Business Hours
 Banks: 07:45 to 17:00, Monday; 07:45 to 16:00 Tuesday to Friday, some branches open later Post Offices:08:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday; 08:00 to 12:00, Saturdays Government Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday Business Centres: 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday Shops: 10:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday; 10:00 to 13:00, Saturday
Cautions
 On the whole, Budapest is a very safe travel destination though there are few notorious parts of town to avoid during off-peak periods of travel or during the night. Most notably, the city’s eighth and ninth districts are widely recognised as areas to avoid after dark. Otherwise, Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube is perfectly fine during daylight hours, though visitors do well to avoid travelling here after sunset.
Taxi scams, while very rare, do occur in Budapest. Beyond ordinary price gouging, some tourists have reported threats of violence by drivers essentially holding them captive until they pay an exorbitant fare. To be safe, avoid un-marked or under-marked taxis. Some con artists take a regular car and outfit it with an illuminated ‘taxi’ box on top. Hungarian law requires all taxis to display an identification badge on the dashboard and a yellow license plate.
 Other reported scams are less elaborate. A few waiters in Budapest have an unsavoury reputation of overcharging or adding unordered items to the bill. Carefully review your charges before surrendering payment. Other scams involve beautiful women baiting unsuspecting men out of clubs and into dangerous territory. This usually ends near an ATM where the man is forced to make a substantial withdrawal and hand it over to an entourage of intimidating characters.
Electricity
Electricity: 220 volts, 50 hertz
Health
 Medical care adheres to high Western standards in Hungary, and medical treatment sought from public facilities (rendelö intézet) is relatively inexpensive. However, serious medical problems are typically referred to private clinics where prices are much higher.
The country of Hungary does not require any vaccinations of its tourists. Even so, the World Health Organization recommends that all world travellers seek immunisation for tetanus, polio, diphtheria and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). HIV is a growing (though still nominal) concern due to Budapest’s flourishing and unregulated prostitution scene. To date, confirmed cases of HIV remain low.
 Bottled water is widely available throughout Budapest and greater Hungary. International health-watch advocates tourists are advised to avoid drinking tap water. The same precautions are best applied to ice. In general, factory-processed ice (hollow and cylindrical) is safe for consumption.
Infectious diseases in outlying rural areas are of minimal concern. Malaria is virtually nonexistent, though protection against mosquito-borne illness (i.e. skin-covering clothing and DEET repellent) is still a wise measure when travelling outside of the city.
Language
The official language of Hungary is Magyar (or simply, Hungarian). Hungarian falls outside of the Indo-European family (to which English belongs) andis actually closer to Finnish than to Romance languages. English is understood by many, especially by younger Hungarians and those associated with the tourism industry.
Currency
 The official currency of Hungary is the forint (abbreviated as Ft). Banknotes are issued in increments of 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500 and 200 Ft. Coins are issued in 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 Ft increments. The forint was once divided into fillér, though this form of currency became obsolete in 1999.
Currency Exchange
 Hungary is in a unique position within the European Union. While the forint is the official form of currency, many hotels and all train stations accept (and quote prices) in euros. ATMs are widely available, and there are several automated machines that exchange foreign currencies.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted virtually everywhere in Budapest though railway stations, grocery stores and smaller shops deal primarily in cash. Traveller’s cheques and cash are best exchanged in banks as rates on the streets are less favourable.
Customs
In addition to strict regulations on the import of firearms and illegal drugs, tourists are required to present a museum certificate before exporting a valuable antique. Dealers of these items will provide this certificate. Tourists entering the country with more than 1 million forint in cash or cheques must first declare this to customs officials.
There are restrictions placed on the import and export of the following items: firearms, plants, endangered species and certain drugs. Visitors who intend to bring any of these items into or out of the country should first contact the nearest Hungarian embassy for up to date information before travelling. Prescription drugs can often be expedited by presenting the prescription and carrying the drugs in their original container.
Etiquette
 Greetings in Budapest consist of a simple handshake, exchanged by both sexes; however, men typically wait for women to extend their hand before offering their own. Closer friends may greet one another with a light kiss on the left and then right cheeks.
When Hungarians exchange names, they begin with their surname and follow with their given name. However, foreigners are expected to operate according to the inverse. Inverting your own name order, while adhering to the local custom, may cause initial confusion.
 Gender roles are slightly reversed in Hungary. Men traditionally enter a building before women, a form of inverted chivalry. Another inverted custom, Hungarians greet one another by saying ‘szia’ (borrowed from the English, ‘see-you’) and part ways by saying ‘hello’.
Religious etiquette in Budapest and Hungary is somewhat lax. Church attendance is not as high as in neighbouring Eastern European countries, and a local impetus on science and research is often attributed to a lack of interest in matters of faith. However, reverence is still in order when visiting religious sites, and minority (though much more devout) Orthodox groups do exist within Hungary.
Tipping is a regular practice in Hungary, and it is not uncommon for locals to leave a tip in unexpected places, such as with the doctor or petrol station attendant. Gratuity in restaurants is not left on the table; rather, patrons tell their server how much money they’re paying with and how much they’d like back. Ten percent customarily acknowledges good service.
 Dining Etiquette If you are fortunate enough to be invited into a Hungarian home for dinner, bring a token gift such as flowers, chocolates or imported spirits. Hungarians are punctual, and the time given for the start of the dinner party can be taken literally.
Dining manners are Continental in Hungary, meaning the knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. When dining with a group, wait to begin eating until the host or hostess begins. As long as you intend to eat more, leave your fork and knife crossed across your plate. When you have finished eating, you can signal this to your host by placing the utensils parallel across the plate with the handles pointing to the right.
 At formal dining parties, the honoured guest offers the first toast. Hungarians may clink glasses for a toast, though this is never done with beer glasses. This aversion stems from a 19th century legend in which a group of Austrian captors clinked their beer glasses together to celebrate the execution of several Hungarian martyrs.
Your host or server will continually refill your beverage as long as you continue drinking it. Once you have finished drinking, you can leave your glass half full to hold off any further refills.
Visa and Passports
As visa regulations in Hungary are subject to perpetual change, it is wise to check in with your local Hungarian embassy before finalising travel plans.
 As Hungary is a European Union member nation, EU citizens are free to come and go without a visa. Croatians are also free to and from Hungary with their national identity card. Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States need not arrange a visa before travelling to Hungary, as visas on arrival are available at most highway border crossings, at the international ferry terminal, and at Ferihegy Airport.
Transit visas can be purchased for single, double or multiple entries and permit up to 48 hours’ stay in Hungary. All standard tourists visas cover a maximum period of 90 days and can only be extended in extreme cases such as a medical emergencies. Along with a stamp in their passport, tourists are also issued both an entry and exit form which must be retained while travelling in the country.
Tourist Information Offices
The Budapest Tourist Office maintains three branches across the city. These are found on Castle Hill, Nyugati rail station and on Liszt Ferenc tér along with satellite desks in the airport. Castle Hill phone: +36 1 266 0479; website: http://www.budapestinfo.hu/.
| 
