BME Survival Guide 2008

Study abroad is no longer a luxury, but a necessity – not only for those individuals who will be the future business and political leaders of your nation, but for all those who wish to be informed and thoughtful citizens of the global community.

This handbook is only a start in preparing for your period of study in Hungary at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). We encourage you to confi rm the requirements for your study and to read as much as you can about Hungary.

This guide was designed in order to provide BME international students with information which is either not printed elsewhere or is diffi cult to fi nd. The topics covered in this guide were suggested by the Students’ Offi ce, the Study Abroad Offi ce of BME and the mentors of the local ESN (Erasmus Student Network) group. Should there be information you feel ought to be added to the text next printing, do not hesitate to let them know. The information in this revised edition was accurate at the time of preparation. There may, however, have been some recent procedural changes or reshuffl ing of offi ces.

“Eastern Europe is a place that is rapidly changing, perhaps faster than anywhere else in the world. You are living in a region of change, acknowledge that. And travel as much as you can, countries around you are also changing. I commend you on your choice to study in Eastern Europe ! Enjoy, it goes too fast” (D. Pesis, US)

Introduction

Content

Registration 5For Both Regular and Exchange Students 6

Visa 6Registration with Immigration Offi ce 6Health Insurance 9

Exchange Students 10Registration at the University 10Accommodation 10

Regular Students 11Registration at the University 11Accommodation 12Placement Test 13

University 15Student Card 16

How You Get Your Student Card 16Our University 17

About BME 17Computer Facilities 19Sports Facilities 20Student Organisations at BME 21Libraries 22

Environment of the university 24Copy Centers Nearby 24Postoffi ce 24Canteens Nearby 24Clubs of the Faculties 24Student Life – Culture Shock 25

ESN BME 27About ESN BME 28

Contact Information 28The Goal of ESN Members 29

Mentoring System 30Activities 31

Trips and Sightseeing 31Tandem–Program 31Parties 31

Free Time 33Entertainment 34

Baths 34Museums 34Theatre 34Cinemas 35Festivals and Concerts 35Ticket Offi ces 36

Drinks 37Eating out 38

Hungarian Specialities 38Fast Food 38Vegetarian Food 38Recommended Restaurants 39

Party Places & Pubs 40Shopping 41Sports 43

Hungary 45Health 46Religious Services in English 47Travelling 48

Travelling in Budapest 48Travelling in the Country 50

Telecommunication 51Media 52Useful Links 53Public Holidays 53Practical Information 54Greetings & Civilities 56

Content

Each year more than 350 foreign students start their fi rst semester at BME. Some of them are

regular student who will study here for 5 years. The others are exchange students who spend here only

one or two semesters. Please, note which chapters are here for you.

REGISTRATION

For Both Regular and Exchange Students 6Exchange Students 10Regular Students 11

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You can get the empty form at registration.5. lease contract of your apartment in Hungarian language, in original (“lakásbérleti szerződés”) 6. bank account statement (from a bank account in an EEA country). You should prove to have at least twice the amount of the monthly rent of your accommodation on one single bank account) 7. fee stamp for 1000 HUF, available at post offi ces (“illetékbélyeg”)

For students coming from the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zeeland, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela

You have to apply for a residence permit within 30 days after your arrival! You must apply for a residence permit in person in the Offi ce of Immigration and Nationa-lity. The residence permit will be issued to you for a year or longer and it is to be extended 30 days before the expiry date. Please, visit the home page of the Offi ce of Immigration and Nationality of the

Hungarian Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement at www.bmbah.hu for details on the residence permit to get properly informed. You are requested to submit the following documents: 1. passport 2. certifi cation about your registration at the University in Hungarian language (“iskolalátogatási igazolás”)3. proof of health insurance 4. proof of payment of the tuition fee. You will get it at registration.5. bank account statement. You should prove to have enough money for your li-ving and to return home.6. address–registration card (“szállásbeje-lentő lap”) signed by the owner of the fl at. You will get the empty form at re-gistration. Change of address must be reported in three days!7. lease contract (“lakásbérleti szerződés”) in original. The residence permit will be i ssued not any longer than you have a place to stay. Thus, please, make sure the lease contract is either valid for a consi-derably long time – a year or two – or for “unlimited” time. Should you be the ow-ner of the fl at you have to submit both a property page (“tulajdoni lap”) not older than 3 months and the permission you got to buy a property in Hungary as a foreign citizen. 8. property page (“tulajdoni lap”) of the fl at not older than 3 months, in original. The owner of the fl at will give it to you.9. two passport size photos10. fee stamps (“illetékbélyeg”) of 18 000 HUF available at post offi ces

Visa

Citizens of the following countries enter Hungary without visa:1. Countries of EU and EEA (European Economic Area)Students of the above countries must report their address and apply for the registration certifi cate in Hungary after getting registered at school.2. Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zeeland, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA, VenezuelaStudents of the above countries must apply for the residence permit within 30 days after arrival.

Citizens of other countries must apply for a RESIDENT VISA FOR STUDY PURPOSES at the nearest Hungarian Embassy or Consulate.For detailed information, please, contact our embassy /consulate and the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungarywww.mfa.gov.hu/kum/en/bal

Students from these countries must obtain the residence permit within 30 days after arrival.To obtain the visa may take as long as months. Get prepared for it!!!

Registration with Immigration Office

Please, visit the home page of the Offi ce of Immigration and Nationality of the Hungarian Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement (www.bmbah.hu) for details on the residence permit to get properly informed. Here is some general information, so that you know what to expect.

I. What you have to take with you

For students coming from the European Economic Area (EU + Norway and Switzerland)

You have to apply for a residence permit within max. 93 days after arriving! You must do it in person. The document will be issued immediately on the spot and will be valid for unlimited time.To apply for the Registration Certifi cate and Address Card you are requested to submit the following documents: 1. passport or ID card2. proof of health insurance 3. certifi cation about your registration at BME in Hungarian (“iskolalátogatási igazolás”) You will get it at registration.4. application form www.bmbah.hu/ujpdf/angol/62.pdf

For both regular and exchange students

IMPORTANT: When you have ob-tained your registration certifi cate and the address card, please, come and pre-sent it in the offi ce where you were r e-gistered (Bldg. Z, ground fl oor).

TIP: A faster way to get the registration certifi cate and the address certifi cate, you can have appointment at www.bmbah.hu (Administration, Appointment registration). Then you go to Customer Service Offi ce II (XI.

Dist., Budafoki u. 60., Entrance I)

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Health Insurance

The health insurance system of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the Generali Providencia Insurance Co. provides the fol lowing services for foreign students of the university and their relatives (husband, wife and children) staying in Hungary. It co vers the cost of curing and the necessary me dical treatment caused by diseases or a ccidents. The company also covers 50% of the price of payable medicine pre-scribed by the doctor. Disburse of in-voice is to be paid through bank transfer to a Hungarian Forints (HUF) account, within 30 days after submitting the in-voice.In need of paediatrician medical attendance, treatments may be carried out by the Heim Pál Gyermekkórház (VIII.

Dist., Üllői út 86.) or any other institutions. The obligation of the insurance company re fers only to outpatient treatment and hospitalisation in Hungary.Except for emergency treatments, the insurance company covers the cost of only the treatments which are carried out by GYÓGYÍR Kht (XI. Dist., Fehérvári út 12.

basement, Dr. Horváth Péter) or hospitalisation ordered by this health centre.Presently, the services of our insurance company do not cover hospitalisation due to childbirth and any consequences of illnesses or accidents that occurred prior to the starting date of the insurance period.The insurance does not cover the costs of dental treatment (except for aftermath of accidents), medical attendance of

pregnancy, abortion (unless it is medically reasonable), treatments of cosmetics and rehabilitation, tapering-off cures, diseases caused by HIV and medical examinations required for health certifi cate.

The basic premium for one period – ei-ther from 1st Sep until 1st of Feb or from 1st Feb until 1st Sep – is 29 500 HUF for students and for members of their family. Students registered after the registration period are ensured from the fi rst day after paying the insurance fee.

The insurance card contains personal data of the insured person entitling its owner to use medical services according to the conditions specifi ed above.

Students are obliged to buy a health in-surance card, if they are not contracted with another insurance company re gis-tered in Hungary. The premium paid by the students who are contracted with another insurance company registered in Hungary will be repaid, if they report this fact before 30th September 2008. Only in case of emergency:Dr. Horváth Péter: (30) 678-6450, (30) 815-2218

Providencia or any other health insurance valid in Hungary is OBLIGATORY for all international students (including short-term exchangees staying in Hungary for a maximum duration of one academic year). You can apply for a Providencia insurance card at the Students’ Offi ce (Bldg. Z, ground fl oor).

For students coming in with a VISAYou have to apply for a residence permit within 30 days after your arrival! You must apply for a residence permit in person in the Offi ce of Immigration and Natio-nality. The residence permit will be issued to you without any further appli cation or fees to pay, for min. half a year or longer and the residence permit is to be ex tended 30 days before the expiry date.

You are requested to submit the fol lowing documents: 1. passport 2. certifi cation about your registration at the University in Hungarian language (“iskolalátogatási igazolás”)3. proof of health insurance 4. address–registration card (“szállásbe-jelentő lap”) signed by the owner of the fl at. You will get the empty form at re-gistration. – Change of address must be reported in three days!5. lease contract (“lakásbérleti szerződés”) in original. The residence permit will be i ssued not any longer than you have a place to stay. Thus please make sure the lease contract is either valid for a consi-derably long time – a year or two – or for “unlimited” time. Should you be the ow-ner of the fl at you have to submit both a property page (“tulajdoni lap”) not older than 3 months and the permission you

got to buy a property in Hungary as a foreign citizen. 6. property page (“tulajdoni lap”) of the fl at not older than 3 months, in original. The owner of the fl at will give it to you.7. one passport size photo

II. Where you have to goOffi ce name: Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatal (BÁH)VII.sz. Ügyfélszolgálati Iroda Offi ce of Immigration and NationalityCustomer Service Offi ce VII Specialization: Aliens Policing Address: 1117 Budapest, (XI. Dist.) Budafoki u. 60.

