Before you ever set foot on a plane, you should have this information with you.
US airlines now have some consumer laws to protect you. Will they share that information with you? Hardly. Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware." and this is especially true when airlines are falling from the sky due to costs being out of control. Christopher Elliott wrote this article in 2008, but he is still referencing it himself, so I am thinking it is still valid.
Any flights going to or from the European Union, EVEN those that start outside of the EU such as from the US, they are covered by the law EU 261. Click here to get a full explanation of Q & A of the laws. If it is too comprehensive for you, know that ALL airlines servicing the EU are mandated to have copies of passenger rights at the check-counters. Many times they will claim they don't or are not required to, but they are. I demanded our rights in Prague when we missed a flight. Although I had to stand up to the airline people, we were booked on the next available flight the next morning, had our hotel, transporation and dinner paid for by the airline.
Ryan is the author of the Frommer's guide Budapest & the Best of Hungary 2008 and 2010 editions. The latter is now available in the US and the rest of the world, so he does know the city.
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 5, 7, 7E, 178 and 178A 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 an easy ten to twenty minute 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). Our kitchen is large; if you
would like to cook, you are welcome to do so.
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 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 also have a wireless Internet connection, so if you have a WiFi card in your laptop, you can have unlimited Internet access during your stay without the fees that hotels charge.
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.
Will I have to go through Passport Control? It depends. Click here for a complete answer.
Will my mobile phone work? Short answer - maybe. Longer more complete answer, click here.
How do I use Elvira, the train schedule?
The Elvira train schedule shows up in Hungarian, but there is an English link at the top right. If this does not show, which sometimes it does not, this is how to navigate it. Go to www.elvira.hu, where you will be redirected to www.mav-start.hu/ (or go to the latter initially). In the HONNAN box, put the city you want to travel from. In the HOVA box, put the city you want to travel to. Then click the KERESÉS button. This will take you to the schedule. On the top right hand corner, there is a link for English or German.
Where is the best place to buy a train ticket?
MÁV, the Hungarian train company has opened a new ticket office, which may be more convenient and less time-consuming than going to one of the three train stations. The office is MÁV - Start Menetjegyiroda located in District V. József Attila u. 16 (white building). Their hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
What does the public transport cost?
Public transportation here is excellent. Even if you enjoy walking, you will find a ride back after a long day of walking and touring to be a great pleasure.
Single tickets are 320 Huf; Book of 10 tickets 2,350 Huf; One day pass 1,550 Huf; Three day pass 3,850 Huf; Seven day pass 4,600 Huf; Fourteen day tickets require a photo and is 6,500 Huf; Thirty day pass requires a photo and is 9,800 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.
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, while free admission to others. However, we feel that 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 anyway and you will not feel rushed to get from one to the other in order to maximize your card.
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 studio at Szentkiralyi u. 34, in the beauty salon at that address. He can also come to where your are staying, either here or elsewhere for an additional 1,000 Huf fee. Gabor speaks Hungarian, English, and French. You can reach him at +36-30-491-8559 or via e-mail at palgabormail@yahoo.com. Visit his website here. Treatments are for either 60 or 90 minutes and his fees are very reasonable. On a personal note, Gabor saved me from having to have back surgery. I swear by him.
What are the Hungarian
National Holidays in 2010?
January 1st New Year's Day
March 15th Sunday Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule
Varies each year Easter Sunday and the Monday that follows
May 1st Friday, Labor Day
Varies each year - May 23rd Whit Sunday and May 24th Whit Monday
August 20th Thursday Celebration of King Saint Stephen
October 23rd Friday Anniversary of the 1956 revolution and war of independence, date of the declaration of the Republic of Hungary in 1989
November 1st Sunday All Saints' Day
December 25th and 26th Friday and Saturday 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.
Festival Times:
February - Carnival Season - Farsang - Costume parties and carnivals take place all month long to mark the end of winter, especially on the last Saturday in February. City festivities usually include carnival, parade and open-air music concert.
August - September - Jewish Festival - The Jewish festival usually starts at the very end of August and continues through the first week of September.
December 6th - Santa Claus or Mikulás (St. Nicholas') Day - Children put their clean boots or shoes on the window sill for Mikulás to fill with candy, nuts, and fruits if they have been good. If they have been bad, they get a bunch of twigs (virgács). Most kids then receive both candy and virgács. Many adults give chocolate Santas to friends and co-workers.
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 2015 at the earliest. The currency is the Hungarian Forint. The paper money is 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?
Current projections are now that Hungary will not adopt the Euro until 2015. 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.
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.
What budget airlines fly into and out of Budapest?
Budget airlines flying into and out of Budapest change regularly due to passenger load and the state of the economy. This may not be accurate at the time you check, but these airlines have been fairly stable. We used to have over 22 budgets, so this list is slim pickings.
Air Berlin - www.airberlin.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
Vueling- www.vueling.com/
Wizz Air - www.wizzair.com
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.
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.
