Budapest Guide, Author at Budapest Guide

It is Christmas market time in Budapest!

Posted on November 4, 2022November 4, 2022 by Budapest Guide

The Christmas market at Vörösmarty square has already opened, and recently, we also got to know the dates for the fantastic Christmas market in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest. If you haven’t booked your flight tickets yet, go ahead and do so right away. But, be sure to arrive in time, as the Christmas markets close on December 31st (Vörösmarty square) and January 1st (Szent Istvan square).

Would you like to know more about the Christmas markets in Budapest? You can find much more information on our Christmas markets in Budapest page.

What else is worth knowing about life in Budapest right now?

Life goes on as usual. There are no masks (unless you have to go to the hospital), restaurants are running with business as usual, and stores are open as they normally are. What might be new and interesting is the fact that two restaurants in Hungary got rewarded with two Michelin stars. One of the restaurants is named Stand and it is located in Budapest. The other restaurant is named Platán Gourment and it is located in the city of Tata (a 50-minute drive from Budapest in the direction of Vienna). If you have time and money, these restaurants are for sure worth visiting.

There are also several restaurants with one Michelin star. All of them are located in Budapest with the exception of one.

42 (Esztergom
Babel (Budapest)
Borkonyha (Budapest)
Costes (Budapest)
Essencia (Budapest)
Rumour (Budapest)
Salt (Budapest)

We hope you will enjoy your stay in Budapest and that you will eat a lot of good food while here.

Is it safe to visit Budapest and Hungary with the present situation in Ukraine?

Posted on March 30, 2022March 3, 2023 by Budapest Guide

Have you been waiting for COVID to disappear so that you could finally come to Budapest (again)? But, as you finally started to plan your trip to Budapest again, the entire conflict between Russia and Ukraine showed up and suddenly you got one more reason to worry. But, do you need to worry about the conflict if you are coming to Budapest and to Hungary?

Hungary has more than 2150km of borders and the biggest part of this is the border shared with Slovakia at a total of more than 650km. The second-largest border is shared with Romania (443km), then followed by Austria with which we share a border of 366km. But, what about Ukraine?

The smallest border part in kilometers is with Slovenia (only 102km), and then comes Ukraine with which Hungary has 133km of common border. And yes, that can be experienced these days as the number of refugees entering Hungary from Ukraine might have reached 500,000 already.

But, it is very important to understand that on the Ukrainian side of the border, there are several cities and villages in which a large part of the population speaks Hungarian. So far, these villages and cities haven’t been attacked at all, meaning that they are still doing good, even though they are a part of Ukraine.

Is it safe to visit Budapest right now? — The Fishermen’s Bastion in Budapest – Source: Pixabay

What is the situation in Hungary?

The Hungarian people have done a wonderful job taking care of the people arriving in the country from Ukraine. Locals have opened up their homes and their wallets, and the government is also working with helping refugees coming to the country. Many of the refugees travel on to elsewhere in Europe from Hungary, while some reside here, hoping to stay here until the situation has calmed down in Ukraine so that they can return to their country once again.

As a tourist in Hungary…

If you come to Hungary as a tourist, you will most likely not notice anything at all. You might hear more of the Ukrainian language than normal, but since you most likely are unable to discern the languages you don’t know, you will not know whether the people you hear speak Hungarian or Ukrainian or any other language that you don’t know.

If you think about security, then there is no need to worry at all. It is considered a negative thing in general that the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Órban has a quite close friendship with Vladimir Putin, but if you think about the security of the country, then that might actually give it a little additional piece of security (if you fear Putin attacking areas outside Ukraine).

What about COVID?

Are you still worried about COVID as well? You might need to use a face mask on the flight carrying you to Budapest and to Hungary, but there is no need to use a face mask elsewhere in Hungary (besides if you have to visit a hospital or medical facility). There are still quite a lot of COVID each and every day and there are still quite some people dying due to COVID daily. However, people mostly live their lives like before COVID and all programs are available as they would normally be.

No matter what, you can come to Hungary without any worries. Get ready for a nice river cruise on the Danube, some tasty Goulash soup, and maybe a sweet sip of some wine from Tokaj?

It is time for Christmas markets in Budapest again (2021)!

Posted on November 11, 2021November 11, 2021 by Budapest Guide

After a break in 2020 due to COVID, the Christmas markets in Budapest will once again shine and bring joy to the local population and tourists in 2021. The famous Christmas markets at the Vörösmarty square and the Szent Istvan square will open on November 19th. This is great news for those who want to drink some hot wine, buy souvenirs, and for those who long to taste some Hungarian Christmas fair food.

Christmas market in Budapest recommendations

It has been promised that the Christmas markets in 2021 will be made better for the local population as well. Normally, it has been considered a very expensive experience to eat on these markets, and that is why it is a requirement that all the companies serving food at the Christmas markets should offer meals costing no more than 1500. Of course, there will be plenty of meals costing a lot more, but there should be some cheaper options on their menu to support and to help make this event worth visiting, also for the locals.