– Sztregova köz

Phone number: (1) 463-9233 Processes: – residence affairs;– report of accommodation;Clientele: Only for receiving the residence permits which were postulated at the Embassies of HungaryOffice hours:Mon 08.30–13.00 Tue 13.00–18.00 Wed 08.30–12.00 (only for students)Thu 08.30–13.00 Fri 08.30–12.00

You can get to BÁH by bus No. 3 (black) which leaves from Móricz Zsigmond körtér (bus stop: Hengermalom utca) or by bus No. 103 (black) which leaves from Népliget (bus stop: Hengermalom utca).

REMARK: extension of the residence permit: If the conditions upon which the residence permit was issued have not changed, the concerned documents need not be submitted again. The fee of the extension is 6 000 HUF

IMPORTANT: EU health insurance cards are accepted as well.

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Registration at the University

Each student is obliged to register for each study period/semester at BME in the Students’ Offi ce, Bldg. Z, ground fl oor, (1) 463-4140, (1) 463-1618

To get registered you need to present your Letter of Acceptance, passport, and the proof of payment (bank receipt) with the amount of your tuition fee due.

Where can you deposit your tuition and registration fees?There is a University Branch of ERSTE Bank on campus where tuition and re-gistration fees can be deposited in cash – with the student’s name and their re-gistration number. The Bank is located in Goldman building, ground fl oor. Friendly staff do a very good job there!

Tuition Fees and Other Expenses 1. The student studying in English at BME is required to pay all tuition fees be-fore the completion of his/her studies.

2. Tuition fees must be paid before the beginning of the semester for the full semester (including the exam period and the practicum). In the case of specialised programs, the fees must be paid by the date specifi ed by the program. All fees

must be paid in EURs, and deposited or transferred to the following bank account number:

Account Number: MNB 10032000–01425279–00000000 SWIFT CODE: MANEHUHBIBAN #: HU 78 1003 2000 0142 5279 0000 0000BANK NAME: National Bank of HungaryBANK ADDRESS: 1850 Budapest, Szabadság tér 6/8. (Hungary)BENEFICIARY’S NAME: Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)BENEFICIARY’S ADDRESS: 1111 Budapest, Bertalan Lajos u. 2. (Hungary)INFORMATION FOR BENEFICIARY: a student’s name and registration number

The fees are considered to be paid upon receipt of the bank’s notifi cation of the transfer of funds.”

Tuition fees may be paid in the following way:Funds may be transferred to the BME’s bank account number and must include the student’s name and registration number. In case of transferring funds through a bank, students should present a copy of the transfer documentation in the Stu dents’ Offi ce. No cheques are accepted!

The Hungarian National Bank charges a commission for transferred funds. Bank charges vary according to the institution.

Regular StudentsExchange Students

Registration at the University

Each student is obliged to register for each study period/semester at BME in the Students’ Offi ce, Bldg. Z, ground fl oor, (1) 463-4140, (1) 463-1618

The procedure requires your Letter of Acceptance, passport, two photos, and 1000 HUF for a temporary student ID. To get registered at school all exchangees have to possess health insurance co vering the whole duration of their studies at BME. This may be a package of your own in your home country. However, if you cannot show proof of it, you are obliged to purchase our insurance package upon registration (29 500 HUF/6 months).

Accommodation:

ERASMUS, UNH + (only in the Fall)Students are put up at Hotel Ventura (1119 Budapest, Fehérvári út 179., contact: Fodor Mária or Tóth Judit, Tel: (1) 208-1232, Fax: (1) 208-1241, E-mail: hotelventura@

gerandhotels.hu, ) between 3rd and 16th September. To the hotel: 18, 41 or 56 trams as far as Temesvár utca stop. From the hotel to the university: 18, 41 or 56 trams as far as Bertalan L. utca stop.

ERASMUS students from all over Europe, CSM, GE3, RiceU, DU, UW, UNH, Israeli, and other students have to pay for their own accommodation.

Other ExchangeesOur CSU and UTS students are placed in the dorm specifi ed below. Kármán Tódor Dormitory (1111 Budapest, Irinyi J. u. 9-11.)

REMARK: Do not stick photos, pictures, etc. directly on to the wall of your room. You might be charged some extra maintenance fees before departure

IMPORTANT: CSU exchangees do not have to pay for their accommodation in BME dorms. BME takes care of it.

IMPORTANT: Remember to take your admission letter with you to the bank.

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Placement Test(Part of BME admission procedure)

In order to ensure an internationally a cceptable high academic standard for students entering courses in the fi rst year, applications are accepted partly on the basis of secondary school fi nal reports and partly on results of the “Placement Test” organised by the University during the fi rst week of each academic year (1st Sept.– 3rd Sept. 2008).

A written test in Mathematics, Phy sics and in English should be sat by each entering student. An adequate language profi ciency is a prerequisite for university studies.In Mathematics and Physics, students have to solve problems and answer questions. The duration of one test is 100 minutes. Those students who pass the “Placement Test” are endorsed as fi rst year students of the University.For the Faculty of Architecture the Place-ment Test also includes a drawing profi -ciency task, in which perspective repre-sentation is tested.For the Business and Management prog-ram the Placement Test comprises of three sections: relevant mathematics, English profi ciency and the basic concepts of business.

For those students who were not able to pass the required level of the “Placement Test”, there are two possibilities:– to return to their home country and try it again the following year or, – to enrol in the “Pre–Engineering

Course, General Course in Architecture or the Pre Business Course” which is offered by BME.In these courses the students will be taught the subject necessary for starting their degree programs (English, Maths, Physics etc.)Students with a good command of the material covered by the Pre–Courses will probably successfully complete the “Placement Test”.Students who take Pre–Courses seriouly and achieve excellent or good results can start their fi rst semester at any of the Faculties without taking the “Placement Test” in the following academic year.

Reference literatureMathematics:Precalculus: with Unit–Circle Trigono-metry, David Cohen, Theodore B. Lee, David Sklar, Fourth Edition, Thomson Brooks/Cole, ISBN 0–534–40230–5.Fundamentals of Precalculus, Mark Du gopolski, Southeastern Louisiana University, Pearson Addison Wesley, (ISBN 0–321–12232–1)

Physics: PHYSICS SI Version, Kane and Sternheim, John Wiley and SonsThe following chapters are NOT necessary for the Placement Test. 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 8.4, 10.5, 10.7, 10.8, 11

English:Thomson–Martinet: Practical English Grammar, Exercise I, IIStreamline English vol. II, III, and IV.

It usually takes about a few weeks for funds to be transferred from international banks, though, occasionally and depen-ding on the country of origin, stu dents can wait as long as 2 or 3 months for their funds to arrive. Bank accounts for students may be opened at any bank.

Foreign citizens may keep their funds in a bank in Hungary in the currency of their choice. Major credit cards are widely a ccepted in Hungary.

3. After having paid the tuition fees, stu-dents can register during the registration week only: 25th Aug – 5th Sep 2008

4. Special procedural fees and excursion costs are paid in Hungarian forints (HUF) by the student. Books, lecture notes and other instructional materials can also be bought with Hungarian Forints.

5. Overpayment of tuition fees will be refunded in the currency in which they were paid.

6. Excellent students, who fi nished the fi rst year of B.Sc. program, may be given a reduction in tuition fees based on the proposal of the Deputy Dean of the Fa-culty. (Deadline for application: the end of the examination period)

7. Excellent students of the M.Sc. or Ph.D. programs may be given scholarships based on the proposal of the De puty Dean of

the Faculty. (Deadline for application: the end of the examination period)

8. A student who takes more credits than prescribed by the curricula, by taking up another subject offered in the actual se-mester and fulfi ls the requirements, will not pay a higher tuition fee.

9. A student who takes up less subjects and consequently has less credit points than the requirement, has to pay the full tuition fee prescribed for the semester.

Accommodation

Private accommodations (rented rooms, apartments) are available for $150 to $400 per month depending on their location and comfort. Ask for a brochure of the Private Accommodation Agency run by BME students in the fi rst week of Sep-tember in Bldg. Z, ground fl oor next to Students’ Offi ce.

In Hotel Ventura (1119 Budapest, Fehérvári út

179., Tel: (1) 208-1232, Fax: (1) 208-1241, E-mail: hotelventura@gerandhotels.hu, contact: Fodor Mária or Tóth Judit) you can almost always fi nd temporary accommodation in three- or four-bedded rooms at reasonable prices. To the hotel: 18, 41 or 56 trams as far as Temesvár utca stop. From the hotel to the university: 18, 41 or 56 trams as far as Bertalan L. utca stop.

IMPORTANT: No registration is possible after 5th September

Content

Student Card 16Our University 17Environment of the University 24

“Education is learning what you didn‛t even know you didn‛t know.”

Daniel J. Boorstin

UNIVERSITY

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Our UniversityStudent Card

Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)

The university is the biggest university of technology in Hungary. In 2007 it was celebrating the 225th anniversary of the founding of its legal predecessor. The buildings are parts of the World Heritage from 1987. There are eight faculties in the university, which are the followings:

Faculty of Civil Engineering (ÉMK)• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering •

(GÉK) Faculty of Architecture (ÉPK) • Faculty of Chemical Technology and •

Biotechnology (VBK) Faculty of Electrical Engineering and •

Informatics (VIK) Faculty of Transportation Engineering •

(KSK) Faculty of Natural Sciences (TTK) • Faculty of Economic and Social •

Sciences (GTK)

There are a lot of buildings in the university, each is marked with letters. The lettering system is in connection with the departments which can be found in the building or the street, Ch–chemistry, or I–informatics, E–the street of the building Egry József Street, the same with St – Stoczek Street.

