Official language:  
Hungarian

The most commonly spoken foreign languages are English and German. Hungary has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and is also a border of the Schengen area.

Time zone:
UTC+1 hour, in summer (March to Oct) UTC + 2 hours

Telephone codes:  
36 (Hungary)
1 (Budapest)
20 or 30 or 70 (mobile)

Budapest telephone numbers and all mobile numbers consist of 7 digits:
(0036) (1) 111 1111
(0036) (20 or 30 or 70) 111 1111

Official currency: 
Forint (Ft/HUF).

Information on the current middle exchange rate: www.mnb.hu

Currency exchange tip:
Officially, you can pay everywhere by credit card (Visa/Mastercard), but in markets and small shops it is good to have some cash on you. You can change money at any bank or official exchange bureau, checking the exchange rates of MNB (Hungarian National Bank) beforehand.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:
Emergency calls: 112
Police: 107
Ambulance: 104
Fire Department: 105
Roadside emergency calls: 188

OUT-OF-HOURS HEALTH SERVICES
Out-of-hours medical care: Semmelweis University 1085 Budapest, Üllői út 26. T: +36 1 459 1445 

PHARMACY:
Pest: 1067 Budapest, Teréz krt. 41. T: +36 1 311 4439
Buda: 1123 Budapest, Alkotás utca 1/B T: +36 1 355 46 91

Transportations in Budapest  

Budapest offers one of the most comprehensive public transport systems among the capitals of Europe with 268 bus, 32 tram, 15 trolleybus, and 4 underground lines. Daytime services are available between 4.30 am and 11.30 pm, while at night you can get around with night buses or Tram No. 6, which runs round the clock.

TAXI 
While several companies run taxis in the capital, all licensed cabs are yellow, have yellow license plates, and are marked “Licensed Budapest taxi” on the driver’s door. You have taken a licensed Budapest taxi if you can see the driver’s photo ID and the table of fares on the dashboard and the insides of the passenger doors. 

All fares are licensed: the minimum fare is HUF 700, the standard fare is HUF 300 per kilometer and there is a waiting charge of HUF 75 per minute. Cash and bank cards are both accepted. Make sure to get the receipt printed by the taximeter at the end of your journey so that you can check whether the licensed fares have been applied, and to ensure a swift remedy for whatever complaint you may have.