Hungary

1. Hungary's central position and experience in welcoming travelers makes it the ideal place to enter Eastern Europe. In all probability, you'll arrive in picturesque Budapest, which has a lively arts, café and music scene, and is host to a range of cultural and sporting festivals. To venture outside the capital is to travel through plains, resort-lined lakes, Baroque towns, and rustic villages. Don't miss this.

2. Hungary's other attractions include sampling its quality wines, 'taking the waters' in a relaxing thermal spa, or bird-watching in some of the best spots in Europe.

3. As you read on, you'll find that this is a great place. However, watch out as Bag snatching and Pickpocketing are common in Budapest in particular.

4. Be particularly careful on busy public transport and at markets and other places frequented by tourists. Leave valuables in a hotel safe. Do not carry large amounts of cash. Do not use street money-changers. Criminals sometimes pose as police officers; always ask for credentials and/or insist on going to the police station.

5. There are occasional incidents of tourists being charged exorbitant prices, sometimes accompanied by threats of violence, in certain bars and restaurants in Budapest. Be wary of strangers inviting you to unfamiliar establishments, and of menus that do not properly display prices. Theft of and from vehicles is common.

6. Carry your passport at all times. You must be able to show some form of identity if requested, e.g. by the police. A photocopy is not acceptable.

7. Hungarian laws on the possession and use of drugs are strict. It is illegal to drive having consumed alcohol. The use of headlights is compulsory on roads outside towns even in daytime. For further information, check with the Hungarian Embassy. Take adequate comprehensive insurance.

8. There is good public transport in all the main towns. Budapest has bus, trolley bus, tramway, suburban railway (HEV), a 3-line metro and boat services. The metro has ticket barriers at all stations. The bus-trolley /bus-tramway system has pre-purchase flat fares with ticket puncher on board. Day passes are available for all the transport modes in the city.

9. Most Hungarians enjoy modern music and dance, although older people still preserve their traditions and culture, particularly in small villages. Handshaking is customary. Now you know how to greet them.

10. Few people speak English outside hotels, big restaurants and tourist offices.

11. Gifts are acceptable for hosts as a token of thanks, particularly when invited for a meal.

12. Casual wear is acceptable in most places, with the exception of expensive restaurants and bars. Formal attire should be worn for important social functions, but it is not common practice to specify dress on invitations.

13. Smoking is prohibited on public transport in towns and public buildings.

14. Budapest has many nightclubs, bars and discos. There is a casino in the Budapest Hilton, and one on the river in front of the Forum. Hungary's major celebration is the Budapest Spring Festival (March), a two-week cultural extravaganza of local and international performances, conferences and exhibitions.

15. Hungary remains a bargain destination. If you stay in private rooms, eat at medium-priced restaurants and travel 2nd-class on trains, you could save your money. ( in case you want to cut down costs substantially)

16. You can exchange cash and travelers' cheques up to 30,000 Ft at banks and travel agents, usually for a commission of 1% to 2%. Post offices almost always change cash, but rarely cheques. ATMs accepting credit and debit cards can be found throughout the country, but it's always useful to carry a little foreign cash, preferably US dollars or Deutschmarks in case your plastic doesn't work. Credit cards can be used in up-market restaurants, shops, hotels, car rental firms, travel agencies and petrol stations.

17. Hungary has a tip-conscious society and virtually everyone routinely tips waiters, hairdressers, taxi drivers and even doctors, dentists and petrol-station attendants about 10%. Not leaving a tip, or leaving a very small tip, is a strong signal that you were less than impressed with the service. Never leave money on the table in a restaurant: tell the waiter how much money you want to leave as a tip as you are paying the bill. Bargaining is not the done thing in Hungary, but you can try a little gentle haggling in flea markets or with individuals selling folk crafts.

18. Try the local food- Local dishes include halászlé (fish soup) with pasta and goulash (gulyás) soup. You'll have to dig a little to unearth the wonders of Hungarian cuisine. The natural abundance of fruits and vegetables should make eating here a delight, but unfortunately this is often not the case. Generally, basic dishes consist of fatty meat (pork is generally preferred) or overcooked fish, some sort of starch, and a teensy-weensy garnish of pickles. These include: pörkölt (stew, and what everyone calls 'goulash' abroad); gulyás (a thickish beef soup); and halászlé (spicy fish soup cooked with paprika). If you keep your eyes open for jokai bableves (bean soup), hideg gyumolcsleves (cold fruit soup made from sour cherry) or palacsinta (stuffed crepes) your tastebuds will thank you for it. Decent wine isn't difficult to find (but you'll have to look hard for the very good stuff), while the beer is good, and the brandy (pálinka) strong.

19. Hungary's domestic transportation system is efficient, comprehensive and inexpensive. Volán run yellow buses between neighbouring cities and towns, and yellow-and-red long-distance buses to far-flung smaller communities. Rail services, run by MÁV, are less extensive, although they do have some delightful excursions, including a 'nostalgia' steam-train trip around Lake Balaton in summer. There are also a number of narrow-gauge trains, operated by United Forest Railways, which run in wooded and hilly areas.

