BME Survival Guide 2010 (PDF version)
Transcription
BME Survival Guide 2010 (PDF version)
BME Survival Guide 2010 Introduction 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 confirm 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 difficult to find. The topics covered in this guide were suggested by the Students’ Office, the Study Abroad Office 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 reshuffling of offices. Content r egistration For Both Regular and Exchange Students Visa Registration with Immigration Office Health Insurance Exchange Students Registration at the University Accommodation University Student Card How You Get Your Student Card Our University About BME Computer Facilities Sports Facilities Student Organisations at BME Libraries Environment of the university Copy Centers Nearby Postoffice Canteens Nearby Clubs of the Faculties Student Life Culture Shock ESN BME About ESN BME Contact Information The Goal of ESN Members Mentoring System Activities Trips and Sightseeing TandemProgram Parties Free Time Entertainment Baths Museums 5 6 6 6 9 10 10 10 11 12 12 13 13 15 16 17 18 20 20 20 20 20 21 23 24 24 25 26 27 27 27 27 29 30 30 30 Theatre Cinemas Festivals and Concerts Ticket Offices Drinks Eating out Hungarian Specialities Fast Food Vegetarian Food Recommended Restaurants Party Places & Pubs Shopping Sports Hungary Health Religious Services in English Travelling Travelling in Budapest Travelling in the Country Telecommunication Media Useful Links Public Holidays Practical Information Greetings & Civilities 30 31 31 32 33 34 34 34 34 35 36 37 39 41 42 43 44 44 46 47 48 49 49 50 51 Each year more than 350 foreign students start their first 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 Content For Both Regular and Exchange Students Exchange Students 6 10 6 hungary freetime esn bme university registration For both regular and exchange students Visa Registration with Immigration Office 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 certificate 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, Venezuela Students of the above countries must apply for the residence permit within 30 days after arrival. Please, visit the home page of the Office of Immigration and Nationality of the Hungarian Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement for details on the residence permit to get properly informed. Here is some general information, so that you know what to expect. IMPORTANT: When you have obtained your registration certificate and the address card, please, come and present it in the office where you were registered (Bldg. Z, ground floor). I. What you have to take with you Forstudentscoming fromtheEuropean 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 Certificate and Address Card you are requested to submit the following documents: 1. passport or ID card Students from these countries must obtain 2. proof of health insurance the residence permit within 30 days after 3. certification about your registration at arrival. BME in Hungarian (iskolalátogatási To obtain the visa may take as long as igazolás) You will get it at registration. months. Get prepared for it!!! 4. application form 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 Hungary 7 You can get the empty form at registration. 5. lease contract of your apartment in Hungarian language, in original (lakásbérleti szerzõdés) 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 offices (“illetékbélyeg”) Budafoki u. 60., Entrance I) esn bme freetime hungary 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 Office of Immigration and Nationality. 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 Office of Immigration and Nationality of the university 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 registration TIP: A faster way to get the registration certificate and the address certificate, you can have appointment at (Administration, Appointment registration). Then you go to Customer Service Office II (XI. Dist., Hungarian Ministry of Justice and Law for details on Enforcement at the residence permit to get properly informed. You are requested to submit the following documents: 1. passport 2. certification 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 living and to return home. 6. addressregistration card (szállásbejelentő lap”) signed by the owner of the flat. You will get the empty form at registration. Change of address must be reported in three days! 7. lease contract (lakásbérleti szerzõdés) in original. The residence permit will be issued 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 owner of the flat 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 flat not older than 3 months, in original. The owner of the flat will give it to you. 9. two passport size photos 10. fee stamps (illetékbélyeg) of 18 000 HUF available at post offices 8 hungary freetime esn bme university registration 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 For students coming in with a VISA 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 Office of Immigration and Nationality. The residence permit will be issued to you without any further application or fees to pay, for min. half a year or longer and the residence permit is to be extended 30 days before the expiry date. got to buy a property in Hungary as a foreign citizen. 6. property page (tulajdoni lap) of the flat not older than 3 months, in original. The owner of the flat will give it to you. 7. one passport size photo II. Where you have to go Office name: Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Hivatal (BÁH) VII.sz. Ügyfélszolgálati Iroda Office of Immigration and Nationality Customer Service Office VII Specialization: Aliens Policing Address:1117Budapest,( XI.Dist.)Budafokiu.60. – Sztregova köz Phone number: Processes: residence affairs; You are requested to submit the following report of accommodation; documents: Clientele: Only for receiving the residence 1. passport permits which were postulated at the 2. certification about your registration at Embassies of Hungary the University in Hungarian language (iskolalátogatási igazolás) 3. proof of health insurance 4. addressregistration card (szállásbejelentõ lap) signed by the owner of the flat. You will get the empty form at registration. Change of address must be You can get to BÁH by bus No. 3 (black) reported in three days! 5. lease contract (lakásbérleti szerzõdés) which leaves from Móricz Zsigmond in original. The residence permit will be