Website: www.bme.hu

BME International Education Center (IEC)

1111 Budapest, Bertalan Lajos u. 2.

Tel: (1) 463-2461Fax: (1) 463-2460www.tanok.bme.hu

Important contactsDirector of IECLászló DvorszkiBldg. Z, 1st fl oor # 102, Tel: (1) 463-2461Bldg. K, 1 st fl oor # 42, Tel: (1) 463-2272

PR ManagerDr. Péter Mészáros (public relations, mar-keting) Bldg. Z, 1st fl oor #102, Tel: (1) 463-2461, (1) 463-2917

Student Office of IECMs. Gyöngyi TamásBldg. Z, ground fl oor, Tel: (1) 463-1618, (1) 463-4140Open: Mon-Tue-Thu: 9.00–12.00 and 13:00–15:00 Fri: 9.00–12.30

Registrar’s OfficeBldg. Z, 1st fl oor # 101/ARegistrar: Ms. Rózsa Ferencz G. Tel: (1) 463-3981

Course Director (Pre–Engineering course only)Dr. Anikó Szövényi–LuxBldg. Z, 1st fl oor # 111, Tel:: (1) 463-3549 Offi ce of Academic Affairs (all other students)Bldg. Z, 2nd fl oor # 201

Being a BME student, after r egistration you will get a Student Card (Diákigazolvány) which entitles its holder to e njoy a 50% discount on the Hunga-rian Railways (MÁV), long distance bus lines ( VOLÁNBUSZ), suburban trains (HÉV), to visit some of the museums free of charge or with discount, and to buy student pas ses (“DIÁKBÉRLET”) for Budapest public transport. There are also places where you can get discount with a valid student card (like book stores, copy centres, cinemas, restaurants, etc. … always ask on the spot, if you can get a discount).The card also serves as an authentication to use BME facilities.

How You Get Your Student Card

First you will get a temporary student ID. The permanent student card will be ready in a month. Temporary student IDs should be returned, when p ermanent ones are a ccessible. Permanent student IDs are valid for one semester only. For this r eason it must be renewed at the b eginning of each semester after h aving the tuition fees paid, after g etting r egistered for the relevant semester. S tudent Cards may be renewed in the Students’ Offi ce in B uilding Z, ground fl oor for pre-engineering, fi rst year and exchange students. About time and place of picking up the ID you will be informed in due course.

IMPORTANT: Please, note that if the student card is lost, a new one will cost you about 2 000 HUF either temporary or permanent.

REMARK: The BME student card is valid in Hungary. If you want to get an International Student Identity Cards (ISIC), go to Bldg. K 1st fl oor 52.Tel: (1) 463-3721It costs 1800 HUF.

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Computer Facilities

The BME Student Computer Center (SCC) is available for all registered international students in bldg. R, 3rd and 4th fl oor. If no classes are scheduled in the computer labs, you are free to use the computers there. Remember to register before the very fi rst time you use SCC. Check time-table on display in the main lobby by the entrance of the labs.Passwords to SCC can be obtained upon registration in the Student Offi ce (Bldg. Z, ground fl oor)

You may also use computers for emailing for free in bldg. K upper ground fl oor 40 and 41. Entrance through the library building (Kö).

Please note the following pieces of advice below:1. You can use modem via the University net in your home.For more info look at intranet.bme.hu/

bmenet/dialin/index_en.html web page. Unfortunately, according to the Division of Telecommunication and Informatics policy, the above specifi ed page is available only from inside the university network.

2. In some different places of the University buildings you can use wireless computer connection to the University net. For more info please look at intranet.bme.hu/bmenet/wlan/index_en.html

web page. Similarly to the modem details, this page is available only from inside the University network, too.3. Ural2 is a Unix server for students at the SCC. If you want your mail to be forwarded you should create a fi le named .forward in your home directory. This fi le should contain the addresses to which you want your messages to be sent. One at a line. If you want to leave the forwarded message here, too, you have to include your login name in a line, right after a backslash (‘\’). Spaces, commas, or other separator characters are not allowed to separate addresses. You must write them in separate lines. If you leave your messages here, be careful, because when your quota is full, no further mails will be delivered to any address.

E.g.: \s7441zarPal.Zarandy@eth.ericsson.sePalka@bigfoot.comOK, if you don’t know how to create a file …

After you have logged in to Ural2 type ‘pico .forward’. This will open a text editor. Type the addresses, then press ctrl+x, yes comes and fi nally enter. This is all. Oops, one more thing. If you want to log in, you need to use ssh instead of telnet.” (Sünci Mázár, Hungarian student representative)

Ms. Margit Nagy (Faculty of Electrical Engineering andInformatics, Tel: (1) 463-3898)

Ms. Ildikó Lente(Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Natural Sciences, Tel: (1) 463-1250)

Ms. Ágnes Kormos(Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, and Faculty of Transportation Engineering, Tel: (1) 463-3984)Open: Mon-Thu: 10:00–12:00, 14:00–15:00, Fri: 10:00–12:00

Study Abroad Office Ms. Eszter Kiss(Bldg. D, 2nd fl oor #212, Tel: (1) 463-2620, Fax: (1) 463-3746)CSU and NUS students can pick up their stipend in bldg. Z, 1st fl oor # 101 each month as follows. From the second week of the month, on Wednesday 09:00–15:00

Course Directors/ Vice Deans of the Faculties

Faculty of ArchitectureDr. Balázs Balogh, Vice-DeanBldg. K, 3rd fl oor, # 1, Tel: (1) 463-1321

Faculty of Chemical EngineeringDr.Zoltán Hell, Course DirectorBldg. F III. ground fl oor, Tel: (1) 463-1414

Faculty of Civil EngineeringDr. Lajos Kisgyörgy, Vice-DeanBldg. K, 1st fl oor # 26, Tel: (1) 463-1159

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and InformaticsDr. Bálint Kiss, Course Director (B.Sc.)Bldg. I B 422 , Tel: (1) 463-4026Dr. József Harangozó, Course Director (M.Sc., Ph.D.)Bldg. IB # 326, Tel: (1) 463-2578

Faculty of Mechanical EngineeringDr. Mária Örvös, Vice Dean, Course Director (B.Sc.)Bldg.K, 1 st fl oor # 14/4, Tel: (1) 463-4137Dr. Attila Kovács, Course Director (M.Sc.)Bldg. D, 3rd fl oor # 334, Tel: (1) 463-2553

Faculty of Natural SciencesDr. János Pipek, Vice-Dean, Dr. Péter Zagyvai, Course DirectorBldg. K, 1st fl oor #56, Tel: (1) 463-2789

Faculty of Economic and Social SciencesDr. Meyer Dietmar, Vice-DeanBldg. K, 1st fl oor # 58/a, Tel: (1) 463-2916

Faculty of Transportation EngineeringDr. András Eleőd, Vice-DeanBldg. Z, 7th fl oor # 712, Tel: (1) 463-5815

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a price of 12 000 HUF for a quarter and 20 000 HUF for half a year. For a pass see Mrs. Éva Huszár (Tel: (1) 463-1108) at the Physical Education Department in Bldg. St, 3rd fl oor 323, take a photo and your Student ID with you. Offi ce hours: Tue+Thu: 13:30–15:00, Wed: 8:30–10:00.

Sport events

Table tennisXI. Dist., Hauszmann Str. 10 (Gabányi Csarnok)

Mon, Wed:16:00–18:15Mr. Harka

BasketballXI. Dist., Bercsényi Str. 28

Fri: 14:00–17:00Gábor Katalin

REMARK: Regular students of BME may also use the university’s tennis courts any time (when there are no classes for 800 HUF/ hour.

The artifi cial football fi eld will be completed by September, do inquire about its use at the faculty.

For detailed information on competition sections, place and time of training, address the club bureau.Mr. Pál Vincze, Head of Department PE,Bldg. St, 3rd floor # 325Tel: (1) 463-1778, Fax: (1) 463-1197 or see their web page: www.tnt.hu

Student Organisations at BME

ESN (ERASMUS Student Network) www.esn.bme.hu/satellite

Helpful Hungarian students available throughout your time at BME. Email: esnbme@gmail.com. (learn more in second chapter)

BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) www.best.eu.org

Being a BME student you can apply for their 1–2 week courses all over in Europe. You will learn more about the apply seasons on posters, e-mails, etc.

EESTEC (Electrical Engineering Students European Association) See www.eestec.bme.hu

AISEC (International Association of Students in Economics and Business Management)E-mail: aisec.bme@gmail.com

IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) moved out of BME, but can be found as follows: Vásárhelyi Pál Dormitory,

Kurspér u. 2-4., 3rd floor

SIU (Students’ International Union)Bldg. Z, ground fl oor Student Offi ce. Tel: (1) 463-4140Siu.bme@gmail.com

The Students’ International Union was established in 1990 “to create an international family” which takes active part in the university’s large community,

To all the services above, you can register

yourself on https://accadmin.hszk.bme.hu

webpage after you are marked in the Student Information System as a student with an “active” status. For registering services for yourself on the webpage, you need your Student Information System (NEPTUN) code and a password. You can ask for it upon school registration at the academic administration of the IEC (Bldg. Z).

Having any problems, please, write an email to the support@hszk.bme.hu address.

Printing in SCC: on 3rd fl oor: in 304 for rooms S–T• on 4th fl oor: 401 for rooms A–E, 437 •

for rooms F–P

You may as well visit some of Budapest’s internet cafés to email.

HIK (Kempelen Farkas Computer Center for Students) VIII. Dist., Reviczky u. 6.

www.hik.hu, info@hik.hu

Open: Mon–Sat: 8:00–22:00

Goethe Institut IX. Dist., Ráday u. 58.

Tel: (1) 374-4070

Teleport–Netc@féVIII. Dist., Vas u. 7.Tel: (1) 267-6361Mon–Sun: 9:00–24:00

Kiber@budaXI. Dist., Budafoki út 22.

Tel: (1) 209-9257every day 11:00–02:00

Matávnet Internet CaféMamut Shopping Center, II. Dist., Lövőház u. 2-6.

Plaza Internet ClubDuna Plaza Shopping Center, XIII. Dist., Váci út 178.

