GENERAL INFORMATION
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is an economic, financial and cultural centre with two million inhabitants. The city, which is beautifully situated on both sides of the river Danube, has 2000 years of history. There are relics from the time of the Roman Empire as well as from the Middle Ages. However, it mainly reflects the atmosphere of the end of the 19th century when the millennium of Hungary was celebrated. There are many of museums, (picture gallery of the museums) theatres, concert halls, plenty of restaurants and other places of entertainment. Several baths offer the pleasure of thermal waters of various medicinal springs. As Budapest is a traffic junction in Eastern Central Europe, it can easily be reached by air, by train, by car or by hydrofoil. 
PASSPORT, VISA AND INVITATION LETTERS
All foreign visitors must have a valid passport. The visa policy of Hungary is liberal. For visits shorter than a month, no visa is required for citizens of most European countries, the United States, Japan and Israel. Most European citizens can visit Hungary with their domestic identity card. Nevertheless, participants are advised to inquire about visa regulations at their travel agency or at the Hungarian Embassy or Consulate in their home country. AGREEMENTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY ON ABOLITION OF VISA REQUIREMENTS is available on the internet. Visa is required for visitors from most Asian countries, and most states of NIS. Please check the corresponding links. Those who experience any trouble in getting visa to Hungary should not hesitate to contact the Conference Organizers immediately. 
The list of Hungarian missions can be found here. 
LOCAL  TRANSPORTATION
Participants arriving at either terminals of Budapest Ferihegy International Airport are advised to use the Airport Minibus shuttle service, which takes one to any addresses in Budapest for a fee of 1800 HUF/person (cca. € 7). As of now, round trip tickets for the Airport Minibus can be purchased for 3300 HUF (cca. € 13). As an alternative one can use public bus service (line 93 red) which connects both terminals with the underground (metro) line 3 (blue line). Taxis to or from the city cost approximately 4000-4500 HUF (cca. € 15-20) for a one way trip. 
Car rentals are also available at the airport. Budapest possesses a reliable and frequent public transportation network, composed of three metro lines (yellow, red and blue), as well as several tram, bus and trolley bus lines. Participants are advised to use public transportation especially because a free weekly pass is included in the registration fee. You are advised to finalize your travel in time. 
FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND BANKING FACILITIES 
The Hungarian currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF). Currency exchange booths are available at the airport terminals, railway stations, travel agencies, banks and various places in the city. Traveller's cheques, and convertible currency may be exchanged at these facilities. Major credit cards are usually accepted in most hotels, restaurants and certain shops in the city. Obtaining cash against ATM or credit cards is very easy in Budapest from the cash machines that can be found at almost each bank office, hotel or on the street. For current exchange rates of major currencies, please click here. 
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
The climate of Budapest is continental. In August, usually nice warm weather is expected with a max. temperature of 23-28 degrees centigrade, while the lowest temperature during the night ranging between 15-20 degrees. Mostly hot sunny days can be expected in this season, rains are not usual. 
For current weather forecast please click here. 
GOOD TO KNOW
The electric line is 230V/50Hz in Hungary. The line connector is Euro standard. 
Not grounded plug

  Grounded plug

  Grounded/standard socket

Most laptops accept both 230 V / 50 Hz and 110 V / 60 Hz. However, this is not always true. Please check your laptop before taking it with you. If it accepts 230 V / 50 Hz, and the plug is different from the Euro standard, prepare for using an adapter (the best is if you take one with you). If it does not accept it, you would need a transformer - it is probably better not to experiment with it ... 

Guide for visitors
Before starting for Budapest, please study the enclosed safety guide for visitors. 

Budapest is a friendly city, colourful and hospitable city, which attracts visitors from all over the world, yet, just like in every metropolis, you should be careful here. In order to absorb the beauties of the city without worries, we would like to give you few pieces of advice. 

Arrival at the station
Visitors are often fascinated by the beautiful and vivid city upon their first arrival in Budapest and often do not keep an eye on their valuables and thieves take advantage of this situation. 

Our advice:

  • keep an eye on your belongings at the station, where you can leave your luggage in lockers.
  • If you do not have accommodation reserved in advance, please turn to the travel agent or information bureau at the railway stations and try to avoid agents who offer private rooms. Only agents with proper badges are permitted to offer accommodation to visitors on the trains.
    • Budapest by car
    Just like in every big city, finding a parking place in Budapest could be a problem even for locals. If you do not know the city well, we advise you to use public transport instead. The are parking lots with parking meters around sights. Vehicles are not permitted to stay more than 3 hours in downtown parking lots. Your car my easily be clamped if you fail to pay the parking fee or run out of time. Should you violate the rules, the official fine on the spot cannot be more than HUF 10000. 