körtér (bus stop: Hengermalom utca) or issued not any longer than you have a place by bus No. 103 (black) which leaves from to stay. Thus please make sure the lease Népliget (bus stop: Hengermalom utca). contract is either valid for a consi- derably long time a year or two or for unlimited time. Should you be the owner of the flat you have to submit both a property page (tulajdoni lap) not older than 3 months and the permission you 9 Health Insurance registration university esn bme freetime hungary pregnancy, abortion (unless it is medically reasonable), treatments of cosmetics and The health insurance system of the rehabilitation, tapering-off cures, diseases Budapest University of Technology caused by HIV and medical examinations and Economics and the Generali required for health certificate. Providencia Insurance Co. provides the The basic premium for one period eifollowing services for foreign students of ther from 1st Sep until 1st of Feb or from the university and their relatives (husband, 1st Feb until 1st Sep is 29 500 HUF for wife and children) staying in Hungary. It students and for members of their family. covers the cost of curing and the necessary Students registered after the registration medical treatment caused by diseases or period are ensured from the first day after accidents. The company also covers 50% paying the insurance fee. of the price of payable medicine prescribed by the doctor. Disburse of in- voice The insurance card contains personal data is to be paid through bank transfer to a of the insured person entitling its owner Hungarian Forints (HUF) account, within to use medical services according to the 30 days after submitting the in- voice. conditions specified above. In need of paediatrician medical attendance, treatments may be carried out Students are obliged to buy a health inby the Heim Pál Gyermekkórház (VIII. Dist., surance card, if they are not contracted Üllői út 86.) or any other institutions. The with another insurance company regisobligation of the insurance company tered in Hungary. The premium paid by refers only to outpatient treatment and the students who are contracted with another insurance company registered in hospitalisation in Hungary. Except for emergency treatments, the Hungary will be repaid, if they report this insurance company covers the cost of only fact before 30th September 2010. the treatments which are carried out by Only in case of emergency: GYÓGYÍR Kht (XI. Dist., Fehérvári út 12. Dr. Horváth Péter: ( basement, Dr.HorváthPéter)orhospitalisation ordered by this health centre. Presently, the services of our insurance A valid health insurance in Hungary is company do not cover hospitalisation due OBLIGATORY for all international to childbirth and any consequences of students . You can apply for a Providencia illnesses or accidents that occurred prior insurance card at the Students’ Office to the starting date of the insurance period. (Bldg. Z, room 201) or other conceptions The insurance does not cover the costs of via Farkas Gergely, financial advisor. Tel: email: dental treatment (except for aftermath of +3630-914-24670 f a r k a s. g e r g e l y. j o z s e f @ v i p m a i l . h u accidents), medical attendance of IMPORTANT: EU health insurance cards are accepted as well. 10 Exchange Students Registration at the University Accommodation: hungary freetime esn bme university registration Each student is obliged to register for These hostels are recommended to you for each study period/semester at BME in the time until you find a permanent solution: the Students’ Office, Bldg. Z, room 201, 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 covering 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 the universitys insurance package upon registration (29 500 HUF/6 months). 25/person/night 11/person/night Hotel Flandria Telefon: 061 350 31 81 Fax: 061 320 88 53 Email: info@hotelflandria.hu from 10/person/night Easy Hotel Oktogon 16/p/night Corvin point tel:0670/544-0224 3500 HUF/p/night Ventura Hotel Please, always refer to BME and/or ESN in any of the communications with the hostels for these prices. These are special prices only for BME ESN Card holders. You can have the ESN card the first day at the university and show it to the hostel after, to get the discount. You can find offers for hostels, rents, shared flats on the home-page of the BME Erasmus Student Network (ESN): www.esn.bme.hu “Education is learning what you didn‛t even know you didn‛t know.” Daniel J. Boorstin UNIVERSITY Content Student Card Our University Environment of the University 12 13 20 12 hungary freetime esn bme university registration Student Card Being a BME student, after the succesful registration you will get a Student Card (Diákigazolvány) which entitles its holder to enjoy a 50% discount on the Hungarian Railways (MÁV), long distance bus lines (VOLÁNBUSZ), suburban trains (HÉV). It can be used also for visiting some of the museums free of charge or with discount, and buying student passes (DIÁKBÉRLET) for Budapest public transport. There are also shops 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 permanent ones are accessible. Permanent student IDs are valid for one semester only. For this reason it must be renewed at the beginning of each semester after having the tuition fees paid, after getting registered for the relevant semester. Student Cards may be renewed in the Students’ Office in Building Z, ground floor for pre-engineering, first 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 2 500 HUF either temporary or permanent. REMARK: The BME student card is valid only in Hungary. If you want to get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), purchase it at Bldg. K 1st floor 52. Tel: (1) 13 Our University Budapest University of Technology BME International Education and Economics (BME) Center (IEC) 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: Tel: Fax: Important contacts Director of IEC László Dvorszki Bldg. Z, 1st floor # 102, Bldg. K, 1 st floor # 42, Erasmus Office Bldg. Z 2nd floor, 202/b freetime hungary There are several separate buildings in the [email protected] campus, each is marked with letters. The Opening hours of the office: lettering system is in connection with the departments which can be found in the building or the street, Chchemistry, or 13:00 - 15:00 Iinformatics, Erefers to the street of the building (Egry József Street), the same 09:00 - 11:00 with St Stoczek Street. Closed Website: esn bme Ms Ildikó Varga, Ms Gabriella Nagy Ms Zsofia Molnar university Dr. Moson Péter erasmus coordinator registration Faculty of Civil Engineering (ÉMK) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (GPK) 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) 1111 Budapest, Bertalan Lajos u. 2. 