(Metro – blue, get off at Gyöngyösi u.)Tel: (1) 465-1126

Cyber Bridge Internet CaféVIII. Dist., Rákóczi út 51.Tel: (1) 333-9112Open: Mon–Fri: 10:00–22:00,Sat-Sun: 10:00–22:00

and plenty of others.☺

Sports Facilities

The Department of Physical Education organises and conducts physical education classes for fi rst and second year students. The department offers regular courses for full time students in table-tennis, athletics, body-building, handball, basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, dance, badminton, and various other courses. BME’s swimming pool (XI. Dist.,

Bogdánffy út 12. Tel: (1) 463-3962, Open: only on weekdays 6:00–7:30 and 14:30–20:30) is at your disposal. Go and get a pass arranged for you at

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National Széchenyi Library It is in the Castle Hill district of Budapest. It is similar to the Library of Congress (Washington D.C.). You can use it with your Student Card and the staff is very helpful. Card for 1 year: 3500 HUFDaily ticket: 300 HUFTel: (1) 224-3700Open: Mon: closed, Tue–Sat: 10:00–20:00

Foreign Language LibraryV. Dist.,Molnár u. 11.,

Tel: (1) 318-2772, (1) 318-3688Open: Mon–Fri: 10:00–17:00A very good collection for literature readers!!

Central European University LibraryV. Dist., Nádor u. 9.

Tel: (1) 327-3099Open: Mon.–Fri. 8.00–22.00; Sat.–Sun. 13.00–19.00Main focus on social science literature. Only by individual permission!

French Institute I. Dist., Fő u. 17.

Tel: (1) 489-4200Email: inst-france@inst.france.huwebsite: www.franciaintezet.hu

“French people will be glad to know the existence of a French Institute, and that after a long afternoon in they will be able to restore their brain and stomach thanks to a very good Chinese restaurant (Arany Folyó) nearby.” (Thomas Guizard, exchangee)

provides an environment where students are encouraged to pursue their academic work and also participate in social and recreational activities. It also intends to encourage students to be physically and emotionally healthy by providing information, activities and support. The Union has also sought the right to represent its members and, on request, other students before the university administration in matters that affect them as students of the institution. The Union also organises recreational activities. Any student wishing to participate in the activities of SIU is very much welcome!

Symphonic Orchestra and University Choir of BME

All those students wishing to play a classical musical instrument at an orchestra, contact dr. Zoltán Benedek (Tel: (1) 463-1602 email: repgep@mail.bme.hu) about place and time. The rehearsals are held every Tue+Fri 19:00–21:30 in bldg. K. 3rd fl oor, drawing studio next to rooms 6, 7. You can get there via the stairway at the library side of the building.

Should you wish to become a member of the university choir you are also welcome to do so. At 17:30 on Thursdays please contact either Ms. Emese Fülöp or Mrs. Vasvári Györgyi Vida in Bldg. K 2nd fl oor 53.

Libraries

The biggest technical library in the country is the BME’s (OMIKK). You can fi nd it behind the K-building. www.omikk.bme.hu

Tel: (1) 463-1790 (Circulation), (1) 463-1069 (Information)Open: Mon.–Fri.: 9:00–20:00To use the library, you have to register in the library building marked with Kö (as könyvtár) on the map. The registration is easy and only takes a few second, it costs 1000 HUF. You have to show your residence permit and your student card.

Other libraries:

Library at British EmbasyThe British Embassy has a library where a large number of newspapers, periodicals and books are available. A card can be obtained free for the British Embassy library: there is a fee for the British Council library though.

IMPORTANT: Exchange students can use the library but cannot check books out. Sorry.

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Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Kármán Tódor DormitoryEvery second Thursday: Old’s ClubFaculty of Chemical Technology and BiotechnologyOn weekdays – Csocsó Klub in the Martos Flóra DormitoryEvery Friday – Ars presso in the Martos Flóra Dormitory

Other faculties also have a pub in the dormitory, but there aren’t parties regularly there.

There are other special parties during the year, if you are interested you can check the posters and fl yers at the university.

Student Life – Culture Shock

Culture shock is a very natural phenomenon that can be expected when a person moves from a familiar environment to a new setting where language, food, climate and even people’s actions are different.

No one enters a new culture simply as an individual – the history, values and attitudes of the home culture are the extra baggage you bring with you. Many attitudes, values and beliefs are so taken for granted that they are accepted as the norm for all cultures.

In reality, each culture is different, but not better or worse, than the other. At fi rst you will probably feel only excitement and anticipation as you explore new surroundings. However, after a while, you may fi nd yourself with less energy or even less enthusiasm. The home culture becomes more appealing. You may be

irritated with the people and actions of your host country. New experiences change from exciting to strange and different.If you recognize that this disorientation is a normal part of living in a new culture, you can be reassured that the depressed feeling will pass. Only when you can accept the new culture, both its good and bad parts, will you begin to enjoy your new experiences. While it may be somewhat painful, culture shock can be a mind-stretching process that will give understanding and tolerance for the home and host cultures. There are many positive actions that can be taken to help overcome feelings of loneliness and withdrawal from a new culture. Keeping busy and setting goals are important. Activities that can help you adjust to a new culture include the following:

writing a journal• developing new friendships• sharing feelings with other international •

students or advisorsimproving language abilities• learning about the new school and the •

new neighbourhoodpursuing or developing a hobby• settling in the room or dorm• planning excursions• participating in sports/recreational •

activities

Copy Centers Nearby

Copy GeneralXI. Dist., Karinthy Frigyes u. 4-6.

Open: 0–24More copy centers: www.copygeneral.hu

It’s expensive, but some of them are non-stop.Copy Club XI. Dist., Kruspér u. 10/a.

Black Sheep Fénymásoló Szalon XI. Dist., Budafoki út 9-11.

Reasonable prices.

Postoffice

The nearest post offi ces to the UniversityXI. Dist., Fehérvári út 9-11.

XI. Dist., Irinyi József utca 38.

XI. Dist., Infopark sétány 1.

The main post offi ce is at Petőfi Sándor u. 17. From there you can make international telephone calls, send telegrams and faxes, mail letters or packages (as well as buy holiday-, birthday- or name day greeting cards!). At that post offi ce, many of the employees are multilingual, and the opening hours are 8–20 daily and 8–14 on Saturdays.

Pharmacy

XI. Dist., Budafoki út 47.

University Souvenir Shop

Goldman Restaurant building, ground fl oor.

Canteens Nearby

Stoczek canteen: On the corner of Stoczek utca and Bertalan Lajos utcaGoldman canteen: On Goldman György tér

Chinese fast food: You get a big portion and the price is good.There is one on the corner of Egry József

utca and Karinthy Frigyes utca and there is another one on Budafoki út in front of a CBA supermarketÍz-lelő: on Lágymányosi utca, if you come from the direction of the university, you can fi nd it on the fi rst corner after Budafoki út Pizza Boy: here you can eat Hungarian – Italian Pizza in XI. Dist., Budafoki út 16.

Clubs of the Faculties

Each faculty has a club in their dormitory. These dormitories can be found near the university. Some faculties’ clubs are open for party on a regular base. Faculty of Civil EngineeringVásárhelyi Pál Dormitory(XI. Dist., Kruspér utca 2-4.)

Every Monday: Whitefül (rock music with a live concert)Every second Thursday: Vásárhelyi KlubEvery Wednesday and Sunday – Drönk (drinking place in the basement – it’s a good one)

Environment of the university

Content

About ESN BME 28Mentoring system 30Activities 31

“Xchange your life.”

ESN BME

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The Goal of ESN Members

The aims of ESN are to promote the social and personal integration of the exchange students. The local ESN sections offer help, guidance and other valuable information to the exchange students hosted by their university. Newcomers fi nd their way in the new environment easier and they can utilise their time in the best way possible to get as much out of their exchange as possible. ESN also represents the needs and expectations of exchange students on the local, national and international level. Provision of relevant information about academic exchange programs and student mobility is one of the aims of ESN as well.ESN members help international students integrate smoothly within the student life in Hungary and organise activities such as excursions, city trips, theme and international parties and sports events.The ESN members will always be there to help you with making your fi rst steps in Hungary, such as fi nding your

home, shops, restaurants, courses etc. We won’t leave you alone after the orientation week either. You can rely on us during your whole stay in Budapest. Whenever you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us! Do you need an interpreter to talk to the landlord? Do you need someone to go to the doctor? Do you need someone to ask for advice? …. The ESN members will be there for you!

The university is not just an educational institution, it is also the place where new friendships begin and often last for a lifetime. University years are unforgettable for every student; long chats in the cafeteria, watching football in the local pubs are those memories you will talk about when you meet your long-time university friends. The university promotes and supports student organisations, cultural events and other community building activities to make your university years a lifetime experience. There are a number of student organisations that help enrich students’ life at the university.Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is an international student organisation with over a hundred divisions throughout Europe. Its goal is to support and develop student exchange. It is composed of over 10 000 members from 230 local sections in 29 countries working in Higher Education Institutes (Universities, Polytechnics, University Colleges etc). ESN is organised on a local, national and international level.

In Budapest you can fi nd ESN BME, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics local section. ESN BME consists of lots of enthusiastic, open-minded, helpful committee members and a board that has 7 members. These people are also students who attend BME so they know everything about Hungarian student-life and you can turn to them for help any time you need it.

Contact Information

You can fi nd our offi ce in building R, on the ground fl oor1111 Budapest

Műegyetem rkp. 9.

Tel/fax: (1) 463-3615

Homepage: www.esn.bme.hu/satellite/

E-mail: esnbme@gmail.com

About ESN BME

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Activities

Trips and Sightseeing

We can take you to our well-known Hungarian baths, we also organise sightseeing in Budapest and some trips to other Hungarian cities such as Pécs, Eger etc. to visit some wine cellars and see the beauty of other cities as well. We also organise trips to the neighbouring countries.

Tandem–Program

It means that people who are interested in learning new languages can contact each other: you can teach your language and you can learn from a native language-speaker at the same time. Hungarian is said to be very diffi cult to learn but if you try it with a native Hungarian student, you can learn it in a funny way and you can tell everybody at home that you can speak a mysterious language!

