BME Survival Guide 2010

Study abroad is no longer a luxury, but a necessity not only for those individuals whowill be the future business and political leaders of your nation, but for all those whowish 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 theBudapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). We encourage you toconfirm 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 withinformation which is either not printed elsewhere or is difficult to find. The topicscovered in this guide were suggested by the Students’ Office, the Study Abroad Officeof BME and the mentors of the local ESN (Erasmus Student Network) group. Shouldthere be information you feel ought to be added to the text next printing, do not hesitateto let them know. The information in this revised edition was accurate at the time ofpreparation. There may, however, have been some recent procedural changes orreshuffling of offices.

Introduction

Content

r egistration 5For Both Regular and Exchange Students 6

Visa 6Registration with Immigration Office 6Health Insurance 9

Exchange Students 10Registration at the University 10Accommodation 10

University 11Student Card 12

How You Get Your Student Card 12Our University 13

About BME 13Computer Facilities 15Sports Facilities 16Student Organisations at BME 17Libraries 18

Environment of the university 20Copy Centers Nearby 20Postoffice 20Canteens Nearby 20Clubs of the Faculties 20Student Life Culture Shock 21

ESN BME 23About ESN BME 24

Contact Information 24The Goal of ESN Members 25

Mentoring System 26Activities 27

Trips and Sightseeing 27TandemProgram 27Parties 27

Free Time 29Entertainment 30

Baths 30Museums 30

Theatre 30Cinemas 31Festivals and Concerts 31Ticket Offices 32

Drinks 33Eating out 34

Hungarian Specialities 34Fast Food 34Vegetarian Food 34Recommended Restaurants 35

Party Places & Pubs 36Shopping 37Sports 39Hungary

HealthReligious Services in EnglishTravelling

Travelling in BudapestTravelling in the Country

TelecommunicationMediaUseful LinksPublic HolidaysPractical InformationGreetings & Civilities

414243444446474849495051

Content

Each year more than 350 foreign students start theirfirst semester at BME. Some of them are regular

student who will study here for 5 years. The othersare exchange students who spend here only one or two

semesters.Please, note which chapters are here for you.

For Both Regular and Exchange Students 6Exchange Students 10

R E G I S T R A T I O N

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Visa

Citizens of the following countries enterHungary without visa:1. Countries of EU and EEA (EuropeanEconomic Area)Students of the above countries mustreport their address and apply for theregistration certificate in Hungary aftergetting 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, VenezuelaStudents of the above countries mustapply for the residence permit within 30days after arrival.

Citizens of other countries must applyfor a RESIDENT VISA FOR STUDYPURPOSES at the nearest HungarianEmbassy or Consulate.For detailed information, please, contactour embassy /consulate and the web siteof the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofHungary

Students from these countries must obtainthe residence permit within 30 days afterarrival.To obtain the visa may take as long asmonths. Get prepared for it!!!

Registration with Immigration Office

Please, visit the home page of the Officeof Immigration and Nationality of theHungarian Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement fordetails on the residence permit to getproperly informed. Here is some generalinformation, so that you know what toexpect.

I. What you have to take with you

Forstudentscoming fromtheEuropeanEconomic Area (EU + Norway andSwitzerland)

You have to apply for a residence permitwithin max. 93 days after arriving! Youmust do it in person. The document willbe issued immediately on the spot and willbe valid for unlimited time.To apply for the Registration Certificateand Address Card you are requested tosubmit the following documents:1. passport or ID card2. proof of health insurance3. certification about your registration atBME in Hungarian (iskolalátogatásiigazolás) You will get it at registration.4. application form

For both regular and exchange students

IMPORTANT: When you have ob-tained your registration certificate andthe address card, please, come and pre-sent it in the office where you were re-gistered (Bldg. Z, ground floor).

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You can get the empty form at registration.5. lease contract of your apartment inHungarian language, in original(lakásbérleti szerzõdés)6. bank account statement (from a bankaccount in an EEA country). You shouldprove to have at least twice the amount ofthe monthly rent of your accommodationon one single bank account)7. fee stamp for 1000 HUF, available atpost offices (“illetékbélyeg”)

For students coming from the followingcountries: 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

You have to apply for a residence permitwithin 30 days after your arrival! You mustapply for a residence permit in person inthe Office of Immigration and Nationa-lity. The residence permit will be issued toyou for a year or longer and it is to beextended 30 days before the expiry date.Please, visit the home page of the Officeof Immigration and Nationality of the

Hungarian Ministry of Justice and LawEnforcement at for details onthe residence permit to get properlyinformed.You are requested to submit the followingdocuments:1. passport2. certification about your registration atthe University in Hungarian language(iskolalátogatási igazolás)3. proof of health insurance4. proof of payment of the tuition fee.You will get it at registration.5. bank account statement. You shouldprove to have enough money for your li-ving and to return home.6. addressregistration card (szállásbeje-lentő lap”) signed by the owner of the flat.You will get the empty form at re-gistration. Change of address must bereported in three days!7. lease contract (lakásbérleti szerzõdés)in original. The residence permit will beissued not any longer than you have a placeto stay. Thus, please, make sure the leasecontract is either valid for a consi- derablylong time a year or two or forunlimited time. Should you be the ow-ner of the flat you have to submit both aproperty page (tulajdoni lap) not olderthan 3 months and the permission you gotto buy a property in Hungary as a foreigncitizen.8. property page (tulajdoni lap) of theflat not older than 3 months, in original.The owner of the flat will give it to you.9. two passport size photos10. fee stamps (illetékbélyeg) of 18000 HUF available at post offices

TIP: A faster way to get the registrationcertificate and the address certificate,you can have appointment at

(Administration,Appointment registration). Then you goto Customer Service Office II (XI. Dist.,Budafoki u. 60., Entrance I)

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For students coming in with a VISAYou have to apply for a residence permitwithin 30 days after your arrival! You mustapply for a residence permit in person inthe Office of Immigration and Natio-nality. The residence permit will be issuedto you without any further application orfees to pay, for min. half a year or longerand the residence permit is to be extended30 days before the expiry date.

