TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
U.S
Driving Permit accepted. International Driving Permit is recommended |
| Currency |
(HUF)
Forint |
| Electrical |
230 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 36, City Code Budapest (06)1+7D, Szekesfeheraur (06)22+6D,
Salgotarjan(06)32+6D |
Time:
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before
last Sunday in October).
Electricity:
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.
Telephone:
IDD available. Country code: 36. Outgoing international code:
00. Public telephones are operated by Ft10, Ft20, Ft50 and Ft100
coins or by telephone cards.
Climate:
There are four seasons, with a very warm summer from June to August.
Spring and autumn are mild, while winters are very cold. Rainfall
is distributed throughout the year with snowfalls in winter.
Food & Drink: A good range of restaurants
is available. Table service is common, although there are many
inexpensive self-service restaurants. A typical menu offers two
or three courses at inexpensive rates. Fine dairy and pastry shops
(cukrászda) offer light meals. Specialities include halászlé
(fish soups) with pasta and Goulash gulyás soup. Western
goulash is called pörkölt or tokány. Stuffed
vegetables, sweet cakes, gundel palacsinta (pancake) and pastries
are also popular.
Eszpresszó coffee bars and Drink bars offer refreshments.
Gerbeaud’s is probably Budapest’s most famous coffee-house.
Tokaji (strong dessert wine) or Bull’s Blood (strong red
wine) are recommended. Pálinka or barack (apricot brandy)
is a typical liqueur. Imported beers and soft drinks are also
available. There are no licensing hours, but the legal age for
drinking in a bar is 18 years. Minors are allowed to go into bars
but will not be served alcohol.
Shopping: Special purchases include embroideries,
Herend and Zsolnay porcelain and national dolls. Shopping hours:
Department stores are open from Mon-Wed and Fri 1000-1800, Thurs
1000-2000, Sat 0900-1300. Food shops are open from Mon-Fri 0700-1900,
Sat 0700-1400.
Photography:
Military installations should not be photographed; other restrictions
will be signposted. Tipping: 10 to 15 per cent is expected for
nearly all services in restaurants, bars, clubs, taxis and so
on.
Currency:
Hungarian Forint (Ft) = 100 fillér. Notes are in denominations
of Ft20,000, Ft10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 200. Coins are
in denominations of Ft100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. A large number
of commemorative coins in circulation are legal tender.
Credit
& debit cards: It is possible to withdraw cash by
credit card at more than 3200 post offices. MasterCard, American
Express, Diners Club, Cirrus and Visa are accepted. Check with
your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability
and other services which may be available.
Travellers
cheques: Widely accepted in stores and banks. To avoid
additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take
travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
