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Information
Tourist Info
hungary@tourinform.hu / 24-hour customer service line: 438 8080 (in English and German, tourist information, foreign representations)
Offices:
Inner City: V, Sütő u. 2 (Deák tér) Police-Inform Office. Open: 8 am-8 pm.
near Oktogon: VI, Liszt Ferenc tér 11, tel.: 322 4098 (English, German, French). Open: 1 May-31 Oct 9 am-7 pm, 1 Nov-30 Apr 10 am-6 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm, Sun closed.
Western Station: VI, Nyugati tér, tel.: 302 8580. Open: 1 May-31 Oct 9 am-7 pm, 1 Nov-30 Apr 9 am-6 pm, Sat & Sun 9 am-3 pm.
Buda Castle Info: I, Szentháromság tér, tel.: 488 0475. Open: 1 May-31 Oct 9 am-8 pm, 1 Nov-30 Apr 10 am-7 pm, Sat & Sun 10 am-4 pm.
Budapest, Ferihegy terminals 1, 2A and 2B: Open: 8 am-11 pm.
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T a x i
Taxi tariffs consist of a basic charge (HUF 300) and a kilometre fee (HUF 219-240). For waiting HUF 54-90 is charged per minute. It's worth ordering by phone as it is cheaper than catching one on the street.
Főtaxi: 2 222 222 (if ordered: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 225, waiting: HUF 56; on the street: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 240, waiting: HUF 60)
City Taxi: 2 111 111 (if ordered: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 240, waiting: HUF 60; on the street: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 240, waiting: HUF 60)
Taxi 2000: 2 000 000 (if ordered: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 219, waiting: HUF 54; on the street: basic fee: HUF 300, km fee: HUF 240, waiting: HUF 60)
From the airport the other options you'll find below are much cheaper. Before starting off, check the prices and make sure the meter is going. It is customary to give a 10-15% tip.
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M o n e y
The currency in Hungary is the forint (HUF, Ft).
Banks are open Mon–Fri 8 am–4 pm. Major credit cards are accepted at most places (a sticker indicates acceptance at entrance/cash desk). Cash withdrawal is possible in several banks in an enclosed area even at night.
Paying by cheque is not usual, though banks naturally do accept them.
Exchange in banks and bureaux de change. Rate: 1 Euro ~ HUF 305. For the current EUR/HUF exchange rate see http://english.mnb.hu/Engine.aspx Changing money on the street is not only illegal but also dangerous!
A few rough prices for your information: 1 kg bread / 1 l milk: HUF 180–230; 1 l petrol: HUF 270; 1 hamburger: HUF 200–700; dinner in an average restaurant: HUF 2,500–4,000, 1 night in a Youth Hostel: HUF 3,000–6,000, 1 cinema ticket: HUF 700–1,000
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Parking
Parking is quite expensive in the inner city but even so, it often isn’t easy to find a space.
Maximum time: 2hr. Fee: HUF 120–280/hr. Buda Castle – special area HUF 500–600/hr. Pay by coin or prepaid card. Parking cards available from XIII, Hegedûs Gyula u. 20/B, 9 am–5 pm. Payment by mobile phone deducted from the ParkTel card bought in advance (min. HUF 5,000 available at customer service offices). Weekends are free. (Parking fine: ticket in blue or red bag, paying on the spot/immediately is cheaper.) Cars parked illegally are clamped (removal may be requested on the 24-hour phone number marked on the clamp – fine HUF 7,200 on the spot and HUF 14,400 paid later on the same day), towed away or fined (HUF 5,000–10,000).
Multi-storey car parks: V, Szervita tér; V, Aranykéz utca; VIII, Üllői út/Baross utca corner.
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Shopping
Shops are open from 10 am to 6 pm (food stores open earlier), and on Saturday they close at 1 pm.
Shopping centres with hypermarkets, specialist shops and boutiques (open till evening every day):
WestEnd City Center: VI, next to Nyugati railway station.
Mammut: II, Széna tér.
MOM Park: XII, corner of Alkotás út & Csörsz utca.
