Page 304 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

302  SUR VIV AL GUIDE PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION  303

Communications and Media Postal Services
The Hungarian postal service
The Hungarian landline telephone system is first class. There (Magyar Posta) is as bureau cratic
are a number of operators, including Magyar Telekom, part and inefficient today as it was
of Deutsche Telekom. Public telephones are operated by during Com munist times. If you
using coins or calling cards, although calls to the emergency need to use a post office, there­
fore, set some time aside. Postage
services are free. Phone boxes no longer contain telephone stamps can also often be pur­
directories. However, the telephone inform ation system chased from newspaper kiosks
provides a directory enquiry service (see Directory). In recent and souvenir shops. Sending a
years, Hungary’s landlines have been joined by several postcard costs 335–390 forints
nationwide mobile telephone net works. All mobile telephone (under or just over €1.20) depen­
ding on the destination. Most
operators offer foreign-language information services. The post offices are open Monday
country’s postal service is efficient – priority mail sent within to Friday from 8am to 6pm and
Hungary should arrive the next day – although post offices 8am to 2pm on Saturday. For
themselves can be frustrating to use. Public telephone boxes are painted in urgent parcels, a courier service,
a variety of colours such as DHL or Federal Express, Newspaper kiosk, selling newspapers, magazines and phone cards
will be more reliable.
Making a Phone Call
not have a GSM phone may not. since they are legally bound to Addresses in Hungary, written all cable and satellite operators. DIRECTORY
To make a call from a public To make sure you can use your identify you. Carry your passport with the postcode first, can There is also usually a variety
phone kiosk, using a calling mobile phone while in Hungary, or ID card along with you. be confusing. See p297 for of German­language news and Communications
card from an operator such you will need to ensure that you more information. entertainment channels.
as Neophone, Barangoló or have roaming access enabled Internet, Wi-Fi and Fax There are literally hundreds International Directory
Telecard is the best option, before you leave home. Once of radio stations in Hungary. Enquiries
and usually gives you better in Hungary most phones auto­ Most hotels, air ports, train stations Most play a mix of inter national Tel 199.
international rates than when matically search for the network and large shopping centres offer and local pop and rock music,
using coins. They are available with the strongest signal. If internet services. There are cheap but there are also stations Postal services
in a number of denominations you want to use a particular internet cafés around the country, dedicated to classical, jazz, Post Office (Magyar Posta)
from post offices, street network, which may have an and even the smallest village folk music and more.
vendors, service stations and agreement with your home usually has at least one access Dunavirág utca 2–6, Budapest.
most newspaper kiosks. Coin­ network, thus offering reduced point. In larger towns and cities, Newspapers and Customer Service: Tel (40) 46 46
operated phone boxes take roaming charges, you should there are also Wi­Fi hot spots 46.. ∑ posta.hu
10, 20, 50 and 100 forint coins, change your phone setting for those with lap tops or other Magazines
and you may occasionally find from auto matic searching for enabled devices, although you Hungary’s leading newspapers Courier Services
a public phone that accepts networks to manual. will need to ensure compat­ are the quality broadsheets DHL
debit and credit cards. To make As of June 2017, visitors ibility before leaving home. Ask Népszava, Magyar Hírlap,
an inter national call, dial 00 and travelling within the EU will not at the tourist office or at your and the Magyar Nemzet, Tel (40) 45 45 45.
wait for the dialling tone, then be charged roaming prices, hotel for help in accessing the though there are hundreds ∑ dhl.hu
dial the country code followed thus paying the same prices public, and often free, Wi­Fi of other newspapers published Federal Express
by the rest of the number. To as in their home country. If you network with your device. around the country, many Tel (40) 98 09 80.
phone a Hungarian number will be spending longer periods Alternatively, visit a café such as A Hungarian postbox, Budapest of them regional. ∑ fedex.com/hu
from abroad, the international in Hungary, it may be worth Farger in Budapest, with its free There is one English­language
access code is 36. To call long buying a local SIM card. All of Wi­Fi service. If you want to access TV and Radio Hungarian publication, the Internet and Wi-Fi
distance within Hungary, dial the local networks sell them; mobile internet using a local SIM Almost every hotel room in bi­weekly Buda pest Business
06 followed by the city code. however, foreigners are advised card or by roaming, all operators Hungary – even in budget Journal (BBJ), which provides Farger
The area code for Buda pest is to buy them from the official offer good 3G coverage, and 4G hotels – now has a television financial and business news for Zoltán utca 18, Budapest.
1. If you have dialled an out­of­ showrooms of the operators, networks are also expanding. equipped to receive a variety of Hungary. The Budapest Timeout Tel (20) 237 78 25.
date number, you will hear a domestic, national, cable or guide is a monthly entertain­
message or an error tone. satellite channels. The widely ments listing magazine. Major ∑ farger.hu
available Hungarian television foreign publications can be Foreign Newspapers
station is the state­run MTV bought at central news paper
Mobile Phones (not to be confused with the kiosks, rail way stations, the House of the World Press
Most Hungarians are mobile­ music channel), which operates airport and at House of the Városház utca 3–5, Budapest.
crazy, and almost everyone has several channels, while TV2 and World Press in Buda pest. Relay Tel (1) 317 13 11.
at least one. Coverage of the RTL Klub are the largest and Székes fehérvár and Relay
country is almost total, with most popular private stations. Debrecen are two other Relay Debrecen
only a few remote areas of the All imported programmes in suppliers. Foreign papers are Debrecen Station, Petőfi tér 12,
Northern Highlands not bene­ Hungary are dubbed into less widely available outside the Debrecen.
fiting from the presence of at Hungarian, so visitors are more capital, apart from German
least one of the networks. Most likely to be interested in BBC newspapers and magazines, Relay Székesfehérvár
European visitors can use their World, CNN and EuroNews, the sometimes found in the Lake Székesfehérvár Station,
mobile phones in Hungary; US three English­language news Balaton resorts during the high Béke tér 3, Székesfehérvár.
and Australian visitors who do An internet café, now to be found even in the smallest village channels usually carried by season summer holidays.

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