Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Thanks to her location, offers a unique combination of traditional European culture and modern-day routines. Hungary is home to several World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Biosphere reserves and the second largest thermal lake in the world. Visiting this country, you can take a curious trip through rural villages, legendary vineyards, enjoy nightlife in Budapest and discover world-class spas.
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Hungary is suitable for travel in all four seasons due to the climate of the country is temperate continental, but it is most enjoyable in spring and fall, where, generally are the best seasons to visit it, given the pleasant and mild weather with occasional rain.
Birdwatching: May is a particularly wonderful time for birdwatching. You could see all the Hungarian birds on your list. There is so much going on during the spring, the males have their beautiful plumage on to attract mates. Large flocks of cranes usually arrive from September with peak numbers during October into the first week of November when Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese become possible.
Christmas markets: end November until early January.
Hiking: the best time to go for hiking is either from end-March until May or from September to October. The weather during these months is extremely pleasant and favourable.
Busójárás: the 500-year-old traditions with bonfires and parades of fearsome monsters unfold on the bank of the Danube. Held at the end of the Carnival season, ending the day before Ash Wednesday.
Danube Cruise: from April to October.
The Hungarian Forint is the official currency. Typically, 311 to 378 forints per Euro and 252 to 345 forints per US Dollar.
The official language is Hungarian, spoken by 98% of the 10.3m population. Minority languages have become more prominent in recent years, and they include German, Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian and Slovene.
You can enter Hungary at 65 border crossing points. To do so, you need a valid passport, but for EU citizens the ID card is sufficient and visas are not required either. Some border crossing points are only open at certain times of the day (local border). You can enter from Austria, Slovenia, or Slovakia without border control. The border is basically invisible. You can also exit towards these countries without control. You can cross the border at these sections anytime and anywhere, unless specified otherwise. Passports of air passengers arriving from or heading to any of the Schengen countries are not controlled either, only for security reasons.
Neither are visas required for citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, the United States or New Zealand. You can find further information about visa here
In each city around the country there are ATMs for money withdrawal, that accept major debit cards or credit cards. You can also pay by debit or credit cards in most stores. Only a few banks are willing to cash traveller’s cheques, so it is recommended to bring your debit or credit card when you visit Hungary. Smaller shops or country guesthouses may only accept cash. ATMs are often located in the lobby of banks, and you need your card to open the door.
Most stores in Hungary are open from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and from 10 am to 1 or 2 pm on Saturdays. Most stores are closed on Sundays, except for large malls and popular tourist destinations. Banks are open Monday to Friday, but on Fridays they close earlier than usual. Banks at malls have the longest opening hours. Museums are usually closed on Mondays, just like a few restaurants. Restaurants from 11 am to 11 pm, and bars from 11 am until midnight Sunday to Thursday, to 2am Friday and Saturday.
Time: GMT +1 hour/ summer time +2 hours.
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (is in the north of Hungary and the busiest airport in the country. The distance from the airport to the centre of Budapest is 22 kilometres. By car, it takes 25 minutes).
Debrecen International Airport (second busiest airport and dependent on low-cost companies. The airport is located on south of the city centre, the distance from the airport to the centre of Debrecen is 7,6 kilometres. By car, it takes 12 minutes).
Public transport is well developed in Hungary. Most cities have buses and trams, and Budapest has an underground. Unfortunately, the airport is not yet connected by rail to the centre of Budapest, but there are two regular bus lines that connect the airport to the city. You will find the bus stop of line 100E between Terminal 2A and 2B, the frequency time of the buses is 20 to 30 minutes. The Budapest metro consists of four lines, it is very easy to use and understand the routes. The tickets are valid for metro, bus, trolleybus, tram and HÉV (suburban train) within the boundaries of Budapest. The ticket purchased in advance must be validated at the orange machines in the metro or on the bus/tram. It entitles you to travel for 100 minutes (for 120 minutes at night). When you change from one line to another, you should use the so-called transfer ticket or validate one more ticket. You can find more information on ticket types and prices on the following website. With the Budapest Card you can freely use all the public transport services during the validity period. You can purchase a 24-hour or a 7-day card which is also valid for bus, trolley, and tram in addition to the metro. You can find more information on ticket types and prices on the following website.
