Hungary

Quick Facts

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Capital

Budapest

Population

10,045,000

Government

Parliamentary Democracy

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Languages

Hungarian

Calling Code

+36

Nationality

Hungarian

Local name

Magyarország

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Introduction

Inside of Matthias Church

© All Rights Reserved ilyushin

Most people agree that as far as eastern European travel destinations go, Hungary tops the list. The nation is most definitely geared towards tourism, with classy resorts and hotels at all the important spots, but it has wisely averted the destruction of its traditional culture.

Budapest draws most of the crowds, for obvious reasons. Elegant streets, lined with rustic historical buildings, medieval castles and Roman ruins were made for romantic strolls. But a trip to Hungary should not stop at Budapest. To see Hungarian art and folk music in its traditional setting, head to the countryside, where charming villages dot the landscape. For some relaxed fun, Lake Balaton offers thermal springs, tiny but attractive beaches and a host of fine resorts. Nature lovers will find an abundance of protected areas and a handful of national parks, but the real treat is for bird lovers: great bird watching opportunities abound around Hungary's wetland areas.

Brief History

Geography

Hungary shares international borders with Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia.

Regions

• Northern Hungary
• Northern Great Plain
• Southern Great Plain
• Central Hungary - includes the capital Budapest
• Central Transdanubia
• Western Transdanubia
• Southern Transdanubia

Cities

• Budapest
• Pecs
• Debrecen
• Szeged
• Gyor
• Miskolc

Sights and Activities

The Puszta

Hortobagy

© All Rights Reserved Rika884

Most of the east of Hungary comprises the most famous landscape in the country, called the puszta.
The cultural landscape of the Hortobagy Puszta is placed on the Unesco World Heritage List and basically is vast area of plains and wetlands with traditional forms of land use. These include the grazing of animals among others and the traditional life dates back fore more than 2000 years.

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is the biggest lake in Central Europe and one of the major tourist destinations in the country. It can be very crowded in July and August, especially in and around Siofok, which draws lots of younger people from the west of Europe, so it is best to visit in Spring or early Autumn. The lake has shallow waters and you can walk for tens of meters before you can't stand anymore. The advantage is that the water is relatively warm, even already in Spring. The surroundings are hilly and there are some great places to explore. The western shores are less developed and populated. You also can go on a Chesna flights above the lake, which is great fun as well. Siofok can be reached by train or bus from Budapest in several hours.

Hollokö

The old village of Hollokö and its surroundings are one of the places in Hungary which are on the Unesco World Heritage List. The old village is a great example of a deliberately preserved traditional settlement and it developed during the 17th and 18th centuries mainly. It also is a fine example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century. Highlights include the Hollokö castle, the Hollokö 16th century wooden towered churchand the Hollokö houses, converted to folk museums that are preserved in their original state, including the obiquitous craft shops inside.

Others sights and activities

Budapest

© All Rights Reserved Vadrozsa

• Tokaj Wine Region - famous for its high quality white wines
• Budapest - Along the Danube river
• Pecs - including the christian necropolis, Unesco site
• Caves of Aggtelek Karst

Events and Festivals

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

The country's main international airport is Budapest Ferihegy Airport^[1] (BUD/LHBP). Terminal 1 was recently refurbished and serves low cost carriers. Terminal 2A is used by MALEV Hungarian Airlines and its code-share partners, while 2B by other carriers.

All terminals can be reached by public transportation. Bus no. 200 links all the terminals with the southern end of the 3rd metro line (M3).

Balaton Airport http://www.flybalaton.com/is served by Ryanair from London, and other carriers operating flights from Germany. The airport itself is located at the western end of Lake Balaton close to the city of Keszthely.

By Train

Budapest has international rail connections to several European capitals. The major railway stations are: Eastern Railway Station (Keleti pályaudvar), Southern Railway Station (Déli pályaudvar) and Western Railway Station (Nyugati pályaudvar). The first two are accessible by M2 (second metro line), while the last one with M3 (third metro line). International ticket offices are located at these railway stations.