14 Coordinators of the Faculties István Mészáros drGábor Nemes Bldg. K 3rd floor 3.1 (Faculty of Drawing and Architectural Presentation) Bldg. V2 room 1.59 Tel: (1) 463 2883 [email protected] [email protected] Andai Attila dr. Bldg. H room 2.28 [email protected] Istvánné Réczey dr. university registration Bldg Ch room 2.52 [email protected] Bldg. St room 4.12 [email protected] Ferenc Papp dr. Bldg. Z room 8.16 András Eleõd dr. freetime esn bme [email protected] Számel László dr. Bldg. V1 room 3.316 [email protected] hungary Dietmar Meyer dr. Bldg. Z room 7.12 Tel: (1) 463 3551 [email protected] 15 Computer Facilities The BME Student Computer Center (SCC) is available for all registered international students in bldg. R, 3rd and 4th floor. If no classes are scheduled in the computer labs, you are free to use the computers. Remember to register before the very first 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 Office (Bldg. Z, ground floor) university esn bme Please note the following advices : 1. You can use modem via the University net in your home. For more info look at web page. Unfortunately, according to the Division of Telecommunication and Informatics policy, the above specified page is available only inside the university network. registration You may also use computers for emailing for free in bldg. K upper ground floor 40 and 41. Entrance through the library building. 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 web page. Similarly to the modem details, this page is available only 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 file named .forward in your home directory. This file 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 there, 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 decide to use the e-mail address which the uni gave, be careful, because when your quota is full, no further mails will be delivered to any address. freetime hungary 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 finally “enter”. If you want to log in, you need to use ssh instead of telnet. 16 To all the services above, you can register yourself on 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). every day 11:0002:00 Mamut Shopping Center, II. Dist., Lövőház u. 2-6. Duna Plaza Shopping Center, XIII. Dist., Váci út 178. (Metro blue, get off at Gyöngyösi u.) hungary freetime esn bme university registration Having any problems, please, write an VIII. Dist., Rákóczi út 51. email to the address. Open: MonFri: 10:0022:00, Printing in SCC: Sat-Sun: 10:0022:00 • on 3rd floor: in 304 for rooms S–T • on 4th floor: 401 for rooms A–E, 437 and plenty of others.J for rooms FP Sports Facilities You may as well visit some ofBudapest’s The Department of Physical Education internet cafés to email. organises and conducts physical education classes for first and second year students. The department offers regular courses for full time students in table- tennis, athletics, body-building, handball, basketball, VIII. Dist., Reviczky u. 6. football, volleyball, tennis, dance, badminton, and various other courses. Open: MonSat: 8:0022:00 BMEs swimming pool (XI. Dist., IX. Dist., Ráday u. 58. Kondorosi út 14. VIII. Dist., Vas u. 7. , Open: on weekdays 6:00 19:30 on weekend: 6:00-17:00 is at your disposal. Go and get a pass arranged for you. MonSun: 9:0024:00 XI. Dist., Budafoki út 22. 17 For a pass see Mrs. Éva Huszár at the Physical Education Department in Bldg. St, 3rd floor 323, take a photo and your Student ID with you. Office hours: Tue+Thu: 13:30–15:00, Wed: 8:3010:00. More information via email: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sport events XI. Dist., Hauszmann Str. 10 (Gabányi Csarnok) Mon, Wed:16:0018:15 Mr. Harka Fri: 14:0017:00 Gábor Katalin Organised buddy-system to make easier your stay at BME. : (learn more in second chapter) BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) Being a BME student you can apply for their 12 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 AISEC (International Association of Students in Economics and Business Management) hungary The Students International Union was established in 1990 to create an international family which takes active part in the universitys large community, freetime or see their web page: esn bme IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical For detailed information on competition Experience) moved out of BME, but can be found as follows: 1081 Budapest, sections, place and time of training: Népszínház utca 8. Room A24 Mr. Pál Vincze, Head of Department PE, SIU (Students International Union) Bldg. Z, ground floor Student Office. Bldg. St, 3rd floor # 325 university REMARK: Regular students of BME may also use the universitys tennis courts any time between 6:00-16:00 1200 HUF/ hour, between 16:00-22:00 1500 HUF/ hour ESN (ERASMUS Student Network) registration XI. Dist., Bercsényi Str. 28 Student Organisations at BME 18 hungary freetime esn bme university registration 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! 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 floor 53. Libraries The biggest technical library in the country is the BME’s (OMIKK). You can find it behind the K-building. (Circulation), (Information) Open: Mon.Fri.: 9:0020:00 Symphonic Orchestra and University To use the library, you have to register in the library building marked with Kö (as Choir of BME könyvtár) on the map. The registration is All those students wishing to play aclassical easy and only takes a few second, it costs musical instrument at an orchestra, contact 700 HUF. You have to show your dr. Zoltán Benedek residence permit and your student card. ( ) about place and time. The IMPORTANT: Exchange students can rehearsals are held every Mon-Fri use the library but cannot check books 18:30–21:30 in bldg. V2. 7rd floor, room out. Sorry. 717 . Other libraries: Library at British Embassy The 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. 19 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: 6000 HUF Daily ticket: 1200 HUF Open: Mon: closed, TueSat: 10:00 20:00 Foreign Language Library V. Dist.,Molnár u. 11., Central European University Library V. Dist., Nádor u. 9. I. Dist., Fő u. 17. esn bme French Institute university Open: Mon.