Hungary - Ungern

Hungary (approx. Hungary) is a country in Central Europe. The country borders to Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

Planning before the trip

Hungary is a member of the EU and Schengen, so as a Swede you do not need a visa to travel there.

To take with you to Hungary

Due to the often high temperatures in the summer, the use of sunscreen is recommended. However, sunscreen ("naptej") is available in most grocery stores.

To bring with you from Hungary

Hungary is known for a number of products, mainly food and drink. One thing you must not miss to take home with you is the world-famous salami sausage (Pick) which is made.

As Hungary's mainly southern parts in many places have a Mediterranean climate, the vineyards also thrive there. You can often visit the private wine cellars with free tasting and cheap wine. Undoubtedly the most famous wine is "Tokaji".

Facts about Hungary

History

The locals

Hungary is a nice country where people are extremely generous. The population's language skills regarding English are often very deficient. This is because English only 20 years ago was not compulsory to study in school. Younger people, city dwellers and those who work in industry, however, usually know English at least to some extent. As for the elderly, many of them speak German as well as many in the tourism industry. This is especially true near the Austrian border, but also in Budapest as it is a popular tourist destination for Germans and Austrians. Only 23% still know English and 25% German - outside the big cities it is extremely difficult to find someone who knows a word of something other than Hungarian, and absolutely impossible among the elderly. Most restaurants often have menus in English or even German - however, mistranslations and grammatical errors are common.

Climate

Hungary has an inland climate, which means cold, humid winters and hot, dry summers. In winter, the temperature can be minus 10 degrees, while in summer it can approach the 40-degree mark.

Holidays

Regions

Central Hungary The country's most visited area, mainly thanks to the capital Budapest.

Lake Balaton Tens of thousands more visitors flock annually Siófok, The unofficial "capital" of Lake Balaton.

Transdanubia This historic region west of the Danube is one of the most developed areas in the country.

Northern Hungary Fantastic historic towns and cave baths can be found here.

Great Hungarian plain This is, with its somewhat secluded location compared to the rest of the country, a large area with either flat plains or rolling fields. Debrecen can be seen as the unofficial capital of the region.

Cities

• Budapest - the country's largest and equal capital, filled with beautiful parks, interesting museums and a hectic entertainment life. Budapest is one of Europe's finest and most satisfying cities.
• Debrecen - the country's second largest city.
• Győr - the country's sixth largest city with a wonderful baroque city center with many cafes, restaurants, shops and nightclubs.
• Kecskemét - the country's eighth largest city known for its musical life, Art Nouveau architecture and its pálinka which is an alcoholic beverage similar to spirits.
• Miskolc the country's fourth largest city, located next to the Bükk mountains and with unique cave baths in Miskolc-Tapolca.
• Nyíregyháza - the country's seventh largest city, a medium - sized city and seaside resort, a museum town and an annual autumn festival.
• Pécs - the country's fifth largest city and a pleasant cultural and university city.
• Szeged - the country's third largest city and reportedly the sunniest in the country.
• Székesfehérvár the country's ninth largest city and former seat of the country's kings, now famous for its baroque architecture and museums.
• Szombathely the country's tenth largest city.

Getting to Hungary

You can fly to Hungary with a plethora of low-cost airlines. With Polish-Hungarian Wizzair[1] you can fly to Budapest from Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm.

Bus connections are available to several countries, including Sweden. The traffic is run by the national bus company, among other things Volánbusz[2].

Due to the country's central location, there are good train connections to several major cities in Europe. The traffic is run by the state-owned company Máv[3].

Between the months of May and September, it is possible to enter Hungary by boat via the rivers. This takes place from either Bratislava or Vienna and the riverboats arrive in Budapest.

As Hungary is now a member of both the EU and Schengen, passport controls from several countries are almost non-existent. However, kilometer-long queues can arise when entering / leaving the country through a non-Schengen country - including Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Ukraine.

Important! The first thing you should do when you have crossed the border is to pay the motorway toll ("Matrica"). A sticker ("Auto Vignette") that is valid for 10 days does not cost many kronor and you save several forints in fines.

Relocation in Hungary

Due to the country's relatively small land area, there are no regular routes within the country. For those with a flight license, it is possible to rent aircraft, for example from A Pilot's Academy of Malev Flying Club[4] 36 (20) 565 64 67 i Dunakeszi. Here you can, among other things, rent gliders.

Between most cities in Hungary there is regular bus service that departs several times daily. The bus journeys are almost identical to the train traffic both in terms of price and time. Bus tickets are purchased either at the station immediately before departure or, in some cases, by the driver on the bus.

It is important to keep in mind that there are both direct buses and buses that stop many times along the way, which should be checked before departure to save time.

Most long-distance buses are environmentally friendly, comfortable and equipped with air conditioning.

MÁV[5], the state railway company runs railway traffic in the country and tickets can be purchased both via the internet and at the stations.

Road quality in Hungary varies widely. Highways and major highways are often newly built and well maintained, while smaller country roads can be very bumpy due to heavy traffic that regularly wears them down. In the larger cities, the roads are often full of cavities, but recently the city streets have begun to be renovated.

The motorways of Hungary are tolled ("Matrica"). This means that a sticker ("Auto Vignette") must be purchased and then attached to the windshield. The stickers can be purchased at most gas stations and purchased at intervals of either four days, seven days, a month or a year. Checks are made through video cameras and the fine for not having a valid sticker can amount to 70,000 forints.

