Question 1

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

A single ticket on Budapest's public transport cost 500 Ft in October 2026, or 700 Ft bought on the spot. A 24-hour Budapest travelcard cost 2,750 Ft and a 72-hour travelcard 5,750 Ft. Check fares before you go. Tickets and passes are sold at vending machines, customer service centers and ticket offices, and as mobile tickets. Tram 2 runs along the river on the Pest side. It stops at Vigadó tér, at Fővám Square for the Great Market Hall and at Kossuth Lajos Square for Parliament. Licensed taxis are yellow, with yellow number plates and the words "qualified Budapest taxi" on the left front door. The official fare is the same with every operator at any time of day. Order a taxi by app or by phone, and get into licensed cars only. Taxis take cash and cards.

Question 2

What to Eat

Accepted Answer

Goulash in Hungary is a soup, made with cubes of beef and vegetables. Hungarian fish soup is made with carp, catfish or pike-perch. Csirkepaprikás is a stew of chicken and paprika. Stuffed cabbage, filled with minced pork, is on menus in the colder months. Lángos is deep-fried dough topped with sour cream, garlic and cheese. Kürtőskalács, or chimney cake, is rolled in sugar, vanilla, chocolate or walnuts. Dobos and Esterházy are the two classic Hungarian cakes.

Question 3

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

The usual tip in Hungary is 10 percent, in restaurants and taxis alike. Some restaurants add a service charge of 10 to 15 percent to the bill. Where they do, no further tip is needed. Restaurant staff prefer to receive the tip in cash, even when you pay the bill by card. Hungary's currency is the forint (HUF). Many businesses accept euros, but their exchange rates are usually worse than a bank's.

Question 4

Parliament and the Baths

Accepted Answer

The House of Parliament, designed by Imre Steindl in Gothic Revival style, is the largest building in Hungary. Guided tours of Parliament take about 50 minutes and are led by multilingual guides. Check ticket availability before you count on a visit. The Hungarian National Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, with last entry at 5 pm. Széchenyi Thermal Bath is open every day, from 7 am on weekdays and 8 am on weekends, until 8 pm and until 10 pm on Fridays. A day ticket for Széchenyi Thermal Bath, with a locker, was 13,200 Ft from Monday to Thursday and 14,800 Ft on Fridays and weekends in October 2026. Check before you go.

Question 5

History

Accepted Answer

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, built between 1839 and 1849, was Budapest's first permanent bridge across the Danube. William Tierney Clark designed the Chain Bridge and Adam Clark built it. János Marschalkó carved the four stone lions at its ends. Retreating German troops blew up the Chain Bridge in 1945. The rebuilt bridge opened in 1949, a hundred years after the first. The House of Parliament took 17 years to build, from 1885 to 1902. Imre Steindl, its architect, died five weeks before the inauguration. Heroes' Square commemorates the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian state in 1896. The Great Market Hall, designed by Samu Pecz, was completed a year later. The banks of the Danube, with Parliament, became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

Question 6

Traveling with Family

Accepted Answer

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is open every day of the year, including national and religious holidays. The zoo opens at 9 am, and its closing time changes with the season. A zoo ticket was 5,900 HUF for an adult and 4,200 HUF for ages 2 to 18 in October 2026. Check before you go. Children under 14 must be with an adult. Zoo tickets also cover the Palm House, the Aquarium and the Biodome.

Question 7

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Every station on metro line 4 has a lift, but most of metro line 2 is not step-free. On metro line 2 only Örs vezér tere, Pillangó utca and Puskás Ferenc Stadion are step-free. Batthyány tér, the line 2 stop beside the Buda pier, is not among them. More than 90 percent of Budapest's buses are low-floor, and only low-floor buses run at night and on weekends. Low-floor trams run on about 30 percent of tram lines. The stops on tram lines 1, 3, 4 and 6 are barrier-free, apart from Boráros tér on line 6. Ask your cruise line whether the gangway at your quay will be step-free.

Question 8

Shopping and the Great Market Hall

Accepted Answer

The Great Market Hall, at Fővám Square, sells food on the ground floor and souvenirs on the gallery above. Ground-floor stalls sell fruit, vegetables, meat and baked goods, along with salami, paprika, pálinka, wine and honey. The Great Market Hall is open Monday to Friday from 6 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 6 am to 4 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. It is closed on public holidays, and entry is free. Most stores in Hungary open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and close at 1 or 2 pm on Saturdays. Most are closed on Sundays, apart from large malls and shops in the main tourist areas.

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