A six carriage tram in Budapest
We discovered that Budapest was a city in which there were a number of things that many might find a little confusing, so it is worth while giving some hints and tips to make your visit to Hungary just that little bit smoother.
Whilst Hungary is a part of the European Union, it still maintains its own currency, so that it will be necessary to convert funds into the local currency when you enter Hungary.
You are advised to carry sufficient funds in the local Hungarian currency to ensure that you are able to pay for those purchases for which credit cards are not acceptable – we did find a few of these during our stay in Budapest.
The Hungarian florint (HUF) currently has an exchange rate of some 260 to the euro, so be prepared to have many high value notes in your possession after changing your funds (mind you, they also disappear back out quite rapidly as well).
As an example, the cost of our taxi ride from the railway station to our accommodation came to just under 5000 HUF.
We recommend that you make use of the great public transport system that Budapest has to offer the visitor as a means of getting around the City efficiently and within a reasonable time frame.
Although some parts of the City are quite compact, the division of Budapest by the Danube River means that some of the travelling distances are greater than would otherwise be the case if there wasn’t the need to travel up river or down river to the nearest bridge.
The transport system is efficient and very cost effective. Tickets can be used on all of the modes of transport, so there is no need to purchase different tickets for different types of transport vehicle. Individual tickets can be purchased at machines which are located at many tram stops, at metro stations and other City locations. These machines are mostly coin operated, although there are also note and credit card operated machines at metro stations.
When you purchase your tickets at the metro stations, you are given a greater choice in the types of ticket available. In addition, it is possible to purchase tickets at newsagents and tobacconists. Single tickets cost around 260 HUF (approximately 1 euro). However, other options are available for those wishing to make more extensive use of the system.
We purchased 24 hour tickets from a ticket machine at Moskova metro station for 1550 HUF (approximately 6 euros). These allow you unlimited access to all modes of transport for 24 hours. I did note that you can adjust the start time of the ticket on the machine prior to purchase.
Tickets for longer periods are also available at proportionately lower prices.
For those wishing to make lots of use of site visits and do a lot of sightseeing, the Budapest Card may suit your needs perfectly.
This card is offered for 2-day or 3-day periods, and also covers children under the age of 14 travelling with the card holder.
The card offers free travel on Budapest’s public transport system, free admission to over 60 museums and other important sites and discounts for city sightseeing tours by bus and boat, for folklore and cultural programs and spa baths, restaurants and a number of other businesses in the City.
Prices quoted for this card range from 6300 HUF (about 24 euros) for a 2 day card to 7500 HUF (about 29 euros) for a 3 day card.
RyanAir, however operates a very large range of flights out of Frankfurt Hahn airport (HHN) into almost every country in Europe, and even as far as northern Africa.