Bigggg travel day to Budapest

Yesterday was a big travel day the kind that starts early, ends late, and makes you forget what country you even woke up in.

We set the alarm for 6:00am in Montenegro, packed up in the dark, and hit the road on foot. With our backpacks in tow, we walked 40 minutes through the quiet streets to the bus station not the most relaxing way to start the day, but kind of peaceful in its own way. The air was cool, the streets were empty, and the only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional dog barking in the distance.

Once we reached the station, we boarded a bus heading back to Albania. Not the most direct way to Budapest, but it’s the route that worked. The bus ride took around five hours, winding through mountain roads and border crossings. Somewhere along the way, we managed to strike a deal with the driver. Instead of the usual drop off point, he agreed to take us straight to the airport. After the morning we’d had, that felt like a win.

Then came the long wait.

Our flight wasn’t until 9:30 that night, which meant a solid seven hours of airport limbo. Time moved slowly. We found spots to sit, grabbed food, took turns wandering around, and tried to stay comfortable in a place that isn’t really made for comfort. At some point, we stopped checking the time and just settled into the wait.

When we finally boarded, the flight itself was smooth. We landed in Budapest around 11pm tired, a bit dazed, but glad to be there. From the airport, we caught a bus into the city. The streets were quiet and the lights were glowing.

We found our Airbnb in the centre, let ourselves in, dropped everything, and went straight to sleep. No unpacking, no talking just lights out.

A long day, a few small wins and 3 countries travelled through we finally made it to Budapest!Læs mere