Budapest is in CET – Central European Time (GMT + 2) so please consider this when booking your online CELTA course.

Since its foundation in 1983, IH Budapest has been known for its high-quality English language tuition and its outstanding Teacher Training faculty – and for many, its iconic location in the Buda hills, right next to Széll Kálmán Square, a key transport hub in Budapest.

IH Budapest has always had a great range of teacher training options, and in terms of English teaching the school has always covered the full range of adults, young learners, company classes, exam preparation courses, and its most recent addition, online teaching. Many of our CELTA trainees return to pursue their DELTAs, and quite a few of our DELTA trainees then become CELTA trainers at the school.

Since its very early days, IH Budapest has maintained a wonderfully diverse teaching team and a strong student base where most of our new students come through recommendations of friends and family members who have studied with us before. Our secret recipe is allowing and encouraging the different departments of the school to all work together to make it a success: happy students and loyal staff.

At a time when you can only do the CELTA with us online, why would life in and around Budapest be relevant to you? Well, anyone who completes their CELTA with us online is offered a FREE one-week face-to-face course where you can try out your CELTA techniques with a live group and the support of one of our trainers. Once this is possible, you might just find yourself travelling to Budapest after all. So read on.

There’s no shortage of culture, with monuments and museums in (to name just two examples) the historic castle district and Heroes’ Square. For nightlife, too, there are many options including the famous “ruin pubs” of the 7th district. Nature-lovers are also well-serviced, with the expansive Margaret Island situated in the Danube between Buda and Pest, as well as plenty of walks in the forests of the Buda Hills. Essential relaxation can be sought in one of the many popular thermal bath complexes in Budapest.

Within Hungary there are numerous day and weekend trips you could take – notably to Szentendre, a historic village 20 kms north of the city. Lake Balaton, the main summer resort in Hungary and largest lake in Central Europe, is 90 minutes away by train. Further afield, capitals such as Vienna and Bratislava are a 3-hour train journey.

We’ve been a major centre for the Cambridge CELTA since the late 1980s, and have run hundreds of courses, training thousands of teachers. When we made the transition to 100% online delivery in spring 2020, it was vital that we maintained our high standard. Thank to that, and our strong reputation worldwide, we’ve run full courses monthly since then, and have honed our approach to providing top-notch CELTA training.

You might want a window into what that’s like. One way to get a taste is to listen to recent ‘graduates’ of our online CELTA, as they give advice to anyone considering doing the course in this format. In the video below you’ll see former trainees talking with Senior Trainer Neil Anderson via the Zoom platform, which is what we use for all live-interactive elements of the course (teaching practice, feedback, assisted lesson planning, input and tutorials). By the way that’s Dan Foyster in the top right frame– He was one of the trainers on that course.

Budapest is the hub or a primary destination for a number of discount airlines, and otherwise a major airport in the region, so it’s easy to get here from just about anywhere.

IH Budapest is located near a main transport hub, so it’s easy to get to by metro and tram from just about anywhere in Budapest. Most CELTA trainees have a “commute” of maximum 20 minutes, with some just taking a short stroll to the school.

There are lots of eateries within minutes of the school. Along with Arriba (tacos, burritos and other Mexican fast food) just next to the school entrance, other popular places include Sandwich Guru (in Mammut shopping centre across the street) and the falafel place facing Széll Kálmán tér. There are tons of coffee shops, including of course Starbucks (two locations nearby).

There are several supermarkets within minutes—one in the basement of Mammut shopping centre across the street, another at street level also across the street, and several others a bit further away.

Accommodation

Our partner Budapest teacher training centre is happy to provide information about accommodation options in the Budapest area at the interview stage of the application process, but candidates are required to arrange their own accommodation. Through most options and providers, you are likely to be able to reach the school either on foot or via Budapest’s excellent public transport. As a piece of advice, look for flats through established providers, these should be equipped with wireless internet, a washing machine, and in many cases other appliances such as a microwave, dishwasher, etc. Once accepted onto the course, please let the course administrator know if you are interested in our accommodation e-package and they can assist further. Budapest is a truly fantastic city and we hope you will enjoy your stay! The centre will also be able to advise you about places to visit.

You can organise your own housing using websites such as www.airbnb.com and www.booking.com.