You are requested to submit the followingdocuments:1. passport2. certification about your registration atthe University in Hungarian language(iskolalátogatási igazolás)3. proof of health insurance4. addressregistration card (szállásbe-jelentõ lap) signed by the owner of theflat. You will get the empty form at re-gistration. Change of address must bereported in three days!5. lease contract (lakásbérleti szerzõdés)in original. The residence permit will beissued not any longer than you have a placeto stay. Thus please make sure the leasecontract is either valid for a consi- derablylong time a year or two or forunlimited time. Should you be the ow-ner of the flat you have to submit both aproperty page (tulajdoni lap) not olderthan 3 months and the permission you

got to buy a property in Hungary as aforeign citizen.6. property page (tulajdoni lap) of theflat 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 goOffice name: Bevándorlási ésÁllampolgársági Hivatal (BÁH)VII.sz. Ügyfélszolgálati IrodaOffice of Immigration and NationalityCustomer Service Office VIISpecialization: Aliens PolicingAddress:1117Budapest,( XI.Dist.)Budafokiu.60.– Sztregova közPhone number:Processes: residence affairs; report of accommodation;Clientele: Only for receiving the residencepermits which were postulated at theEmbassies of Hungary

You can get to BÁH by bus No. 3 (black)which leaves from Móricz Zsigmondkörtér (bus stop: Hengermalom utca) orby bus No. 103 (black) which leaves fromNépliget (bus stop: Hengermalom utca).

REMARK: extension of the residencepermit: If the conditions upon which theresidence permit was issued have notchanged, the concerned documents neednot be submitted again. The fee of theextension is 6 000 HUF

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Health Insurance

The health insurance system of theBudapest University of Technologyand Economics and the GeneraliProvidencia Insurance Co. provides thefollowing services for foreign students ofthe university and their relatives (husband,wife and children) staying in Hungary. Itcovers the cost of curing and the necessarymedical treatment caused by diseases oraccidents. The company also covers 50%of the price of payable medicine pre-scribed by the doctor. Disburse of in- voiceis to be paid through bank transfer to aHungarian Forints (HUF) account, within30 days after submitting the in- voice.In need of paediatrician medicalattendance, treatments may be carried outby the Heim Pál Gyermekkórház (VIII. Dist.,Üllői út 86.) or any other institutions. Theobligation of the insurance companyrefers only to outpatient treatment andhospitalisation in Hungary.Except for emergency treatments, theinsurance company covers the cost of onlythe treatments which are carried out byGYÓGYÍR Kht (XI. Dist., Fehérvári út 12.basement,Dr.HorváthPéter)orhospitalisationordered by this health centre.Presently, the services of our insurancecompany do not cover hospitalisation dueto childbirth and any consequences ofillnesses or accidents that occurred priorto the starting date of the insurance period.The insurance does not cover the costs ofdental treatment (except for aftermath ofaccidents), medical attendance of

pregnancy, abortion (unless it is medicallyreasonable), treatments of cosmetics andrehabilitation, tapering-off cures, diseasescaused by HIV and medical examinationsrequired for health certificate.

The basic premium for one period ei-ther from 1st Sep until 1st of Feb or from1st Feb until 1st Sep is 29 500 HUF forstudents and for members of their family.Students registered after the registrationperiod are ensured from the first day afterpaying the insurance fee.

The insurance card contains personal dataof the insured person entitling its ownerto use medical services according to theconditions specified above.

Students are obliged to buy a health in-surance card, if they are not contractedwith another insurance company regis-tered in Hungary. The premium paid bythe students who are contracted withanother insurance company registered inHungary will be repaid, if they report thisfact before 30th September 2010.Only in case of emergency:Dr. Horváth Péter: (

A valid health insurance in Hungary isOBLIGATORY for all internationalstudents . You can apply for a Providenciainsurance card at the Students’ Office(Bldg. Z, room 201) or other conceptionsvia Farkas Gergely, financial advisor. Tel:+3630-914-24670 email:f a rkas.g e rg e l y. jozse f@vipmai l .huIMPORTANT: EU health insurance cardsare accepted as well.

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Exchange Students

Registration at the University

Each student is obliged to register foreach study period/semester at BME inthe Students’ Office, Bldg. Z, room 201,

The procedure requires your Letter ofAcceptance, passport, two photos, and1000 HUF for a temporary student ID.To get registered at school all exchangeeshave to possess health insurance coveringthe whole duration of their studies atBME. This may be a package of your ownin your home country. However, if youcannot show proof of it, you are obligedto purchase the universitys insurancepackage upon registration (29 500 HUF/6months).

Accommodation:

These hostels are recommended to you forthe time until you find a permanent solution:

25/person/night11/person/night

Hotel Flandria

Telefon: 061 350 31 81Fax: 061 320 88 53Email: info@hotelflandria.hu

from 10/person/nightEasy Hotel Oktogon

16/p/nightCorvin point tel:0670/544-0224

3500 HUF/p/nightVentura Hotel

Please, always refer to BME and/or ESN in anyof the communications with the hostels forthese prices. These are special prices only forBME ESN Card holders. You can have theESN card the first day at the university andshow it to the hostel after, to get the discount.

You can find offers for hostels, rents, sharedflats on the home-page of the BME ErasmusStudent Network (ESN):

www.esn.bme.hu

Content

Student Card 12Our University 13Environment of the University 20

“Education is learning what you didn‛t evenknow you didn‛t know.”

Daniel J. Boorstin

UNIVERSITY

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Student Card

Being a BME student, after the succesfulregistration you will get a Student Card(Diákigazolvány) which entitles its holderto enjoy a 50% discount on the HungarianRailways (MÁV), long distance bus lines(VOLÁNBUSZ), suburban trains (HÉV).It can be used also for visiting some of themuseums free of charge or with discount,and buying student passes(DIÁKBÉRLET) for Budapest publictransport. There are also shops where youcan 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 authenticationto use BME facilities.