For shopping and window-shopping: Váci utca – Kígyó utca pedestrian precinct, Rákóczi út – Kossuth Lajos utca, Great Boulevard (Nagykörút) Souvenirs: I, Castle District and V, Vörösmarty tér – Kristóf tér.
There’s an increasing amount of quality handicraft/applied art goods.
For fruit and vegetables, handicrafts & souvenirs try the Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok), IX, Fővám tér, a beautiful building.
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Worship in English
Danube International Church
non-denominational/evangelical Christian – NEW LOCATION: Budapest I, Somlói út 51. Worship: 10.30 am Sundays 06-30-500-0254 or 385-0933 www.danubechurch.org, info@danubechurch.org
International Baptist Church
Móricz Zsigmond Gimnázium – II, Törökvész út 48. Worship: 10.30 am Sundays www.ibcb.info, lee@leepowell.com
International Church
III, Kis Korona u. 7. Worship: 10.30 am Sundays www.church.hu, icb@nextra.hu
St Columba’s Church of Scotland
VI, Vörösmarty u. 51. Worship: 11 am Sundays
Rev. Aaron Stevens
06-70-615-5394
Anglican Episcopal, St Margaret’s Church
VII, Almássy u. 6. Worship: 10.30 am Sundays
st.marg.anglicanch@
mail.datanet.hu
Roman Catholic, Jézus Szíve templom (Sacred Heart Church)
VIII, Mária u. 25 (at Lőrinc Pap tér). Mass: 5 pm Saturdays.
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Y o g a
Yogasanas Budapest - English Yoga classes daily. BP IX, Ferenc krt. 5, 3rd, flr. For Info & Map: www.yogasanasbudapest.com or call Tom Hoppel: 06/20 802-0262
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H e l p !
Emergency: 112 Ambulance: 104 Fire: 105 Police: 107 Car breakdown service: 188
Anonymous AIDS Counselling
FREE anonymous HIV, Hepatitis B&C, and syphilis screening and advice in person, by phone and e-mail. Mon, Wed: 5-8 pm, Tues, Fri: 9 am-12 noon XI, Karolina út 35/B, Tel: +36-1-466-92-83, www.anonimaids.hu
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From the Airport
Ferihegy Airport is 28 km from the city and has three terminals, Ferihegy 1, 2A and 2B, serving MALÉV Hungarian Airlines (MA6000-7999) and foreign airlines respectively. Terminal 1 handles budget flights.
Airport Minibus
Budapest's Airport Minibus is like a taxi which collects several passengers living close to each other for outward flights and takes them to their home or destination from the airport after inward flights. For this reason journey times to and from the airport are longer than with a taxi. After arrival passengers gather at the Airport Minibus Counter. www.airportspecialist.hu
Public transport
Airport buses marked 93 run from Metro 3's Kôbánya-Kispest end station between 5.30 am and 10.25 pm every 20-30 minutes. The journey time is 28 minutes.
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Driving
Highway code
Speed limits are 50 kph in built-up areas, 90 kph in non built-up areas, 100 kph on high-speed roads and 130 kph on motorways. Bus lanes are only for buses and taxis! Seat belts and child seats must be used. Absolutely no drinking and driving. At junctions vehicles from the right have right of way unless otherwise marked.
Motorways
On 1 Jan 2008 vignettes on windscreens were replaced by e-vignettes. These can be purchased at the usual places (customer service, petrol stations) or by sms or via the internet, are obligatory on motorways. 4 day: HUF 1,170 (1 May – 30 Sept: HUF 1,530), 7 day: HUF 2,550, 31 day: HUF 4,200
For payment option see www.motorway.hu
Petrol
If you’re served, always wait for the attendant to finish refuelling and make sure you are charged the right amount (1 l petrol ~ HUF 270).
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Public holidays
Apart from New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, there are public holidays on:
15 March to mark the 1848 revolution against Austrian rule, with official events, 1 May Labour Day, 20 August to mark the foundation of the Hungarian State, with spectacular fireworks on Gellért Hill, 23 October to mark the 1956 uprising against the communist regime, 1 November All Saints’ Day.
