8/13/2019 Budapest Essentials Summer 2013

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BudapestEssentialsBy visitBudapest.travelSummer 2013 Edition

Population: 1.7 millionCurrency: Forint (Ft, HUF)

Ai rpor t: Liszt Ferenc International AirportCountry code: 36Budapest area code: 1Time Zone: Central European Time(GMT+1, ESaT+6), Daylight Saving TimeobservedElectricity: 220 volts AC, European-style plug(two circular metal pins)

OrientationDivided by the Danube River, Budapest wasformed in 1873 through the joining of Buda, Pestand buda. Buda, with its hills and mountains islocated on the west side of the Danube while theflat Pest is to the East of the river. buda, theoldest part of Budapest, is an extension of Budato the north.

The main sights in Buda are on and aroundCastle Hill and Gellrt Hill. Many of theattractions in Pest can be found between theDanube and the Grand Boulevard (Nagykrt),which changes name approx. every ten blocks.

Budapest has 23 districts (kerlet or ker.),marked with Roman numerals on maps andstreet signs. The city center occupies district 5and parts of districts 6, 7, 8 and 9 in Pest. BudaCastle Hill is in district 1. Its always good toknow the district, as identical street names canbe found in multiple districts.

Tourist Info

Budapest Info Kiosks are located at bothairport terminals and in the city center at: St utca 2, near Dek Ferenc tr

(8 am to 8 pm) Liszt Ferenc tr 11 (noon to 8 pm)

Important Phone NumbersGeneral emergency: 112Police: 107

Ambulance: 104Fire department: 10524-hour Tourist Hotline: (+36-1) 438-808024-hour Medical Help: (+36-1) 200-010024-hour Lost Passport: (+36-1) 463-9181

Opening HoursShops, Markets & Department Stores: Mon-Fri: 10 am to 6 pm Sat: shops close at 1 pm Sun: closedShopping centers are open 7 days a week andoperate longer hours. There are many 'non-stop' grocery stores scattered around the city.

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Crash Course in Magyar

Yes - IgenNo - NemOne - EgyTwo - Kett Open - NyitvaClosed - ZrvaPush - TolniPull - HzniWhere? - Hol?Help - Segtsg

Please - KremThanks - KsznmRed wine - VrsborWhite wine -Fehrbor Water - VzToilet - WCCashier - PnztrTicket - Jegy Hospital -KrhzPharmacy - Gygyszertr

How much does it cost? - Mennyibe kerl?I don't speak Hungarian. - Nem beszlekmagyarul.

Currency & Money Although part of the European Union, Hungaryscurrency is the Forint (HUF) and not the Euro (EUR).ATMs are easy to find in Budapest, and there aremany options for exchanging cash.

Currency exchange kiosks in tourist areas andshopping malls offer the best exchange rates. ATMsdispense Hungarian currency at your bank's dailyexchange rate, but may charge a foreign fee plusservice fees. Currency exchange is also available atbanks at a surcharge and the airport at a significantsurcharge of 10%-15%.

Credit Cards are widely accepted in Budapest.You will be able to use them at most hotels, shopsand restaurants. You may find however, that manymuseums, smaller shops, and even somerestaurants do not accept credit cards. Its also goodto have some cash when visiting the countryside.

Tipping is very much part of the culture in Hungaryand most people will routinely tip waiters, taxi driversand hairdressers. A 10%-15% tip is standard inrestaurants.

Bank hours are Mon-Thu: 8 am to 2 pm, OTPNational Savings Bank is open from 8 am to 4 pmFri: all banks are open till 1 pm.

Insider Tip: Start your culinary experience atLiszt Ferenc tr, Rday utca or the area aroundthe Basilica. For more info see our restaurantguide.

Have a question?Tweet us @BudapestMoments

For more insider tips visit:http://visitbudapest.travel/

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Budapest AirportBudapests Liszt Ferenc International Airport (BUD) is about 20 minutes from the city. As ofMay 30, 2012 T1 is closed and all airlines use T2.