How You Get Your Student Card

First you will get a temporary student ID.The permanent student card will be readyin a month. Temporary student IDs shouldbe returned, when permanent ones areaccessible. Permanent student IDs arevalid for one semester only. For this reasonit must be renewed at the beginning ofeach semester after having the tuition feespaid, after getting registered for therelevant semester. Student Cards may berenewed in the Students’ Office in BuildingZ, ground floor for pre-engineering, firstyear and exchange students. About timeand place of picking up the ID you will beinformed in due course.

IMPORTANT: Please, note that if thestudent card is lost, a new one will costyou about 2 500 HUF either temporaryor permanent.

REMARK: The BME student card isvalid only in Hungary. If you want to getan International Student Identity Card(ISIC), purchase it at Bldg. K 1st floor52.Tel: (1)

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Our University

Budapest University of Technologyand Economics (BME)

The university is the biggest university oftechnology in Hungary. In 2007 it wascelebrating the 225th anniversary of thefounding of its legal predecessor. Thebuildings are parts of the World Heritagefrom 1987.There are eight faculties in the university,which are the followings:

Faculty of Civil Engineering (ÉMK) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering(GPK) Faculty of Architecture (ÉPK) Faculty of Chemical Technology andBiotechnology (VBK) Faculty of Electrical Engineering andInformatics (VIK) Faculty of Transportation Engineering(KSK) Faculty of Natural Sciences (TTK) Faculty of Economic and SocialSciences (GTK)

There are several separate buildings in thecampus, each is marked with letters. Thelettering system is in connection with thedepartments which can be found in thebuilding or the street, Chchemistry, orIinformatics, Erefers to the street of thebuilding (Egry József Street), the samewith St Stoczek Street.

Website:

BME International EducationCenter (IEC)

1111 Budapest, Bertalan Lajos u. 2.Tel:Fax:

Important contactsDirector of IECLászló DvorszkiBldg. Z, 1st floor # 102,Bldg. K, 1 st floor # 42,

Erasmus Office

Dr. Moson Pétererasmus coordinator

Ms Ildikó Varga,Ms Gabriella NagyMs Zsofia Molnar

Bldg. Z 2nd floor, 202/b

Opening hours of the office:

13:00 - 15:00

09:00 - 11:00

Closed

erasmus@mail.bme.hu

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Coordinators of the Faculties

Gábor NemesBldg. K 3rd floor 3.1(Faculty of Drawing and ArchitecturalPresentation)

gnemes@rajzi.bme.hu

Istvánné Réczey dr.Bldg Ch room 2.52

Ferenc Papp dr.Bldg. Z room 8.16

Számel László dr.Bldg. V1 room 3.316

István Mészáros dr-Bldg. V2 room 1.59 Tel:(1) 463 2883meszaros@eik.bme.hu

Andai Attila dr.Bldg. H room 2.28andaia@math.bme.hu

Dietmar Meyer dr.Bldg. St room 4.12

dmeyer@lucifer.kgt.bme.hu

András Eleõd dr.Bldg. Z room 7.12 Tel:(1) 463 3551eleod@kge.bme.hu

Kati_reczey@mail.bme.hu

fpapp@epito.bme.hu

szamel@eik.bme.hu

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Computer Facilities

The BME Student Computer Center(SCC) is available for all registeredinternational students in bldg. R, 3rd and4th floor. If no classes are scheduled inthe computer labs, you are free to use thecomputers. Remember to register beforethe very first time you use SCC. Checktime-table on display in the main lobby bythe entrance of the labs.Passwords to SCC can be obtained uponregistration in the Student Office (Bldg. Z,ground floor)

You may also use computers for emailingfor free in bldg. K upper ground floor 40and 41. Entrance through the librarybuilding.

Please note the following advices:1. You can use modem via the Universitynet in your home.For more info look at

web page.Unfortunately, according to the Divisionof Telecommunication and Informaticspolicy, the above specified page is availableonly inside the university network.

2. In some different places of theUniversity buildings you can use wirelesscomputer connection to the Universitynet. For more info please look at

webpage. Similarly to the modem details, thispage is available only inside the Universitynetwork, too.3. Ural2 is a Unix server for students atthe SCC. If you want your mail to beforwarded you should create a file named.forward in your home directory. This fileshould contain the addresses to which youwant your messages to be sent. One at aline. If you want to leave the forwardedmessage there, too, you have to includeyour login name in a line, right after abackslash (\). Spaces, commas, or otherseparator characters are not allowed toseparate addresses. You must write themin separate lines. If you decide to use thee-mail address which the uni gave, becareful, because when your quota is full,no further mails will be delivered to anyaddress.

After you have logged in to Ural2 typepico .forward. This will open a text editor.Type the addresses, then press ctrl+x, yescomes, and finally “enter”.If you want to log in, you need to use sshinstead of telnet.

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16To all the services above, you can registeryourself onwebpage after you are marked in theStudent Information System as a studentwith an active status. For registeringservices for yourself on the webpage, youneed your Student Information System(NEPTUN) code and a password. You canask for it upon school registration at theacademic administration of the IEC (Bldg.Z).

Having any problems, please, write anemail to the address.

Printing in SCC:• on 3rd floor: in 304 for rooms S–T• on 4th floor: 401 for rooms A–E, 437for rooms FP

You may as well visit some ofBudapest’sinternet cafés to email.

VIII. Dist., Reviczky u. 6.

Open: MonSat: 8:0022:00

IX. Dist., Ráday u. 58.

VIII. Dist., Vas u. 7.

MonSun: 9:0024:00

XI. Dist., Budafoki út 22.

every day 11:0002:00

Mamut Shopping Center, II. Dist., Lövőház u. 2-6.

Duna Plaza Shopping Center, XIII. Dist., Váci út178.(Metro blue, get off at Gyöngyösi u.)

VIII. Dist., Rákóczi út 51.

Open: MonFri: 10:0022:00,Sat-Sun: 10:0022:00

and plenty of others.J

Sports FacilitiesThe Department of Physical Educationorganises and conducts physical educationclasses for first and second year students.The department offers regular courses forfull time students in table- tennis, athletics,body-building, handball, basketball,football, volleyball, tennis, dance,badminton, and various other courses.BMEs swimmingpool (XI. Dist.,Kondorosi út 14.