Parties

We also organise lots of parties for you to enjoy Hungarian night-life!At Get-to-know Party you can meet the Hungarian mentors and the other foreign students. It is a great opportunity to start new friendships and get to know your mates who are going to spend a lot of time with you! We organise some nice, funny games for you, you can work together in groups and get to know each other in a funny way!

There is a Mega Xchange Party every semester where all of the foreign students who study at a Hungarian university in Budapest gather together and have an amazing, huge party so you can meet people from all over the world!Your mentors also organise Pub Evenings for you every week. You can chat and have a beer or two with your new friends in a nice environment.During Hungarian evening you can taste some Hungarian dishes and drinks, you can see Hungarian folk dance and enjoy live Hungarian music. If you’re curious how Hungarian tequila is or what „túrós csusza” means, you can’t miss this party! During International Dinner the students get the opportunity to show the typical food and drink of their country and taste each other’s culture! It’s a huge mixture of several cultures, dishes, drinks so everybody enjoys it!Before leaving you’ll be able to participate in a huge Farewell party where you can say good-bye to all of your friends – but hopefully not for a long time because Hungary will be waiting for you with open arms.

Mentoring System

ESN BME also has a so-called buddy system (mentoring system) that links two native Hungarian student mentors to a group of 10–12 foreign students. The mentors give you practical information about living and staying in Hungary and studying in Budapest, but they can also help you to get acquainted with the city and fellow students, both Hungarian and international. The fi rst impressions and experiences are very important for somebody who arrives in a foreign country. The university would like to give assistance to its exchange students in fi nding a helping hand for the fi rst days or weeks of their stay. You can contact them and they are ready to answer all the questions concerning life in Hungary, Budapest and the university. Who knows, it may be the beginning of a new friendship! It is up to you to get the most out of it!

Mentors

Anett Úr Leyla Horváth Klára Horváth Melinda Jambrich Péter Sándor Péter Nagy Tamás Heizler

They are the board members, but there are about 10–20 more mentors who are here for you during the semester.

“It was great that the mentors organized for us several activities every week, so we could meet more Hungarians and learn about the Hungarian way of li-ving. I would come back to Hungary.” Thomas, German exchangee

Content

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.“

Carl Sandburg

Entertainment 34Drinks 37Eating out 38Party Places & Pubs 40Shopping 41Sports 43

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most elegant and famous ones for you to check out. Don’t miss these!In theatres, there are bal (left) and jobb (right) seats with the same numbers so make sure you know whether you are on the bal or jobb side.

www.nemzetiszinhaz.hu/index.php?lang=enwww.budapest-babszinhaz.hu/www.opere t t sz inhaz .hu/opere t t .php (Hungarian)www.szinhaz.hu/katona/flash.htmlwww.szigetszinhaz.com/index_eng.phpwww.opera.huwww.pestiszinhaz.hu

Cinemas

Most of the movies have both Hunga-rian translated and original language versions with Hungarian subtitles. Foreign fi lms that are dubbed are marked ‘Mb’ (Magyarul beszélő) on programmes and posters. If you do not see it, the fi lm is in the original language and has Hungarian subtitles. Usually, there are happy hours on different weekdays, when the tickets are cheaper. Moreover, you can use your student card to get discount. You can fi nd multiplex movie theatres in every shopping mall in town, most of them belong to Palace Cinemas: www.

palacecinemas.hu

However, the largest one including an IMAX room in Arena Plaza belongs to Cinema City: www.cinemacity.hu/cinema.php?id=13

And the one that has the greatest traditions: www.corvin.hu (Hungarian)Movie info in English: www.budapestsun.

com

Festivals and concerts

Just like any major European cities, Budapest hosts various artists from all around the world in different music categories. You’ll be updated about the hottest concerts weekly by ESN (Erasmus Student Network), or you can fi nd the posters of your favourites if you walk around the city.

Festivals in spring, summer and autumn are scheduled in cities throughout Hungary, and some of them, like Budapest Spring, attract many visitors from abroad. For programs, please, visit the following website: www.festivalcity.hu/english

Your best source of information for performances nationwide is Programme in Hungary; Budapest Week and Budapest Sun is good for the capital. The Programme in Hungary and the Budapest Panorama are available in the hotels and tourist offi ces. The most complete listing of plays, concerts, exhibitions and fi lms can be found Pesti Est and Exit. Unfortunately, these are in Hungarian. Funzine is in English, but it is not so detailled, more like touristic. These can be obtained mainly from movie theatres, bars, pubs, McDonald’s, etc. – free of charge. You can also check www.funzine.hu

Baths

Budapest is well known of its traditional spas. People from all around the world are visiting the city due to their healing effect, but they are perfect places to relax after a busy day or a tough exam. You can fi nd detailed information about the major spas and bathes on the link below. www.spasbudapest.com/tartalom.php

Museums

Various collections of history, technology and art can be found in the city. From small house-sized galleries to the masterpieces of architecture, Budapest offers you culture in whatever form you like. You can fi nd the actual temporary exhibitions on the link below and we listed the most important museums that have English homepage. www.museum.hu/index_en.php

Palace of Art: www.mucsarnok.hu

Hungarian National Museum www.hnm.hu/

Hungarian National Gallery www.mng.hu/en

Museum of Fine Arts www.szepmuveszeti.hu/

House of Terror www.terrorhaza.hu/en/index_2.html

Museum of Applied Arts www.imm.hu/angol/index.html

Theatre

Budapest is one of the most “Theatre” populated cities in the world approaching London, if you calculate the per capita theatres available to Budapest. The city boasts of so many theatres that if you went to a different one every week, it would take you years just to see them all. For your convenience we collected the

Entertainment

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Wine

Hungary is famous for wine. You shouldn’t miss out a wine tasting tour in a cellar! The best and most traditional wine tasting places can be found in Eger, Tokaj, Villány and the area of Lake Balaton. But you can also try it in Budapest: Magyar Borok Háza (House of Hungarian Wines) (I. Dist., Szentháromság tér 6.)

Pálinka

Pálinka is also typically Hungarian. It’s a really strong brandy. You can buy it in shops, but if you want to taste the “real” pálinka, you should ask your Hungarian friends, if their parents/grandparents have home-made pálinka.

Beer

Hungary is not so famous for beer, however there are some Hungarian brands as well. They sell beer in 0,5 litre bottles.

Here is a little dictionary to help you when you’d like to buy beer or wine in a pub.

Bor WineBorozó Wine barBorpince Wine cellarFehér bor White wineVörös bor Red wineRozé Rosé

Édes SweetFélédes Semi-sweetSzáraz DryFélszáraz Semi-dry/mediumFröccs Spritzer/wine cooler (wine and soda)You can ask for kisfröccs (small one, 3 dl) and nagyfröccs (big one, 5 dl)Üveg BottlePohár Glass (size varies)Pezsgő Champagne

Sör BeerSöröző Pub/beer hallSörpince Beer cellarBarna sör Dark beer/stoutVilágos sör LagerCsapolt sör Draught beerKorsó Mug (half litre)Pohár Glass (one-third litre)

Egészségedre! Cheers!

DrinksBudapest Autumn Festival (October 10–19 2008)

Budapest Spring Festival (March 20 – April 5 2009)

Connection Concert (Last Sunday of June every year – free concert of a famous artist (like Santana in 2008, Bryan Adams 2007), sponsored by T-Mobile )

Biggest music festivals in summer 2009: VOLT – www.sziget.hu/volt (fi rst music festival of summer, always during the fi rst days of July, held in Sopron)Balaton Sound – www.balatonsound.com (many dj’s from all over the world, held in Zamárdi – southern shore of Lake Balaton, a bit expensive)Sziget Festival – www.sziget.hu/fesztival (biggest music and cultural festival, lots of famous artists, also more expensive than others)

Other main summer festivals in 2009 (webpage available only in Hungarian)Hegyalja – www.hegyalja.hu (mostly rock bands)

BalaTone – www.balatone.hu (held in Zánka (northern shore of Lake Balaton, less expensive than Balaton Sound)EFOTT – www.efott.hu (organized by one of the Hungarian universities/colleges every summer, always on another place, mostly Hungarian artists, usually cheaper than other festivals)

Ticket offices

Tickets, which usually cost 3–30 Euros (except during special festivals), can be purchased at the venue, but it is always safer to get them in advance, particularly in smaller towns where the production may be the big event of the month and the place to be seen. You will fi nd the addresses of ticket offi ces and information sources under individual cities and towns in the Lonely Planet edition of Hungary. The central ticket offi ce at V. Dist., Vörösmarty tér in Budapest can help with information but seldom has tickets for events around the country. Tickets can also be purchased through the university’s Cultural Secreteriat. Open: Tue & Thu 10-14. (Bldg. K, 1st fl oor # 52, Mrs. Romhányi). For tickets for pop and rock bands, and concerts see Music Mix 33 in VI. Dist.,

Andrássy u.18. or Publika ticket offi ce (www.

kulturart.eu) in VI. Dist., Hajós u. 31. 1st floor. Information about tickets can be obtained from them at www.interticket.hu as well.

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worth mentioning. The traditional way of preparing vegetables is in főzelék, where they are boiled and then mixed into a roux with sour cream. Outside of restaurants, go for „lángos” - the deep-fried dough with various toppings sold on streets and markets throughout the country. Outside the country’s half a dozen vegetarian restaurants, you will have to live with what is on the menu or do your own shopping in the markets.

Here are some restaurants that we recommend:

Gundel Étterem (XIV. Dist., Állatkerti út 2.) is the most famous and probably the most expensive restaurant. www.gundel.hu

Sir Lancelot (VI. Dist., Podmaniczky u. 14.) King Arthur (III. Dist., Bécsi u. 38-44, Új Udvar

Shopping Center, 2nd floor, Tel: (1) 437-8243): Medieval restaurants. Great food and time.

Régi Sipos Halászkert (III. Dist., Lajos utca

46.) If you are looking for a traditional Hungarian fi sh soup, you must visit this place.