–Fri. 8.00–22.00; Sat.–Sun. 13.0019.00 Main focus on social science literature. Only by individual permission! registration Open: MonFri: 10:0017:00 A very good collection for literature readers!! freetime hungary 20 Environment of the university Copy Centers Nearby University Souvenir Shop Copy Guru Open: m-f: 8-21h sat.-sun: 10-21h Goldman Restaurant building, ground floor. BKV monthly ticket for public transport and MÁV train tickets are also avaible here! XI. Dist. Bercsényi u. 4. XI. Dist. Budafoki út 41/a VIII. Dist.. Szenkirályi u. 38. VII. Dist.. Thököly út. 20. VIII. Dist. József krt. 25. VIII. Dist. Baross u. 3. Fénymásoló Szalon freetime esn bme university registration (Lecture notes are also avaible here!) Post office The nearest post offices to the University XI. Dist., Fehérvári út 9-11. XI. Dist., Irinyi József utca 38. XI. Dist., Kemenes utca 1. XI. Dist., Infopark sétány 1. The main post office is at Petőfi Sándor u. 17. From there you can make international telephone calls, send telegrams and faxes, mail letters or packages. At the post office, many of the employees are able to speak English, and the opening hours are 820 daily and 814 on Saturdays. Pharmacy hungary XI. Dist., Budafoki út 47. Canteens Nearby Stoczek canteen: On the corner of Stoczek utca and Bertalan Lajos utca Goldman canteen: On Goldman György tér Íz-lelõ: on Lágymányosi utca, if you come from the direction of the university, you can find it on the first corner after Budafoki út Pizza Boy: here you can eat Hungarian Italian Pizza (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 Engineering Vásárhelyi Pál Dormitory (XI. Dist., Kruspér utca 2-4.) Every Monday: Whitefül (rock music with a live concert) Every second Thursday: Vásárhelyi Klub Every Wednesday and Sunday Drönk (drinking place in the basement its a good one) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Kármán Tódor Dormitory 21 Every second Thursday: Olds Club Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology On weekdays Csocsó Klub in the Martos Flóra Dormitory Every Friday Ars presso in the Martos Flóra Dormitory More information on the non-regular parties of the faculties can be found on posters at the uni’, and flyers. ESN BME informs you about the happenings via e-mail as well. Student Life – Culture Shock esn bme freetime hungary In reality, each culture is different, but not better or worse than the other. At first you will probably feel only excitement and anticipation as you explore the new surroundings. However, after a while, you may find yourself with less energy or even less enthusiasm. The home culture becomes more appealing. You may be irritated with the people and actions of university 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. registration 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 peoples actions are different. 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 advisors improving language skills learning about the new school and the new neighborhood pursuing or developing a hobby settling in the room or dorm planning excursions participating in sports/recreational activities Xchange your life. ESN Content About ESN BME Mentoring system Activities 24 26 27 24 hungary freetime esn bme university registration About ESN BME 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 organizations, cultural events and other community building activities to make your university years a lifetime experience. There are a number of student organizations that help enrich students life at the university. Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is an international student organization with over a hundred local groups throughout Europe. Its goal is to support and develop student exchange. It is composed of over 12 000 members from 339 local sections in 34 countries working in Higher Education Institutes (Universities, Polytechnics, University Colleges etc). ESN is organized on a local, national and international level. esn In our university ESN BME, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics local section will be helping you during your stay in Budapest. ESN BME consists of lots of enthusiastic, open-minded, helpful committee members and a board with 6 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 Homepage: BME 25 The Goal of ESN Members registration university esn bme freetime hungary 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 find their way in the new environment easier and they can utilize 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 the organization. ESN members help international students integrate smoothly within the student life in Hungary and organize activities such as excursions, city trips, theme and international parties and sports events. The ESN members will always be there to help you with your first steps in Hungary, such as finding your new home, shops, restaurants, courses etc. We wont leave you alone after the orientation week either. You can rely on us during your whole stay in Budapest. Whenever you need help, dont hesitate to contact us! 26 hungary freetime esn bme university registration Mentoring System ESN BME also has a so-called buddy system (mentoring system) that links two or three native Hungarian student mentors to a group of app. 20 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 first 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 finding a helping hand for the first 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! Board of ESN BME Enikõ Chovanyecz Csaba JAKABOS Orsolya CZILI László DEÁK Sándor HADHÁZI Erika HAJZER President Vice-President PR Coordinator IT Coordinator Programs Treasurer They are the board members, but there are about 2025 more mentors who are here for you during the semester. 