Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
Since Budapest continues to undergo rapid changes, published tourist information
is often out-of-date. The best information source in the city is Tourinform
( & 1/317-8992; www.hungarytourism.hu), the office of the Hungarian Tourist
Board. Centrally located at V. Süt ó u. 2, just off Deák tér (reached by all three metro
lines) in Pest, the main office is open daily from 8am to 8pm. There is now another
Tourinform office in the bustling entertainment district of Liszt Ferenc tér, open daily
from 9am to 7pm in the high season (Liszt Ferenc tér is just down the street from
Oktogon, reached by the Yellow line of the metro or tram no. 4 or 6). The staffs in
both offices speak English and dispense advice on all tourist-related subjects, from
concert tickets to pension rooms, from train schedules to horseback riding.
You can also access city information through the “Touch Info” user-friendly com-
puter terminals located at the airport, at Déli Railway Station, at several of the larger
metro stations, and in the market hall at F ó vám tér.
The Budapest Sun (www.budapestsun.com) and Budapest Times (www.budapest
times.hu), both English-language weekly newspapers, also have listings for concerts,
theater, dance, film, and other events, along with restaurant reviews and the occasional
interesting article; they are available at most hotels and many newsstands. Budapest
Week, once a weekly magazine, is now strictly a website, www.budapestweek.com ,
which has a handy restaurant reservation network that lets you book your table online
for free. Ontheglobe.com is another Web-based resource that provides articles about
Hungary and previews of cultural events. (Full disclosure: We write and edit onthe-
globe.com, so we're a bit biased.) Xpatloop.com and pestiside.hu also attempt to
map out Budapest's cultural and social scene.
WHERE TO STAY
SEASONS
Most hotels and pensions in Budapest divide the year into three seasons. High season
is roughly from March or April through September or October. (The weekend of the
Grand Prix, which is the second weekend in Aug, is especially tight.) The week
between Christmas and New Year's, Easter week, and the period of the Budapest
Spring Festival (mid- to late Mar) are also considered high season. The months of
March (excepting the Budapest Spring Festival in mid- to late Mar) and October
and/or November are usually considered midseason. Low season is roughly Novem-
ber through February, except Christmas week. Some hotels discount as much as 30%
in low season, while others offer no winter discounts—be sure to inquire.
PRICE CATEGORIES
Most hotels and pensions in Budapest list their prices in euros. Listing rates in euros
is not just intended as a means of transition to the E.U. currency (Hungary is expected
to adopt the euro sometime after 2010), it is also a hedge against forint inflation
(though the forint has been surprisingly strong over the past few years). All hotels in
Budapest accept payment in Hungarian forints as well as in foreign currencies. Where
prices are quoted in euros, we provide a dollar conversion. The exchange rate used for
this chapter is 1
equals $1.20. When we list prices in forints, we provide U.S. dol-
lar and British pound conversion rates, at a rate of 500 forint to $2.50 to £1.30.
All hotels are required to charge a 12% value-added tax (VAT). Most build the tax
into their rates, while a few tack it on top of their rates. When booking a room, ask
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