Dzsungel Étterem és Crazy Cafe (Corner of Podmaniczky and Jókai u., near Nyugati, the

address is VI. Dist., Jókai. u. 30.) Huge selection of beers and whiskies though be careful when paying.

Nagyi Palacsintázója (I. Dist. Hattyú u. 16.,

M2 to Moszkva tér, and Batthyány tér next to the shopping mall): Palacsinta is equivalent to pancake or crepe. Great prices, wide variety of palacsinta.

Ráday utca BudapestRáday utca is a street which starts at Kálvin tér and ends at Boráros tér. There are a lot of bars and restaurants where you can sit outside in summer. At night time some parts of Ráday utca are closed for cars so you can walk on the street between the bars and restaurants.

Due to there are many restaurants in Budapest, it is easy to fi nd one, but what about the quality? Not all restaurants offer good food, honest service and fair prices. All kinds of nationalities are serving food from all over the world. Some restaurants are absolute world class in terms of the food, service or interior. You can fi nd a lot of fast food style restaurants as well. If you don’t feel like going out to eat, then you can order food on the internet: www.english.netpincer.hu Here you choose between several restaurants.

Hungarian Specialities

Goulash soup is probably the Hungarian dish all people know. It is a soup made of beef pieces, carrots, celery, potatoes and paprika. Traditionally it is made over a fi re in gardens in big cauldron. The Goulash which e.g. the Germans call Goulash please see Pörkölt.

The palacsinta is a stuffed pancake with all kinds of things you can imagine

starting from sweet things like cottage cheese, cottage cheese, nuts, cocoa and jam over to spinach, cheese and more. There is a traditional palacsinta called the Gundel palacsinta which is stuffed with nuts, chocolate, raisin and cream. Pörkölt is a kind of stew with meat, paprika powder, onions. It is served with dumplings (galuska).Somlói Galuska are “biscuit” pieces with vanilla cream, raisin and nuts with chocolate sauce and rum. Főzelék is also very common in Hungary. It is made of vegetable and it is thicker than a soup.

Fast Food

Be assured that Budapest is becoming more able to satisfy your needs. Burger King, Chinese Fast Food, Dixie Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s (lots throughout the city), Pizza Hut, Friday’s can be found in the city.

Vegetarian Food

Normally a menu anywhere would offer at least a few non-meat dishes, primarily a couple of soups with mushroom, vegetables or cheese, also fi ne breaded cheese (rántott sajt) with tartar sauce and cooked rice serves a good main course for a vegetarian. Also, pasta dishes or dumplings (galuska) and fried mushroom caps (rántott gomba) are

Eating out

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Morrison’s Music Pub

It is close to the Opera at Andrassy út. You have to go down some stairs and there you are. Morrisons has a very long bar with 4 or 5 different types of beer, cocktails, long-drinks, wine and more. Sometimes they have karaoke nights where many people go to and have fun. Who is not drinking or singing at the moment can dance on the large dance fl oor of Morrison’s. Address: VI. Dist., Révay utca 25.

Morrisons Music Pub2

Same like the other Morrison’s. This one was the most popular pub among exchange students in spring 2008.Address: V. Dist., Honvéd u. 40.

Szilvuplé

It’s a nice place if you like dancing salsa. Address: VI. Dist., Ó utca 33.

Folk Music Dance and Handicraft in Hungary

Táncház, an evening of Hungarian folk music and traditional dance, is great entertainment and, as it is participatory (but not mandatory) a great way to meet Hungarians. You will seldom fi nd táncház outside the capital though.www.tanchaz.hu/start_en.html“Nice concerts in Fonó and Trafó for people who like all kinds of music: traditional, oriental, jazz …”(Thomas Guizard, exchangee)

If a foreign student goes abroad to study in another country, he/she also wants to discover the night-life. Of course we can help you with it! There is a wide choice of great pubs where you can spend your evenings together with Hungarian and international students. Here are some places that you should visit before leaving:

Szimpla Kert

The Szimpla kert is a mixture of an open air place, a pub and a cinema. From the street you almost miss the entrance because it looks like a regular door entrance (watch out for a small yellow sign) but inside it is amazing. The furniture in there is unique. It looks a little bit run-out but that makes the special Szimpla Kert fl air. The prices are reasonable.Address: VII. Dist., Kertész utca 48.

Szóda

An immediate hit following its opening in May, the success of Szóda (or Soda) is down to its slick presentation. Like the bar’s customers, Szóda is cool. The large windows are emblazoned with its space-age logo and lined with (you got it!) empty soda bottles. Inside, the walls are topped with action shots from Japanese Manga cartoons and the furniture is a mix of 1970s armchairs and coffee tables. The popular drink is beer, despite the fact that a glass of soda is free. There’s a kitchen serving breakfast and hot and cold snacks.Address: VII. Dist., Wesselényi u. 18.

Gödör Club

Look underneath Gödör, and you will fi nd that you are not mistaken; the club is actually on the top level of an underground car park. A dive however, it most certainly is not. Wide steps fl anked by contemporary sculptures lead down to a spacious interior. Its glass roof is a minimalist ornamental pool at ground level. The club plays host to art exhibitions, varied live music and DJs. Address: V. Dist., Erzsébet tér

Living Room

It is a place in the heart of Budapest. From outside you might not realize living room because it is in the cellar of a regular house. But downstairs is a massive club with more than 1000 square meters, many rooms and different places to party. A unique thing that there are little separated rooms where you can hang around, close the curtains and talk, party or just drink. The people in Livingroom Budapest are relatively young but nevertheless you can make good party there.Address: V. Dist., Kossuth Lajos utca 17.

Tel.: (30) 992 9932

Party Places & Pubs

ShoppingIn Hungary, shops are usually open from Monday until Saturday, on weekdays between 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., on Saturday until 1 p.m. But you can fi nd so many big stores and malls which are open every day, late evening or 24 hours long.

Fashion street – Váci utca

World brands in the heart of the capital, in Deák Ferenc street, this is the Fashion Street. After renovating the imposing buildings situated on the uneven side of Deák Ferenc street neighboured by Deák Ferenc square and Bécsi street the street offers the enjoyment of purchase again. Váci utca (Váci street) is one of

the main pedestrian thoroughfares and perhaps the most famous street of central Budapest. It features a large number of restaurants and fashion outlets catering primarily to the tourist market.

Shopping malls in Budapest

You can fi nd so many malls in Budapest, usually they do not have the same shops and brands. So if you are looking for

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Sports

You can do any kind of sports in Hungary. It’s possible to go for fi shing, boating/sailing, windsurfi ng, horse riding, hiking, skating, roller skating. In the countryside you can even go for bird-watching …

Swimming

BME’s swimming pool (XI. Dist, Bogdánffy

út 12., Open: only on weekdays 6:00–7:30 and 14:30–20:30) is at your disposal. You can get a pass arranged for you at a price of 12 000 HUF for a quarter and 20 000 HUF for half a year. It’s a bit shallow and you can touch the fl oor with your hands.

Some of the best places to go: Rudas Baths (walking distance from BME, in Buda by Erzsébet Bridge), Komjádi Swimming Pool (get onto bus # 86 in front of Gellért Hotel, and get off at Margit Bridge).

Cycling

Hungary’s fl at terrain makes it perfect for bicycles, and some towns and regions (Budapest, Szeged, parts of the Danube Bend, around Lake Balaton) have systems of bicycle lanes. But bicycle rentals are hard to come by in Hungary. You can buy an old used speed bike for 10 000 – 20 000 HUF.The national tourist offi ce publishes a useful pamphlet called Cycling Tours

in Hungary with 38 recommended routes including sketch maps. Hungary by Bicycle, in Hungarian, German and English, can be found in some Budapest bookshops.

Hiking

Tourist Department of the Hungarian Association of Friends of Nature (VI.

Dist., Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 31. II/3.)

“How about rock climbing within city borders? Not impossible. Take tram # 19 to Batthyány tér. Take either bus # 86 or # 60 as far as Kolosy tér. From this place bus # 65 will take you to Fenyőgyöngye where you can get off and walk down the hill. On your right you will see many trails. Follow the path parallel to the road and take the first right up into the woods. We all four enjoyed it a lot, and went climbing regularly each day.” (Bob Blunt, American exchangee)

something special, it’s worth visiting more. Most of them open between Mon–Sat 10:00–21:00, Sun 10:00–18:00.To mention some of them: WestEnd City Center, Campona, Mammut, Csepel Plaza, Pólus Center, Árkád, Arena PlazaThese shopping malls also have a cinema. Big hypermarkets and supermarkets: You can fi nd them alongside the motorways, but also in some shopping malls.

AuchanThe French owned Auchan hypermarket is well laid out and with a huge choice of goods, it can be compared (for those from England at least) to the hypermarkets of Calais. Extended opening hours are a boon too, while there’s also a petrol station next door. Very good.

Spar SupermarketGermain store, high quality, medium prices.

Kaiser’s SupermarketFound within the Corvin Áruház (department store) on Blaha Lujza Square, this downtown Kaiser’s supermarket is an excellent place in which to stock up on essentials, fruit ‘n’ veg, wines, chocolate, etc. Of course, with Kaiser’s being a

well-known super-market chain in Hungary, they have a number of stores dotted around the city. To fi nd your nearest one, visit their store locater at: www.kaisers.hu.

Tesco HypermarketTesco (the British supermarket chain) has an excellent presence here which, as well as being well laid out, has top-notch meat and cheese counters plus lots of ex-pat friendly goodies. Some others: Cora, IKEA and some smaller ones like CBA, Reál, Match, Penny, Profi , Plus, Lidl, Aldi. But if you really want to get fresh vegetables, meat and brad, wake up on the early morning on Saturday, and go to the Fehérvári úti vásárcsarnok (tram number 4 the last station, Fehérvári út)!

Market halls

Central Market Hall (Nagyvásár-csarnok) (V. Dist., Vámház körút 1-3.) In olden times this most famous of market halls was connected to the River Danube by a tunnel so that goods could be directly offl oaded from barges and taken inside to the stalls for sale. Upstairs is a stunning - although sometimes pricey – range of folk art inspired goods. Click here to see the short video of Central Market Hall!