27 Activities Trips and Sightseeing On the so called Mega Xchange Party”, which is held every semester twice, you There will be several organised trips during have to possibility to know other foreign the academic year 2010-2011. We try to students who study in one of the present you the most interesting sights of universities of Budapest. Hungary and its neighboring countries such as Croatia or Romania. You can also In addition this year ESN Hungary try the famous czech beers in October organizes a camp for the new-comers with a group of exchange students and on the first weekend of September, mentors! visiting the towns Visegrád and Tandem–Program esn bme freetime hungary You will very likely meet us already on the first days of your stay in Budapest, as we will be helping the work of the International Office, and organize programs for all the exchange students of BME (BUTE) to get known each other before the semester starts!:) The orientation programme is sent to you via e-mail, and we will always remind you to the upcoming events and parties via e-mail. university Orientation week & Parties During International Dinner the students get the opportunity to show the typical food and drink of their country and taste each others culture! Its a huge mixture of several cultures, dishes, drinks so everybody enjoys it! Details of many other parties and programs are spread via e-mail, flyers and posters on several places of the university. registration 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 difficult 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! Szentendre. 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 FREE Content Entertainment Drinks Eating out Party Places & Pubs Shopping Sports Greetings & Civilities 30 33 34 36 37 39 40 30 esn bme university registration Entertainment Your best source of information for performances nationwide is Budapest Panorama, Budapest Week and Budapest Sun. The Budapest Panorama are available in the hotels and tourist offices or at . The most complete listing of plays, concerts, exhibitions and films can be found Pesti Est and Exit. Unfortunately, these are in Hungarian. Funzine is in English, but it is not so detailed,it comes out every second month. These can be obtained mainly from movie theatres, bars, pubs, McDonalds, etc. free of charge. You can also check or Museums Baths Hungarian National Gallery 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 find the actual temporary exhibitions on the link below and we listed the most important museums that have English homepage. Palace of Art: Hungarian National Museum Budapest is well known of its traditional Museum of Fine Arts spas. People from all around the world are visiting the city due to their healing effect, House of Terror but they are perfect places to relax after a busy day or a tough exam. You can find Museum of Applied Arts detailed information about the major spas and bathes on the link below. hungary freetime Theatre Budapest offers so many theatre performances that even if you go to a different one every week, it would take years to see them all. For your convenience we collected the most elegant and famous theatres for you to check them out. Dont hesitate, give culture a chance! In theatres, there are bal (left) and jobb 31 (right) seats with the same numbers so make sure you know whether you are on the bal or jobb side. And the one that has the greatest (Hungarian) Movie traditions: info in English: National Theatre of Hungary Festivals and concerts Puppet-show (Bábszínház) Budapest hosts various artists from all around the world. Youll be informed about the hottest concerts on the website of ESN (www.esn.bme.hu), or you can find the posters while walking around the city. Theatre of Vaudeville (Operettszínház) Katona József Theatre National Opera registration Pesti Színház Festivals in spring, summer and autumn are scheduled in cities throughout Hungary, and some of them, like Budapest Spring, attract many visitors from abroad. Cinemas university esn bme freetime hungary Most of the movies have both Hunga- rian translated and original language versions with Hungarian subtitles. Foreign films that are dubbed are marked Mb (Magyarul beszélõ) on programmes and posters. If you do not see it, the film 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 find multiplex movie theatres in every shopping mall in town, most of them belong to Palace Cinemas: However, the largest one including an IMAX room in Arena Plaza belongs to Cinema City: 32 For the exact programs, please, visit the in Zamárdi southern shore of Lake Balaton, a bit expensive) following website: budapest freetime esn bme university registration Budapest Autumn Festival (October 817 2010) The Budapest Autumn Festival is now one of Europes leading festivals of the contemporary arts. Its aim is to present to the public of Budapest the important creative artists and achievements in all branches of the arts in the present and over the past decade. The series of events sets itself the task of making new art known and recognised in Hungary. Sziget Festival (biggest music and cultural festival, lots of famous artists, also more expensive than others) EFOTT (organized by one of the Hungarian universities/colleges every summer, always take place another city and usually cheaper than other festivals.) Ticket offices Tickets can be purchased at the venue, but it is always safer to get them in advance, particularly in smaller towns where it may be the big event of the month and the Biggest music festivals in summer 2011: place to be seen. You will find the addresses of ticket VOLT (first music festival offices and information sources under of summer, always during the first days of individual cities and towns in the Lonely July, held in Sopron) Planet edition of Hungary. Budapest Spring Festival (March 18 April 3 2011) Balaton Sound (many djs from all over the world, held The central ticket office at V. Dist., in Budapest can help with information but seldom has tickets for events around the country. Tickets can also be purchased through the universitys Cultural Secreteriat. Open: Tue & Thu 10-14. (Bldg. K, 1st floor # 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 office in VI. Dist., Hajós u. 31. 