, Open:on weekdays 6:0019:30 on weekend:6:00-17:00 is at yourdisposal. Go and geta pass arranged foryou.

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For a pass see Mrs. Éva Huszár at the Physical Education

Department in Bldg. St, 3rd floor 323, takea photo and your Student ID with you.Office hours: Tue+Thu: 13:30–15:00,Wed: 8:3010:00.More information via email:huszi@eik.bme.hu <huszi@eik.bme.hu>

Sport events

XI. Dist., Hauszmann Str. 10 (Gabányi Csarnok)Mon, Wed:16:0018:15Mr. Harka

XI. Dist., Bercsényi Str. 28Fri: 14:0017:00Gábor Katalin

REMARK: Regular students of BMEmay also use the universitys tennis courtsany time between 6:00-16:00 1200 HUF/hour, between 16:00-22:00 1500 HUF/hour

For detailed information on competitionsections, place and time of training:

Mr. Pál Vincze, Headof Department PE,Bldg. St, 3rd floor # 325

or see their webpage:

Student Organisations at BME

ESN (ERASMUS Student Network)

Organised buddy-system to make easieryour stay at BME.

: (learn more in secondchapter)

BEST (Board of European Students ofTechnology)Being a BME student you can apply fortheir 12 week courses all over in Europe.You will learn more about the applyseasons on posters, e-mails, etc.

EESTEC (Electrical Engineering StudentsEuropean Association)See

AISEC (International Association ofStudents in Economics and BusinessManagement)

IAESTE (International Association for theExchange of Students for TechnicalExperience) moved out of BME, but canbe found as follows: 1081 Budapest,Népszínház utca 8. Room A24

SIU (Students International Union)Bldg. Z, ground floor Student Office.

The Students International Union wasestablished in 1990 to create aninternational family which takes activepart in the universitys large community,

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18provides an environment where studentsare encouraged to pursue their academicwork and also participate in social andrecreational activities. It also intends toencourage students to be physically andemotionally healthy by providinginformation, activities and support.The Union has also sought the right torepresent its members and, on request,other students before the universityadministration in matters that affect themas students of the institution. The Unionalso organises recreational activities. Anystudent wishing to participate in theactivities of SIU is very much welcome!

Symphonic Orchestra and UniversityChoir of BME

All those students wishing to play aclassicalmusical instrument at an orchestra, contactdr. Zoltán Benedek(

) about place and time. Therehearsals are held every Mon-Fri18:30–21:30 in bldg. V2. 7rd floor, room717 .

Should you wish to become a member ofthe university choir you are also welcometo do so. At 17:30 on Thursdays pleasecontact either Ms. Emese Fülöp or Mrs.Vasvári Györgyi Vida in Bldg. K 2nd floor53.

Libraries

The biggest technical library in the countryis the BME’s (OMIKK). You can find itbehind the K-building.

(Circulation),(Information)

Open: Mon.Fri.: 9:0020:00To use the library, you have to register inthe library building marked with Kö (askönyvtár) on the map. The registration iseasy and only takes a few second, it costs700 HUF. You have to show yourresidence permit and your student card.

Other libraries:

Library at British EmbassyThe British Embassy has alibrary where a largenumber of newspapers,periodicals and books areavailable. A card can beobtained free for the BritishEmbassy library: there is afee for the British Councillibrary though.

IMPORTANT: Exchange students canuse the library but cannot check booksout. Sorry.

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National Széchenyi LibraryIt is in the Castle Hill district of Budapest.It is similar to the Library of Congress(Washington D.C.). You can use it withyour Student Card and the staff is veryhelpful.Card for 1 year: 6000 HUFDaily ticket: 1200 HUF

Open: Mon: closed, TueSat: 10:00 20:00

Foreign Language LibraryV. Dist.,Molnár u. 11.,

Open: MonFri: 10:0017:00A very good collection for literaturereaders!!

Central European University LibraryV. Dist., Nádor u. 9.

Open: Mon.–Fri. 8.00–22.00; Sat.–Sun.13.0019.00Main focus on social science literature.Only by individual permission!

French InstituteI. Dist., Fő u. 17.

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Copy Centers Nearby

Copy GuruOpen: m-f: 8-21h sat.-sun: 10-21hXI. Dist. Bercsényi u. 4.XI. Dist. Budafoki út 41/aVIII. Dist.. Szenkirályi u. 38.VII. Dist.. Thököly út. 20.VIII. Dist. József krt. 25.VIII. Dist. Baross u. 3.

Fénymásoló Szalon

(Lecture notes are also avaible here!)

Post officeThe nearest post offices to the UniversityXI. 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 internationaltelephone calls, send telegrams and faxes,mail letters or packages. At the post office,many of the employees are able to speakEnglish, and the opening hours are 820daily and 814 on Saturdays.

Pharmacy

XI. Dist., Budafoki út 47.

University Souvenir Shop

Goldman Restaurant building, groundfloor.BKV monthly ticket for public transportand MÁV train tickets are also avaible here!

Canteens Nearby

Stoczek canteen: On the corner ofStoczek utca and Bertalan Lajos utcaGoldman canteen: On Goldman György térÍz-lelõ: on Lágymányosi utca, if you comefrom the direction of the university, youcan find it on the first corner afterBudafoki útPizza 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 theuniversity.Some faculties clubs are open for partyon a regular base.Faculty of Civil EngineeringVásárhelyi Pál Dormitory(XI. Dist., Kruspér utca 2-4.)Every Monday: Whitefül (rock music witha live concert)Every second Thursday: Vásárhelyi KlubEvery Wednesday and Sunday Drönk(drinking place in the basement its agood one)Faculty of Mechanical Engineering:Kármán Tódor Dormitory

Environment of the university

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Every second Thursday: Olds Club

Faculty of Chemical Technology andBiotechnologyOn weekdays Csocsó Klub in theMartos Flóra DormitoryEvery Friday Ars presso in the MartosFlóra Dormitory

More information on the non-regularparties of the faculties can be found onposters at the uni’, and flyers.ESN BME informs you about thehappenings via e-mail as well.

