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 Country
Overview
Hungary is situated in Central Europe, sharing
borders with the Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Austria and
Slovenia. There are several ranges of hills, chiefly in the north and west. The
capital city of Budapest, situated on one of the most beautiful areas of the
Danube, is made up of two parts – Buda and Pest. The former is the older, more
graceful, part with cobbled streets and medieval buildings; the latter is the
commercial centre. The capital is a lively city that has long been a haven for
writers, artists and musicians. The Historical Museum of Budapest contains
archaeological remains of the old city, and furnishings, glass and ceramics from
the 15th century. On the Pest side is the Parliament and the Hungarian National
Museum, containing remarkable treasures including the oldest skull yet found in
Europe. Lake Balaton in the west is a popular holiday region, not least because
of its sandy beaches and shallow waters. Local dishes include halászlé
(fish soup) with pasta and goulash (gulyás) soup. Budapest has many
nightclubs, bars and discos. During the summer months the popular Lake Balaton
resort has a lively nightlife.
Regional Information on:
Northern Great Plains
Northern Hungary
Lake Balaton
Western Hungary
General
Area: 93,030 sq km
(35,919 sq miles).
Population: 10,142,000
(official estimate 2002).
Population Density: 109
per sq km.
Capital: Budapest.
Population: 1,811,522 (2000).
GEOGRAPHY: Hungary is
situated in Central Europe, sharing borders to the north with the Slovak
Republic, to the northeast with Ukraine, to the east with Romania, to the south
with Croatia and Serbia and to the west with Austria and Slovenia. There are
several ranges of hills, chiefly in the north and west. The Great Plain (Nagyalföld)
stretches east from the Danube to the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in
the CIS, to the mountains of Transylvania in Romania, and south to the Fruska
Gora range in Croatia. Lake Balaton is the largest unbroken stretch of inland
water in Central Europe.
Government: Republic.
Head of State: President Ferenc Mádl since 2000. Head of Government:
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany since September 2004.
Language: Hungarian
(Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken. Some
French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.
Religion: 62 per cent
Roman Catholic, 20 per cent Calvinist, 5 per cent Lutheran. Eastern Orthodox and
Jewish minorities. There is no official national religion.
Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2
from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC,
50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.
Communications:
Telephone: IDD available.
Country code: 36. Outgoing international code: 00. Public telephones are
operated by Ft100, Ft50, Ft20 and Ft10 coins or by telephone cards.
Mobile telephone: GSM dual
band 900/1800, coverage throughout the country. Network operators include
Pannon GSM Telecoms (website:
www.pannongsm.com), T-Mobile (website:
www.t-mobile.hu) and Vodafone
(website: www.vodafone.hu).
Fax/Telegram: Services are
available at main post offices all over the country and at the
Telecommunications Information and Service Office, Petőfi Sándor u., Budapest.
Internet: ISPs include
Matáv (website: www.matav.hu). There are
Internet cafes in larger towns.
Post: Airmail takes three
days to one week to reach other European destinations. In addition to the main
post office, the offices at West and East railway stations in Budapest are open
daily 0700-2100. Stamps are available from tobacconists as well as post offices.
Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0700-1400.
Press: National dailies
include Magyar Hírlap, Népszabadság and Népszava.
English-language newspapers include the Budapest Business Journal,
Budapest Week, Courier Diplomatique, The Budapest Sun, The
Hungarian Economy, The Hungarian Observer and The Hungarian
Quarterly.
Radio: BBC World Service
(website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice)
and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can
be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date
can be found online.
Passport/Visa
| |
Passport
Required? |
Visa Required? |
Return Ticket
Required? |
| British |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| OtherEU |
1/2 |
No |
Yes |
| Japanese |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
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PASSPORTS: Passport
valid for at least six months required by all, except:
(a) 1. nationals of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Slovak Republic and Spain holding a national identity card.
(b) 2. nationals of Croatia, Slovenia and Switzerland holding valid ID
cards but only when staying for up to 90 days for touristic purposes
only, with return ticket and proof of sufficient amount of funds to sustain
trip.
VISAS: Required by all
except the following:
(a) nationals of countries referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90
days, (nationals of the UK and Ireland for stays of up to six months, and
nationals of Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Slovenia for stays of up to 30 days);
(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile,
Costa Rica, Croatia,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Israel, Korea
(Rep), Liechtenstein, Macau (SAR), Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco,
New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City
and Venezuela (tourist visits only) for stays of up to 90 days;
(c) nationals of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Nicaragua, Romania,
San Marino and Singapore for stays of up to 30 days;
(d) persons continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours,
provided not leaving the airport and holding valid onward tickets and
documentation. However, nationals who are not eligible for visa exemptions and
are non-residents of the UK may need to acquire an Airport Transit visa
in all circumstances; contact nearest Embassy/Consulate for further details.