1st floor. Information about tickets can be obtained from them at or at as well. Vörösmarty tér 33 Drinks Rozé Édes Hungary is famous for its wine. You Félédes shouldnt miss out a wine tasting tour in a Száraz cellar! The best and most traditional wine Félszáraz tasting places can be found in Eger, Tokaj, Fröccs (wine and soda) Villány and the area of Lake Balaton. You can ask for kisfröccs (small one, 3 dl) But you can also try it in Budapest: and nagyfröccs (big one, 5 dl) Magyar Borok Háza (House of Üveg Hungarian Wines) (I. Dist., Szentháromság Pohár tér 6.) Pezsgõ Wine freetime Hungary is not so famous for beer, however there are some Hungarian brands as well, such as Soproni, Dreher or Borsodi, Aranyászok, Szalon. Beer is sold in 0,5 litre bottles and cans. Egészségedre! esn bme Beer Pohár university Pálinka is also typically Hungarian. Its 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. Sör Sörözõ Sörpince Barna sör Világos sör Csapolt sör Korsó registration Pálinka Here is a little dictionary to help you when youd like to buy beer or wine in a pub. hungary Bor Borozó Borpince Fehér bor Vörös bor 34 hungary freetime esn bme university registration Eating out Due to there are many restaurants in Budapest, it is easy to find 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 find a lot of fast food style restaurants as well. If you dont feel like going out to eat, then you can order food on the internet: Here you can choose between several restaurants. meat, 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. Fõzelék is also very common in Hungary. It is made of vegetable and it is thicker than a soup. Hungarian Specialities Fast Food 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 fire in gardens in big cauldron. Be assured that Budapest is becoming more able to satisfy your needs. Burger King, Chinese Fast Food, Dixie Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds (lots throughout the city), Pizza Hut, Fridays can be found in the city. The palacsinta is a stuffed pancake with all kinds of things you can imagine starting Vegetarian Food from sweet ones like cottage cheese, nuts, cocoa and jam over to salty filling like Normally a menu anywhere would offer at least a few non-meat dishes, primarily a couple of soups with mushroom, vegetables or cheese, also fine 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 worth mentioning. The traditional way of preparing vegetables is called fõzelék. 35 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 countrys 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: address is VI. Dist., Jókai. u. 30.) Huge selection of beers and whiskies. esn bme of Podmaniczky and Jókai u., near Nyugati, the university ): Medieval restaurants. Great food and time. Ráday utca Budapest Ráday utca is a street which connects Régi Sipos Halászkert (III. Dist., Lajos utca Kálvin tér and Boráros tér. There are a lot 46.) If you are looking for a traditional of bars and restaurants where you can sit Hungarian fish soup, you must visit this outside if the weather is nice. At night some parts of the sreet are reserved for place. Dzsungel Étterem és Crazy Cafe (Corner pedestrians. Shopping Center, 2nd floor, registration Gundel Étterem (XIV. Dist., Állatkerti út 2.) is the most famous and probably the most Nagyi Palacsintázója (I. Dist. Hattyú u. 16., M2 to Moszkva tér, and Batthyány tér next expensive restaurant. to the shopping mall): Palacsinta is Sir Lancelot (VI. Dist., Podmaniczky u. 14.) equivalent to pancake or crepe. Great King Arthur (III. Dist., Bécsi u. 38-44, Új Udvar prices, wide variety of palacsinta. freetime hungary 36 Party Places & Pubs There are plenty of great pubs where you can spend your evenings together with both Hungarian and international students. Here are some places you should visit during your stay: hungary freetime esn bme university registration Szimpla Kert (www.szimpla.hu) Gödör Club (www.godorklub.hu) The coolest public square in Budapest. Perfect for meeting friends and grabbing a few beers with them. The club is actually on the top level of an underground car park. Wide steps flanked by contemporary sculptures lead down to a spacious interior. Its glass roof is a minimalist ornamental pool at ground level. The club hosts art exhibitions, varied live music, festivals and DJs. Address: V. Dist., Erzsébet tér (dear Deák tér) Szimpla kert is a mixture of a garden, a pub and a cinema. There is no significant sign or entrance, it looks like a regular door from the street, so be open-eyed! (watch out for a small yellow sign) The furniture is interesting-crazy-retro, it looks a little bit run-out but this givesthe special “Szimpla Kert flair”. Living Room (www.livingroom.hu) The prices are reasonable. Address: VII. Dist., Kertész utca 48. As party-people say, it is Budapests night-living room. Szóda (www.szoda.com) It is in the cellar of a regular house., but An immediate hit following its opening in downstairs is a spacious club with 2 rooms, May, the success of Szóda (or Soda) is down different music in both. A unique thing to its slick presentation. Like the bars that there are little separated rooms where customers, Szóda is cool, retro and you can hang around, close the curtains fashionable at the same time. The large and talk, party or just drink. windows are emblazoned with its spaceIt is the usual place of the Mega Exchange age logo and lined with (you got it!) empty Parties as well. soda bottles. Inside, the walls are topped Address: V. Dist., Kossuth Lajos utca 17. (near with action shots from Japanese Manga Astoria) cartoons and the furniture is a mix of 1970s 2 armchairs and coffee tables. The popular drink is beer, despite the fact that a glass of soda is free. Theres a kitchen serving breakfast and hot and cold snacks. Parties are held in the basement. Address: VII. Dist., Wesselényi u. 18. 37 Morrison’s Music Pub (www.morrisons.hu) It is close to the Opera at Andrassy út., in the basement. Morrisons has a great bar with 4 or 5 different types of beer, cocktails, long-drinks, wine and shots. They organise karaoke nights. Who is not drinking or singing at the moment can dance on the large dance floor of Morrisons. In addition, every Monday is a non-official Erasmus Party, with many discounts on prices until 11 pm. Address: VI. Dist., Révay utca 25. Usually one of the most popular clubs among the exchange students. Its a spacious one, with separate rooms for different kind of music, included retro, Táncház, an evening of Hungarian folk music and traditional dance, is great entertainment and, as it is a great way to meet Hungarian people. Gödör Club organises Táncház regularly once a week. Váci utca (Váci street) is one of the main pedestrian areas and perhaps the most famous street of central Budapest. It features a large number of restaurants and fashion outlets. Shopping malls in Budapest You can find plenty of malls in Budapest, usually they do not have the same shops and brands. So if you are looking for something special, its worth visiting hungary 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. Folk Music Dance and Handicraft in Hungary freetime Fashion street – Váci utca Nice place if you like dancing salsa. Address: VI. Dist., Ó utca 33. esn bme In 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 find many big stores and malls which are open every day, late evening or 24 hours long. Szilvuplé (www.szilvuple.hu) university