Student Life – Culture Shock

Culture shock is a very naturalphenomenon that can be expected whena person moves from a familiarenvironment to a new setting wherelanguage, food, climate and even peoplesactions are different.

No one enters a new culture simply as anindividual the history, values andattitudes of the home culture are the extrabaggage you bring with you. Manyattitudes, values and beliefs are so takenfor granted that they are accepted as thenorm for all cultures.

In reality, each culture is different, but notbetter or worse than the other. At first youwill probably feel only excitement andanticipation as you explore the newsurroundings. However, after a while, youmay find yourself with less energy or evenless enthusiasm. The home culturebecomes more appealing. You may beirritated with the people and actions of

your host country. New experienceschange from exciting to strange anddifferent.If you recognize that this disorientation isa normal part of living in a new culture,you can be reassured that the depressedfeeling will pass. Only when you can acceptthe new culture, both its good and badparts, will you begin to enjoy your newexperiences. While it may be somewhatpainful, culture shock can be amind-stretching process that will giveunderstanding and tolerance for the homeand host cultures. There are many positiveactions that can be taken to help overcomefeelings of loneliness and withdrawal froma new culture. Keeping busy and settinggoals are important. Activities that canhelp you adjust to a new culture includethe following: writing a journal developing new friendships sharing feelings with other internationalstudents or advisors improving language skills learning about the new school and thenew neighborhood pursuing or developing a hobby settling in the room or dorm planning excursions participating in sports/recreationalactivities

Content

About ESN BME 24Mentoring system 26Activities 27

Xchange your life.

ESN

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The university is not just an educationalinstitution, it is also the place where newfriendships begin and often last for a lifetime.University years are unforgettable for everystudent; long chats in the cafeteria, watchingfootball in the local pubs are those memoriesyou will talk about when you meet yourlong-time university friends. The universitypromotes and supports studentorganizations, cultural events and othercommunity building activities to make youruniversity years a lifetime experience. Thereare a number of student organizations thathelp enrich students life at the university.Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is aninternational student organization withover a hundred local groups throughoutEurope. Its goal is to support and developstudent exchange. It is composed of over12 000 members from 339 local sectionsin 34 countries working in HigherEducation Institutes (Universities,Polytechnics, University Colleges etc).ESN is organized on a local, national andinternational level.

In our university ESN BME, the BudapestUniversity of Technology and Economicslocal section will be helping you duringyour stay in Budapest. ESN BME consistsof lots of enthusiastic, open-minded,helpful committee members and a boardwith 6 members. These people are alsostudents who attend BME so they knoweverything about Hungarian student-lifeand you can turn to them for help any timeyou need it.

Contact Information

Homepage:

About ESN BME

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The Goal of ESN Members

The aims of ESN are to promote the socialand personal integration of the exchangestudents. The local ESN sections offerhelp, guidance and other valuableinformation to the exchange studentshosted by their university. Newcomers findtheir way in thenew environmenteasier and they canutilize their time in thebest way possible to getas much out of theirexchange as possible.ESN also representsthe needs andexpectations ofexchange students onthe local, national andinternational level.Provision of relevantinformation aboutacademic exchangeprograms and studentmobility is one of theaims of theorganization.ESN members helpinternational studentsintegrate smoothlywithin the student lifein Hungary andorganize activitiessuch as excursions, citytrips, theme andinternational partiesand sports events.

The ESN members will always be there tohelp you with your first steps in Hungary,such as finding your new home, shops,restaurants, courses etc. We wont leaveyou alone after the orientation week either.You can rely on us during your whole stayin Budapest. Whenever you need help,dont hesitate to contact us!

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Mentoring System

ESN BME also has a so-called buddysystem (mentoring system) that links twoor three native Hungarian student mentorsto a group of app. 20 foreign students. Thementors give you practical informationabout living and staying in Hungary andstudying in Budapest, but they can alsohelp you to get acquainted with the cityand fellow students, both Hungarian andinternational. The first impressions andexperiences are very important forsomebody who arrives in a foreigncountry. The university would like to giveassistance to its exchange students infinding a helping hand for the first days orweeks of their stay. You can contact themand they are ready to answer all thequestions concerning life in Hungary,Budapest and the university. Who knows,it may be the beginning of a newfriendship! It is up to you to get the mostout of it!

Board of ESN BME

Enikõ Chovanyecz PresidentCsaba JAKABOS Vice-PresidentOrsolya CZILI PR CoordinatorLászló DEÁK IT CoordinatorSándor HADHÁZI ProgramsErika HAJZER Treasurer

They are the board members, but there areabout 2025 more mentors who are here foryou during the semester.

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Activities

Trips and Sightseeing

There will be several organised trips duringthe academic year 2010-2011. We try topresent you the most interesting sights ofHungary and its neighboring countriessuch as Croatia or Romania. You can alsotry the famous czech beers in Octoberwith a group of exchange students andmentors!

Tandem–Program

It means that people who are interested inlearning new languages can contact eachother: you can teach your language and youcan learn from a native language- speakerat the same time. Hungarian is said to bevery difficult to learn but if you try it witha native Hungarian student, you can learnit in a funny way and you can telleverybody at home that you can speak amysterious language!

Orientation week & Parties

You will very likely meet us already on thefirst days of your stay in Budapest, as wewill be helping the work of theInternational Office, and organizeprograms for all the exchange students ofBME (BUTE) to get known each otherbefore the semester starts!:)The orientation programme is sent to youvia e-mail, and we will always remind youto the upcoming events and parties viae-mail.

On the so called Mega Xchange Party”,which is held every semester twice, youhave to possibility to know other foreignstudents who study in one of theuniversities of Budapest.

In addition this year ESN Hungaryorganizes a camp for the new-comerson the first weekend of September,visiting the towns Visegrád andSzentendre.

During International Dinner thestudents get the opportunity to show thetypical food and drink of their country andtaste each others culture! Its a hugemixture of several cultures, dishes, drinksso everybody enjoys it!Details of many other parties andprograms are spread via e-mail, flyers andposters on several places of the university.

