Budapest Essentials

Budapest Essentials & Tourist Information

Tourist Attractions

Budapest is renowned for its thermal baths and Gellért Gyógyfürdõ is the most beautiful of all. Located at XI.Kelenhegyi út 4 – on the Buda side of the Szabadság (Freedom Bridge) – a spacious maze of thermal pools, steam rooms and saunas lead off from the main art nouveau swimming pool. There are also several outdoor pools to enjoy in the summer along with sunbathing areas and a terrace restaurant. Opening hours are 6am to 7pm daily.

Opening Hours

Shops here usually open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. Food shops open from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and from 7am to 2pm on Saturdays. Supermarkets and shopping malls tend to stay open later, and on Sundays only non-stop shops and large shopping centres are open.

Food And Drink

Hungary is famed for rich mushroom sauces, dumplings, wild game, meat stews seasoned with paprika, cold fruit soups such as Gyümölcs Leves, and of course, goulash. If you plan to come to Budapest in the first half of September, you can taste and buy award-winning Hungarian wines at the International Wine and Champagne Festival. The rich and fruity ‘Bull’s Blood’ Egri Bikavér, and those from the Lake Balaton region are world famous. Tokaj wines are very popular as aperitifs and dessert wines, in fact Louis XIV, the Sun King, was so struck by them that he proclaimed they were “Wine of kings, the King of Wines”! Acclaimed for its medicinal value in Hungarian folk wisdom, try the local firewater Pálinka which is made from apricots, plums, or pears.

Tipping And Etiquette

Table manners are fairly formal in restaurants. Gratuity is 10% and for exceptional service between 15 to 20%. If a tip is not left, this means that the service was totally unacceptable. Another thing to bear in mind is that the bill and the tip should be presented directly to the waiter or waitress at the same time and not left on the table, as it’s the Hungarian practice to complete all transactions face-to-face.

Hungarian Phrases For Tourists

Hello - Szia (plural: Sziasztok)

Yes - Igen

Bye - Viszlát

No - Nem

Thank you - Köszönöm

I don’t know - Nem tudom

You're welcome - Szívesen

Good - Jó

Please - Kérem

Toilet - WC (pronounced in Hungarian as “vécé”)

Cheers - Egészségedre!

Cash - Készpénz

Excuse me - Elnézést

ATM - Bankautomata

I'm sorry - Sajnálom

Do you speak English? - Beszél angolul? (if all the above fails you)

Useful Numbers

• Calling the UK from Hungary 0044 + area code minus zero + number.
• 36 is the International Country Code for calling Hungary. • Emergency: 112 • Police: 107 • Ambulance: 104 or 311 1666 • Fire Brigade: 105 or 321 6216

Disabled Access

Facilities for disabled visitors to Budapest are limited, however, Ferihegy Airport is equipped with sliding doors, disabled toilets, plus wheelchair ramps. There are staff available to assist passengers on boarding and disembarking from flights. Budapest’s public transport network has introduced a limited number of low-floor buses on central routes, some ‘Localo’ vehicles for suburban services and some wheelchair friendly vehicles. Further information is available at: www.bkv.hu/angol/mozgaskorlatozott/index.html

Budapest Embassies

• British Embassy: 1051 Budapest, Harmincad Utca 6. Tel: +36 1 266 2888. • Hungarian Embassy: 35 Eaton Place, London, SW1X 8BY, Tel: 020 7201 3440. • Lost property: For items lost on buses, metro, cogwheel railway, tram or trolleybus phone: 267 5299. • Items lost on a MAV train or in a railway station phone: 312 0213. • For belongings lost on an intercity bus phone: 318 2122.

Weather

Summer is the best time to visit, and the city boasts high sunshine levels from April to September, and average temperatures of 27C at this time. Humidity is at its highest during the peak summer season, so for slightly more comfortable conditions, come in the spring or autumn, when the temperature is around 20C, and the city is less crowded, too. There can be showers at any time of year, with March and September being the driest months. Winter sees the city experience cold temperatures and a high chance for snow.