Note: The length of stay
which nationals of the exempted countries are allowed is subject to frequent
change; contact the embassy for more information.
Types of visa and cost:
All visas, regardless of type and duration of stay allocated, cost Ł25.
Note: (a) Nationals of
Ukraine and Serbia & Montenegro, and family members of UK nationals, can obtain
visas free of charge. (b) Children under the age of 14, included in their
parent's passport, do not have to pay for a visa; if they have their own
passport, children under the age of seven can obtain visas for Ł13. (c) If the
visa has to be issued on a separate sheet (because there is no free page in the
passport), an additional fee is payable.
Validity: Single-entry
(Tourist and Business): Valid for 90-day stay within six
months of the date of issue. Double-entry: Valid for 90-day stay taken
twice within six months from date of issue. Multiple-entry: Valid for
multiple 90-day stays in Hungary within one year from the date of issue.
Validity subject to frequent change according to nationality. Transit:
Valid for five days within six months from date of issue. Double-transit:
Maximum of five days twice within six months from date of issue.
Application to: Consulate
(or Consular section at Embassy; see Contact Addresses section). Visas
are not issued at road border points or at Budapest Airport.
Application requirements:
(a) Passport valid for at least six months (with at least one blank page). (b)
Completed application form. (c) One passport-size photo. (d) Fee (non
reimbursable), payable in cash (personal applications) or postal order only. (e)
Return ticket or ticket reservation and
travel insurance. (f) For postal applications, a pre-paid special delivery
return envelope. (g) Confirmation of accommodation in Hungary, or letter of
invitation from friends or relatives living in Hungary (does not have to be
endorsed by the local Hungarian migration authority, but copy of the ID cards of
the inviting party must be attached). Business (or just for business
purposes, eg a trip to attend a conference): (a)-(g) and, (h) Written invitation
from host organisation or company. Transit: (a)-(g) and, (h) Valid visa
for country of destination.
Working days required:
Two, or seven for postal applications.
Money
Currency:
Hungarian Forint (Ft)
= 100 fillér. Notes are in denominations of
Ft20,000, Ft10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500
and 200. Coins are in denominations of
Ft100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. A large
number of commemorative coins in circulation
are legal tender.
Currency exchange:
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.
Credit and debit cards can be used to
withdraw money from ATMs. Visitors should
retain all exchange receipts, as it is
illegal to change money on the black market.
Credit & debit
cards: It is
possible to withdraw cash by credit card at
more than 3200 post offices. American
Express, Cirrus, Diners Club, MasterCard and
Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or
debit card company for details of merchant
acceptability and other services which may
be available.
Travellers cheques:
Widely
accepted in stores and banks. To avoid
additional exchange rate charges, travellers
are advised to take travellers cheques in US
Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
Exchange rate
indicators:
The following figures are included as a
guide to the movements of the Forint against
Sterling and the US Dollar:
| Date |
Nov ’03 |
Feb ’04 |
May ’04 |
Aug ’04 |
| Ł1.00= |
374.19 |
386.60 |
379.06 |
370.19 |
| $1.00= |
223.88 |
212.38 |
212.23 |
200.93 |
Currency
restrictions:
The import of local currency is limited to
Ft200,000, provided the amount is declared
on arrival. The export of local currency is
limited to Ft200,000 and must be declared.
The import of foreign currency is unlimited,
provided amounts greater than Ft50,000 are
declared. The export of foreign currency is
limited to the amount declared on import and
should be made no longer than three months
after import. There is no compulsory money
exchange. Hungarian currency can be
re-exchanged for up to 50 per cent of the
officially exchanged sum (but not more than
US$450) at any authorised office or branch
of the National Savings Bank.
Banking hours:
Mon-Fri
0800-1600. Some banks are open on Saturdays.
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Duty Free
Duty Free: The
following may be imported into Hungary by persons over 16 years of age without
incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1l of spirits, 1l of
wine and 5l of beer; gifts to the value of Ft29,500; up to 1kg
each of coffee, tea, cocoa and other spices (excluding paprika and paprika
mixtures).
Travel - Internal
AIR:
There are currently
no scheduled internal air services in
Hungary. Some are planned for the near
future, however.
RIVER/LAKE:
There are regular
services on the Danube and Lake Balaton from
spring to late autumn. MAHART and the
Budapest
Travel Company (BKV) (website:
www.bkv.hu)
also operate ferries in the city centre, the
Roman Embankment (Római Part) and at
some crossing points. Due to the opening of
the bridge between Esztergom and Párkány (Sturovo)
in 2001, the former ferry service on the
Danube is no longer available. On Lake
Balaton, a ferry operates during the summer
at 40-minute intervals daily between
Tihanyrév and Szántódrév; and between
Révfülöp and Balatonboglér 0620-0000; at
other times of the year the service runs
0630-1930. Contact MAHART for further
details (see Travel – International
section for contact details).
