Hungary Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Central Europe.

Language

Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken by the older and younger generation respectively. Some French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.

Area

93,030 sq km (35,919 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.

Population

10 million (official estimate 2007).

Population Density

107.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Budapest. Population: 1.7 million (2007).

Government

Republic.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai since 2009.

Head of State

President Laszlo Solymon since 2005.

Religion

52% Roman Catholic, 16% Calvinist, 3% Lutheran. Christian, Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities.

Recent History

Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai succeeded Ferenc Gyurcsany, who resigned after failing to push through measures to revive Hungary's crisis-hit economy, in April 2009.

In May 2002, the Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Part, MSzP) came to power. There have been a few re-shuffles in parliament since then, most recently when opposition-backed Laszlo Solymon was chosen as the next president, after the Socialists' candidate was blocked - but the coalition survived and won the April 2006 general election. This was the first time a government had been re-elected since the restoration of democracy in 1990.

Hungary became a member of NATO in 1999 and joined the EU in 2004. Hungary has also joined with the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovak Republic in the Visegrad group, which promotes political and economic co-operation in central Europe. In September 2006 Budapest was engulfed in demonstrations, as Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany admitted that he had lied to voters about the state of Hungary's economy. Police again battled protestors in October 2007 during the 51st anniversary of the Hungarian anti-Soviet uprising.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +36. If dialing between Hungarian cities or to mobile phones, callers must prefix the number with the national dialing code, 06.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good.

Internet

There are Internet cafes in most towns, and some libraries have free terminals.

Media

There is generally a high level of autonomy in Hungary's media. The country's private broadcast media compete with state-run radio and TV. Public radio services operated by Hungarian Radio compete with numerous local radio stations and national commercial services. Hungary's national and local newspapers are privately owned, some of them by foreign groups and investors.

Post

Airmail takes three days to one week to reach other European destinations.Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0800-1200.

Press

• National dailies include Magyar Hírlap, Népszabadság and Népszava.
• English-language newspapers include the Budapest Business Journal, Budapest Week, The Budapest Sun and The Hungarian Quarterly.

Radio

• Public radio broadcasters include Hungarian Radio (operating Kossuth, Petofi and Bartok networks, plus Radio Budapest, an external service).
• Private broadcasters include Danubius Radio, Slager Radio and Juventus Radio.

Public Holidays

Below are Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
24 Dec Christmas Eve
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
15 Mar Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule
25 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
13 Jun Whit Monday
20 Aug National Day (Feast of St Stephen)
23 Oct Republic Day (Anniversary of 1956)
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
24 Dec Christmas Eve
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
15 Mar Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule
9 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
28 May Whit Monday
20 Aug National Day (Feast of St Stephen)
23 Oct Republic Day (Anniversary of 1956)
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
24 Dec Christmas Eve
25 Dec Christmas Day
26 Dec Boxing Day

Contact Information

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in the UK

35 Eaton Place, London SW1X 8BY, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5218.
Website: www.mfa.gov.hu/emb/london
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1200 (visa section).

Hungarian National Tourist Office (HNTO) in the UK

46 Eaton Place, London SW1X 8AL, UK
Tel: (020) 7823 1032 or 00800 3600 0000 (24-hour English-language inquiry line).
Website: www.gotohungary.co.uk

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in the USA

3910 Shoemaker Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 362 6730.
Website: www.huembwas.org

Hungarian National Tourist Office (HNTO) in the USA

350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 7107, New York, NY 10118, USA
Tel: (212) 695 1221.
Website: www.gotohungary.com