Fehérvári úti Vásárcsarnok (XI. Dist.,

Kőrösi J. u. 7-9.) Closest to the University. Just take the tram number 4 to the last station (Fehérvári út) to get the best taste of Hungary! Fresh fruits, vegetables, brad, meat etc you can fi nd everything, for a low price. Upstairs you can get great but cheap Hungarian food. Yummy!

Content

Health 46Religious Services in English 47Travelling 48Telecommunication 51Media 52Useful Links 53Public Holidays 53Practical Information 54Greetings & Civilities 56

“Help cleaning Budapest!Eat a pigeon every day!”

HUNGARY

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PresbyterianRev. Otto Pecsuk (Tel: (70) 294-7635)Church of Scotland,VI. Dist., Vörösmarty u. 51., Sunday 11:00Roman CatholicF. R. László Marosfalvi S. J., John Adam S. J. (Tel: (1) 318-3479)Church of the Sacred Heart,VIII. Dist., Mária u. 25., Saturday 5:00.International ChurchRev. Glenn Ford Tel: (1) 212-9428,www.church.hu

Óbuda Társaskör, III. Dist., Kiskorona u. 7,Sunday 10:30International BaptistRev. Lee Powell (Tel: (1) 431-0033)Móricz Zsigmond GimnáziumII. Dist., Törökvész út 48-54.,

Sunday 10:30AnglicanMagyar Szentek Temploma, XI. Dist.,

Goldman György tér (Tel: (1) 209-2224), Sunday 10:30JewishDohány utcai Zsinagóga,VII. Dist., Dohány utca 2.,

Saturday 21:00.Bible Baptist ChurchXVII. Dist., 502 u. 19

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day SaintsXII. Dist., Hajnóczy utca 14

Sunday at 13:00

Danube International Church Mathias Corvinus Collegium XI. Dist., Somlói út 51

Sunday at 10:30www.danubechurch.org

The Bible Speaks Church of Hungary VIII. Dist., Golgota u. 3.

The English Language Community of Szent Antals Roman Catholic ChurchII. Dist., Pasaréti tér

Sunday at 16:00Golgotha (Calvary Chapel)Hiradó Theatre at VIII. Dist., Blaha Lujza tér

Jewish Synagogue of BudapestVII. Dist., Sip utca 12

Tel: (1) 342-1335; Anglican-Episcopal ChurchVII. Dist., Almássy utca 6.

Sunday at 10:30 at St Margaret’s Churchnetministries.org/see/churches.exe/ch12609

Jehovah’s Witnesses XIII. Dist., Röppentyű utca 55.

Saturday at 17.30New Covenant Church XIII Dist., Dózsa György út 152.

Sunday at 10:00 Centre of the Hunagrian Muslim Communitymagyariszlam@freemail.hu

Tel: (30) 272-9865.Close to the university, on XI. Dist., Bartók

Béla str. 29. there is a Mecset (Masque)Tel: (30) 9330145.

Religious Services in English

Doctors and dentists who see patients outside their jobs at government clinics or hospitals keep very abbreviated schedules- usually only a couple of hours a week. Your embassy can provide you with a list of recommended specialists. Dental work is usually of a high standard and cheap by western standards Many dentists (come licensed to practise abroad) advertise in Budapest Week. Most large towns and Budapest’s 23 districts have all-night pharmacies open every day: a sign on the door of any pharmacy will help you locate the closest 24-hour service.

Emergency numbers:

24-hour medical assistance: (1) 200 0100 24-hour dental assistance: (1) 267 9602 24-hour emergency medical service Tel: (1) 312-3430, (1) 311-1666 (Ask for the “főorvos”.)Ambulance: 104

Health Center of BME, Gyógyír Kht. XI. Dist., Fehérvári út 12. Tel: (1) 279-2157, (1) 279-2158

Pharmacies on night duty

Pharmacies on night duty in Budapest operate on rota-system. Those, in the centre of town that are usually open late are at: Buda II., Frankel Leó u. 22. Tel: (1) 212-4406, Buda XII., Alkotás u. 1/b, Tel: (1) 355-4691, Pest IV., Pozsonyi u. 19. Tel: (1) 379-3008, Pest VI., Teréz krt. 41. Tel: (1) 311-4439.

Health

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Controllers on the boardOn the busses, trams, etc. can be controllers. If you’re travelling without a valid ticket or pass or not keeping to Terms and Conditions of Travel, you are obliged to pay a fi ne:

6000 HUF paid • on the spot

12 000 HUF paid • afterwards on postal cheque

24 000 HUF paid beyond 30 days• With a valid Student Card you can get the monthly pass much cheaper. Now it costs 3250 HUF. The prices of other tickets and passes you can read on this page: www.bkv.hu/english/jegyek/index.html

The starting day can be chosen at purchase. TIP: If you want to go somewhere, but you didn’t know how to get there, you can easily use this line planner: utvonal.

bkv.hu First 3 heads: from where do you start 1. city, 2. circle, 3. street and house number. The second 3 heads apply for the place where you want to go (the same order as by starting place). If you snap down “MEHET”, it will show you how to get there, which bus, tram, etc. you have to use.

TaxisTaxis are abundant, but it is good to check whether they have working meters as some drivers may overcharge unsuspecting foreigners. Better, determine price to your destination before entering taxi, if possible. Taxis with reasonable rates included:

6 X 6 Taxi 06-1-666-6666City Taxi 06-1-211-1111Tele 5 06-1-555-5555Fõtaxi 06-1-222-2222Rádiótaxi 06-1-777-7777Budataxi 06-1-233-3333Taxi 2000 06-1-200-0000

Getting to Ferihegy Airport

The simplest, and best way is via the Airport Minibus Service (Tel: (1) 296-8555, www.bud.hu), which picks you up at whatever address in Budapest you give them and takes you to the airport in about an hour. Be sure to order it in advance. If more people travel together to the airport, then Zona Taxi is the cheapest solution. (They have fi x price to and from the airport.)

Public transportation: Take the blue metro line (3) as far as Kőbánya–Kispest (end station) and get on to bus 200 (Reptérbusz). Note that Ferihegy 1 and Ferihegy 2 are two different terminals and they are 10 minutes far from each other by bus.

Travelling in Budapest

Public transportIf you want to use public transport, you need to have a ticket or a pass. These are valid for all tram-, metro- and trolleybus lines, on the Millennium Underground and the cogwheel railway, but on HÉV (suburban railway) only within the administrative boundaries of Budapest.On bus lines: tickets are valid on the whole length of the lines, but Budapest all-line passes (for example the monthly passes) are valid only to the fi rst stop outside Budapest.(Budapest unifi ed/combined passes (BEB passes) are valid on all lines of BKV Ltd. (Budapest Public Transport) and on allotted lines of MÁV-START Zrt. (Hungarian Railways) and VOLÁN (yellow buses beyond Budapest.)

Where to buySingle tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines, at the cashiers’ at metro – and HÉV stations and on the main traffi c points in Budapest, at newsagents’ and at every Post Offi ce in

Budapest and in the suburb.Pre-purchased one-day travel cards, three-day travel cards, seven-day travel cards, family tickets and passes can be redeemed before the starting day. You also have to pay a handling charge of 200 HUF.The monthly passes can be purchased with any starting day and are valid until 24.00 on the previous day of the starting day in the next month.If holders of monthly passes are controlled without their pas ses on them, they have only two opportunities a year to show their passes afterwards in BKV offi ces, if they have no outstanding debts on previous fi nes (holders of the yearly passes have no limitation in showing their passes afterwards). The passes shown have to be valid one day before and on the day of fi ning.

NOTE: Single tickets, transfer tickets, tickets of the discount coupon book, family tickets and the conurbation tickets cannot be used on the night service network. The single tickets bought on the spot / ticket for night service (350 HUF) are valid at night too, they can be purchased from the employees at the entrances of the stations, from ticket controllers, from vending machines and at the cashiers. The monthly passes are valid on the night service network too.

Travelling

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For a longer stay here, it is best to buy a mobile phone. Customers can choose to either prepay for their phone usage or purchase a monthly payment plan. Both payment methods have advantages and disadvantages. You should check which one suits your needs better. The major mobile phone providers: T-Mobile, Pannon and Vodafone. These mobile phone companies often have an offer, you should check them.

To make an international phone call, the cheapest way is to buy an international calling card.

Telecard www.telecard.hu

Neophone www.neophone.hu

Private Talk www.privatetalk.hu

No Limits www.nolimits.hu

You can also fi nd some public phones in the city. They take 10, 20, 50 and 100 Forint coins and give instructions in English, French and German. Most public phones are being converted to use phone cards ONLY. Phone cards are available at your hotel, post offi ces, petrol or railway stations, and newsstands.

To make a call:

Local Calls (for example from Budapest to Budapest, or from a mobile phone number to the same company’s mobile phone number): dial the 7-digit number.

Long-Distance Call in Hungary (for example form Budapest or from your mobile to other Hungarian cities or other mobile phones): 06 + area code + phone number

Area codes: Budapest 1 T-Mobile 30 Pannon 20 Vodafone 70 Green numbers (free) 80 Raised calling fee 90

Budapest area code: 1 (+7-digit number) Cell-phone numbers are 9-digit, after dialing 06, the fi rst two numbers depend on the telephone company: 20, 30 or 70.

International calls: 00 + country code + area code + phone number

Hungary’s country code: 36

Important phone numbers: 104 Ambulance105 Fire department107 Police112 Emergency call198 Directory Assistance 199 International Directory

TelecommunicationTravelling in the Country

TrainsShowing your Student Card at the time of purchasing train ticket, you can travel anywhere in Hungary with 50% discount.The train schedule (menetrend) is available at www.mav-start.hu . You can also fi nd schedule for all trains in Hungary as well as international trains to Prague, Vienna and other cities in Central/Eastern Europe.There are three main train stations:

Nyugati=West; Keleti=East; and Déli=South. If you are planning to buy the ticket at the train station, it is a good idea to arrive early, because the lines are often long and English is rarely spoken. Most international trains depart from Keleti station.In buying tickets for international travel, be sure to have your passport with you even, if you are paying in forints.

