Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Diplomatic representations

Hungarian embassy or consulates in your country

For more information

Embassy of Hungary in Greece
16 Calavou
15452 N Psichiko
Phone: +30 210 6723753, 6725337, 6725994
Fax: + 30 210 6740890
huembath@mail.otenet.gr

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

Budapest is served by an efficient public transportation system, based on three subway lines, supplemented by a comprehensive bus, tram, and trolley system. Taxis are also readily available. Phoning for a taxi from one of Budapest’s major companies, rather than hailing off the street, helps ensure the appropriate fare.

Maps of urban networks

Budapest subway
Budapest Transport Company

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

Railway lines crisscross the country to connect most cities. The "Inter-City" line provides first-class, express service to several cities. A hydrofoil ferries passengers to Vienna and Bratislava. Hungary’s highways, which are generally good, are undergoing a major improvement to meet EU standards. Express toll highways connect Budapest west to Vienna, south to the Serbian border, and east (almost) to the Ukrainian border.

Rail companies

Hungarian Rail Company
Hungarian Rail Company's time

Flight from Greece

One european aircraft company offer direct air connections between Athens to Budapest : Malev . For low cost company, check Sky Europe. To find out air connections from Greece to Hungary click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

Motorway network in good condition, but it is a toll motorway. Blood alcool level 0g/l. Be careful when crossing same level railway crosses as the signalisation is not perfect. Headlights are compulsory outside of towns, even during the day. No problem with refueliling. Road signalisation is in Hungarian according to EU standards.

Road maps

Maps offered by T-online
offers map of Budapest, and some other settlements
can find streets in Hungary's major cities

Find an itinerary

Route finder
For international routes

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

Amongst others, roman ruins, medieval castles and baroque palaces can all be found in Hungary:
- the Benedictine Abbey at Pannonhalma,
- Buda Castle,
- Pest,
- Eger,
- Szentendre,
- Esztergom
- Sopron.

Cultural

There is a great cultural life in Budapest and in Hungary in general. Pécs, the city in the south of Hungary had won the right to become Europe's cultural capital in 2010. The capital is filled with art galleries, museum, offering a great variety of choice for those who like plastic art.
More Information on Festivalcity, Szegediszabadteri.

Nature

- Caves at the Aggtelek National Park
- Cycling, hiking in the Ferto-Hanság National Park
- Kiskunság National Park
- Hortobágy National Park

Religious

Budapest : Matthias Church, Basilica.
Esztergom : Basilica
Ják: Abbey church

Thermal

Visit Király Medicinal Baths, which date from the Middle Ages.

Beach

The Balaton is Central Europe's largest sweet water lake. Siófok, on the south shore of the lake, has some of the sandiest beaches and best facilities for tourists.
Or you can also enjoy a sunny afternoon by the Velence lake which is only 30 minutes away from Budapest.

Winter sports

Hungary is a pretty flat country. Generally those who wish to ski go to Austria, Slovenia, Italy or Slovakia if you are looking for cheaper ski holidays.

Outdoor activities

Hike in Hungary's hills: the Börzsöny, Pilis and Mátra, Kékestetö.
Fish in the River Tisza.
Go horse riding on the Great Plain.
Drink wine from the vineyards of the Szépasszony Valley.

Shopping

Hungary is a good place to buy caviar, foie gras and Hungarian wines and spirits. Most stores are open from Monday to Saturday.

Tourism organizations

Hungarian Tourism Board
Website on Hungary

Eating

Food specialties

- Halászlé: a spicy soup made with freshwater fish and paprika;
- Gulyás - Hungarian goulash is a hearty beef, capsicum and paprika soup;
- Western goulash is called pörkölt or tokány;
- Gundel palacsinta: pancake served with walnuts, raisins, lemon rind, chocolate sauce and rum;
- Paprikás csirke: paprika chicken;
- Kolbasz: sausage spiced with paprika.

Drinks

- Tokaji: strong dessert wine;
- Bull’s Blood: strong red wine;
- Pálinka: brandy;
- Unicum(herb liqueur).

Dietary taboos

None

Paying

Domestic currency

Hungarian Forint

ISO Code

HUF

To obtain domestic currency

The most practical way is to withdraw money directly from ATMs. There are many of them and they are easily accessible in airports, city centers, and all over the country. Currency can be exchanged at hotels, banks, bureaux de change, airports, railway stations, travel agencies and some restaurants throughout the country. Automatic exchange machines are available in Budapest and other main tourist centres.

Possible means of payment

Debit Cards and Travellers Cheque (accepted in some stores and banks, but not all). To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Euros or US Dollars.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Hungary, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Hungarian

Other languages spoken

Mostly English, German.

Business language

English is regularly used for business in Hungary, especially among multinational firms. However, Hungary’s smaller or state-owned firms may have principals who do not speak English. In this case, an interpreter may be used for meetings, though it is prudent to agree on this in advance. German is the second most common foreign language.

Getting some knowledge

Basics of hungarian language (audio)

Free translation tools

Webfordítás - Powered by Morphologic
MOKK - Hungarian Sceintific Academy's language institute's website
Eurovoc Thesaurus - Multilingual thesaurus (21 official European languages)
IATE - Interactive Terminology for Europe

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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