Hungarian National Railways (MÁV) have a good website which includes price information on international train tickets.

By Car

By Bus

International bus services connect Budapest with several European cities. Day and night services (depending on the distance) depart from and arrive to the recently rebuilt Népliget Bus Terminal (accessible by M3 and tram no. 1). Coaches to Vienna (4 times daily) calls in at Vienna International Airport as well. For timetables and on-line ticket purchase visit the english version of http://www.volanbusz.hu

By Boat

Passanger boats' circulation is restricted both in time (from march until october), and regarding rivers' sections.
A regular hydrofoil service links Budapest with Bratislava (Slovak Republic) and Vienna (Austria).

Getting Around

By Plane

The country does not have any domestic flight services.

By Train

The railway network is centralised, trains to and from larger cities depart from or arrive to the capital, Budapest. The most convenient and fastest services are the InterCity trains (IC) that link Budapest with major towns and depart several times a day. An obligatory supplementary fee (including seat reservation) applies on these trains. Trains are operated by MAV. The most popular routes include Budapest-Kecskemet-Szeged and Budapest-Siofok-Lake Balaton.
For prices and timetables, visit the Elvira website.

By Car

Roads in Hungary are being improved all the time, and the motorways are in good condition. Some roads require you to pay toll. International and local firms all have rental cars at airports and major cities. An international driver's licence is required when you are not from a EU country, otherwise your national driver's licence is sufficient. Driving is on the right.

By Bus

Volanbusz is one of the main operators with many buslinks in the country. Many buses originate and terminate in Budapest and go to the provincial capitals and several smaller towns.

By Boat

Mahart offers boat travel on the Danube river from Spring to Autumn between Budapest and Szentendre, Vác, Visegrád and Esztergom. Budapest Transport Limited has ferries in and around the capital only.
On Lake Balaton, Balaton Shipping Co has ferries between a number of towns and villages from April to October.

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

Money

The country's official currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF). Though some places accept payments in euro, it is advisable to change it to local currency first for getting better rates.
ATMs can easily be found around larger cities, and even small villages posess at least one of them. Paying by bank or credit cards should not pose any problem.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

Hungary is already well known for its many spa towns and health resorts, but lately it is also gaining an international reputation in the areas of medical and dental tourism. Hungarian dentists have long been treating Austrian and German patients who travelled the short distance across the border to avail of high quality treatment at much reduced prices, but the advent of budget airfares has meant that people are now travelling in large numbers from the UK and Ireland, and even from as far afield as the United States. The medical tourism industry provides for everything from simple cosmetic procedures to much more serious elective procedures, all for much less than private treatment would cost the medical tourists at home, and without the lengthy waiting lists that are such a fixture in some countries' health systems. Thanks to the internet a simple Google search is usually all it takes to find a clinic willing to help with whatever problem you may have.

Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

The phone code for Hungary is 36, with Budapest numbers starting with 06 1. Depending on the operator, mobile phone numbers start either with 06 20 (Pannon), 06 30 (T-Mobile) or 06 70 (Vodafone). Free numbers start with 06 80, but there is also a 'half price' number starting with 06 40. It is cheapest to place calls in the evening, weekends or on public holidays.

Public phones are readily available in bigger cities and are coin operated or require T-Com phone cards. Phone cards can be purchased at the usual outlets; kiosks, post offices and petrol stations among others.

There are also numerous cheap phone cards to call internationally and are available at assorted outlets. These includes T-Com, EZ Phone, Bellafone and plenty of others offering various discount rates. It's smart to check the current rate to the destination you plan to call the most and compare this with other cards. Also compare the cost for establishing a connection as this can make a big difference in the real 'per minute' cost.

To call internationally, dial 00, wait for the tone and then dial the country code, town/city code and the rest of the number.

Travellers that are planning to stay in Hungary for longer periods might want to consider buying a prepaid SIM-card either before departure or upon arrival. This is especially useful for friends from overseas who might be calling you and to make and receive local calls more conveniently. The three mobile operators in Hungary are Vodafone, Pannon and T-Mobile, and each have their own prepaid service.

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