HUNGARY | Travel | General information
Geographical Situation
Hungary is situated in Central Europe and bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It covers 93,030 sq. km and its population is a bit more than 10 million. Geographically, the country is divided into two parts by the river Danube. The Danube also divides the capital city, Budapest, which is one of the world’s finest capital cities and whose wonderful panorama is a part of UNESCO World Heritage. There are seven other World Heritage sites and many other nice locations that are worth visiting, so we are proud to WELCOME YOU to Hungary!
In Hungary, in the heart of Europe, there is a continental climate; typically, the year is divided into four seasons. Winter and summer have large differences in temperature; in winter the temperature may often drop below -10°C, while in summer it may rise over +30°C for weeks. During winter, the people often keep to their houses from early afternoon, so after dark almost nobody is on the streets. By contrary, during the summer everybody is “on the run” from home to find a bathing or sunbathing place.
Getting here
Due to its central location in Europe it is easy to get to Hungary. Depending on your travel budget, you can travel to Hungary by plane, train, bus or car.
The national carrier of the Republic of Hungary is Malév Hungarian Airlines and low fare airlines also provide air service.
You can easily get to Hungary by train because important European rail-lines cross Budapest. The national train service is called MÁV (Hungarian State Railways). The most comfortable trains are the intercities (ICs,) which connect main Hungarian cities. For more information on timetables, fares, connections go to
The Volán company (National Coach Transport Company) provides international and regional bus service.
If you choose to travel by car, remember that the use of mobile phones is forbidden and no degree of alcohol in your blood is tolerated while driving. The current traffic regulations are the same as in other European countries. Seat belts are compulsory. Speed limits are
- motorway - 130 km/h
- open roads - 90-110 km/h (see the signs)
- built-up areas - 50 km/h
Local Transport
- Budapest has an excellent public transport system, which is run by the Budapest Transport Company (BKV):
- www.bkv.hu
BKV offers various services on tramlines, bus lines, trolley bus lines, metro lines, suburban railway lines, a cogwheel railway to Széchenyi Hill and a funicular to Castle Hill.
Larger towns have local transport systems, which are based on bus services. Only a few towns have tramlines (Szeged, Debrecen, Miskolc) or trolley bus service (Debrecen). The local tariffs are about 1€ per single trip. Discount and season tickets are also available. Transportation tickets should be purchased before travel and need to be validated upon entry. Machines either punch the ticket or validate it by cutting the corner and stamping the date and time of travel. Tickets are often checked on the vehicles or at the subway exits by inspectors wearing an arm-band and a photo-ID. You should always keep your ticket at all times until you exit the station or leave the vehicle.
If you are not familiar with the city, it is easiest to get a taxi cab. Preordered cabs offer lower rates than those hailed on the street.
Tipping
Taxi fares and restaurant prices in Hungary generally do not include a service charge and it is therefore customary to give a tip, generally equivalent to 10% of the bill.