around, I am skeptical of giving away my credit card info on random websites. I also do not want to find myself homeless in a destination. That’s why I only try new resources after referrals from friends and I tend to stick with the ones I have tried and tested.  This brings me to my first recommendation: Booking.com

I have personally used their services since 2010 and never had a problem. So even if this is an affiliate link, I feel very comfortable recommending them, as I’ve done countless times to friends through the years.

My first advice: set up your profile and stick to it. Don’t just create a new one when you forget your password or change e-mail. Don’t log in through Facebook, then Gmail, then e-mail. Centralize all the bookings (even if you travel in groups and later split the cost). Why? Because you absolutely want to achieve Genius status.

When you book and stay 5 times, you activate Genius status and unlock a 10% discount and other freebies in participant properties. Note that the freebies vary but can include:

10% discount: Genius travelers get an extra 10% off selected properties around the world.

Genius service: exclusive customer service line.

Freebies & perks: Thousands of top properties offer perks like free airport shuttles, welcome drinks, and priority late check-out exclusively to Geniuses.

But you have advantages even before earning Genius status:

very friendly and easy-to-use interface, including many filters to help you easily find exactly what you have in mind — saves you time that you can use to plan the fun things to do at your destination;

at many properties you can book now, pay later, when you actually check-in;

free cancellation and changes for many rooms, all easily manageable online;

with 1,000,000+ properties, you are guaranteed to find good deals;

verified reviews — only people who have booked and stayed at a certain property can write reviews about their experience, so you can make an well-informed decision, instead of relying on the super-polished presentation hotels make for themselves.

With all this in mind, before booking anywhere else, check if the same accommodation is available on booking.com too. It is not uncommon for owners to offer their properties on more than one platform. I have found Airbnb apartments, and ended up saving money just because I wouldn’t have to pay Airbnb’s service fees.

Do you have any secrets to share? Let us know!

Accommodation: Booking.com was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5

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Exactly 10 years ago, I embarked on my very first #eurotrip and it completely changed my life. The #wanderlust bug bit me and never let go. This is the beginning of a series of #throwback to #10yearsagotoday. Let's start! #europe #livingbeyond9to5 #instatravel #nofilter #munich #germany #muenchen #deutschland #muenchenstagram (at Bayerische Staatskanzlei)

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Beautiful holiday morning! What are you up to on the holiday? #livingbeyond9to5 #rathaus #vienna #austria #nofilter (at Rathaus)

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Piazza Navona - Rome - Italy (by Franek N) 

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Manhattan from Gantry Plaza (by Nacho Coca)

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Metropol Parasol, Sevilla | Spain (by Nacho Coca)

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#travel #quotes #livingbeyond9to5 (at Sardinia)

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Weekend in Munich <3 Soon blog post with tips! :) Meanwhile, the best beer at Hofbräuhaus. Do you agree or are you a fan of a rival brewery? (at Hofbräuhaus München - Das Original)

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The Milan page is live and full of yummy tips. Check out the #livingbeyond9to5 website! (at Milan, Italy)

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City Break @ Milan

Do you have any other tips for Milan? Restaurants, hotels, to-do’s? Comment below!

City Break @ Milan was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5

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Have you ever considered Nice for a short break to enjoy the sun and sea? Read all about it on our #livingbeyond9to5 blog: www.livingbeyond9to5.com/2017/04/23/nice/ (at Nice, France)

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The Living Beyond 9 to 5 Blog is on! Follow for our tips, tricks and inspiration! #livingbeyond9to5

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City Break @ London

Do you have any other tips for London? Restaurants, hotels, to-do’s? Comment below!

City Break @ London was originally published on Living Beyond 9 to 5