Hungary Country & Tourist Information

Location
Central Europe.

Area
93,030 sq km (35,919 sq miles).

Population
10 million (2006).

Population Density
107.5 per sq km.

Capital
Budapest.
Population: 1.8 million (2006).

Government
Republic.

Language
Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken. Some French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.

Religion
52% Roman Catholic, 16% Calvinist, 3% Lutheran. Christian, Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany since 2004.

Head of State
President Laszlo Solymon since 2005.

Telephone
Country code: 36. If dialing between Hungarian cities, callers must prefix the number with the national dialing code, 06. Public telephones are operated by coins or by telephone cards.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good. 

Internet
There are Internet cafes in larger towns.

Media
Hungary’s private broadcast media compete with state-run radio and TV. Public radio services operated by Hungarian Radio compete with numerous local radio stations and national commercial services. Hungary’s national and local newspapers are privately owned, some of them by foreign groups and investors.

Post
Airmail takes three days to one week to reach other European destinations.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0800-1300. 

Press
• National dailies include Magyar Hírlap, Népszabadság and Népszava.
• English-language newspapers include the Budapest Business Journal, Budapest Week, The Budapest Sun and The Hungarian Quarterly.

Radio
• Public radio broadcasters include Hungarian Radio (operating Kossuth, Petofi and Bartok networks, plus Radio Budapest, an external service).
• Private broadcasters include Danubius Radio, Slager Radio and Juventus Radio.

Below are Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
15 Mar Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
28 May Whit Monday.
20 Aug National Day (Feast of St Stephen).
23 Oct Republic Day (Anniversary of 1956).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day. 

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
15 Mar Anniversary of 1848 uprising against Austrian rule.
24 Mar Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
12 May Whit Monday.
20 Aug National Day (Feast of St Stephen).
23 Oct Republic Day (Anniversary of 1956).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in the UK
35 Eaton Place, London SW1X 8BY, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 5218.
Website: www.mfa.gov.hu/emb/london
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1200 (visa section).

Hungarian National Tourist Office (HNTO) in the UK
46 Eaton Place, London SW1X 8AL, UK
Tel: (020) 7823 1032 or 1055 or 00800 3600 0000 (24-hour English-language enquiry line).
Website: www.gotohungary.co.uk

Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in the USA
3910 Shoemaker Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 362 6730.
Website: www.huembwas.org

Hungarian National Tourist Office (HNTO) in the USA
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 7107, New York, NY 10118, USA
Tel: (212) 695 1221.
Website: www.gotohungary.com


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