BUDAPEST

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right (west-)-bank Buda and Óbuda with left (esat-)-bank Pest.

Buda is in the mostly residential, comprises one-third of the city's total area, with over 20 hills on the right bank of the Danube. Pest on the left bank, is almost entirely flat, and has most of the goverment and commerce and the industry. There are nine bridges in Budapest.

Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes'Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the World. Other highlights include a total of 100 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue (The Great Synagogue), and the third largest Parliament building. The city attracts about 2.3 million tourists a year.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Weather

Budapest has a temperate continental climate, with July and August the hottest months (28-32^oC, 82-88^oF) and December and January the coldest, when temperatures may fall to -15^oC. Average sunshine from April to September is in excess of eight hours a day.

Time zone

Budapest is in the Central European Time Zone. In winter months this means clocks are set at GMT + 1 hour, and in the summer (March to the end of October): GMT + 2 hours.

Holidays

Non-working days: nationali holidays (15 March, 20 August, 23 October) and 1 May (May Day) plus Christian holidays: 1 January, All Saint's Day (1 November), Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Christmas and Boxing Day (25-26 December).

Eletricity

Hungary's electricity network operates at 230 Volts. Plugs are the regulation continental type.

Internet

Internet cafés are highly fashionable in Budapest. Nearby the main sight you will find restaurants or cafés with Wifi access facilities. Aswell the most part of our accomodations have free internet access.

Telephone

Hungary code: 36, Budapest: 1, dialling code for inland calls: 06. Budapest telephone numbers are 7 digits, countryside numbers (including the trunk code) 8 digits.

If you wish to phone abroad from Hungary, first dial 00, wait for the tone, and then dial the country code, town code and continue with the telephone number. It is cheaper to phone at the weekend, on public holidays and in the evening. Mobil phone numbers are 9-digit, after dialling 06, depending on the telephone company, the first two numbers are 20, 30 or 70.

Credit cards

The most commonly used credit cards – AMEX, Diners Club, Cirrus, EnRoute, Euro/Mastercard, JCB, VISA – can be used to obtain cash from ATMs in banks and on the streets as well as to pay bills in hotels, restaurants and shops. Emblems on the door of the establishment detail which credit cards are accepted.

Exchanging money

The Hungarian currency is the forint. Exchanging money is only permitted in licensed, designated places. Do not take the risk of changing money on the street. Most banks have 24-hour banknote exchange ATMs. Banks and travel agencies can set (and modify) their own exchange rates, taking the bank of issue's rate as the basis. Any bureau de change has to have the current exchange rates clearly displayed. Please keep your exchange receipt in a safe place until you depart the country. Bureaux de change in the city centre and near the main railway stations are generally better than those available in the banks, at the airport and in hotels.

Post services

Post offices are generally open Monday to Friday from 8 am until 6 pm.

The two Head Post Offices near Budapest's main railway stations are open longer as follows:

VI. Teréz krt. 51. (near the Western (Nyugati) Railway Station): Mon-Sat 7 am until 9 pm.

VII. Baross tér 11. (Eastern (Keleti) Railway Station): Mo-Sat: 7am-9pm, Su: 8am-8pm.

All post offices offer encashment facilities for VISA, VISA Electron, Eurocard/Mastercard, and Maestro cards, as well as for Eurocheques and American Express traveller's cheques and postal orders.

General opening times

Supermarkets: from 7 am – 6 pm.
Clothes shops from Monday to Saturday between 10 am – 8 pm.
Shopping centres are olso open on Sunday between 10 am – 6 pm.
You can find also small supermarkets open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Important numbers

Ambulance: 104
Police: 107
Fire service: 105
Auto club help number: 188
Speaking clock: 180
Emergency service: 112
Tourinform telephone enquiries: 438-8080

24-hours medical assistance: Health Guard Hungary Telephone: +36 (1) 78 665 58

24- hour dental assistance: +36 (1) 267-9602

All night pharmacy (Gyógyszertár in Hungarian) in the city center:
Teréz Gyógyszertár
VI. kerület, Teréz krt. 41.

You should report the loss of your passport on the following number: +36 (4) 639165 or +36 (4) 639185.

