Information about Hungary

Money

Currency: Forint (HUF)
1 Euro = 249.47 HUF (Sept. 2005)
1 Pound = 366.31 HUF (Sept. 2005)

Common credit cards are accepted.

Petrol

Petrol in canisters must not be brought into or out of Hungary. There is a supply of lead-free gasoline ("olommentes üzemanyag") all over Hungary.

Special traffic regulations

• Speed limits:
  • in residential areas: for all cars 50 km/h
  • Other streets: Campers up to 2.5 t and motor cycles 90 km/h, cars with trailer and campers over 2.5 t 70 km/h
  • expressways :100 km/h, cars with trailer and campers over 2.5 t 70 km/h
  • motorways: 130 km/h, cars with trailer and campers over 2.5 t 80 km/h
• No overtaking in bends, on crossroads and on level crossings
• Outside of cities driving with dipped headlights is oblgatory
• Stopping restriction where the edges of the lanes are marked in yellow
• Absolute prohibition of alcohol, 0.0ml alcohol level

Facts:

Area: 93,030 sqkm
Inhabitants: 10,196,000 (Fabruary 1st 2001)
Population density: 109.6 inhabitants/sqkm
Capital: Budapest
Time zone: GMT + 1 hour
Official language: Hungarian
Daylight saving time: March to last weekend in October + 1 hour

Geographical position:

Hungary is situated in Central Europe in the Carpathian basin; its largest distances are 268 km north-south and 528 km east-west.

Geographical regions:

50 per cent of the Hungarian territory are plains. The great lower basin ALFÖLD stretches over the whole eastern half of the country while the smaller basin KISALFÖLD is near the northeastern border of Hungary. The two main rivers of the country are the Danube and the Tisza river. The Danube has a length of 417 km within Hungarian territory, the Tisza 598 km. Both rivers cross the country from north to south. The region between Danube and Tisza, the DUNA-TISZA KÖZE, is also a plain basin while the landscape west of the Danube is a more rolling countryside and known as Transdanubia DUNANTUL. Right in the heart of Transdanubia is Lake Balaton, the largest and warmest inland lake of Europe. There are some mountain ranges crossing the country diagonally: west of the Danube the Transdanubian low mountain range, DUNANTULI KÖZEPHEGYSEG, with its 400 to 700 meter high ranges(Keszthelyi-hegység, Bakony, Vértes, Gerecse, Pilis, Visegrádi mountains) and the Northern low mountain range, ESZAKI KÖZEPHEGYSEG, stretches up to the easter Danube and has mountains of 500 to 1.000m height (Börzsöny, Cserhát, Mátra, Bükk, Cserehát, Zempléni mountains). The highes peak of the country is the 1,014 meter high Kékes in the Mátra mountains. One of the most famous tourist destinations is the national park Hortobágy (BUGAC, APAJPUSZTA, LAJOSMIZSE) where the visitors can marvel the domestic animal and livestock that have been typical of the Hungarian "puszta" for ages, and the ethnographic traditions and horse riding attractions.

Climate

Coldest month with -1°C on average is January, warmest month with 21.3°C is August.

There are 1.785 hours of sunshune per annum, in the south there are 2.050.

The most beautiful seasons are spring and autumn, on hot summer days the many lakes and resorts provide sufficient refreshment. The pleasant weather in winter is perfect for city travels, treatment and wellness travels, and activity holidays.