Documentation:

Passport: Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. Carry your passport at all times. You must be able to show some form of ID if requested. A photocopy is not acceptable.

VISA's: Not required for British Citizens. EU & Schengen member. If you’re travelling to Hungary, previous visits to the Schengen area within the 180 days before your date of travel would count against the 90-day limit, but trips to other EU countries outside the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) would not.

EHIC: You should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you travel. If you already have an EHIC, make sure it hasn’t expired. 

Driving licence: Visitors can drive using a valid UK or other EU/EEA driving licence. You will need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) to be able to drive in some European countries as a visitor if there’s a no-deal Brexit. Motorists must always carry their driving licence with them while driving. Pink format or photocard UK licence accepted but International Driving Permit required if green licence held. When driving in Hungary the following documents should be carried:

• Full, valid driving licence*

• Proof of insurance/green card (third party or above)

• Proof of ID (passport)

• Proof of ownership (V5C certificate)

• International Driving Permit (See driving licence section)

Insurance: Policy and green card required.

Carnet de Passage: If you are driving a large haulage vehicle through Hungary, make sure you have full vehicle documentation. International loads must be supported by a TIR carnet providing a full inventory of the goods being carried. You must leave a financial bond with the Hungarian customs when transiting Hungary with a cargo. The financial bond, minus an administration fee is returned on leaving the country. If you are planning to transit Hungary with consignments of humanitarian aid as relief following a disaster, or medical aid, you should contact the Hungarian Embassy in London in advance to apply for a waiver. Should check if this is required for Campers transitting the country. 

Customs: Community regulations ensure the free movement of goods between EU member states. This means that no customs procedures are required for exporting goods from Hungary to another EU member state and/or for importing goods from a member state to Hungary. The export and import of goods purchased for non-commercial purposes (for personal use or as gifts) while travelling is not restricted, however, the transport of certain goods (such as: pets, hunting weapons, alcohol and tobacco products, medicines containing drugs, etc.) within the European Union is restricted or subject to special permissions. 

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Logistics

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Roads: Hungary operates a toll system for the use of some major roads in the country. You must buy a motorway vignette at a petrol station, post office or online in advance, in order to use these roads. Further information about driving in Hungary can be found in the guides provided by the AA, RAC and European Commission

It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol. You must use headlights on roads outside towns even in daytime. In winter, you must equip your car for severe conditions.

Towing: It is advisable, although not compulsory, to draw up an inventory of the contents of a trailer or caravan.

The maximum dimensions are as follows:

• Height:    3m for caravans and trailers towed by a car. 4m for other vehicles

• Width:    2.55m

• Length:    Rigid vehicle: 12m

• Articulated vehicle: 16.50m

Speed Limits: When towing:

• Built up areas - 50kph

• Motorways - 80kph

• Semi motorways - 70 kph

Fines: On-the-spot fines can be collected by the police in case of violation of traffic regulations. Since 1st January 2011, there is stricter enforcement of four main regulations and fines of 15,000 to 300,000 HUF can be imposed on-the-spot for the following offences:

• Failure to use a seat belt.

• Driving under the influence of alcohol.

• Speeding.

• Failure to stop at a red traffic light.

Toll Roads: You need to be aware that to use Hungarian toll roads, you have to have a valid motorway sticker. This currently costs between 11 and 12 Euros, you can purchase the sticker, or vignette here.

 

Winter Tyres: Snow chains may only be used on snow-covered roads.  The use of snow chains or their presence in a car can be made compulsory on some roads when weather conditions require.  The maximum speed for vehicles fitted with chains is 50 km/h.

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Emergency Equipment: While driving in Hungary you are required by law to carry the following items. Hefty on-the-spot fines can be issued for failing to carry specific items:

• Headlamp beam deflectors: depending on your vehicle, you will either need deflector stickers or have to adjust the beam manually.

• Lights: In daylight, outside built-up areas, passing lights must be used at all times, even when travelling on motorways.

• Warning triangle: compulsory on board all motor vehicles.

• Reflective jacket: a reflective jacket must be worn in the event of a breakdown or emergency on a motorway. It is also compulsory for motorcyclists.

• First aid kit: compulsory on board private vehicle.

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Weather: BBC weather forecast for Budapest

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Fuel: Fuel is available throughout the country. Most petrol stations are open from 06:00 until 20:00. Along motorways and in large towns petrol stations are open 24hrs a day. Some petrol stations accept Eurocard, Visa Mastercard and Maestro, but cash is the most common means of payment. 

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Water: Readily available at most campsites and garages. Tap water in Budapest is generally safe to drink. Public restrooms are practically non-existent in Budapest, with the exception of shopping malls. There has  been a report of contaminated water (high arsenic concentration levels)  in a number of towns in Csongrád County. Check before you drink or fill tanks.

Read more at: https://dailynewshungary.com/poisonous-water-from-the-tap-this-is-why-hungarians-do-not-drink-enough-water/

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Food: Supermarkets etc. Should not be a problem and reasonable selection in the larger cities.

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Vehicle / trailer repairs: Main cities. 

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Bottle Gas or Refills: Conflicting information found with regards to bottled gas. However it is understood that the following bottled gas retailers sell gas in Hungary:

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• Campingaz Gas Locator. Camping gas cartridges only appear to be available here.  

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Gas adapters:  Dish adapters are used here. 

 

LPG: In addition to cooking gas for those with tanks, LPG is also used to power vehicles. Details of LPG gas stations and connectors can be found on the website myLPG.eu. A list of Points of Interest (POI's), a list of stations, can also be downloaded in other applications and on other devices like Garmin, TomTom, Google Earth and iGO primo. Links can be found here.