20. Ferries operate on Lake Balaton, the Danube between Budapest and Esztergom, and the Tisza River, but these are generally warm-weather pleasure-trips rather than real means of transport. There are no scheduled domestic flights in Hungary at present, although several routes are planned. Major international car-rental agencies have offices in Budapest, and there are scores of local companies throughout the country, but don't count on any bargains. Local transport in the cities and towns is well developed, and includes buses and trolley buses, as well as trams in Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged and Miskolc. Budapest also has an underground Metro and a suburban commuter railway called the HÉV. Taxis are plentiful and, if you're charged the right fare (not always the case in Budapest), very reasonably priced.

Cinemas in major towns show many English films. During summer months the popular Lake Balaton resort has a lively nightlife. Western Hungary in particular has a lot of very good wine cellars. You'll really miss something if you don't hear traditional folk music and dancing, as the gypsy music which is so common in bars is not considered the 'true' folk tradition of the country. The magnificent Budapest Opera House stages regular performances, and seats are (by Western standards) exceedingly cheap! You've heard of them… now see it!

Contacts-Hungary

TIME ZONE

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 in the summer)

TELEPHONE SERVICES

Country Code: 36
IDD: International direct dialing is available
Outgoing Code: 00

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Police - 107; Ambulance - 104; Fire - 105

LOCAL TOURIST INFORMATION

Tourinform (Hungarian Tourist Board); H 1052 Budapest; Sütö2; Hungary Tel: (1) 117 9800 Fax: (1) 117 9578.

PASSPORT INFORMATION

Valid passport required by all except nationals of France and Germany holding a national identity card. All passports must be valid for at least 6 months. Requirements may be subject to short-term changes. Contact embassy before departure.

VISA INFORMATION

Required by all except: Nationals of Canada; USA; Japan for a stay of up to 90 days. Nationals of the UK for a stay of up to 6 months. Nationals of Austria; Finland and Spain for a stay up to 30 days. Nationals of Argentina; Bulgaria; Chile; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Iceland; Israel; South Korea Liechtenstein; Monaco; Norway; Poland; Seychelles; South Africa; Switzerland and Uruguay for a stay up to 90 days. Nationals of CIS (with the exception of citizens of Uzbekistan who do need a visa); Bosnia-Herzegovina; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Estonia; Latvia; Lithuania; Malaysia; Malta; Nicaragua; Romania; San Marino; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) for at stay up to 30 days. Nationals of Singapore for a stay up to 14 days.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Narcotics and firearms.

AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX

Not present.

HEALTH MATTERS

Typhoid Malaria Yellow Fever Other Health Risks: Rabies

FOOD AND DRINK

Water is considered drinkable; normal precautions should be observed with food.

CURRENCY

Hungarian Forint (HUF) = 100 fillér. Exchange: banks; hotels; airports; railway stations; some restaurants.
NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to HUF 10000. Retain all exchange receipts. All major credit cards and travelers cheques are widely accepted. German DM is the preferred currency. ATM availability: Over 1000 locations.

MONEY WIRING SERVICES

MoneyGram: 00 800 12249 Western Union: (01) 267 4282

CREDIT CARD EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Amex: +44 1273 696933
Diners Club: 36 1 268 8888
Hungary Visa:L (1) 410 581 9091

TRAVELERS CHEQUES EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Hungary Thomas Cook: 00 800 11501 Hungary

BANKING HOURS

0900 - 1400 Mon. to Fri.

COST OF LIVING

Westerners will not experience great disparity in local and Western prices.

LANGUAGES

Hungarian (Magyar). German is widely spoken. Some English and French may also be spoken; mainly in the West.

WEATHER

June - Aug. is usually very warm. Spring and autumn are mild and winters are very cold. There is rainfall throughout the year and snow in winter.

RELIGIONS

Mostly Roman Catholic with some Protestant. Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities are also present.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

2000: Jan 01. Mar 15. Apr 24. May 01. Jun 12. Aug 20. Oct 23. Dec 25; 26.
2001: Jan 01. Mar 15. Apr 16. May 01. Jun 04. Aug 20. Oct 23. Dec 25; 26.

POST

3 - 7 days to other European destinations.

RADIO FREQUENCIES

BBC: 15.07 12.09 9.410 6.195 VOA: 9.670 6.040 5.995 1.197

WOMEN IN SOCIETY

Traditional roles persist in rural areas. However, modern influences are developing in urban regions.

TRANSPORT

RAIL: All main cities are connected by regular services but facilities are often inadequate. Concessions are available to groups of six or more and the young and elderly.
ROAD: Generally the road system is good. Zero alcohol is permitted when driving. BUS: Services link Budapest with the major provincial towns.
CAR HIRE: Available at large hotels and the main airports.