How to get around in Hungary:
By train, it is cheap and comfortable to get around. In Hungary, you can find three types of trains: Intercity, Express and Passenger. Intercity: the fastest and most comfortable type of railway transportation. It only stops at major hubs. It is necessary to purchase a ticket plus seat ticket. Express trains and fast trains: service more stops, slower. Passenger trains: stops at every station. It is the best form of travel for short trips or if you want to enjoy the countryside scenery. You can buy train tickets at the railway stations, or online. Major train stations also service ticketing machines. If you want to purchase a ticket or travel information, please visit this website.
By bus, buses are clean and comfortable and there is enough leg room to give you comfort. Please arrive in time as ticket purchases may be time consuming. You can purchase tickets directly from the driver, or from ticketing machines at major bus stations. Volánbusz has an extensive bus service system in Hungary. Sometimes bus rides can be quicker than trains at long distances. You can find more information here.
By boat, Budapest has ferry line D14 links Districts 21 and 23 across the Danube, for more information visit this website.
Exchanging money in the streets
Presuming that everyone speaks English
Travelling by taxi and not checking the meter
Exchanging money at the airport and at Western Union
Hungarian cuisine is mostly continental Central European, with some elements from Eastern Europe such as the use of poppy, and the popularity of kefir and quark. Other herbs and spices used in Hungarian cuisine include garlic, marjoram, caraway seeds, celery seeds. Hungarian food is heavy on dairy and meats, like that of neighboring Czech, and Slovak cuisines. Chicken, pork, and beef are common. Hungary is also known for inexpensive salamis and sausages it produces primarily from pork, but also poultry, beef, and others.
The typical Hungarian dishes are: “Pörkölt” (the meat is cooked with onions tomatoes, paprika and vinegar to make a delicious thick sauce that is served over noodles or (Spätzle)), “Csirkepaprikás” (chicken, paprika, red onions, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes. It is usually eaten with bread and sour cream, which you can put on the top of the dish), “Rakott Krumpli” (a casserole, which is made from potato, sausage, eggs, and sour cream. All ingredients are cut into slices, and you just layer them in a baking pan),” Dobos-torta” (it has several sponge cake layers with chocolate buttercream between the layers, but the top layer is hardened caramel).
For Hungary there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Hungary operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.
Hungarian healthcare is public, but there are private institutes as well. Foreign citizens may be eligible for free public healthcare services only if they come from countries that have a special agreement with Hungary. Tourists from the EU and the EEA can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in Hungary. Using an EHIC means that patients receive the same standard of care as Hungarians do. However, European international citizens must apply for their free EHIC before leaving home. All foreigners in Hungary, automatically receive emergency first aid treatment. However, they are expected to pay for the services they receive. Tourists should carry a global medical health insurance policy to cover any serious medical care they need in the country. Additionally, Hungary and the UK have a reciprocal health agreement. As such, British citizens receive free healthcare in Hungary and vice versa.
Hungary is a low-risk country from a health perspective, so there are no required vaccines for entering the country.
The usual tip is 10%. This goes for cabs, restaurants etc. If you pay by card at a restaurant, the staff prefers to receive the tip in cash. The 10-15% service charge added to the bill, is just starting to spread in Hungary. If it is included you do not need to tip.
There are some places where you cannot pay by Euro, like markets, small grocery shops, bakeries, souvenir shops and some restaurants. Theoretically, from 1st of January 2021 it is mandatory for shops to accept credit or debit cards, mobile payments, or bank transfers, but unfortunately it is not always respected.