More information about the Christmas markets in Budapest

New in 2021 is the fact that a vaccination passport is required to visit the Christmas markets. We do not know how they will actually do this, but there is supposed to be such a requirement. It might be that they will have guards checking the validity of your vaccination at the different entry points to the Christmas market. If such a thing will take place, then you can show it with your cell phone or a vaccination proof (card).

No matter what, we really look forward to be able to enjoy the beautiful Christmas markets in Budapest together with all of you once again!

Hungary is now open to people with vaccination passports!

Posted on July 6, 2021November 30, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Are you living in an EU country? Have you received your vaccines and now you have a valid vaccination passport? If your answer to those questions is yes, then you are currently very welcome to visit Budapest.

Traveling within the EU has become quite a lot easier since July 1st, and the same is true for people who would like to visit Budapest. If you have a vaccination passport you are free to enter the country without any need of going into isolation. You can travel straight from the airport to your hotel and later walk the streets of Budapest, drink a coffee, sip a glass of Tokaj wine, and then eat a nice Goulash in a Budapest restaurant.

Since July 4th, Hungarians no longer need to wear a mask inside stores. There is no guarantee for how long these regulations will remain like this, but hopefully, the worst is over and tourism will return to normal within not so long.

What if I come with kids?

Adults with a vaccination passport can bring their kids along. Children under 18 years traveling with vaccinated adults do not need any further tests or vaccination in order to enter the country.

What if I don’t have a certificate?

If you have gone through COVID within the last 6 months and have official papers to confirm that, you are still allowed to enter the country with no need to be in quarantine.

If you don’t fit into any of the groups above, the best is probably to stay at home and get a vaccination!

Would you like to know even more?

You can find the official information about entering Hungary at http://www.police.hu/en/content/information-on-general-rules-of-border-crossing

The information might be a bit hard to understand, but if you read it through a couple of times, you should find all the answers you need!

Hungary is slowly opening again!

Posted on April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 by Budapest Guide

Hungary has been in strict lockdown since November, and for tourists, since April 2020. In other words, we have missed all tourists coming from abroad, and the tourist guides are working in grocery stores or being without work at home instead. But, there might be a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel!

Hungary is expected to reach 4,000,000 vaccinated people this week (that means, 4 million people who has received at least one vaccine). The government has promised that things will easen up once the number reaches 4 million, meaning that cinemas will be allowed to open once again, theaters can run their performances, and restaurants will be allowed to open up once again.

A week ago, restaurants were allowed to open their terraces, but once Hungary reaches 4 million vaccinated people, they will be allowed to use the inside space as well.

Will a vaccination passport be required?

The messages haven’t been entirely clear yet about whether or not a vaccination passport will be required to visit the restaurants, go to cinema, and to enjoy a play in a theater. The government has mentioned that the activities should only be opened for those with a proof of vaccination, but many fear that this will be “racism”, especially those who believe that Covid is part of a play for Bill Gates to become even richer.

No matter what, Hungary is slowly opening, and most likely, tourists from abroad will be allowed to enter the country more freely this summer.

If you plan on visiting Budapest this summer, we do recommend that you get a vaccination. Without a vaccination, you might be foreced to do lots of tests upon arrival, quarantine and more… and you might experience that you will not be allowed to visit restaurants and more. In other words, you will have a way more pleasant stay and arrival if you have a proof of vaccination in your pocket!

We for sure hope that life will turn back to normal as quickly as possible! We look forward to seeing all of you in Budapest as quickly as possible!

When will Disney+ come to Hungary?

Posted on March 23, 2021April 19, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Are you in lockdown in Budapest (Hungary), or are you just curious about when Disney+ will come to Hungary? Or are you planning a trip to Hungary, but you worry about whether or not you will be able to stream The Mandalorian and all the other popular shows on Disney+ while visiting the country? Here we will give you a status report about Disney+ and its situation and future in Hungary!

So, let us start with the current status. If you visit the DisneyPlus website while residing in Hungary, you will see the following screen.

As you can see on the picture, the service is unavailable. There is a little text in the upper right corner asking if you are a subscriber already, and it gives you the chance to login. But, even if you login, you will not be able to stream anything, because then you will see the following error message.

You will see an error message like the one above in the language of your Disney+ subscription. Above the language is Norwegian, but if the language of your Disney+ subscription is set to English, German, or some other language, you will see the error message telling you that Disney+ is unavailable at your current location message like above.

In other words, even if you have a Disney+ subscription, you will not be able to enjoy it while visiting Hungary…. or?

Is it impossible to watch Disney+ in Hungary?

There are a few ways to stream Disney+ while in Hungary. I can currently recommend the following article which explains easily how to watch Disney+ in Hungary if you already have a subscription, and it also gives instructions on how to get a Disney+ subscription and watch it in Hungary, if you do not have a subscription yet. You can find the article at https://www.thevpnboss.com/disney-isnt-available-in-my-country-what-can-i-do/.

