Ryan is the author of the Frommer's guide Budapest & the Best of Hungary 2008 edition to be out in May.
We are a centrally located flat on the Pest side, in the 7th district on the edge of the old Jewish ghetto. The flat has been totally remodeled and decorated. It is within 2 blocks of the Blaha Lujza metro stop (Red Line), the 4 and 6 tram lines that run through the heart of the city, and the numbers 7, 74, and 79 bus lines. The Opera House, St. Stephan's Basilica, Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, the Dohany Synagogue, many cafes, restaurants and other cultural sites are within easy walking distance.
We are on the 4th floor (top floor) with a lift (elevator) in the building, within the historic Jewish area.
Guests are welcome to use the living room (TV, DVD, and Video) and kitchen (stove, oven, microwave, toaster, coffee and tea makers). The glass block shower makes for a romantic candle lit shower or bubble bath (bubble bath liquid and candles provided).
Since we are so small, we have more time to make your stay pleasant and personalized. You arrive as a stranger, but leave as a friend. We have been here since December 2001 and know the city well. Ryan is an instructor at one of the universities and Ron is a Docent at the Museum of Fine Arts.
We have a cable Internet connection. Guests are welcome to use the computer located in the kitchen for as much time as they would like, as long as other guests are not waiting for it..
We have a wireless Internet connection, so if you have a WiFi card in your laptop, you can have unlimited Internet access during your stay.
We have a full guestbook and working on our second one, filled with wonderful things about us, our place, and the city. See our guest log link above to read some comments of others.
Do you suggest purchasing the Budapest Card?
No, we actually discourage guests from making this purchase. The card is good for transportation and various discounts on some museums. You will never get your money's worth in the time allotted. It is a better bet to buy a transportation pass and pay as you go to the museums. Most museums are relatively inexpensive or free entry anyway.
What does the public transport cost?
Single tickets are 270 Huf; Book of 10 tickets 2,350 Huf; One day pass 1,550 Huf; Three day pass 3,400 Huf; Seven day pass 4,000 Huf; Fourteen day tickets require a photo and is 5,350 Huf; Thirty day pass requires a photo and is 8,250 Huf.
Note that if you are not using a pass, you have to validate a new ticket every time you change modes of transport or even metro lines. Tickets and passes are valid on all trams, buses, trolley buses, metros, and suburban trains within the city limits. If you take a bus that crosses the Budapest city limit, your ticket is still valid the whole length of the line. For the suburban trains, you need a supplemental ticket if traveling beyond Budapest, for example to Szent Endre.
What budget airlines fly into and out of Budapest?
All of the following are flying into and out of Budapest regularly:
Air Berlin - www.airberlin.com
Air Europa - www.air-europa.com
Blue 1 - www.blue1.com
ClickAir - www.clickair.com
Condor - www.condor.com
easyJet - www.easyJet.com
Germanwings - www.germanwings.com
Jet2com - www.jet2.com (From and to Manchester, England only)
Norwegian Airlines - www.norwegian.no/sw7127.asp
Ryanair - www.ryanair.com
Smartwings - www.smartwings.com
Sterling - www.sterlingticket.com/en/forside_en
Wizz Air - www.wizzair.com
What are the Hungarian
National Holiday in 2007-2008?
December 25th
and 26th Tuesday and Wednesday Christmas and Boxing Day
January 1st New Year's Day
2008 Holidays
March 15th Saturday Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule
March 23rd and 24th Easter Sunday and the Monday that follows
May 1st Thursday, Labor Day
May 11th Whit Sunday
August 20th Wednesday Celebration of King Saint Stephen
October 23rd Thursday Anniversary of the 1956 revolution and war of independence, date of the declaration of the Republic of Hungary in 1989
November 1st Saturday All Saints' Day
December 25th and 26th Thursday and Friday Christmas and Boxing Day
Note that almost everything is closed on holidays, including some grocery stores. There are 24 hour stores that remain open. During the rest of the year, it is common for most stores to close at 1:00 pm on Saturdays and to be closed on Sundays. The malls remain open both days.
Is Budapest safe for single travelers, especially a woman?
Budapest has a reputation of being one of the safest cities in Europe. We have known many woman Fulbright Scholars who have lived here and have had no qualms about walking around the city at any hour of the day or night. The major precaution for anyone is to be careful of pickpockets, especially on crowded trams or buses. This is the same advice you will receive in any city almost anywhere in the world.
Does Hungary use the Euro?
Hungary will not be using the Euro until 2010 at the earliest. The currency is the Hungarian Forint. The paper money is 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000. Never change money with anyone who approaches you on the street.
Should I bring travelers cheques or use my ATM card?
Amex closed its Budapest office and now works with Western Union at Váci u. 10. There are two Western Union offices close together at the same address, so look for the American Express sign above; the exchange rate is poor and they will only give forints. Otherwise, travelers cheques are very difficult to cash, but Unicredit Banks will cash American Express cheques. You will still lose money on the exchange rate. ATM cards are your best bet; there are ATM machines everywhere. You will need a 4 digit pin. There is an ATM machine at both airport lobbies for quick pocket cash. You can print out a quick and handy conversion guide using the link on our home page.
Note that we do not recommend using the currency exchange in the airport. The rates are poor and they charge a commission. Once you are in town, there are currency exchange places associated with Arany Pok clothing stores that usually have the best rates and do not charge commission.