When public holidays fall on a Thursday or Tuesday, the day between the bank holiday and the weekend is also turned into a holiday to make a long weekend.
On public holidays everything is shut except museums.
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B a t h s
For the elegance of the old world:
Gellért Spa Hotel: XI, Szt. Gellért tér 1. Open: 6 am–7 pm (Sat, Sun 6 am–6 pm), HUF 3,300.
For a homely atmosphere:
Lukács: II, Frankel Leó u. 25. Open: 6 am–7 pm (Sat, Sun 6 am–5 pm), HUF 2,100.
For a Turkish flavour:
Rudas: I, Döbrentei tér 9. Open: 6 am–6 pm (Sat, Sun 6 am–5 pm), Vapor-bath: Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri 6 am–8 pm men only; Tues 6 am–8 pm women only; Sat, Sun 6 am–5 pm, Fri, Sat, Sun 10 pm–4 am mixed in swimming costumes. Recently restored. HUF 1,500.
Where they play chess in the water:
Széchenyi: XIV, Állatkerti krt. 11. Open: 6 am–7 pm, HUF 2,800. Tickets are for 4 or 5 hours. If you stay for less than 2 or 3 hours, you can ask for a partial refund of your ticket price from the cash desk! For more see www.spasbudapest.com -----------------------------------
Museums
Museum of Fine Arts – XIV, Hősök tere (Heroes’ Square). Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–5.30 pm (Thur until 10 pm). Free guided gallery walks of the Highlights of the Permanent Collection Tuesday to Saturday at 11 am in English. These are standing tours, no reservation required. Meet your guide in the museum lobby. Great collection of old masters. www.szepmuveszeti.hu
Museum of Applied Arts – IX, Üllői út 33–37. Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm. Temporary exhibitions. www.imm.hu
Hungarian National Gallery – I, Dísz tér, Buda Castle, Palace, buildings A, B, C, D Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm. The greats of Hungarian painting. Incomparable view from the dome: closed until 1 April. www.mng.hu
Hungarian National Museum – VIII, Múzeum krt. 14–16. Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm. World-famous archeological artefacts, treasures from Hungarian history (from 1000 to 1900), LAPIDARIVM in a C19th neo-classical building. www.hnm.hu
Ethnographical Museum – V, Kossuth tér 12. Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm. Everyday life in by-gone Hungary. www.neprajz.hu
Museum of Hungarian Agriculture – XIV, Városliget, Vajdahunyadvár. Open: Tues–Fri 10 am–5 pm, Sat 10 am–6 pm, Sun 10 am–5 pm.
Hungarian (Interactive) Railway Museum – XIV, Tatai út 95, tel.: 238 0558, 450 1497. Open: Tues–Sun 10 am–6 pm. Steam engines, railway vehicles galore, turntable & roundhouse – hands on, interactive fun. www.vasuttortenetipark.hu
Please note. Almost all museums are shut on Mondays and the permanent collections at museums are no longer free.
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Transport
Fares for the metro, buses, trolley buses and trams. Single ticket: HUF 290, book of 10 tickets: HUF 2,600, 2-day family ticket: HUF 2,100 (More than one person can travel on the same book but a ticket must be validated for each person. Tickets must not be removed from the book.)
One-day ticket: HUF 1,500 Tourist ticket (for 3 days): HUF 3,700 7-day ticket: HUF 4,400
Other tickets, including a variety of metro tickets, are also available. See www.bkv.hu for details in English. It's best to buy tickets in advance as they are only available on the vehicle on a few lines and they are more expensive there. When changing, you need to validate a new ticket unless you have a metro transfer ticket. Single tickets are available at newsagents as well.
The morning and afternoon rush hours are best avoided and beware of pickpockets (mobiles, wallets). See the Budapest Card entry if you're interested in a combined ticket for travel and museums.
Construction of the new M4 metro is likely to cause congestion in District XI in south Buda due to closures of sections of road around Móricz Zs. körtér. Kálvin tér and Szabadság bridge are closed to traffic but not to pedestrians.