Content

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin youhave, and only you can determine how it will be spent.Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

Carl Sandburg

Entertainment 30Drinks 33Eating out 34Party Places & Pubs 36Shopping 37Sports 39Greetings & Civilities 40

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Your best source of information forperformances nationwide is BudapestPanorama, Budapest Week and BudapestSun. The Budapest Panorama are availablein the hotels and tourist offices or at

. The most completelisting of plays, concerts, exhibitions andfilms can be found Pesti Est and Exit.Unfortunately, these are in Hungarian.Funzine is in English, but it is not sodetailed,it comes out every second month.These can be obtained mainly from movietheatres, bars, pubs, McDonalds, etc. freeof charge.You can also check or

Baths

Budapest is well known of its traditionalspas. People from all around the world arevisiting the city due to their healing effect,but they are perfect places to relax after abusy day or a tough exam. You can finddetailed information about the major spasand bathes on the link below.

Museums

Various collections of history, technologyand art can be found in the city. From smallhouse-sized galleries to the masterpiecesof architecture, Budapest offers you culturein whatever form you like. You can findthe actual temporary exhibitions on thelink below and we listed the most importantmuseums that have English homepage.

Palace of Art:

Hungarian National Museum

Hungarian National Gallery

Museum of Fine Arts

House of Terror

Museum of Applied Arts

Theatre

Budapest offers so many theatreperformances that even if you go to adifferent one every week, it would takeyears to see them all. For your conveniencewe collected the most elegant and famoustheatres for you to check them out. Donthesitate, give culture a chance!In theatres, there are bal (left) and jobb

Entertainment

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(right) seats with the same numbers somake sure you know whether you are onthe bal or jobb side.

National Theatre of Hungary

Puppet-show (Bábszínház)

Theatre of Vaudeville (Operettszínház)

Katona József Theatre

National Opera

Pesti Színház

Cinemas

Most of the movies have both Hunga- riantranslated and original language versionswith Hungarian subtitles. Foreign filmsthat are dubbed are marked Mb(Magyarul beszélõ) on programmes andposters. If you do not see it, the film is inthe original language and has Hungariansubtitles. Usually, there are happy hourson different weekdays, when the tickets arecheaper. Moreover, you can use yourstudent card to get discount. You can findmultiplex movie theatres in everyshopping mall in town, most of thembelong to Palace Cinemas:However, the largest one including anIMAX room in Arena Plaza belongs toCinema City:

And the one that has the greatesttraditions: (Hungarian) Movieinfo in English:

Festivals and concerts

Budapest hosts various artists from allaround the world. Youll be informedabout the hottest concerts on the websiteof ESN (www.esn.bme.hu), or you canfind the posters while walking around thecity.

Festivals in spring, summer and autumnare scheduled in cities throughout Hungary,and some of them, like Budapest Spring,attract many visitors from abroad.

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32For the exact programs, please, visit thefollowing website:

Budapest Autumn Festival (October 8172010)The Budapest Autumn Festival is now oneof Europes leading festivals of thecontemporary arts. Its aim is to present tothe public of Budapest the importantcreative artists and achievements in allbranches of the arts in the present andover the past decade. The series of eventssets itself the task of making new artknown and recognised in Hungary.

Budapest Spring Festival (March 18 April 3 2011)

Biggest music festivals in summer 2011:

VOLT (first music festivalof summer, always during the first days ofJuly, held in Sopron)

Balaton Sound (many djs from all over the world, held

in Zamárdi southern shore of LakeBalaton, a bit expensive)

Sziget Festival (biggestmusic and cultural festival, lots of famousartists, also more expensive than others)

EFOTT (organized by one ofthe Hungarian universities/colleges everysummer, always take place another city andusually cheaper than other festivals.)

Ticket offices

Tickets can be purchased at the venue, butit is always safer to get them in advance,particularly in smaller towns where it maybe the big event of the month and theplace to be seen.You will find the addresses of ticketoffices and information sources underindividual cities and towns in the LonelyPlanet edition of Hungary.

The central ticket office at V. Dist.,Vörösmarty tér in Budapest can help withinformation but seldom has tickets forevents around the country.Tickets can also be purchased through theuniversitys Cultural Secreteriat. Open: Tue& Thu 10-14. (Bldg. K, 1st floor # 52, Mrs.Romhányi).For tickets for pop and rock bands, andconcerts see Music Mix 33 in VI. Dist.,Andrássy u.18. or Publika ticket office in VI.Dist., Hajós u. 31. 1st floor. Information abouttickets can be obtained from them at

or at as well.

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Wine

Hungary is famous for its wine. Youshouldnt miss out a wine tasting tour in acellar! The best and most traditional winetasting places can be found in Eger, Tokaj,Villány and the area of Lake Balaton.But you can also try it in Budapest:Magyar Borok Háza (House ofHungarian Wines) (I. Dist., Szentháromságtér 6.)

Pálinka

Pálinka is also typically Hungarian. Its areally strong brandy. You can buy it inshops, but if you want to taste the realpálinka, you should ask your Hungarianfriends, if their parents/grandparents havehome-made pálinka.

Beer

Hungary is not so famous for beer,however there are some Hungarian brandsas well, such as Soproni, Dreher orBorsodi, Aranyászok, Szalon.Beer is sold in 0,5 litre bottles and cans.

Here is a little dictionary to help you whenyoud like to buy beer or wine in a pub.

BorBorozóBorpinceFehér borVörös bor

RozéÉdesFélédesSzárazFélszárazFröccs

(wine and soda)You can ask for kisfröccs (small one, 3 dl)and nagyfröccs (big one, 5 dl)ÜvegPohárPezsgõ

SörSörözõSörpinceBarna sörVilágos sörCsapolt sörKorsó Pohár

Egészségedre!

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Due to there are many restaurants inBudapest, it is easy to find one, but whatabout the quality? Not all restaurants offergood food, honest service and fair prices.All kinds of nationalities are serving foodfrom all over the world. Some restaurantsare absolute world class in terms of thefood, service or interior. You can find a lotof fast food style restaurants as well.If you dont feel like going out to eat, thenyou can order food on the internet:

Here you can choosebetween several restaurants.