RAIL:
Services are operated
by MÁV. All main cities are linked by
efficient services but facilities are often
inadequate. Supplements are payable on IC
and express trains. Reservations are
compulsory for IC trains and recommended for
express trains, particularly in summer.
Tickets can be bought 60 days in advance on
domestic railway lines, as can seat
reservations. The most popular tourist rail
routes are: Budapest–Kecskemet–Szeged–
Budapest and Budapest–Siofok–Lake Balaton.
Rail-bus services are available between the
main railway stations within Budapest at
fixed rates (tel: (1) 353 2722; fax: (1) 353
2187; website:
www.mav.hu). There are also narrow-gauge
railways in operation in many parts of the
country. The website
www.elvita.hu
houses up-to-date
travel information and timetables.
Cheap fares:
Cheap fares:
Concessions are available for groups
(minimum of 10 persons), children, families
and pensioners. Children under six travel
free. Children aged six to 12 pay
approximately a third of the full fare.
Balaton and Tourist Season Tickets (seven to
10 days) are also available. Contact MÁV
for details (see Travel –
International section for contact
details). The Hungarian Flexipass,
sold by
travel agents worldwide and by Rail
Europe, offers unlimited first-class train
travel for five days in a 15-day period or
for 10 days in a 30-day period. The
Hungarian Tourist Card offers discounts
on rail, bus, taxi and ship services, as
well as
accommodation, restaurants and museums.
The Hungarian National Tourist Office can
provide further information (see Contact
Addresses section).
ROAD:
Traffic drives on the
right. There are eight arterial roads in the
country: all but the M8 start from central
Budapest. Tolls are payable on some roads
and all motorways. Season tickets can be
purchased. From Budapest the two main
highways are the M1 from Györ to Vienna and
the M7 along Lake Balaton. The M3 connects
Budapest with eastern Hungary. Generally the
road system is good. Bus: Budapest is
linked with major provincial towns. Tickets
are available from Volán
long-distance bus terminal, Budapest, and at
Volán offices throughout the country.
A bus season ticket is also available.
Car hire: Available at Ferihegy
Airport or at Volán and Budapest tourist
offices as well as at major hotels.
Regulations: Speed limits are 50kph
(31mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (50mph) on
main roads, 110kph (62mph) on highways and
130kph (75mph) on motorways. Seat belts are
compulsory. Petrol stations are frequent and
there are no special tourist petrol coupons.
There is a total alcohol ban when driving;
severe fines are imposed for infringements.
It is obligatory to keep headlights dipped
at all times when on the open road. Mobile
phones are allowed only with headsets. Child
seats are compulsory. Breakdowns: The
Hungarian Automobile Club operates a
breakdown service on main roads at weekends
and a 24-hour service on motorways. For
further details contact the Hungarian
Automobile Club, Rómer Flóris utca 4/A,
H-1024 Budapest (tel: (1) 345 1800 or
345 1755 (24-hour emergency helpline);
e-mail:
info@autoklub.hu; website:
www.autoklub.hu). Documentation:
Pink format EU licence accepted but
International Driving Permit required if
green licence held.
URBAN:
There is good public
transport in all the main towns. Budapest
has bus, trolleybus, tramway, suburban
railway (HEV), a three-line metro and
boat services. The metro has ticket barriers
at all stations. The bus–trolleybus–tramway
system has pre-purchase flat fares with
ticket puncher on board. Day passes are
available for all the transport modes in the
city. Trams and buses generally run from
about 0430-2300. Some night services also
operate. The metro runs from 0430-2310 and
stations can be identified by a large ‘M’.
There is also a cogwheel railway
(Városmajor–Széchenyi Hill), a Childrens’
Railway (Hüvösvölgy–Széchenyi Hill), a
chairlift and a funicular. There are
tramways in some of the other towns, or else
good bus services. Day passes and season
tickets are available in Budapest.
Travel Times:
The following chart
gives approximate travel times (in hours and
minutes) from Budapest to other major
cities/towns in Hungary.
| |
Road |
Rail |
| Sopron |
3.00 |
2.25 |
| Miskolc |
2.30 |
1.55 |
| Pécs |
3.00 |
2.45 |
| Szeged |
2.30 |
2.20 |
| Szentendre |
0.30 |
0.50 |
| Lake Balaton |
2.00 |
2.30 |
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Climate
Climate: There are
four seasons, with a very warm summer from June to August. Spring and autumn
are mild, while winters are very cold. Rainfall is distributed throughout the
year with snowfalls in winter.
Country dialling
code: 36.
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