Shuttle Airport Minibus offers shared rides to any addressin the city for a flat fee. A one-way trip to the citycenter is HUF 3,200 per person and a return tripis HUF 5,500. (www.airportshuttle.hu)

TaxiFtaxi, the officially appointed taxi companyserving the airport, charges zone-based flat rates.Most of downtown Pest is part of Zone 2 and theride costs HUF 5,800 / EUR 21. Most areas ofBuda fall into Zone 3, which costs HUF 6,000 /EUR 22. (www.fotaxi.hu)

Airport trainHungarian State Railway (MV) operates trainsbetween Terminal 1 and Nyugati (Western)Railway Station. The trip takes about 30 minutes.Transfer to T2 is via bus Nr. 200E.

Public transport Bus Nr. 200E runs between Terminal 2 and theKbnya -Kispest metro station (M3).

Airport info: www.bud.hu, (+36-1) 296-7000

Budapests Railway Stations Keleti Plyaudvar (Eastern Railway

Station), located on Baross tr is accessible bysubway (M2).

Nyugati Plyaudvar (Western RailwayStation), located on the Grand Boulevard atTerz krt 55-57, is accessible by subway(M3) and by streetcars 4 and 6.

Dli Plyaudvar (Southern Railway Station),located in the vicinity of Castle Hill at Krisztinakrt 37, is accessible by subway (M2).

Train schedule & ticket info: www.mav-start.hu

Public TransportBudapest is a walking city and most sights can bereached on foot. There are pedestrian precincts indowntown Pest and traffic is restricted on Castle Hill.

Subway - Budapest has three subway (metro)lines. They meet at Dek tr, in the city center.

M1 (Millennium Underground, yellow line) runsbeneath Andrssy Avenue, between Vrsmartytr and Mexiki t, connecting the city center withCity Park

M2 (red line) runs east to west, between Dliplyaudvar in Buda and rs vezr tere in Pest

M3 (blue line) runs north to south in Pest,between jpest-Kzpont and Kbnya -Kispest

Streetcars - Here are some useful sightseeingroutes from the citys vast streetcar system: No. 2 runs along the Pest riverfront connecting

Margit hid and Petfi hid No. 4 and No. 6 both run along the Grand

Boulevard in Pest from Szll Klmn tr in Buda No. 19 runs along the Buda riverfront, connecting

Batthyny tr and Gellrt tr

Buses, Trolley Buses and the HV covermost areas not accessible by subway and streetcar.Trolley buses run in Pest only and the Buda Hills are

accessible by bus and the cogwheel railway(fogaskerek). Outer districts and nearby towns, likeSzentendre, can be reached with the suburbanrailway (HV).

Download Budapests transit map.

Tickets can be purchased at metro stations andnewsstands. Remember to validate your ticketusing the orange or red ticket-punching machineslocated at the metro entrance and on buses andstreetcars. 10-trip coupon books and 3- or 7-daytravel cards offer the best value.

Other Ways to Get AroundTaxi - Residents in Budapest rarely flagdown taxis in the street. The best way to get areputable taxi company is by phone:

Citytaxi: (+36-1) 211-1111 F taxi: (+36 -1) 222-2222 Budataxi: (+36-1) 233-3333 Tele5 taxi: (+36-1) 355-5555

Riverboats - Scheduled service in thecity is offered by the Budapest TransportCompany (BKV) between Borros tr (Pest)and Rmaifrd (Buda). Mahart Passnave(www.mahartpassnave.hu ) offers sightseeingcruises and out-of-town-trips (Szentendre,Danube Bend, etc.) from Vigad tr in Pest.

Bike Rental - there are many bike lanesin the city, so bike rental is another popularoption.

BudaBike: (+36-70) 208-0003Szent Istvn tr underground garage(by the Basilica), open 24-hours.

Yellow Zebra Bikes: (+36-1) 269-3843 Lzr utca 16, behind the Opera House, open:9:30 am to 7 pm Apr to Oct and 10 am to 6:30pm Nov to Mar.

For a behind the scenes look at Budapest checkout our selection of unique themed walking tours.

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