Can I tip or pay in Euros or U.S. dollars?
Dollars are not accepted nor are they appreciated for tips. Some restaurants and tourist shops will take Euros, but you are at their mercy for the exchange rate, which will be in their favor. Euros are not generally accepted except in hotels, some restaurants, and very touristy area shops. Most will charge you in Euros at a set fee, which is not to your advantage.
What credit cards are most commonly used?
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Budapest. Diners Club is now associated with MasterCard, so it is accepted anywhere that takes MasterCard. American Express is still not accepted widely. On that note, American Express has closed their office here and subcontracts with Western Union. Smaller stores, restaurants, or tourist venues will usually not accept any cards at all. Outside of Budapest, you will have less opportunities to use credit cards. Always have some cash on you. To save yourself some embarrassment, call your credit card companies and let them know you will be traveling and to which countries. They may block your purchase otherwise, thinking your card may have been stolen. We have had the experience more than once of verifying that a restaurant takes credit cards as we walked in the door, only to be told that their machine is not working when it comes time to pay. There are two reasons for this. 1. The bank lines are unstable connecting to the credit card server. 2. The restaurant is cash poor and needs the cash that does not necessarily get reported as income.
Where can I get a
professional massage?
Many people decide to get a massage while at the thermals. This is fine, but it is sometimes confusing and difficult to communicate with the masseur or masseuse, so it is not as pleasant an experience as one would hope for. We recommend a private and professionally trained massage therapist who we use regularly. You can visit his flat near Nyugati train station or he will come to where your are staying, either here or elsewhere for a slightly higher fee. Gabor speaks Hungarian, English, and French. You can reach him at +36-30-908-8996 or via e-mail at palgabormail@yahoo.com. Treatments are for either 60 or 90 minutes and his fees are very reasonable.
What is the least expensive way to call home?
Generally, we recommend the purchase of a Neophone, Telecard, or other such International calling card. These are low cost phone cards that come in 1,500, 3,000, or 5,000 amounts. A 1,500 Huf card will give you about 45 minutes calling time to the U.S. and more within Europe. Do not buy more than you need, as they are only good in Hungary. For free phone calling world-wide, we recommend Jajah (www.jajah.com) or GTalk (www.gtalk.com). With Jajah, you can use your own phone, but Gtalk requires a computer headset. Both use computer to computer voice over Internet protocol.
Is the water safe to drink?
There is no risk in drinking the water. You will see many people walking around with bottled water, but this is for the same reason that they drink bottled water all over Europe and North American. Blue and yellow tops on bottled water have gas in them. Yellow usually has more gas and is similar to North American club soda. The blue top has gas, yellow is mildly gassed, and without gas, it is usually the pink top. All of them are mineral water of various types.
I cannot speak Hungarian. How can I get by without the language? Do many people speak English?
The Minister of Education estimates 20% of the population speak some English. However, many people in the tourist industry speak enough English to get by. Speak to them slowly and they will understand. Many restaurants have menus in English and German. There are more German speakers, so you can get by if you know German. This is a great opportunity to increase your acting skills. When in doubt, look for a young person, who is more likely to have studied English.
Is the public transportation system good?
The locals complain about it, but it is excellent. There is an intricate network of 3 metro lines (subways) to complement dozens of tram, bus, and trolley bus (electric bus) lines. You must have a ticket and it must be validated. You are not able to use the ticket more than once. If you switch from one metro to another, you are expected to validate another ticket.
Your best bet and money saver is to get a transportation pass. They are available in 1, 3, 7, and 14 day types (if you are interested in longer, there is a 30 pass, see the BKV site under LINKS.)
Individual tickets are currently 270 Huf. All individual tickets need validating in the machines.
A pack of 10 tickets is 2,350 Huf.
1 day pass is 1,550 Huf and expires at midnight of the day purchased. It does not need validating.
3 day pass is 3,400 Huf. It does not need validating. Note: If you are staying 4 or 5 days, you will save money getting the 7 day pass, which is only 2 Euros more than the 3 day pass.
7 day pass is 4,000 Huf. The 7 day needs to be signed. It does not need validating.
14 day pass is 5,300 Huf. You will need a photo, photo machines are available at many metro stations. It does not need validating. A plastic pass holder is 150 Huf. There is also a 14 day 'combined' pass, which is not usually needed by travelers. It allows travel on some Volán buses.
A monthly pass will start on any day of the month and is good for 30 days. It is 8,250 Huf. You will need a photo, photo machines are available at many metro stations. Bring it to the cashier when purchasing it and they will give you a numbered ID for your photo. It does not need validating. A plastic pass holder is 150 Huf.
You only need to show tickets or passes when a controller displays a red or blue armband. Otherwise, you get on and off without taking it out of your pocket. See the BKV link on the Links page for information in English. Routes are there also.
I am having a problem finding a specific address, why?
This is important to know. Each time a street goes from one district to another, the name usually changes. There are also many streets with the same exact name, but in different districts. If you know the postal code, you can figure out the district. For example, our postal code is 1072. The second and third numbers are the district. Hence our district is 7. If it were 1132, the district would be 13. The major ring road that the 4 and 6 tram travel changes from Terez, Erzsebet, Jozsef, and Ferenc krts, all the same road, but different districts.
If there are other questions that come up regularly, this page will be updated as needed.