Driving between cities is relatively easy as the signage is usually of good quality. However, driving a car in the larger cities, especially in Budapest, can be very complicated. The traffic there is usually intense and fast. Many one-way streets and only a few bridges leading over the Duna (Danube) also make navigation difficult.

Petrol and diesel prices in the country are almost as high as in Sweden.

General rules

• In Hungary, there is zero tolerance for alcohol and driving. The limit for drunk driving is thus at 0 per mille.
• On country roads and motorways outside the communities, it is the law that you must have the low beam on the car lit even during the day.
• The base speeds are 50 km / h in cities, 90 km / h on country roads and 130 km / h on motorways.
• Speed ​​cameras are not common but they are available. Unlike in Sweden, speed cameras are often located in villages, and not on country roads. On some motorways, there is also a type of speed camera that photographs the car at the entrance and exit on the motorway. Then an average speed is calculated.

In general, it is cheaper to take a taxi in Hungary than in Sweden. A tip is to always go with a fixed taxi, as there are dishonest taxi drivers. An example of a blow is that instead of giving back Hungarian forint coins as exchange, they give back old Romanian leu coins. These are very similar to the Hungarian but totally useless.

• TaxiCab, Multi Language: www.taxibudapest.eu 36/70 / 645-4444 [6]
• Budataxi,[7] 36-1 233-3333.
• City Taxi,[8] 36-1 211-1111.
• Taxi 2000,[9] 36-1 200-0000.
• Mobile Taxi,[10] 36-1 333-1757.

Payment

Hungary's currency is called Forint (HUF). On most streets in the larger cities, there are places where you can exchange crowns for forint. A good tip is to only exchange at banks and the like as exchange offices with "good" locations (such as train stations) often have significantly worse exchange rates than their counterparts at the banks.

The forint is a much cheaper currency than the Swedish krona. The financial crisis is still hitting Hungary hard, which has led to the Swedish krona strengthening further against the forint. A rough estimate is that there are usually 30 Hungarian forints on a Swedish krona.

Euros are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and shops. However, beware that prices will be higher and then also in famous places such as McDonald's.

Mastercard, Visa and other major debit cards are available at many restaurants and stores. However, never coldly expect them to accept debit cards, but rather withdraw money from the ATM.

The prevalence of ATMs in Hungary is very large, even in the smaller cities. One problem with ATMs located in very small towns may be that there is no money in them.

Accommodation

Hostel

Prices vary greatly. For cheaper rooms in hostels in Budapest you have to pay between € 10 and € 12, but the normal price is € 20-22 per person.

Farms

Byturism is popular and well developed in Hungary, and can be a great experience. Start your research with 1Hungary[11], National Federation of Rural and Agrotourism[12] and Center of Rural Tourism[13]Near Budapest there is also the possibility to find houses for rent in the countryside, for example Wild Grape Guesthouse[14], which offers a good opportunity to explore both the capital and the national park, despite living in one and the same place.

Camping

It is possible to stay at campsites.

Food and drinks

You can drink tap water without any problems. Different wines and beers should also be tasted (for those over 18) as Hungary is known for its wines and beers.

Pörkölt (casserole / stew), kolbász (paprika sausage) and palacsinta (pancake) are dishes well worth trying.

To see

Hungary has several world heritage:

• Budapest, including the promenades along the Danube, Buda Castle and Andrássy Street
• Baroque city and castle Eger
• The old village Hollókő and its surroundings
• The caves in Aggtelek
• Benedictine Monastery in Pannonhalma and its surroundings
• Hortobágy national park - pusztan
• The early Christian cemetery in Pécs (Sopianae)
• The cultural landscape in Fertő/Neusiedlersee
• The wine region Tokaj and its cultural landscape

Other popular tourist destinations include:

• Lake Balaton with vineyards and thermal baths in Hévíz
• Tiszavirágzás. In mid-June, large swarms of day-old dragonflies of the species hatch Palingenia longicauda (Hungarian "tiszavirág") by the Danube tributary Tisza

To do

Work

Communication

Security

There are currently no travel restrictions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding travel to Hungary. However, the risk of encountering pickpockets is increased when you are in densely populated places such as squares, marketplaces, stations and public transport vehicles.

Another thing to watch out for is to always ask about prices when you are in cafeterias, restaurants or pubs. The risk is that you otherwise end up on a soaring bill. It is also good not to pay by card at places you do not fully trust.

Respect

• It is forbidden by law to wear symbols that can be associated with either communism or Nazism. Examples of symbols are the hammer and sickle, a swastika or SS symbols. The penalty for this offense is a fine.
• The largest minority in Hungary, Roma, can take it badly if you use the condescending word "Cigány", which means "Gypsy" in Hungarian, about them.
• Some Hungarians can be very upset if you talk condescendingly or mock the country's history.
• Speaking loudly in public places is considered by many to be ruthless. This is especially noticeable on public transport.
• When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you often greet by kissing each other on the cheeks. A handshake or the like can therefore be considered rigid.
• Many older people consider it inappropriate to clink the glasses against each other when toasting. This is based on a legend that the Austrians celebrated the execution of 13 Hungarian martyrs in 1849 by toasting and hitting the glasses against each other. According to the story, the Hungarians swore not to hit their glasses against each other for 150 years to come. Even though that time is over, it is still considered sensitive for older people. If you are out in the pub, however, you often see younger people hitting their glasses against each other.

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