Shopping krt. 11. registration Morrisons Music Pub2 house/trance and disco hits. Till 9 oclock happy hour: cocktails. Address: V. Dist., Szent István 38 more. Most of them are open between MonSat 10:0021:00, Sun 10:0019:00. To mention some of them: WestEnd City Center, Campona, Mammut, Allee, Csepel Plaza, Pólus Center, Árkád, Arena Plaza You can also find cinemas and supermarkets in these shopping malls. hungary freetime esn bme university registration Auchan The 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 theres also a petrol station next door. Tesco Hypermarket Tesco (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 Spar Supermarket Dutch store, high quality, medium prices. They can be found in several places spread Central Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) (V. Dist., Vámház körút 1-3.) In old times the in the city. most famous market hall was connected Kaiser’s Supermarket to the River Danube by a tunnel so that Found within the Corvin Áruház goods could be directly offloaded from (department store) on Blaha Lujza Square, barges and taken inside to the stalls for this downtown Kaisers supermarket is an sale. Upstairs is a stunning - although excellent place in which to stock up on sometimes expensive range of folk art essentials, fruit n veg, wines, chocolate, inspired goods. etc. Of course, with Kaisers being a wellknown supermarket chain in Hungary, they Fehérvári úti Vásárcsarnok (XI. Dist., Kőrösi have a number of stores dotted around J. u. 7-9.) Closest one to the University. Just the city. To find your nearest one visit their take the tram number 4 to the last station store locater at: (Fehérvári út) to get the best taste of Hungary! Fresh fruits, vegetables, brad, meat etc. You can find everything, for a low price. Upstairs you can get great but cheap Hungarian food. Yummy! 39 Sports There are many sports available in Hungary. It’s possible to go for fishing, boating/ sailing, windsurfing, horse riding, hiking, skating, roller skating. In the countryside you can even go for birdwatching :) 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 Swimming For more information visit this site: esn bme freetime hungary Hungary’s flat terrain makes it perfect for cycling, however only a few towns and regions (Budapest, Szeged, parts of the Danube Bend, around Lake Balaton) have systems of bicycle lanes. Renting a bicycle is not easy in Hungary, but you can buy an old used speed bike for 10 000 20 000 HUF. The national tourist office publishes a useful pamphlet called Cycling Tours university Cycling registration 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). Tourist Department of the Hungarian Association of Friends of Nature (VI. Dist., Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 31. II/3.) Help cleaning Budapest! Eat a pigeon every day! HUNGARY Content Health Religious Services in English Traveling Telecommunication Media Useful Links Public Holidays Practical Information Greetings & Civilities 46 47 48 51 52 53 53 54 56 42 hungary freetime esn bme university registration Health Doctors and dentists who see patients outside their jobs at government clinics or hospitals keep very abbreviated schedulesusually 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 Budapests 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: 24-hour dental assistance: 24-hour emergency medical service (Ask for the fõorvos.) Ambulance: Health Center of BME, Gyógyír Kht. 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: 43 Religious Services in English Presbyterian Rev. Otto Pecsuk ( Church of Scotland, Danube International Church Mathias Corvinus Collegium ) , Sunday at 10:30 Sunday 11:00 Roman Catholic F. R. László Marosfalvi S. J., John Adam S. J. ) Church of the Sacred Heart, Saturday 5:00. International Church Rev. Glenn Ford The English Language Community of Szent Antals Roman Catholic Church Sunday at 16:00 Golgotha (Calvary Chapel) Hiradó Theatre at , , ) Saturday at 17.30 New Covenant Church Sunday at 10:00 Centre of the Hunagrian Muslim Community . Close to the university, on there is a Mecset (Masque) hungary Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Jehovahs Witnesses freetime Saturday 21:00. Bible Baptist Church Sunday at 10:30 at St Margarets Church esn bme , Sunday 10:30 Jewish Dohány utcai Zsinagóga, Anglican-Episcopal Church university Sunday 10:30 Anglican Magyar Szentek Temploma, Jewish Synagogue of Budapest registration Óbuda Társaskör, Sunday 10:30 International Baptist Rev. Lee Powell ( Móricz Zsigmond Gimnázium The Bible Speaks Church of Hungary 44 Travelling hungary freetime esn bme university registration Travelling in Budapest Public transport If 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 first stop outside Budapest. (Budapest unified/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 buy Single tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines, at the cashiers at metro and HÉV stations and on the main traffic points in Budapest, at newsagents’ and at every Post Office in Budapest and in the suburb. Pre-purchased one-day travel cards, threeday 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 passes on them, they have only two opportunities a year to show their passes afterwards in BKV offices, if they have no outstanding debts on previous fines (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 fining. 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 (320 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. 45 The simplest, and best way is via the Airport Minibus Service ( ), 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 fix price to and from the airport.) Public transportation: Take the blue metro line (3) as far as KõbányaKispest (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. esn bme freetime hungary Taxis Taxis 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: Getting to Ferihegy Airport university The starting day can be chosen at purchase. TIP: If you want to go somewhere, but you didnt know how to get there, you can easily use this line planner: 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. 