When will Disney+ come to Hungary?

Disney+ is already available in quite a lot of European countries, and the situation is quite similar to the situation with Netflix some years ago. They were available in the most “popular” European countries, but we have to wait for it in Eastern Europe and countries such as Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

But, it has now been made public that Disney+ will come to Hungary on June 14th in 2022!

In other words, this summer Disney+ will finally come to Hungary, meaning that you can stream The Mandalorian, The story of Boba Fett, Loki, and lots of other Disney+ original content and awesome movies on the streaming portal.

That should be considered awesome news. And if you have a Disney+ subscription in some other country, then you can use the same subscription while in Hungary. In other words, you do not need an additional subscription to watch Disney+ in Hungary, but you can use your present subscription while in Hungary. In the same way, Hungarians who will purchase a Disney+ subscription in Hungary can use the same description while visiting other countries in which Disney+ is available.

There are some differences in content between countries for Disney+ and the ratings you see will also reflect the ratings of the country you are in and not your home country. Besides that, everything works in the same way.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your days in Hungary!

New rules for entering Hungary (valid from July 15th)

Posted on July 13, 2020July 13, 2020 by Budapest Guide

We had a little break from the coronavirus topics in the newspapers for some week, but now they are returning once again. Due to the raising number of cases worldwide, and also in Europe, Hungary has decided to alter the rules and regulations related to who can enter Hungary.

Based on the new rules, valid from July 15th in 2020, the world is divided into three zones.

The Green Zone

EU countries not mentioned in the yellow zone.

People from these countries can freely enter and enjoy their summer in Budapest and in Hungary. There is no need to enter a quarantine after arrival.

The Yellow Zone

UK, US, Serbia, Romania, Sweden, Portugal, Bulgaria, Norway, Russia, China and Japan.

For people from these nations to come to Hungary, they will need to have two tests made within the last five days to confirm that they are well. If not, they will have to enter a 14-day quarantine upon arrival to Budapest.

The Red Zone

Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Kosovo, North-Macedonia, Moldovia, Montenegro, Ukraine, and all other countries of the world not mentioned elsewhere in the other zones.

People from these countries are not allowed to enter Hungary at all.

Make sure to stay up to date before coming to Budapest, because things change very quickly!

EU Members: Welcome to Budapest!

Posted on June 18, 2020August 2, 2022 by Budapest Guide

From June 19th, it will be free for EU members to visit Hungary. That is, if you live in an EU country, you can freely travel to Hungary and enjoy your summer holiday eating Goulash soup in Budapest, or swimming in the beautiful Lake Balaton.

Budapest Coronavirus — Welcome to Budapest – Source: Pixabay

This is fantastic news and something we have been waiting for a long time.

A frequently asked question has been about the UK. Are people in England part of the European Union, or are they not? Can people from the UK come to Hungary? According to official sources, people form the UK are still not allowed to enter Hungary. You can read more here and here.

But, what about Norway? What about Iceland? And what about Switzerland?

Those countries are no exception, meaning that people from these countries are also allowed to enter Hungary from June 19th. As a result, you can book your flight tickets, get in your car, and be ready to come and visit Budapest and Hungary once again. If you come from one of these countries, you will not need to enter a quarantine after your arrival to Budapest.

Let us hope it will remain like this for a long time. But, if a second wave will come this autumn, the borders will most likely close again. You can find updates and more information at www.budapestguide.org.

Germans can now enter Hungary without limitations!

Posted on June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 by Budapest Guide

The Hungarian minster of Foreign Affairs (Peter Szijjarto) announced yesterday that people from Germany can now freely enter Hungary. This is good news for Hungarians living in Germany who wants to come home, and it is awesome news for Germans who want to come to Budapest for their summer holiday.

Hungary is slowly opening up their borders, and last week, it was made possible for people from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria to visit Hungary without limitations. Now the same can be said about people from Germany.

Germans can come to Budapest again — *Germans can once again visit Budapest and Hungary.*

This is good news, not only for those visiting Budapest, but also for those who want to spend their summer holiday by Lake Balaton. This is a very popular area among German tourists in the summer, and it is now once again a perfect destination for those who want to spend their summer holiday by the Hungarian “sea.”

For more information about visiting Hungary and whether or not you are allowed to visit Hungary, visit www.budapestguide.org. There you can also ask questions if you have such on the topic of visiting Budapest and Hungary.

People from Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic can once again visit Budapest!

Posted on June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 by Budapest Guide

We are far from normal, but we are getting a little bit closer. As of today, people from Austria, Slovakia, and from the Czech Republic can once again visit Budapest. As a result, people with these nationalities do not need to enter into any quarantine, nor go into quarantine as they return back home after their stay in Budapest.

For the rest of the world, patience is needed.

For more information about entering Hungary, check out www.budapestguide.org.