Travel Day Amsterdam to Budapest

Tuesday 6^th September 2016

Sunrise 7:00am – Sunset 7:14pm in Budapest
Weather Forecast: 24 and sunny
Steps:      11,698       8.08 km

I woke at 5.30am and decided to get up then.  Made sure that I haven’t left anything in the room or in the wardrobe and safe and went down to breakfast at 6:30.  Helen and Graham were already there.  They are taking a train from Amsterdam back to Brugge today and then cycling back to Amsterdam, staying in a house boat on canals at night time.  I’m not sure how long that will take them.

There were 7 of us on the 7:30am transfer to the airport, where we arrive around 8am.  I quickly found the KLM check in desk but all of Schipol is now ‘self check-in’, so I finally had to do a self check-in and then baggage drop, after avoiding it for a number of years.  Somehow my checked luggage has gained 3kg from Canberra to Amsterdam. It’s now show 19kg.

Security was very thorough. I had to take my camera and plugs and stuff like that out of my carry-on. My corkscrew showed up on the scanner. I had forgotten that it was in my carry-on. Fortunately he let me keep it, even though it had a blade attached to it. What the scanners didn’t pick up was the other small sheathed knife that I had in the same packing cube. I’ll put both in the checked luggage before I return home.  I found the gate and there were already a few people sitting there in the upper section. The door to the downstairs main gate was still closed.  This was about 8:45 – 9:00am. I kept on walking to a further gate, where there wasn’t anyone sitting and didn’t return to my gate until an hour before the flight was due to depart. By then the lower door was open and there was plenty of seating.

At 10:30, there was an announcement asking people to check their carry-on, because of not enough space on the plane and it would be free.  You have to remove all valuables and electronic equipment and as that is mainly what I have in my carry-on, I didn’t take up the free offer.  The plane started boarding just on 11 and I have window seat 8F.  The couple sitting in the same row next to me, were from Sydney. Push back 11:15 and lift off at 11:25.  Flight time 1 hr 45 minutes.

High above the clouds.

 The onboard snack was a slice of cake and a drink. Water, tea, coffee or soft drink.  Descent started around 12:35 

First view of Budapest, once out of the clouds.

and I’m pretty sure we landed on time at 1:10 pm.  I had de-planed, picked up my luggage (3^rd off the carousel), found my driver and departed the airport by 1:25pm.

I was dropped at the Mercure Budapest City Centre at 2pm.  My room wasn’t ready, so I sat in the bar and had a snack while waiting.  Finally got into my room. Room 707.

I contacted Val & Poolsuk and met Val at the Elizabeth Bridge and went to the apartment they are renting. We confirmed our Viator tour for Thursday and then went across the road to a restaurant/piano bar for a beer. Right on the Danube just below the Citadel.

After a beer Poolsuk & Val walked with me back to the hotel, as they will be coming here, to be picked up on Thursday morning.

I had quick walk around the local area and found a mini mart, so bought a snack to have as dinner.