6 X 6 Taxi City Taxi Tele 5 Fõtaxi Rádiótaxi Budataxi Taxi 2000 registration Controllers on the board On the busses, trams, etc. can be controllers. If youre travelling without a valid ticket or pass or not keeping to Terms and Conditions of Travel, you are obliged to pay a fine: 6000 HUF paid on the spot 12 000 HUF paid afterwards on postal cheque 24 500 HUF paid beyond 30 days With a valid Student Card you can get the monthly pass much cheaper. Now it costs 3850 HUF. The prices of other tickets and passes you can read on this page: 46 Travelling in the Country registration Trains Showing 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 . You can also find at 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: TIME TABLES on the Internet MÁV, Hungarian VOLÁN, Railway Long-distance MALÉV Hungarian Rent a car: EUrent: Buses With a Student Card, there is a 50 % discount on bus travel throughout coaches BKV, Public transport in the capital (menetrendek=schedules) 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. Co. MAHART, Passanger Shipping Ltd. Every timetable is available at university esn bme freetime hungary Hungary. The main bus terminals for Volánbusz are Népliget (on blue M line), Stadionok and Árpád Bridge (in Pest). World Wide Rent a Car Fox Autorent: Hertz Mercur Rent-a-car Airlines 47 Telecommunication 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. Important phone numbers: Ambulance Fire department Police Emergency call Directory Assistance International Directory hungary (for example from Budapest to Budapest, or from a mobile phone number to the same companys mobile phone number): dial the 7-digit number. Hungarys country code: 36 freetime To make a call: 00 + country code + area code + phone number esn bme You can also find 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 offices, petrol or railway stations, and newsstands. Budapest area code: 1 (+7-digit number) Cell-phone numbers are 9-digit, after dialing 06, the first two numbers depend on the telephone company: 20, 30 or 70. university Telecard Neophone Private Talk No Limits Area codes: Budapest T-Mobile Telenor Vodafone Green numbers (free) Raised calling fee registration To make an international phone call, the cheapest way is to buy an international calling card. (for example form Budapest or from your mobile to other Hungarian cities or other mobile phones): 06 + area code + phone number 48 hungary freetime esn bme university registration Media 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 financial 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 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 find 1200 foreign papers (address: ) Oxford University Press is situated in the fifth district as well: The Hungarian Television has several stations (M1, M2, Duna TV, etc.), and the Hungarian Radio has three named after Lajos KOSSUTH, Sándor PETÕFI 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 latenight 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 24hour programs (e.g. Sláger Rádió, Juventus Rádió, RTL Klub, TV 2, etc.). 49 Useful links Culture in Budapest: Itineraries/Travel plans: Travelling: Mobile phone services: Lawyers: World papers: Weather forecast: Internet providers: registration Public holidays university 1st January 13th April 1st May 23rd October 25th26th December hungary 1st November freetime 31st May 20th August esn bme 15th March New Years Day National holiday Anniversary of the war of independence 184849 Easter Monday Labour Day Whit Monday National Day/St. Stephans Day Anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian State by St. Stephen Republic Day Anniversary of the outburst of the revolution and war of independence 1956, Day of acclaiming the 3rd Hungarian Republic (1989) All Saints Day Christmas 50 Practical information Addresses 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 youre looking for. Like 1024 Budapest II. district. university registration Hungarian addresses look like this: Budapest V., Kossuth utca 107. II. 6. The town/city comes first (Budapest addresses begin with the district in Roman numerals), followed by the street name, building number, floor (Roman numerals) and apartment number. Postcodes are 4-figure numbers. esn bme freetime 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 inflammation and even encephalitis. You might consider getting an FSME (meningoencephalitis) vaccination if you plan to do a lot of hiking and camping. Money, Exchange Electricity in Hungary hungary is an assortment of extra levels between the ground floor (földszint) and first, such as magasföldszint (‘upper ground floor’) and félemelet (‘half floor’). 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 floors, there The unit of currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF). In Hungary the abbrevation of Forint is Ft. Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 HUF. Banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000 HUF. (Always check how many zeros you have there! Like dont pay 20000 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. 51 Names Surnames first, Christian names second: so Éva Pintér is in Hungarian Pintér (surname) Éva (first name). Tap water Tap water is reportedly safe everywhere. Time freetime Check for cheap deals on last minute packages ($150 for a flight & 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. esn bme 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. Travel Tips and Experiences (by an exchange) university Tipping in Hungary If 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. registration 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 VAT refunding hungary 52 esn bme university registration Greetings & Civilities Szia (familiar) Van itt valaki, aki angolul beszél? Viszontlátásra (formal) Szia (familiar) Honnan jön? Jó reggelt Hogy van? (form) Hogy vagy? (fam.) Jó napot (most common greeting) Köszönöm, jól. Jó estét Legyen szíves (for attention) Kérem (asking something) Tessék (handling something) Köszönöm (szépen) Köszi (fam.) Sajnálom Bocsánat(stepping on someones toe) Elnézést How much does it cost? Mennyibe kerül? Szívesen Hol van ...? Igen Eltévedtem. Nem Talán Tudna nekem segíteni? Megégettem a nyelvem a krumplival! hungary freetime (Nem) Értem Nem beszélek magyarul J Mit sütsz kis szûcs, tán sós húst sütsz kis szûcs? The BME Survival Guide 2010 was published by the Study Abroad Office of BME. Ildikó Varga (Erasmus Office), Timea Nochta (ESN BME) and Csaba Jakabos (ESN BME). Tímea Nochta. The original material was compiled by Eszter Kiss, the current update was fully made and parts were rewritten by the members of ESN BME: Mákos Erna Ninetta, Farkas Gergely. László Bacsárdi, Melinda Jambrich. Eszter Ozsvald aug 21, 2010. Printed in Hungary by Copy Guru, Budapest, Aug 2010. Copyright 2010. esn BME