🇭🇺 Budapest · First days

First 48 hours in Budapest

The first two days in Budapest, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.

For Budapest
How long you are staying

Must do

  • Telekom, Yettel and One sell prepaid SIMs in their shops; bring your passport. A local number is what banks, delivery apps and the parking app want.
  • EEA citizens staying beyond 90 days must register with OIF by day 93. Third-country nationals report accommodation to OIF as their permit requires. Put the date in now.
  • The HUF 8,950 monthly pass runs date to date from a start day you choose, and must be carried with the photo ID you named when buying it. Buy it in the BudapestGO app or at a machine.
  • Note the electricity, gas and water readings with the landlord, sign an inventory, and photograph the flat. Ask for last winter's consumption in kWh and m³.

Should do

  • 112 for any emergency, answered in English. 1830 is the out-of-hours GP duty line for illness that cannot wait until morning.
  • Many restaurants add a szervizdíj of 10 to 15 per cent. If it is on the bill, there is no need to tip again.
  • The 100E Airport Express runs to Deák Ferenc tér on its own HUF 2,500 ticket; the 200E plus metro line 3 runs on ordinary tickets. Use only the licensed yellow taxis.
  • Addresses are given by Roman numeral district first. Knowing yours, and the ones either side, makes every listing and every conversation easier.
  • OTP, K&H, Erste and others open accounts for residents; bring your passport and address proof. Rent and utilities are paid by transfer.

Nice to do

  • The vegetable-stew counters serve thick főzelék with a topping at canteen prices, and are the quickest good lunch in town.
  • Many embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals abroad. Two minutes now saves a scramble later.
  • Széchenyi is the famous one; Lukács and Rudas are smaller and more local. Gellért is closed for renovation until 2028. Bring flip-flops and a towel.
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Emergency112 · Police 107
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