Practical Information for visiting Hungary

Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro, despite being in the European Union. Euros are accepted in some tourist businesses at poor rates; use forints.

Cards are accepted almost everywhere including small shops and taxis, and contactless is standard. Keep some cash for markets, rural areas and the occasional cash-only etkezde.

ATMs are widespread. Avoid the standalone Euronet machines in tourist areas, which charge heavily and offer bad conversion, and use a bank’s own machine. Always decline dynamic currency conversion and choose to be charged in forints.

Exchange offices in Budapest away from the main tourist streets give notably better rates than those on them, and than the airport.

Tipping is expected: ten per cent in restaurants and for taxis. Check the bill, as many Budapest restaurants now add a service charge automatically.

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the country, with 5G in Budapest and the larger cities and 4G almost everywhere else, from Magyar Telekom, Yettel and One. Gaps are limited to a few hill and border areas.

Hungary is in the European Union, so EU roaming rules apply and visitors from member states use their home allowance. Local prepaid SIMs are cheap for everyone else and sold in phone shops and supermarkets.

Free Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, cafes and on intercity trains, and Budapest has public networks in several squares and on much of the transport system. Fixed-line speeds are high.

Hungary is a safe country with low violent crime, and Budapest is comfortable to walk at night. The problems visitors actually meet are almost entirely commercial.

• Bar and taxi scams in Budapest are the classic. Avoid being led to a bar by someone who approaches you in the street, check prices before ordering, and use a taxi app or a phone-booked cab rather than hailing one — unlicensed taxis around the tourist district overcharge aggressively.
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• Currency exchange scams: offices advertising a headline rate that applies only to very large amounts, and street exchangers, who are always a fraud. Use a bank ATM.
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• Pickpocketing on tram 4 and 6, around the Great Market Hall and in the ruin bar district.
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• Drinking limits. The blood alcohol limit for driving is zero, enforced strictly, and applies the morning after.
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• Thermal baths are safe but slippery, and the hottest medicinal pools have posted time limits worth respecting.

Healthcare is generally good, and Hungary is a significant destination for medical and dental tourism — prices for dentistry in particular are a fraction of western European ones, and the clinics catering to visitors are well established.

EU and UK visitors are covered for necessary state treatment with a valid EHIC or GHIC; others pay privately, which is inexpensive by western standards. Private clinics in Budapest are quick and English-speaking.

Vaccinations: routine cover is sufficient. Tick-borne encephalitis is present in forested areas and vaccination is worth considering if you plan to walk in the hills between spring and autumn; check for ticks after any walk in long grass.

Summer heat in Budapest and the Great Plain is the most common seasonal problem. Thermal baths are not advisable with heart conditions or in pregnancy without advice, and the hottest pools have time limits for a reason.

Pharmacies (gyogyszertar) are widespread, with a rota for out-of-hours opening posted on the door. Tap water is safe everywhere.

Do not clink beer glasses. The convention dates from 1849, when Austrian officers were said to have toasted with beer after executing Hungarian generals, and although the supposed 150-year ban has expired, older Hungarians still do not do it. Wine and spirits are fine.

Names are reversed. Hungarians give the family name first, so Bartok Bela is Bela Bartok. Forms and lists follow the same order.

Toast properly. Egeszsegedre, eye contact, and do not drink before the host has.

Remove shoes on entering a Hungarian home; slippers are usually offered.

Baths. Shower before entering, wear a swimming cap where signs require one, and note that a few traditional baths still have single-sex days or areas.

Driving has a zero blood alcohol limit. Smoking is banned indoors in public places and at some transport stops. Jaywalking is fined. Photographing military and some government buildings is restricted.

Emergency numbers: 112 for everything, which reaches police, ambulance and fire and has English-speaking operators. The older separate numbers — 107 police, 104 ambulance, 105 fire — still work.

Medical. Budapest’s larger hospitals have emergency departments, and Semmelweis University’s clinics are the main teaching facilities. Private clinics such as those in District V and XII are quick and used to foreign patients. Carry your EHIC or GHIC if eligible, and your insurance details otherwise.

Pharmacies display the nearest out-of-hours ugyeletes pharmacy on the door, and pharmacists can treat minor complaints directly.

Tourist police patrol the central districts of Budapest in summer alongside regular officers, and there is a dedicated tourist information and assistance line on 1 438 8080.

Keep an offline copy of your passport and insurance policy, and note your embassy’s address — most are in Districts V, VI and XII.