BusesWith a Student Card, there is a 50 % discount on bus travel throughout

Hungary. The main bus terminals for Volánbusz are Népliget (on blue M line), Stadionok and Árpád Bridge (in Pest).

TIME TABLES on the Internet

MÁV, Hungarian Railway Co. • www.mav-start.hu

VOLÁN, Long-distance coaches• www.volanbusz.hu/en

MAHART, Passanger Shipping Ltd.• www.balatonihajozas.hu/en/main.htm

BKV, Public transport in the capital• www.bkv.hu/english/home/index.html

MALÉV Hungarian Airlines• www.malev.hu/BP/ENG/index.asp

Every timetable is available at www.menetrendek.hu (menetrendek=schedules)

Rent a car:EUrent:•

V. Dist., Deák Ferenc tér 3. Tel: (1) 328-6464,(1) 421-8333www.eurent.hu

World Wide Rent a Car• XII. Dist., Sas u. 10-12. Tel: (1) 302-0431, Mobile: (20) 991-8506www.rentacar.com

Fox Autorent:• XXII. Dist., Nagytétényi út 48-50.

Tel: (1) 382-9000www.fox-autorent.com,

Hertz Mercur Rent-a-car• www.hertz.hu

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Culture in Budapest: www.festivalcity.hu

Travelling: www.utak.hu

Lawyers: www.lawyers.com

World papers: www.thepaperboy.com

Weather forecast: www.weather.com

Internet providers: www.alarmix.net/axe www.irisz.hu www.matav.hu www.hotspotter.hu/en

Itineraries/Travel plans: www.startlap.hu www.shellgeostar.com

Mobile phone services: www.pannon.hu (pannon) www.t-mobile.hu (former westel) www.vodafone.hu (vodafone)

Useful links

There are quite a few English-language newspapers in Hungary at present, all of them weekly. The oldest of the independents is Budapest Week, which has ample coverage of news and cultural events but sometimes reads a bit like a college newspaper. It recently merged with its sister paper, the Hungarian Times, which deals with economics and politics. The Budapest Sun is trying to compete but appears to be saturated. The Budapest Business Journal devotes itself to fi nancial news and features. The Daily News (in fact a weekly) is little more than a news bulletin published by the Hungarian news agency MTI.Western newspapers in English are available on the day of publication at many large kiosks and at expensive hotels in Budapest include the International Herald Tribune, the European edition of the Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times. Other English-language periodicals include the Hungarian Observer published sporadically throughout the year, and the monthly Hungarian Economic Review from the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce. The most erudite of all publications in English is the Hungarian

Quarterly, which examines a wide variety of issues in great depth and is a valuable source of current Hungarian thinking in translation. Another is the Budapest Review of Books, the English-language edition of the popular quarterly Buksz.House of the World Press is the biggest newspaper shop in Downtown where you can fi nd 1200 foreign papers (address: V.

Dist., Városház u. 3-5.)Oxford University Press is situated in the fi fth district as well: V. Dist., Gerlóczy u. 7. The Hungarian Television has several stations (M1, M2, Duna TV, etc.), and the Hungarian Radio has three named after Lajos KOSSUTH, Sándor PETŐFI and Béla BARTÓK. There are news and cultural programs on Kossuth (in Hungarian), classical music on Bartók,

and modern music on Petőfi .Radio Bridge (102.1 MHz/FM)

has hourly Voice of America news broadcast in English,

news features at 8 am and 8 pm weekdays and a late-night jazz show. Radio Budapest (6110, 7220, 9385

and 11910KHz) has nightly English-language programmes

at 11 pm.TVs equipped with satellite dishes and the relevant decoders can receive Sky TV, CNN, BBC and others.Besides, several commercial radio and TV stations provide 24–hour programs (e.g. Sláger Rádió, Juventus Rádió, RTL Klub, TV 2, etc.).

Media

Public holidays

1st January New Year’s Day15th March National holiday – Anniversary of the war of independence

1848–4913th April (in 2009) Easter Monday1st May Labour Day31st May (in 2009) Whit Monday20th August National Day/St. Stephan’s Day – Anniversary of the

foundation of the Hungarian State by St. Stephen23rd October Republic Day –

Anniversary of the outburst of the revolution and war of independence 1956,Day of acclaiming the 3rd Hungarian Republic (1989)

1st November All Saint’s Day25th–26th December Christmas

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Names

Surnames fi rst, Christian names second: so Éva Pintér is in Hungarian Pintér (surname) Éva (fi rst name).

Tap water

Tap water is reportedly safe everywhere.

Time

Time is always measured in terms of time to come, not in time past. 1/2 8 or f8 is actually 7:30, as in German. Think of it as half to the hour, not half past it.Also dates have other order: year/month/day

Tipping in Hungary

Restaurant prices in Hungary generally do not include a service charge and it is therefore customary to give a tip, generally equivalent to 10% (15% for exceptional service) of the bill. Do not leave the bill on the table, always pay the server directly.

VAT refundingIf a non-EU citizen foreign traveller purchases new, unused goods in Hungary when the value of an invoice – including V.A.T. – exceeds the limit of 50 000 HUF and takes them out of Hungary he/she is entitled to claim for the refund of the value of V.A.T. The goods must be taken out of the country within 90 days from the issuance of the invoice, and V.A.T. refund can be asked within not more than 183 days from the date of customs clearance.

Travel Tips and Experiences (by an exchange)

Check for cheap deals on last minute • packages ($150 for a fl ight & one week apartment in Crete).

Check airfare prices! Discount airlines • (WizzAir, EasyJet, GermanWings, etc.) offer cheaper tickets to major European cities than the railway companies. The sooner you book in, the cheaper the price could be. Online booking is available.

Always check to see, if you need a seat • reservation.

Carry euros and dollars with you, and • wear a money belt.

Take advantage of travelling within • Hungary. “A very good place to do some wine tasting is Villány and its area (Southern Hungary), which is one of the best wine region in Hungary. Very friendly host, also speaking good German and a bit of English as well. Excellent wines and food and also good rooms at a reasonable price. Go there, if you like wine !” (Tuomas Siekkinen, Finland)

Addresses

Hungarian addresses look like this: Budapest V., Kossuth utca 107. II. 6. The town/city comes fi rst (Budapest addresses begin with the district in Roman numerals), followed by the street name, building number, fl oor (Roman numerals) and apartment number. Postcodes are 4-fi gure numbers.

Electricity in Hungary

The voltage is 230 V/50Hz with European two-prong plug.Electrical equipment of 110V/60Hz requires the use of an adapter and/or voltage converter.

Floor numbers

To avoid an old tax law that penalised buildings with more than four fl oors, there

is an assortment of extra levels between the ground fl oor (földszint) and fi rst, such as magasföldszint (‘upper ground fl oor’) and félemelet (‘half fl oor’).

Forest tick

There are no troublesome snakes or creeply-crawlies to worry about; the biggest complaints among travellers are insect bites. One insect that can bring on more than just an itch is the forest tick (kullancs), which burrows under the skin causing infl ammation and even encephalitis. You might consider getting an FSME (meningoencephalitis) vaccination if you plan to do a lot of hiking and camping.

Money, Exchange

The unit of currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF). In Hungary the abbrevation of Forint is Ft.Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 HUF. Bank notes: 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000 HUF. (Always check how many zeros you have there! Like don’t pay 20 000 instead of 2000.)Since February 2008, we have no more coins of 1 and 2 forints. But in shops, the prices can still end in 1,2,3 etc. They round 1 and 2 to 0 , and 3,4,6 and 7 to 5, and 8 and 9 to 10. (So if you want to buy something for 312 HUF, you pay 310 HUF. Instead of 419 HUF, you pay 420 HUF.) With credit card you pay the exact amount.

Practical information

TIP: In Budapest, the post codes start with 1, and the two middle number marks the district. This way you are able to guess where the place is what you’re looking for. Like 1024 – Budapest II. district.

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Hello Szia (familiar)Goodbye Viszontlátásra (formal) Szia (familiar)Good morning Jó reggeltGood afternoon Jó napot (most common greeting)Good evening Jó estétPlease Kérem (asking something) Tessék (handling something)Thank you (very much) Köszönöm (szépen) Köszi (fam.)You’re welcome SzívesenYes IgenNo NemMaybe TalánI (don’t) understand (Nem) ÉrtemI don’t speak Hungarian Nem beszélek magyarul

Does anyone here speak English? Van itt valaki, aki angolul beszél?Where are you from? Honnan jön?How are you? Hogy van? (form) Hogy vagy? (fam.)I am fine, thanks Köszönöm, jól.Excuse me Legyen szíves (for attention)I am sorry Sajnálom Bocsánat(stepping on someone’s toe) ElnézéstMennyibe kerül? How much does it cost?Where is ...? Hol van ...?I’m lost. Eltévedtem.Can you help me? Tudna nekem segíteni?I burned my tongue on the potatoes! Megégettem a nyelvem a krumplival!

A tounge-twister for fun. ☺ Mit sütsz kis szűcs, talán sós húst sütsz kis szűcs?

Greetings & Civilities

The BME Survival Guide 2008 was published by the Study Abroad Offi ce of BME. Project coordinators:: Eszter Kiss (Study Abroad Offi ce), Melinda Jambrich (ESN BME). Editors: Eszter Kiss, Ágnes Dvorszki, Melinda Jambrich. Text: The original material was fully compiled by Eszter Kiss, the current update was fully made and parts were rewritten by the members of ESN BME: Boglárka Boros, Leyla Horváth, Nóra Jambrich, Péter Sándor, Melinda Varga. Layout editors: László Bacsárdi, Melinda Jambrich. Cover page: Eszter Ozsvald Manuscript closed: Jul 16, 2008. Feedbacks: Eszter Kiss (ekiss@mail.bme.hu), Melinda Jambrich (jambrich.melinda@wigner.bme.hu) Printed in Hungary, Aug 2008. Copyright 2008.