    Our advice:

    • Leave your car in the guarded or indoor parking lot of your hotel or in a parking house. For further information please contact the information offices.
    • Do not leave you belongings, car registration documents and mobile phone in the car.
    • Please make sure you have properly locked your car and the alarm is on even if you leave it for a minute.
    Currency exchange
    You may easily bump into illegal money changers who seem to offer very favourable rates at frequently visited tourist spots. This activity is not only illegal, but is dangerous and usually turns out to produce considerable losses. 

    Our advice:

    • We recommend that you exchange money at the banks, hotels, travel bureaux, exchange offices or the more than 100 ATM machines of the city. The majority of the exchange offices work non-stop.
    Fake policemen
    During the summer season uniformed tourist police patrols do their beat with interpreters on their side at the most frequently visited places of Budapest. Some people try to pose as tourist police and ask for the visitors’ money, credit cards or travel documents in order to check them. The sole reason of the move is to cheat tourists. 

    Our advice:

    • Please make sure the police patrol has a proper badge with a “police” sign on it and with an ID card with picture, hologram and rank. Police badge without an identification number is not valid.
    Shopping, markets and public transport
    Pick pockets, in Budapest too, prefer working in huge crowds. Careless travellers can easily be deprived of their belongings, you, therefore, should be extremely careful when travelling on crowded vehicles, or on public transport lines which connect sights of Budapest (tram number 2, 4 and 6, buses 7 and 26 in the summer, and the metro). At the most frequently visited places of Budapest, such as downtown streets, Matthias Church in the Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Heroes’ Square, the Citadel, and the underpasses some groups of people may try to surround unsuspecting tourists making a loud noise and turmoil in an attempt to steal their belongings. 

    Our advice:

    • You are recommended to leave you valuables, cash, plane or train ticket in the safe at your accommodation.
    • You should not take more cash with you than necessary for the shopping.
    • Keep your bag closed and do not keep your cash and credit card at the same place.


    Taking a taxi
    The tariffs of the taxi companies may differ to some extent, but there is one thing in common ceiling to the tariffs. If you take a taxi, you can find the tariff chart on both dashboard and on the right rear window. The tariffs cannot be more than listed below, they, however, may be lower. 
    Basic fee Per kilometre tariff Waiting tariff Day time tariff 
    (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) 200 Ft 200 Ft/km 50 Ft/min. Night time tariff 
    (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) 280 Ft 280 Ft/km 70 Ft/min. 
    This is the tariff chart for all rides within Budapest and the rides starting in Budapest, including Ferihegy Airport. If you take a taxi in Budapest, but your destination is outside the city, the driver may request the return price to the city border. 

    Our advice:

    • If you arrive by plane or train, you can take the Airport Minibus or the MÁV Rail Bus service to get to town.
    • You get price reduction if you order you taxi by phone. Some hints: City Taxi 2-111111, Radio Taxi 3-777777, Fõtaxi 2-222222, Taxi 2000: 2-000000
    Restaurants, entertainment
    You can easily find a restaurant or a bar in Budapest to match both your purse and your taste. At some places frequently visited by tourists average quality food and drink may be overpriced. Quite often attractive women who speak foreign languages may recommend restaurants and bars to undecided guests. Accept these invitations only if the bill does not make any difference to you. We would rather discourage our friends to do so. 

    Our advice:

    • Before ordering make sure you know the prices, a five-digit price for one dish in unrealistically high.
    • Never accept menus, which do not contain prices or are coded, these are illegal.
    Illegal street games
    In the Citadel, Fisherman’s Bastion, Váci utca or Heroes’ Square people who play betting games turn up from time to time tempting visitors to make easy money. Players always co-operate with their friends who pose as spectators. If you enter the game, you can take it for granted that you will lose. 

    Our advice:

    • Do not take your luck in the streets if possible, there are nine casinos in Budapest.
    If you accept these recommendations from us, we hope you will not have to face any inconvenience and will retain nice memories of the city. However, if you need help, turn to the nearest police station or to the tourist assistant office, which works between June 1 and September 1 at the police headquarters at Teve utca 6., in district XIII, where complaints are accepted and assistance is provided in English. Phone: 443-5259 

    Please feel free to make your remarks and proposals to our colleagues at the information offices. 

    Information offices

    • Nyugati railway station, District XIII, phone: 302-8580
    • Sütõ utca 2, District V, phone: 317-9800
    • Budaörs, Agip complex (M1-M7 motorway junction), phone: 06-23-417-518 (Opening hours: March 15 – October 31: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day 
    • Király utca 93, District VII. phone: 352-1433, 352-9804 Opening hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. every day throughout the whole year. 
    The above information was published by the Tourism Office of Budapest.

     

     
    Organized by
    Roland Eötvös Physical Society