Accommodation
Every kind of accommodation can be found in Hungary, from private guest rooms
to luxury hotels. The Hungarian National Tourist Office publishes three catalogues
annually on places to stay: a catalogue on Hotels, Guesthouses, Tourist Hostels;
a catalogue on camping sites; and a catalogue on Youth Hostels.
Banks, banknotes and currency exchange
The official currency in Hungary is the forint. There are coins of 1, 2, 5,
10, 20, 50 and 100 forint.
Notes come in denominations of: 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000
forint.
Foreign currency may only be exchanged at places with official permission,
and the official receipt of exchange must be kept until leaving the country.
The National Bank of Hungary is open Monday to Thursday 9.00 - 15.00, Fridays
9.00 - 13.00. Commercial banks are usually open Mon.-Thurs. 08.00-15.00, Fridays
09.00-13.00. All banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Numerous money
change offices are open at the weekends in the Inner Town of Pest (5th District)
and in the Castle District (1st District). Currency can be exchanged at hotel
receptions, night and day, and during the week at travel agencies as well.
Outside business opening hours, you can also use automatic cash machines (ATMs)
located throughout the city.
Budapest Card
The Budapest Card entitles you to 2 or 3 days of unlimited travel on the public
transport system, free admission to museums, city tours for half price and
countless other discounts on services and admissions, from discounts on swimming
baths and shops, to restaurants and the airport minibus service. The Budapest
Card is available at Tourinform offices, travel agencies, hotels, museums
and at the most frequented Budapest Transport (BKV) ticket offices.
Car Rentals
All the major car rental companies have an office at the airport, and brochures
on car rental options are available at hotel reception desks and Tourinform
offices.
Some of the main companies: Americana, Avis, Budget, Hertz-Mercure.
Casinos
Thirteen casinos are operated in Hungary, of which 3 are in Budapest and the
rest in the following cities: Győr (2 casinos), Kecskemét, Mosonmagyaróvár,
Nyíregyháza, Sopron, Szeged, Székesfehérvár, Szentendre and Veszprém.
Cheques, credit cards and deposit books
Most currency exchange bureaux will cash foreign currency travellers cheques,
Eurocheques and bank cheques in currencies officially registered by the Hungarian
National Bank. A passport or other personal identification is required in
order to have cheques cashed. The most frequently used credit cards - AMEX,
Diners Club, EnRoute, Euro/Mastercard, JCB, VISA - can be used to withdraw
money from banks or automatic cash machines (ATMs), or for payment in hotels,
restaurants or shops.
Eating out
The many types of Hungarian cuisine across the country are worth discovering,
from cafés to luxury restaurants and from fast food outlets to "csárda"s
(country inns). Menus are generally written in English and German as well,
offering international as well as Hungarian dishes. Virtually all kinds of
international food can be found in restaurants in Budapest. Fast-food restaurants
(e.g. McDonald's) have an extensive network across the country.
Electricity
220 volt. Plugs are the regulation two-pin continental-type.
Emergency numbers
Ambulance: 104
Police: 107
Fire station: 105
Directory Information: 198 for domestic, 199 for international
Events, programmes
The Hungarian National Tourist Office publishes an annual Events Calendar
for tourists, containing the most important cultural and sport programmes,
exhibitions and fairs. There are also programme guides published regularly
each month in several languages. These are available at information offices,
hotels and travel agencies.
Food and drink
Characteristic features of Hungarian cuisine are the deliciously seasoned
and satisfying dishes prepared with red paprika, onions, tomatoes, and green
peppers, such as: the famous Hungarian gulyás soup, paprikáscsirke (chicken
paprika) with dumplings, and töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage). Soup specialities
include halászlé (fish soup) and Újházy tyúkhúsleves (chicken broth with noodles).
Characteristic pastries include túrós csusza (egg noodles with curds), rétes
(strudel filled with sour cherries, cottage cheese or poppy-seeds), Somlói
galuska (sponge cake with chocolate sauce) and vargabéles (paste of strudel
and noodles with cottage cheese).
Among typical Hungarian drinks, the best known are the wines (see under Wine)
and the brandies (plum, apricot, pear, cherry), Zwack Unicum, and among the
beers, Dreher, Aranyászok, Kőbányai, Soproni and Bak, as well as the most
famous Hungarian sparkling wine produced by Törley.
Hungarian language
Hungarian belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family and is fundamentally
different from other European languages.
Museums
There are some 1,380 public collections, museums and galleries in Hungary,
of which 200 can be found in Budapest. Museums are generally open from Tuesday
to Sunday, 10.00-18.00, but closing somewhat earlier in the winter.
Nature Reserves
The Hungarian National Tourist Office publishes brochures entitled "National
Parks" and "Hiking", which give an overview of national parks
in Hungary and offer excursions to their most beautiful areas.
