Travel tips · Budapest · Hungary
Budapest travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Visions of Domino, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Hungarians are proud of a language unrelated to their neighbours' and of a history that runs from the Magyar conquest through the Habsburg era to 1956 and 1989. Daily life mixes coffee-house traditions, bath culture and a love of hearty food, and people can seem reserved at first but are warm once introduced.
Key facts
- Language
- Hungarian
- Currency
- HUF
- Plugs
- Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and public drinking fountains are common in parks…
- Emergency
- 112 (European emergency number)
Things to know
- Greet with 'Jó napot' in shops and offices; 'Szia' is for friends and younger people.
- Many Hungarians, especially older people, avoid clinking beer glasses, a custom linked to the defeat of the 1848–49 revolution; clinking wine or pálinka is fine.
- Shower before entering the pools at the baths and wear flip-flops; swimming caps are required in lap pools.
- Validate paper tickets or tap your pass before boarding; inspectors check often, especially at metro entrances.
- Make eye contact when you toast with 'Egészségedre!'.
- Book Hungarian Parliament Building ahead: Guided tours run in several languages and sell out in high season; book a time slot on the official ticket site.
- Book Széchenyi Thermal Bath ahead: Buy tickets online for weekends and holidays, when the queue at the entrance can be long.
- Book Dohány Street Synagogue ahead: Queues are long in summer; a timed ticket bought online saves waiting.
- Pay in forints and decline offers to charge your card in your home currency at ATMs and card terminals; the conversion rate is poor.
Tipping
Tip about 10% in restaurants unless a service charge is already on the bill; tell the server the total you want to pay rather than leaving cash on the table, and round up taxi fares.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jó napot | Good day (polite hello) |
| Szia | Hi / bye (informal) |
| Köszönöm | Thank you |
| Kérem | Please |
| Egészségedre | Cheers |
| A számlát, kérem | The bill, please |
| Elnézést | Excuse me |
What to wear
Casual dress is fine; bring swimwear, flip-flops and a towel for the baths, and cover shoulders in synagogues and churches.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is safe to drink, and public drinking fountains are common in parks and squares.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Phone and internet
- EU roaming applies to European SIMs; other visitors can buy a local SIM or use an eSIM, and free Wi-Fi is common in cafés.
- Time zone
- Europe/Budapest
Budapest is generally safe for visitors. Pickpockets work trams 4 and 6, the metro and Váci utca, and some bars overcharge tourists, especially when strangers invite you in. Use licensed taxis or apps, and make sure menus show prices before ordering.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check Hungary's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Budapest?
Tip about 10% in restaurants unless a service charge is already on the bill; tell the server the total you want to pay rather than leaving cash on the table, and round up taxi fares.
+Can you drink the tap water in Budapest?
Tap water is safe to drink, and public drinking fountains are common in parks and squares.
+What plugs are used in Budapest?
Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
+What language is spoken in Budapest?
Hungarian.