HUNGARY
Hungary, our home country. It's a small landlocked country in the heart of Europe with proud and often bitter people, unfortunate history, beautiful landscapes, diverse cultural events, distinctive cuisine, vibrant night life, ruin bars and one of the most difficult languages to learn. There are hundreds of thermal and medicinal baths, making Hungary a nice recreational destination. The country is also considered to be a cheap option among travelers.
Hungary is situated in the Carpathian Basin, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains and the Alps. Though the majority of the country is flat - the Great Plain occupies more than half of the country's total area - there are moderately high mountain ranges like the Transdanubian or the North Hungarian Mountains with the country's highest peak, the just over 1000-metre high Kékestető. It's two largest rivers are the Duna and Tisza, while the main lakes are Lake Balaton, Lake Tisza and Lake Velence. It's capital city is Budapest, which is the most popular tourism destination along with its surrounding area, the Lake Balaton region, Northern Hungary, Transdanubia and the Great Plain.
Hungary has 10 national parks and a plethora of zoos and wildlife reserves. In the wild, the most common animals to find are deer, squirrels, hares, foxes, squirrels, deer, pheasants, owls white storks and other bird species, occasionally wild boars and beavers. Indigenous Hungarian animal species include the Hungarian Grey Cattle, Mangalica, Nonius Horse and dog breeds like Puli, Vizsla and Kuvasz.
Hungary has a rich (and quite tragic) history which can be dated back to the 9th century, therefore there are a huge number of ruins, castles and important historical structures all over the country. The country has 8 World Heritage sites and many landmarks, such as Europe's largest synagogue and third-largest church or the world's second-largest Baroque castle. Moreover, there are many museums and art collections, cinemas, active theatre life, classical and pop concerts, not to mention the abundance of music and art festivals - like the SZIGET, VOLT, Balaton Sound, EFOTT, Budapest Spring and Summer Festivals, just to name a few.
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GOOD TO KNOW
LANGUAGE
MONEY
PLUGS
INTERNET
VISA AND PASSPORT
WEATHER & CLIMATE
TRAVEL
DRIVING
SAFETY
TAP WATER
MUST TRY
TIPPING
Hungarian, English is sadly not widely spoken, especially on the countryside.
The official currency is Hungarian Forint. You can pay in Euros at a couple of places, though it's not recommended, as the exchange rate is very bad. Cards are accepted everywhere (except some local markets) and ATMs are abundant and most of them accept international bank cards.
Type C and F
Internet is all right, though in some areas the coverage is not so good. Many restaurants, shopping centers and public areas have free wi-fi.
As part of the Schengen Area, some nationalities are required visa even for tourism purposes. Over 90 nationalities can travel without visa and the citizens of the Schengen Area countries can travel with an ID Card, while the around 150 other countries are required to apply for a Schengen visa. From 2022, these travelers from outside the Schengen Area will need to apply for an ETIAS visa. Check the conditions here.
Hungary has continental climate with mildly cold snowy winters and hot dry summers. Due to the mountainous terrain the Northern areas are always a bit cooler, while the Southern part of the country has a warmer climate and sees more sunshine. The country has activities all year round - you can take a bath at a thermal spa, visit a zoo or explore the city at any season. Summers are the best for music festivals and visiting Lake Balaton. Autumn is perfect for a weekend getaway or a hike in the mountains and you can pair your trip with some wine-tasting! At winter, you can't miss the Christmas markets or if you prefer sports, look for the ice-skating rinks and ski resorts.
If you're in Budapest, we don't advise taxis as they tend to overcharge tourists, while public transport network is accessible, frequent and quite cheap. The metro system is the second oldest in Europe and the third all over the world! Always validate and keep your ticket until the end of your journey - ticket inspectors pay special attention to foreign visitors. Larger cities mostly have buses, trolleybuses and trams. Trains and interurban buses are an affordable way to travel around the country, though the railway company (MÁV) is famous for the delays.
On the right side. Pay attention to the tolls when you use the motorway. Be careful on the highways, quite a lot of accidents happen involving foreign vans and trucks.
Overall it's safe to visit, though be careful with pickpockets (mainly on public transport, crowded stations and markets) and tourist scams particularly in Budapest. Taxi drivers, bars and restaurants often overcharge foreign visitors so pay attention to the prices on the menu. Theft of and from vehicles is also common.
Generally safe to drink, but if it looks contaminated, do not drink it
Hungary's cuisine loves paprika, red onion, black pepper and tejföl (sour cream). Must try: gulyás (Goulash), halászlé (fish soup), csirkepaprikás (chicken paprikash), lecsó, töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage), lángos, Dobos cake, túrógombóc, bejgli, kürtöskalács (chimney cake) and the Túró Rudi. Don't miss pálinka, Unicum, or the famous Hnugarian wines (Tokaji, Egri Bikavér, Jukfar and Kékfrankos) in froms of hot mulled wine or fröccs/Spritzer (sparkling water mixed with rosé or white wine).
Tipping is not obligatory in Hungary, as the tax and service charges are included in the prices already. However, tips are welcome by the employees, though it might go to the management.