Pubblic transport

Budapest's network of pubblic transport services includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metró) and over ground suburban trains (HÉV). The three metro lines intersect at Deák Square in the centre of town. Undergrounds run 2-15 minute intervals from 4.30 am to 11.10 pm. The local suburban train (HÉV) can be used to travel out to Csepel Island in the south of the city, and to nearby Szentendre, Gödöllő and Ráckeve. Maps sited at the entrances to metro stations give a comprehensive overview of the entire public transport network in Budapest.

Tickets

May be purchased at metro stations, ticket machines, tobacconists and newsagents. It is perhaps best to buy your tickets at a metro station because there you have a choice of several types of ticket (transfer ticket, day ticket, 3-day tourist ticket, metro section ticket) and various passes. Tickets have to be bought before boarding, you cannot usually buy them from the driver and there are no conductors. Tickests are valid for one single journey of any length (without changing). A new ticket has to be validated at the beginning of each journey, and this is done by inserting it into the slot in the box situated at waist height near of doors of buses, trolleybuses, trams and HÉV trains. Please note, on the Underground system these boxes are int he stations at the escalator. More informations: www.bkv.hu.

Fun transport

The Buda Castle Funicular is a special pendulum-type funicular railway whose lower station is located at Clark ádám tér, and the upper station is between the Sándor Palace and the Buda Castle. As a par of the view of the Danube embarkments, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Budapest Cogwheel Railway(Fogaskerekű vasút) is the world's third hill railway. It is not only common public transport regularly used by locals, but also a moving tourist attraction that can take you form Széll Kálmán tér to the Buda hills and Children's Railway, a narrowgauge forest railway operated by children, which is the other attraction worth seeing.

Alternatively, to admire the view take the Chair Lift (Libegő) that takes you up János Hill, the highest point of Budaest (526m). At the top of the hill there is Erzsébet Lookout Tower (Kilátó) offering magnificent view of the city. Chair lift operates from 10 am to 4 pm.

Budapest Card

Budapest Card is a discount card for tourists, which is valid for 48 or 72 hours, and which offers more than 150 different discounts for visitors to Budapest.

Try the best restaurants in the city, visit the most beautiful sights and exhibitions in Budapest, relax in a spa – all this only with the unique discounts of the Budapest Card!

24-hour Budapest Card: HUF 5500 (EUR 19)
48-hour Budapest Card: HUF 6900 (EUR 24)
72-hour Budapest Card: HUF 8300 (EUR 29)
48-hour Walking Budapest Card: HUF 4900 (EUR 17)

Budapest Card is valid only for its holder (signatory) and it can NOT be transferred. The discounts provided by the Budapest Card are valid for the owner and an accompanying minor up to 14 years. More informations: www.budapest-card.com.

Taxis

Budapest taxis have yellow number plates and a taxi sign in yellow. (Any vehicle without these features is operating illegally). Ask for assistance from the ovner of the accomodation where you stay when order taxi, because a taxi ordered by phone is cheaper than one called on the street. Taxi drivers are required to give an invoice on request. Tipping: in general 10% of the fare is acceptable, but this naturally depends on how satisfied the passanger is with the service.

Parking

The capital is sectioned into several parking zones, and different parking fees are charged according to the zone. Parking must be paid for between the hours of 8 am – 6 pm from Monday to Friday, and 8 am- moon on Saturday. Sunday the parking is free. On parking, a ticket must be purchased from the nearest ticket machine for the entire period the car is to be left. This ticket should be displayed behind the windscreen. Minimum parking time: 15 minutes, maximum waithing time 2-3 hours. For longer periods, it is racommended that you leave your car in a P+R car park. Cars parked illegally will be clamped or multed. Please, don't leave any valaubles, documents or mobil phones in your car even for a few minutes and make sure that your car is never left unlocked.

Rent-a-car

A selection of the larger car rental companies: Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar. In general, all companies require that the person renting a vehicle is at least 21 years old, has had at least one year's driving experience, has a valid driving licence and passport. All the major rent-a-car companies have an office at the airport, and brochures on rent-a-car options are available from hotel reception desk and Tourinform offices. Naturally we can help you with further informations.