Beautiful Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary, also its largest city filled with green parks, inspiring museums and pulsating night life. It is the country’s political, cultural, industrial, commercial and transportation centre. There is a magnetic quality to Budapest. Peaceful and bustling, huge metropolis yet friendly, treasuring the old and embracing the new. A booming cultural metropolis where history and the contemporary blend with cosmopolitan flair. It is one of the most delightful and enjoyable cities of Europe. The Danube flows through the city and the city is rightly also known as “The Pearl of the Danube”. Actually the city is a combination of 2 cities, Buda on the west bank of Danube and Pest on the east bank of the river. It is an architectural gem, with enough baroque, neoclassical, Eclectic and art nouveau (or Secessionist) buildings to satisfy anyone’s appetite. The food and wine are excellent, cheap and in abundance and the nightlife is hot. Indeed, in recent years, Budapest has taken on the role of the region’s party town, especially in the warmer months when outdoor entertainment areas called kertek - gardens heave with party makers. Its World Heritage Sites include the banks of Danube, The Buda Castle Quarter, Heroes’ Square,  Andrássy Avenue and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. The city has 80 geothermal springs, the world’s largest water cave system, second largest synagogue and the third largest Parliament building.

 

Some General Information

Country : Hungary

Official Language : Hungarian

Religion : Roman Catholic and Calvinist

Currency : Hungarian Forint ( HUF )

Time Zone : + 2 hours GMT

Temperature : Hungary has a temperate continental climate with Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. Depending on the location, winters can be cold, cloudy and damp or windy, the summers warm and sometimes very hot. May, June and November are the rainiest months, although more rain usually falls in the west and Southwest than in the east.

Sightseeing : The Castle Hill (Royal Palace), Óbuda (the oldest part of the city), St. Stephanus Basilica (Szent István Bazilika), Chain bridge (connection with the parts Buda and Pest on the other side of the river), Margaret Island, Matthias church / Fishermen , the Caves of Budapest, Turkish baths, the Terrorhaza museum and the Railway Museum. Not only for an active vacation, but also for a relaxed stay Hungary is an excellent choice.

 

Getting There

Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport ( BUD )

Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport,  formerly known as Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, is the international airport serving the Hungarian capital city of Budapest, and the largest of the country's five international airports. The airport offers international connections primarily within Europe, but also to Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The airport is located 16 kilometres south east the centre of Budapest. Ferihegy airport has three main terminals: 1, 2A and 2B, and a smaller one for general aviation flights. Transfer between terminals 2A and 2B can be made on foot. The older Terminal 1, however, is located further away (i.e. closer to the city of Budapest) and must be reached by bus. Terminal Sky Court is the newest state of the art terminal between the 2A and 2B terminals. Passenger safety checks were moved here along with new baggage classifiers and the new Malév and SkyTeam (opening soon) business lounges. New shops, restaurants and cafés were placed in the new building. With the opening of Skycourt the airport has become capable of receiving 15 million passengers a year. Facilities include ATM’s, bureaux the exchange, left luggage, first aid, duty free shopping, post office, a chapel, tourist information counters, restaurants and services for the disabled.

Address : 1675 Budapest Ferihegy, PO Box 53 , Hungary. Telephone : +36 (1) 296 9696/7000

Website : http://www.bud.hu/english/

 

Tourist Information

There are 6 Tourist Information offices in Budapest.

1. Police Info Office : 1052 Budapest, Sütő utca 2 (at Deák tér) , Phone: (+36-1)438-8080 , Open: Mon.-Sun.: 8 am- 8 pm

2. Teréz körút : 1061 Budapest, Teréz körút 2-4, Phone: (+36-1)322-4098, Fax: (+36-1)342-9390, Open: Mon-Fri: 10 am-6 pm.

3. Buda Castle : 1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér, Phone: (+36-1) 488-0475, Fax: (+36-1)488-0474, Open: Mon.- Sun.: 9 am-6 pm

4. Ferihegy - terminal 1: 1185 Budapest, Ferihegyi Repülőtér Terminal 1, Phone: (+36-1)438-8080, Open: Mon.-Sun.: 9 am-10 pm

5. Ferihegy - terminal 2A, 1185 Budapest, Ferihegyi Repülőtér Terminal 2A, arrivals, Phone: (+36-1)438-8080, Open: Mon.-Sun.: 10 am-10 pm

6. Ferihegy - terminal 2B, 1185 Budapest, Ferihegyi Repülőtér Terminal 2B, arrivals, Phone: (+36-1)438-8080, Open: Mon.-Sun.: 10 am-10 pm

Tourinform call centre :Phone: (+36-1)438-8080

Tourinform hotline (24 hours) : Phone:(+36-30)30-30-600 from abroad, (06-80)630-800 from Hungary, Fax: (+36-1)488-8661

 

Travel Tips

1. Backpacks and bags should be worn on the body and held with both hands if you are crowded. Under no circumstances are purses and cell phones in his pockets, where they are easy to steal. Pickpockets are most active on public transport, crowded shops, escalators and popular tourist places.

2. It is also a good advice not to let strangers to start conversation with - no matter how well dressed and friendly they are. Any Hungarian guy who comes try to talk to you on the street at night just out of nowhere, just make a stop sign with your hand and walk the other way. You will not be rude, you will be safe.

3. Watch out for fake police officers. They will just stop you, with no badge, nothing. Insist on calling your embassy or going to a station, they will run away. The Hungarian Police on the other hand is very helpful.

4. Watch out for bar scams. Buying a young woman a drink may not be such a good idea. Sometimes in bars there have been occasions where arguments over the bill have resulted in violence, there have also been incidents where travellers have been forced to pay the bill under the threat of violence by security guards. In this kind of situation it is usually just best to pay up and then chalk the whole incident up to experience.

5. The way you tip in restaurants here is unusual. You never leave the money on the table - this is considered both stupid and rude - but tell the waiter how much you're paying in total. If the bill is, say, 2700Ft, you're paying with a 5000Ft note and you think the waiter deserves a gratuity of around 10%, first ask if service is included (some restaurants add it to the bill automatically, which makes tipping unnecessary). If it isn't, say you're paying 3000Ft or that you want 2000Ft back.

6. Travel only with a taxi which has a yellow license plate and has a sign fixed to the roof of the cab, and a logo on the side of the door. Try not to hail a hail from the streets, always call for one.

7. It is not unknown for waiters to try to rip you off once they see you are a foreigner. They may try to bring you an unordered dish or make a 'mistake' when tallying the bill. If you think there's a discrepancy, ask for the menu and check the bill carefully. If you've been taken for more than 15% or 20% of the bill, call for the manager. Otherwise just don't leave a tip.