Budapest Card
The 2- or 3-day Budapest Card permits unlimited travel on public transport, free or discounted entry to 60 museums and other sights, a half price sightseeing tour as well as discounts in restaurants, spas and other services. Price for one adult and one child (up to 14): HUF 6,300 for 48 hours, HUF 7,500 for 72 hours. Available from hotels, the airport, main metro ticket offices, tourist offices and travel agencies. For more see www.budapestinfo.hu (at bottom of page)
Fun transport
A funicular runs from the Chain Bridge up to the Buda Castle (HUF 800, children HUF 500). A cogwheel railway that began operating in 1874, making it Europe's third cogwheel railway, starts from the Hotel Budapest (get there by tram no. 18 from Moszkva tér). Its upper terminus is at a height of 427 metres on Széchenyi Hill.
From there you can take the Children's Railway, staffed by kids (except the drivers, thank heavens!), that runs through wooded hills for 11 km to Hűvösvölgy. Return the way you came or from Hűvösvölgy by bus no. 256. Alternatively, to admire the view take the Chair Lift that goes to the look-out tower on János Hill (HUF 700, children HUF 400). Get there by bus no. 291 from Moszkva tér.
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Internet access
There are many places in the city – here are some with fuller services:
Vista Internet Café:
VI, Paulay Ede u. 7 (near Deák tér). Open: Mon–Fri 9 am–11 pm, Sat 11 am–11 pm.
Free Internet, kids corner
Private Link:
VIII, József krt. 52 (2 stops by tram nos. 4/6 from Blaha L. tér towards Petőfi Bridge). Open: Mon–Sun 24 hrs a day, HUF 700/hr. Memory card download, Photocopying, Printing, Sending/receiving faxes & receiving mail
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Phoning
Phoning in Hungary
International call prefix: 00
Country code for Hungary: 36 Code for inland long distance calls: 06 + area prefix (see phone book – Budapest is 1). E.g. to call a Budapest number from outside the city, dial 06, wait for the tone, then 1 and the 7-digit number. Within Budapest from a fixed line phone just dial the 7 digits.
Three mobile providers operate in Hungary: T-Mobile, Pannon and Vodafone. To call a Hungarian mobile number from your own phone, dial +36, the Hungarian provider’s prefix and the phone number.
Public phones: most work with phone cards (HUF 500, 800, 1,800 and 5,000), but some with 50, 100 forint coins. Phone cards for discount international calls: Barangoló: HUF 1,000/2,000/5,000; eTel: HUF 2,000/5,000; Ezphone: HUF 500/1,000/1,500/2,000; Mozaik Plusz: 2,500/5,000
Phone cards are available in post offices, newsagents and tobacconists.
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Rent a car
Rent-A-Car Regina (IX, Soroksári út 6), Sixt, Avis and Hertz have airport offices.
Public transport in Budapest is pretty good by international standards. It’s best not to drive to the inner city during morning and afternoon rush hours and expect traffic jams throughout the city on Friday afternoons. Road works in the summer make the situation worse.
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Antiques
In Falk Miksa utca, near Margaret (Margit) Bridge on the Pest side, there are many antique shops for paintings and objets d’art.
Flea markets: Ecseri (XIX, Nagykôrösi út 156, left side, bus no. 99 from Kôbánya-Kispest metro end station): prices more for tourists, with a good choice of jewellery, postcards, books, china, etc.
Smaller flea market next to Petôfi Csarnok in the City Park (Városliget): fewer expensive goods, more charming odds and ends. Open: Sat–Sun 7 am–2 pm. It’s worth going early as some pack up around noon.
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Ticket offices
Ticket Express:
V, Deák F. u. 19 (MCD Book and Music Store), tel.: 312 0000; VI, Andrássy út 18; V, Ferenciek tere 10 (IBUSZ); II, Lövőház u. 2–6 (Mammut Cinema Centre). Booking by phone: 06 30 30 30 999 for concerts and festivals. (www.tex.hu)
InterTicket Phone Line:
266 0000; theatre, concert, cinema and boat tickets by bank card. (www.interticket.hu)
Vigadó Ticket:
V, Vigadó u. 6, tel.: 266 5018 for concerts and cultural events.
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