Language
You will instantly recognise that Hungarian is like no other language you have ever heard or seen before. The only languages that Hungarian is said to be related to are Finnish and Estonian. Seven per cent of the population (mostly young people) speak English. Nine per cent speak German.
Currency And Tipping
Hungary’s currency is the forint, abbreviated to Ft or HUF. Notes come in seven denominations: 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000 and 20000. Hungary is a very tip-conscious society and virtually everyone routinely tips waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers. Even petrol station and thermal spa attendants expect something. In a standard restaurant, the service charge is always included in bills, and tipping is not compulsory. But if you’re satisfied with the service, add about 5 or 10% and tell the waiter the total he needs to take from the amount you give him. It’s considered both rude and stupid to leave cash on the table.
Safety
Budapest is pretty safe, but as with all big cities be on your guard:
- Beware of the pickpockets (especially on crowded trams and metro).
- Watch your step: most of the pathways and grassy places are covered with dog mess.
- Policemen never speak English and might not have much patience for foreigners. Try not to mess with them. And watch out for fake tourist police.
- Don't walk alone in the night in dangerous districts such as 7, 8 and 9. Buda is totally safe and so is the downtown, everywhere next to the Danube.
Beware of scams involving attractive young women who might try to tempt unsuspecting males to go to a certain club. There could be shock when the bill arrives and, quite possibly, a frog-marching to the nearest ATM by the club’s heavies.
Weather
With the Alps to the west and the flat, open Great Plain to the east, Budapest has warm summers and bitterly cold winters, with plenty of rain all year round. Winters are fairly short, usually cloudy and damp with odd bright sunny days and frequent, but light, snow. Very cold weather arrives in mid-December. Budapest is at its best in the spring and summer months. In summer, the city enjoys a high proportion of sunny, warm days with relatively high humidity, the sun shining for about 10 hours a day.
Getting Around
Although Budapest is a large city, it’s very easy to get around. Not only are the majority of sights that tend to be of interest to the visitor located fairly close together, but an outstanding transport system serves all of Budapest’s 23 districts. Travel is by bus, trolleybus, tram and the metro (underground/subway). One ticket is good for a one-way journey on any of these. If you change to a different form of transport or change metro lines, you must buy a new ticket (this is often checked and fines can be imposed). You can buy single tickets from machines at metro stations and tram-stops or at kiosks and magazine stands in the metro stations during business hours. You must validate your ticket by putting it in the special ‘puncher’ machine.
Travel Tip: The Budapest card (motto: ‘the whole city in your pocket,’) offers the holder unlimited travel on public transport; free or discounted entry to 60 museums and sights; a sightseeing tour for half price and discounts in restaurants and spas. It costs 6,450Ft for 48 hours and 7,950Ft for 72 hours. Details from http://www.europeancitycards.com/...
