By plane
By buying Budapest Card when arriving at the airport, the airport minibus and the train may be used at a discount price to get to the downtown. Airport minibus is a practical choice, as it delivers the traveller to any address in the city for 2 900 HUF. A return ticket (4 990 HUF) is valid for 6 months. (www.airportshuttle.hu). Getting to the city by train: 60 lines on weekdays, approximately 45 lines on weekends from Ferihegy 1 (300 HUF, road time is about 30 minutes). Terminals Ferihegy 1 – the terminal of cheap flights Ferihegy 2A – the terminal of fl ights of the Schengen area. Ferihegy 2B – the terminal of flights outside of the Schengen area. Timetable:www.bud.hu • Central information: (+36-1) 296-9696
By train
Budapest has direct rail connection with 25 capital cities. There are more than fifty daily international lines. A train leaves in every three hours from Budapest to Vienna, the travel time is 2.5 hours. Intercity lines connect the capital city and the larger country towns. Railway stations Three large international railway stations operate in Budapest: Budapest East Railway Station, Budapest Western Railway Station, Budapest South Railway Station. Railway stations serve as underground stations as well: East and South railway station: underground line 2, Western railway station: underground line 3. 24/7 ticket order by telephone (MÁVDIREKT): (36-40) 49-49-49 • Telephone number from abroad: (+36-1) 371-9449 • Information: www.mav.hu, www.elvira.hu
By coach
National lines arrive at several points in the city. The terminal for international lines is Népliget. Volánbusz Rt. transports passengers from (and to) the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Croatia, Poland,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine. Népliget (+36-1) 219-8086, Stadionok (+36-1) 220-6227 • Árpád bridge (+36-1) 412-2597, Etele square (+36-1) 382-4905 • Széna square (+36-1) 201-3688 • Buying tickets online: www.volanbusz.hu • Info: (+36-1) 382-0888 (Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday–Sunday: 8-16)
By ship
Between April and October we may arrive from Vienna and Bratislava by ship. There are three large international ports on the river Danube between Széchenyi Chain Bridge and Liberty bridge. Mahart Passnave, (+36-1) 484-4013, www.mahart.info
By car
Out of Hungary’s five motorways and four main roads (except main road 8) eight leave from Budapest. Motorway fee (E-sticker) is mandatory on M1, M3, M5, M6 and M7 motorways (can be obtained at border crossing points, larger fi lling stations or online and in text messages at mobile phone service providers). The driver should not drink any alcohol in any quantity. Fine for drunken driving exceeds 100 000 HUF (approx. 350 Euros). The upper speed limit at inhabited areas is 50, outside of inhabited areas is 90, on highways is 110, on motorways is 130 km/hours. 24/7 emergency phone number of Hungarian Auto Club: 188. Information of actual roadblocks, diversions, prices of stickers in 13 languages: www.autopalya.hu • International information: (+36-1) 345-1
WEATHER
Temperate zone, continental climate, four seasons. Warmest months: July, August (28–35 °C). Coldest months: December, January (-15–0 °C). In Budapest the number of sunny hours are rather high even in a yearly basis: exceeds 8 hours between April and September. Generally there are small amount of moisture, more signifi cant raining occures only in May, June and November.
HOLIDAYS
Holidays are following the Christian calendar except national days (15 March, 20 August, 23 October) and 1 May: 1 January, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, All Saints’ Day, Christmas, the second day of Christmas (25–26 December).
TIME ZONE
Central European Time is applied: GMT + 1 hour. Summer time (from March till the end of October): GMT + 2 hours. Telephone Hungary’s area code: 36, Budapest: 1, long-distance calls in Hungary and mobile phone calls begins with 06. Budapest telephone numbers are 7-digit, country numbers are 8-digit (with area code). From Hungary to abroad a call can be initiated by dialling 00 first. Mobile phone numbers are 9-digit after dialling 06 or +36 followed by 20, 30 or 70.