Hungarian Specialities

Goulash soup is probably the Hungariandish all people know. It is a soup made ofbeef pieces, carrots, celery, potatoes andpaprika. Traditionally it is made over a firein gardens in big cauldron.

The palacsinta is a stuffed pancake with allkinds of things you can imagine startingfrom sweet ones like cottage cheese, nuts,cocoa and jam over to salty filling like

meat, spinach, cheese and more. There isa traditional palacsinta called the Gundelpalacsinta which is stuffed with nuts,chocolate, raisin and cream.Pörkölt is a kind of stew with meat,paprika powder, onions. It is served withdumplings (galuska).Somlói Galuska are biscuit pieces withvanilla cream, raisin and nuts withchocolate sauce and rum.Fõzelék is also very common in Hungary.It is made of vegetable and it is thickerthan a soup.

Fast Food

Be assured that Budapest is becomingmore able to satisfy your needs. BurgerKing, Chinese Fast Food, Dixie Chicken,Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds (lotsthroughout the city), Pizza Hut, Fridayscan be found in the city.

Vegetarian Food

Normally a menu anywhere would offerat least a few non-meat dishes, primarily acouple of soups with mushroom,vegetables or cheese, also fine breadedcheese (rántott sajt) with tartar sauce andcooked rice serves a good main course fora vegetarian. Also, pasta dishes ordumplings (galuska) and fried mushroomcaps (rántott gomba) are worthmentioning. The traditional way ofpreparing vegetables is called fõzelék.

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They are boiled and then mixed into a rouxwith sour cream. Outside of restaurants,go for lángos - the deep-fried doughwith various toppings sold on streets andmarkets throughout the country. Outsidethe countrys half a dozen vegetarianrestaurants, you will have to live with whatis on the menu or do your own shoppingin the markets.

Here are some restaurants that werecommend:

Gundel Étterem (XIV. Dist., Állatkerti út 2.) isthe most famous and probably the mostexpensive restaurant.

Sir Lancelot (VI. Dist., Podmaniczky u. 14.)King Arthur (III. Dist., Bécsi u. 38-44, Új UdvarShopping Center, 2nd floor, ):Medieval restaurants. Great food and time.

Régi Sipos Halászkert (III. Dist., Lajos utca46.) If you are looking for a traditionalHungarian fish soup, you must visit thisplace.Dzsungel Étterem és Crazy Cafe (Cornerof Podmaniczky and Jókai u., near Nyugati, the

address is VI. Dist., Jókai. u. 30.) Huge selectionof beers and whiskies.

Nagyi Palacsintázója (I. Dist. Hattyú u. 16.,M2 to Moszkva tér, and Batthyány tér nextto the shopping mall): Palacsinta isequivalent to pancake or crepe. Greatprices, wide variety of palacsinta.

Ráday utca BudapestRáday utca is a street which connectsKálvin tér and Boráros tér. There are a lotof bars and restaurants where you can sitoutside if the weather is nice. At nightsome parts of the sreet are reserved forpedestrians.

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There are plenty of great pubs where youcan spend your evenings together withboth Hungarian and international students.Here are some places you should visitduring your stay:

Szimpla Kert (www.szimpla.hu)

Szimpla kert is a mixture of a garden, apub and a cinema. There is no significantsign or entrance, it looks like a regular doorfrom the street, so be open-eyed! (watchout for a small yellow sign)The furniture is interesting-crazy-retro, itlooks a little bit run-out but this givesthespecial “Szimpla Kert flair”.The prices are reasonable.Address: VII. Dist., Kertész utca 48.

Szóda (www.szoda.com)

An immediate hit following its opening inMay, the success of Szóda (or Soda) is downto its slick presentation. Like the barscustomers, Szóda is cool, retro andfashionable at the same time. The largewindows are emblazoned with its space-age logo and lined with (you got it!) emptysoda bottles. Inside, the walls are toppedwith action shots from Japanese Mangacartoons and the furniture is a mix of 1970sarmchairs and coffee tables. The populardrink is beer, despite the fact that a glassof soda is free. Theres a kitchen servingbreakfast and hot and cold snacks.Parties are held in the basement.Address: VII. Dist., Wesselényi u. 18.

Gödör Club (www.godorklub.hu)

The coolest public square in Budapest.Perfect for meeting friends and grabbinga few beers with them.The club is actually on the top level ofan underground car park.Wide steps flanked by contemporarysculptures lead down to a spaciousinterior. Its glass roof is a minimalistornamental pool at ground level. Theclub hosts art exhibitions, varied livemusic, festivals and DJs.Address: V. Dist., Erzsébet tér (dear Deák tér)

Living Room (www.livingroom.hu)

As party-people say, it is Budapestsnight-living room.It is in the cellar of a regular house., butdownstairs is a spacious club with 2 rooms,different music in both. A unique thingthat there are little separated rooms whereyou can hang around, close the curtainsand talk, party or just drink.It is the usual place of the Mega ExchangeParties as well.Address: V. Dist., Kossuth Lajos utca 17. (nearAstoria)

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Morrison’s Music Pub (www.morrisons.hu)

It is close to the Opera at Andrassy út., inthe basement. Morrisons has a great barwith 4 or 5 different types of beer,cocktails, long-drinks, wine and shots.They organise karaoke nights. Who is notdrinking or singing at the moment candance on the large dance floor ofMorrisons.In addition, every Monday is a non-officialErasmus Party, with many discounts onprices until 11 pm.Address: VI. Dist., Révay utca 25.

Morrisons Music Pub2

Usually one of the most popular clubsamong the exchange students. Its aspacious one, with separate rooms fordifferent kind of music, included retro,

house/trance and disco hits.Till 9 oclock happy hour:cocktails.Address: V. Dist., Szent Istvánkrt. 11.

Szilvuplé (www.szilvuple.hu)

Nice place if you like dancing salsa.Address: VI. Dist., Ó utca 33.