Opening hours for shops
Grocery stores and shopping centres are open Monday to Friday from 07.00-19.00
and on Saturdays from 07.00-14.00. The largest department stores, shopping
and entertainment centres are also open on Sunday.
Flea markets are very popular and sought out by tourists. (Ecseri Market:
opening hours: Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00, Sat 6.00-15.00, Sun 8.00-13.00; Petőfi
Market Hall: opening hours: Sat-Sun 7.00-14.00)
Post Offices
The post offices are generally opened on weekdays 8.00 - 18.00. Post offices
near the main railway stations in Budapest are open longer, Mon-Sat 7.00-21.00
(Keleti Station), Mon-Sat 7.00-21.00 and Sun 10.00-17.00. (Nyugati Station).
Stamps can be purchased at post offices and tobacconists.
Public Holidays
January 1: New Year's Day; March 15: National Holiday; Religious holidays:
Easter Monday, Whit Monday; May 1: Labour Day; August 20: St Stephen's and
Constitution Day; October 23: Republic Day; November 1: All-Saints' Day; December
25-26: Christmas Holidays
Radio
Rádió Bridge (at FM 102.1 Mhz frequency) broadcasts English-language news
daily from 05.00-22.00, on the hour.
Safety
The practical advice for tourists going to Hungary is the same as for any
other country: keep all travel documents (passports, driving licence, etc)
and money in a pouch worn around the neck. It is advisable to make photocopies
of travel documents and keep them in a separate place (e.g. In a Hotel safe).
On public transport (especially on crowded trams, metros) keep cameras or
video cameras in sight, never in a backpack or bag at your side. Keep jewellery
and cash in the Hotel safe! Never exchange money on the street, because there's
a great danger of being tricked with false money. Never leave valuables or
your keys in the car and if possible, leave your car in a guarded parking
lot with the car alarm activated. Before taking a taxi, verify rates with
the driver.
Shopping
There are many opportunities to tempt the shopper in Hungary.
Some typical Hungarian items and tourist souvenirs: folk art products (e.g.
Embroidery from Kalocsa and Matyó, blouses, black ceramics from Nádudvar,
wood carvings, glazed pottery, "Miska- kancsó" - Max's pitcher -
hand weaving from Sárköz, blue-dyed fabrics), fine porcelain (Zsolnay and
Herend), lead crystal, Hungarian salami (PICK, Herz), goose liver, cherries
in brandy, ground paprika (from Kalocsa and Szeged), Tokaj wine (aszú, szamorodni),
pálinka (cherry, plum and apricot brandy), sparkling wine (Törley, Hungária),
Zwack Unicum.
Taxis
Taxis in Hungary have a yellow licence plate and must have taxi meters. Reliable
taxi firms are: Budataxi: 233-3333, City Taxi: 211-1111, Főtaxi: 222-2222,
Rádiótaxi: 377-7777, Tele5 taxi: 355-5555, 6x6 Taxi: 266-6666 , Taxi2000:
200-0000
A taxi ordered by phone is cheaper than one called on the street.
Telephone
o Hungary's country code is 36, Budapest's area code is 1
o For long-distance calls in Hungary: dial 06 first
o For making calls that cannot be placed directly: dial 191 for domestic and
190 for international calls
o For international calls from Hungary: dial 00 first (wait for the international
dial tone), followed by the country and area codes and then the number.
o For sending telegrams by phone within Hungary: dial 192
Public telephones operate either with coins or a telephone card. For coin-operated
telephones, 20, 50 and 100 Ft coins are used. Telephone cards in message units
of 50 or 100 can be bought at post offices, newsagents or tobacconists.
Thermal baths and health spas
Hungary is uniquely blessed with plenty of thermal water: some 135 known thermal
(medicinal thermal water) springs gush up towards the surface. There are 103
thermal and therapeutic spas offering various curative services. The Hungarian
National Tourist Office publishes detailed information about these.
Tipping
In Hungary, restaurant prices do not generally include the service charge,
and so it is normal to give a tip of 10-20% of the total amount. The same
applies for hairdressers, cosmeticians, taxi drivers and other service providers.
Tourist Information
The information services and activities of the Hungarian National Tourist
Office are provided by the network of TOURINFORM offices across the country.
www.tourinform.hu.
Wine
The Tokaj wines are the most famous wines of Hungary, honoured for centuries
with the title "the king of wines and the wine of kings". The most
valuable type is the "Tokaji Aszú", which is rated according to
the number of puttony (basket used for picking grapes). Hungarian red wines
originate from the regions of Eger, Szekszárd and Pécs, and their most important
representatives are: "Egri Bikavér" (Eger Bull's Blood), "Medoc
Noir", "Villányi Burgundi and Oportó".
Perhaps the most famous white wines are those which come from the volcanic
soil of the Lake Balaton highlands, such as "Badacsonyi Rizling",
"Badacsonyi Szürkebarát", "Kéknyelű" (Blue Stalk), but
wines from the Mátra slopes are also very popular, such as the "Abasári
Rizling".