Hungary travel guide

Getting there

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is the main gateway. Hungary is also well connected by rail and road to Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and other neighbours, and Danube river cruises stop in Budapest.

Best time to visit: Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct – pleasant weather; Jul–Aug for Lake Balaton.

Tougher months: January-February – cold and grey, though thermal baths make winter trips surprisingly cosy.

Weather by month in Budapest

• 3°J●
• 6°F●
• 12°M●
• 17°A●
• 22°M●●
• 26°J●●
• 28°J●
• 28°A●
• 22°S●
• 16°O●
• 9°N●
• 4°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Europe/Budapest. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 93 of 198 other passports can enter Hungary without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 105 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of the Schengen Area (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-04-15). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Hungary travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Hungary are based around Budapest, Lake Balaton or Eger. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$35–55 for a backpacker and US$90–160 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Hungary page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +36.

Mobile data: read the eSIM for Europe before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Budapest (Capital · Danube city): One of Europe's most beautiful capitals, with grand architecture, spas and lively nightlife.
• Lake Balaton (Transdanubia · lake & beaches): Hungary's 'sea', ringed by resorts, vineyards and the scenic Tihany peninsula.
• Eger (Northeast · castle & wine): A baroque town with a famous castle, a minaret and the Valley of Beautiful Women's wine cellars.
• Tokaj (Northeast · wine region): Historic wine villages producing some of the world's oldest classified sweet wines.
• Pécs (South · culture & history): A Mediterranean-feeling city with Roman-era tombs, Ottoman relics and the Zsolnay quarter.
• Szentendre (Danube Bend · artists' town): A charming riverside town of galleries and colourful baroque houses, an easy day trip from Budapest.
• Hortobágy National Park (Great Plain · puszta): Hungary's vast grassland with grey cattle, herders and rich birdlife.
• Debrecen (East · university city): Hungary's second city, with a great Reformed Church and the famous Flower Carnival.

Things to do

• Soak in a thermal bath. Relax in the steaming outdoor pools of the Széchenyi or the Ottoman-era domes of the Rudas bath.
• Cruise the Danube at night. Glide past the illuminated Parliament, Buda Castle and Chain Bridge after dark.
• Explore Buda Castle Hill. Wander cobbled streets to Matthias Church and the fairy-tale Fisherman's Bastion.
• Drink in a ruin bar. Grab a drink in quirky bars set in crumbling courtyards of Budapest's Jewish Quarter.
• Swim in Lake Balaton. Splash in Central Europe's largest lake and visit the abbey on the Tihany peninsula.
• Taste wine in Tokaj. Sip the sweet golden aszú wines in historic cellars of this UNESCO wine region.
• Bathe in Hévíz's thermal lake. Float in one of the world's largest natural thermal lakes, warm even in winter.
• Watch horsemen on the Puszta. See Hungarian csikós horse shows on the great plain around Hortobágy National Park.

Source: full Hungary guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Gulyás – hearty beef and paprika soup
• Lángos – fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese
• Csirkepaprikás – chicken in creamy paprika sauce
• Kürtőskalács – sweet chimney cake roasted over coals

Source: RoamSun Hungary guide

Money and safety

Currency: Hungarian forint (HUF). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; check if service is already on the bill.

Emergency numbers: 112 general · 107 police · 104 ambulance · 105 fire.

• The currency is the Hungarian forint, not the euro; euros are accepted in some tourist spots at poor rates.
• Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted; use bank ATMs and avoid independent cash machines with high fees.
• Hungary is generally safe; watch out for pickpockets on busy trams, metros and in tourist areas.
• Check bills carefully in bars and restaurants, and avoid places where touts invite you in.

Source: RoamSun Hungary facts