You have finals week upcoming; shouldn’t you use your time wisely? But there is such a great deal on a trip to Budapest. $120 round trip and a two-night stay at a hostel for only $27 total. Screw it, let’s book the trip.

That was what was going through my mind last weekend. I was debating on whether on taking a trip to either Budapest or Venice because of how cheap plane tickets were and how cheap hostels were. I originally said no, but after some thinking, I said, “screw it” and booked the trip. It would be my first time in Hungary, and I was nervous at first, but as the week progressed, I became more excited about this trip.

Soon the day arrived for me to go to Budapest. I woke up at 3:15 am for a 4:30 am bus to the Brussels airport (my flight left at 9:00 am). I arrived at the airport at around 6:15 am and after getting through security, I spent the time before my flight wandering the airport, which is common for me when waiting for my flight. I soon boarded my flight and was on my way to Budapest for the weekend.

The flight was smooth, and I had no trouble finding my way to the city center. Before heading to my hostel, I stopped at a little brunch place and had an omelet and latte. After that, I checked into my hostel and made my way towards the Danube River. After crossing it, I hiked my way up to the Citadella, where I got an amazing view of the city. After that, I made my way to a castle where I got another view of the city and had some dinner up there as well. I spent the evening walking around the city and witnessed the Hungarian Parliament building lit up at night, which was a sight to behold. After walking around the Parliament, I went back to my hostel and fell asleep.

The next day I made my way back across the Danube and toured a fortress at the top of the hill overlooking the city. There, I learned about the history of Budapest and looked at some artifacts. After that, I attempted to book a tour of the Parliament building, but tickets were sold out the entire day. So, I walked around the building again and continued walking. I tried chimney cake, which is something big in Hungary and it was delicious. I then sat down at a coffee shop and had some lunch while planning out the rest of my day. I eventually made my way to the St. Stephen’s Basilica, where I toured the Basilica and enjoyed another view of the city from the top of the dome. I continued exploring the city and ended the night with some pizza and ice cream. At the end of the day, I had walked over 15 miles, and I was exhausted. I went to bed early because I had an early flight to catch the next morning.

I managed to get home with any issues and in the end, this impulse booking was totally worth it. Would I do it again? Possibly.