Hungary / Magyarország – Let’s explore here
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, consisting mainly of a large, flat central plain with hills and low lying mountains to the West and South. Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and Lake Hévíz, the largest thermal lake in the world are both located in the West of Hungary. The highest point is Mount Kékes, in the north of the country, at 3,330 ft (1,015 m) above sea level.
It shares land borders with Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
It has a population of just under ten million people (2023), and the people are very friendly and relaxed in the main, and many speak English. It also operates a digital nomad visa scheme which you may find of interest.
Current travels
We’ve created a blog for our visit to Hungary. You may find it helpful, and you may pick up some tips, or more likely mistakes not to make that we’ve made 😉, including how not to get involved with the police first thing in the morning!
On our current road trip we travelled from Slovakia to Debrecen in the far east of the country – this was the best weather at the time! (see out Slovakia blog for more info). We then doubled back across the country to Lake Balaton – who knew that lake was so nice?! We then travelled to the capital, Budapest and South to Felsőlajos to stay on a stud farm, before moving on to Serbia.
We travelled back through Hungary from Romania to get to Croatia via the motorways and toll roads – which are in a magnificent state compared to the minor roads!
Hungary is full of really lovely, very westernised people, which kind of surprised us, although we’re not sure why. Ignorance I guess! There appeared to be a world of difference (and large wealth gap) between the cities and the remote villages – you’re unlikely to see a car newer than 30-40 years old in many of the villages!
The country itself is lovely to drive across when sunny, as it’s mostly a flat plain with massive skies and little fluffy clouds!
Our best places in Hungary
Lake Balaton
Well we certainly had no idea that Lake Balafon was so picturesque. But then it seems that it’s only us, as there were just about every nationality in Europe visiting it when we were there. In particular Dutch and Germans, but also Italians and even British!
It really is a great lake, both in size and what if offers. There’s definitely something for everyone there, from tranquil, relaxing stays to full on kids mayhem it seems! We noticed lots of boutique hotels, and there are loads of campsites too!
Budapest, capital of Hungary
Budapest is a great city that reminded us very much of London! Really very cosmopolitan, with loads on offer, although it’s certainly much easier to get around and park in than London, and was certainly less expensive too. Lots of Americans and Germans we noticed.
Debrecen
A lovely little city that has retained much of its obvious splendour from the past. Loads of restaurants, café’s and ice cream parlours on offer. A really easy to use tram system, and a great evening vibe! We’d never heard of it, yet it’s Hungary’s second largest city. Definitely worth a visit!
What’s it like to drive in Hungary?
Driving in Hungary is easy and at the same time very frustrating, and possibly expensive! Drivers are pretty polite in the main – great! The A and B roads are mostly in a pretty sad state of affairs, and some are downright dangerous with very large potholes. Bearing in mind that you can travel at 90km per hour (about 60 mph) on these roads, every now and then you may experience a massive bang as your shock absorbers get a hammering! Hungary, get it together!
The motorways on the other hand are in great shape … in fact there are large billboards pointing this out, alongside the fact that there are no queues on the motorways. But we, as well as almost everyone else it seems, mostly avoided them as there are tolls to use them.
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
What currency do they use in Hungary?
In Hungary they use the Hungarian Forint. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread, although not guaranteed – have some cash just in case, particularly in café’s and restaurants. Traveller’s cheques are accepted. There are lots of ATMs. Euros are also widely accepted, although exchange rates are often poor in restaurants etc.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Hungary?
They speak Hungarian in Hungary, although one in 6 the population also speaks English. We found that German is also widely spoken in tourist areas.
What time zone is Hungary in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Hungary?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
Is wild camping legal in Hungary?
Yes, wild camping is fine in Hungary, although you should avoid national parks and natural reserves.
Is it safe to drink water in Hungary?
Yes, it is generally safe to drink tap water in Hungary, although caution should be exercised in some of the less touristy areas. Bottled water is also readily available across the country.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!