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Currency: The Hungarian Forint is the currency of Hungary. Currency rankings show that the most popular Hungary Forint exchange rate is the HUF to EUR rate. Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU applies in all Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 Euros (or equivalent) or more; this includes cheques, travellers’ cheques, money orders, etc. This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU and will not apply to those travelling within the EU. Don’t use street money changers. Take care not to accept bank notes that are no longer valid but which are still in circulation. There have been a small number of reports of taxi drivers deliberately passing these notes to tourists - as well as notes from neighbouring countries that are not valid in Hungary.

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Health

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Make sure you are treated by a healthcare provider in the state system as you will not be covered for private healthcare with an EHIC.

 

Insect bites and stings: Tick-borne encephalitis, a serious infection of the brain spread by kullancs (ticks), which burrow under the skin, is a common problem in parts of Hungary. Vaccination is advised for campers and hikers, particularly in Transdanubia and the Northern Uplands between May and September. Lyme disease is another tick-transmitted infection common in parts of Central and Eastern Europe. The illness usually begins with a spreading rash at the site of the tick bite and is accompanied by fever, headaches, extreme fatigue, aching joints and muscles, and mild neck stiffness. If untreated, these symptoms usually resolve themselves over several weeks, but over subsequent weeks or months disorders of the nervous system, heart and joints might develop. Protect yourself by wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts when hiking in forests. Mosquitoes are a real scourge around Hungary’s lakes and rivers in summer, so make sure you’re armed with a DEET-based insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers around sundown.

Standard of Health Care: Medical care in Hungary is generally up to the standards of most Western countries and good for routine problems but not complicated conditions. Treatment at a rendelő intézet (public outpatient clinic) costs little, but doctors working privately will charge much more. Very roughly, a consultation in an orvosi rendelő (doctor’s surgery) costs from 5000Ft to 8000Ft while a home visit is from around 12,000Ft to 15,000Ft. Most large towns and all of Budapest’s 23 districts have a gyógyszertár or patika (rotating 24-hour pharmacy). A sign on the door of any pharmacy will help you locate the closest one.

Dental: Emergency dental care is easy and inexpensive to obtain, as many Hungarian towns have an abundance of dentists.

The Országos Egészségpénztár Penztar (OEP) is the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund. 

Make sure you see a dentist registered with the OEP. A list of dental services provided by OEP dentists is available in the guide: Health care services available during temporary stay in Hungary (PDF, 110kb).

Prescriptions: Medications and pharmacies are widely available throughout Hungary. Prescriptions brought from abroad are not accepted at local pharmacies. Pharmacies (known as Gyógyszertár or Patika), are often marked with an illuminated green cross or with the symbol of a snake coiled up around a cup. Certain medicines, such as painkillers, are also available without prescription at petrol stations, drugstores or in supermarkets. 

Bringing your own medicines to Hungary: Some prescribed medicines contain drugs that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation in the UK. This means that additional legal controls apply to these medicines.

You may need a personal license to take controlled medicines abroad. Specific requirements also apply to: 

• the information that you must take with you 

• how you carry your controlled medicines

Visit GOV.UK for more information about travelling with controlled medicines.

Post Brexit: Access to healthcare for British nationals travelling or living in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland will change if there’s a no-deal Brexit. NHS website. During the first 6 months after Brexit, if you need medical treatment and you're being asked to pay for it, the UK can help. This may be through arrangements with the country you live in, or by paying your healthcare provider directly. 

To organise a payment, you'll need to give your healthcare provider's details to the NHS Business Services Authority's Overseas Healthcare Services. Call the NHS Business Services Authority on +44 (0)191 218 1999 for more information. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm (UK time).

Medical Insurance: For advice on insurance for over 65 and pre existing conditions see here

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Pets

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There will be no quarantine for your pet as long as the following regulations are met. Unless otherwise stated, the regulations below apply to domestic dogs, cats and ferrets including service and emotional support dogs and cats. Owners of other pets should refer to item 12. 

For owners of pets entering or returning to the European Union (EU) from the United Kingdom (UK): as of October 31, 2019, if there is no ratified deal between the UK and EU, the UK is likely to be treated as an unlisted (high-rabies) country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme. If this is the case, then a titer test will be required a minimum of 3 calendar months in advance of travel any EU Member State from the UK. (see step #3) Your pet will also need an EU health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel. (see step #5) Your pet will need to enter the EU at an approved Border Inspection Post. 

For owners of pets returning to the UK from the EU, your pet will need either an existing EU pet passport (both for UK and EU citizens) or the EU health certificate issued in the UK used to travel to the EU.

  

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Places to stay 

 

Name / Point of contact / Email / Tel No / Website

Price per night

Hotels

Campsites including places (like hotels) that allow camping within their grounds

Wild camping

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Things to do and places to see

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• Environmental issues

  • Waste management

  • Water pollution​. 30% of potable water does not meet EU standards. Protection of supply. Danube and Tisza rivers

  • Soil pollution, erosion, acidification. Loss of biodiversity

  • Air pollution

• Wildlife. Bird mortality along power lines. (WWF). Return of brown bear, grey wolf, wolverine and lynx have reappeared. Read more at: https://dailynewshungary.com/wild-animals-return-to-hungarian-nature/Community

• International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) hunting and sustainable wildlife (Austrian NGO). 

• Tourism

  • Hungarian Parliament​

  • Halászbástya

  • Shoes on the Danube

  • Hero's Square

  • National Parks

  • Others TBC

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Any other suggestions / Information: 

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<<What went well. Safety / Security issues. Horror stories etc>>

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Local News

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• Hungary Today

• Daily News Hungary

• News Portal HU

• BBC News Hungary

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