Folk Music Dance and Handicraft inHungary

Táncház, an evening of Hungarian folkmusic and traditional dance, is greatentertainment and, as it is a great way tomeet Hungarian people. Gödör Cluborganises Táncház regularly once a week.

ShoppingIn Hungary, shops are usually open fromMonday until Saturday, on weekdaysbetween 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., on Saturdayuntil 1 p.m. But you can find many bigstores and malls which are open every day,late evening or 24 hours long.

Fashion street – Váci utca

World brands in the heart of the capital,in Deák Ferenc street, this is the FashionStreet. After renovating the imposingbuildings situated on the uneven side ofDeák Ferenc street neighboured by DeákFerenc square and Bécsi street the streetoffers the enjoyment of purchase again.

Váci utca (Váci street)is one of the mainpedestrian areas andperhaps the mostfamous street of centralBudapest. It featuresa large number ofrestaurants andfashion outlets.

Shopping malls inBudapest

You can find plenty of malls in Budapest,usually they do not have the same shopsand brands. So if you are looking forsomething special, its worth visiting

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n38more. Most of them are open betweenMonSat 10:0021:00, Sun 10:0019:00.To mention some of them: WestEndCity Center, Campona, Mammut, Allee,Csepel Plaza, Pólus Center, Árkád, ArenaPlaza You can also find cinemas andsupermarkets in these shopping malls.

AuchanThe French owned Auchan hypermarketis well laid out and with a huge choice ofgoods, it can be compared (for those fromEngland at least) to the hypermarkets ofCalais. Extended opening hours are a boontoo, while theres also a petrol station nextdoor.

Spar SupermarketDutch store, high quality, medium prices.They can be found in several places spreadin the city.

Kaiser’s SupermarketFound within the Corvin Áruház(department store) on Blaha Lujza Square,this downtown Kaisers supermarket is anexcellent place in which to stock up onessentials, fruit n veg, wines, chocolate,etc. Of course, with Kaisers being a well-known supermarket chain in Hungary, theyhave a number of stores dotted aroundthe city. To find your nearest one visit theirstore locater at:

Tesco HypermarketTesco (the British supermarket chain) hasan excellent presence here which, as wellas being well laid out, has top-notch meatand cheese counters plus lots of ex-patfriendly goodies.

Some others: Cora, IKEA and somesmaller ones like CBA, Reál, Match, Penny,Profi, Plus, Lidl, Aldi. But if you reallywant to get fresh vegetables, meat andbrad, wake up on the early morning onSaturday, and go to the Fehérvári útivásárcsarnok (tram number 4 the laststation, Fehérvári út)!

Market halls

Central Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok)(V. Dist., Vámház körút 1-3.) In old times themost famous market hall was connectedto the River Danube by a tunnel so thatgoods could be directly offloaded frombarges and taken inside to the stalls forsale. Upstairs is a stunning - althoughsometimes expensive range of folk artinspired goods.

Fehérvári úti Vásárcsarnok (XI. Dist., KőrösiJ. u. 7-9.) Closest one to the University. Justtake the tram number 4 to the last station(Fehérvári út) to get the best taste ofHungary! Fresh fruits, vegetables, brad,meat etc. You can find everything, for alow price. Upstairs you can get great butcheap Hungarian food. Yummy!

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Sports

There are many sports available inHungary. It’s possible to go for fishing,boating/ sailing, windsurfing, horse riding,hiking, skating, roller skating. In thecountryside you can even go for bird-watching :)

Swimming

For more information visit this site:

Some of the best places to go: RudasBaths (walking distance from BME, inBuda by Erzsébet Bridge), KomjádiSwimming Pool (get onto bus # 86 infront of Gellért Hotel, and get off atMargit Bridge).

Cycling

Hungary’s flat terrain makes it perfect forcycling, however only a few towns andregions (Budapest, Szeged, parts of theDanube Bend, around Lake Balaton) havesystems of bicycle lanes. Renting a bicycleis not easy in Hungary, but you can buy anold used speed bike for 10 000 20 000HUF.The national tourist office publishes auseful pamphlet called Cycling Tours

in Hungary with 38 recommended routesincluding sketch maps. Hungary byBicycle, in Hungarian, German andEnglish, can be found in some Budapestbookshops.

Hiking

Tourist Department of the HungarianAssociation of Friends of Nature (VI. Dist.,Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 31. II/3.)

Content

Health 46Religious Services in English 47Traveling 48Telecommunication 51Media 52Useful Links 53Public Holidays 53Practical Information 54Greetings & Civilities 56

Help cleaning Budapest!Eat a pigeon every day!

HUNGARY

Doctors and dentists who see patients Emergency numbers:outside their jobs at government clinics orhospitals keep very abbreviated schedules-usually only a couple of hours a week.Your embassy can provide you with a listof recommended specialists. Dental workis usually of a high standard and cheap bywestern standards Many dentists (comelicensed to practise abroad) advertise inBudapest Week.Most large towns and Budapests 23districts have all-night pharmacies openevery day: a sign on the door of anypharmacy will help you locate the closest24-hour service.

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 Budapestoperate on rota-system. Those, in thecentre of town that are usually open lateare at:

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PresbyterianRev. Otto Pecsuk ( )Church of Scotland,

,Sunday 11:00Roman CatholicF. R. László Marosfalvi S. J., John AdamS. J. )Church of the Sacred Heart,

Saturday 5:00.International ChurchRev. Glenn Ford ,

Óbuda Társaskör, ,Sunday 10:30International BaptistRev. Lee Powell ( )Móricz Zsigmond Gimnázium

Sunday 10:30AnglicanMagyar Szentek Temploma,

,Sunday 10:30JewishDohány utcai Zsinagóga,

Saturday 21:00.Bible Baptist Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints

Danube International ChurchMathias Corvinus Collegium

Sunday at 10:30

The Bible Speaks Church of Hungary

The English Language CommunityofSzent Antals Roman Catholic Church

Sunday at 16:00Golgotha (Calvary Chapel)Hiradó Theatre at

Jewish Synagogue of Budapest

Anglican-Episcopal Church

Sunday at 10:30 at St Margarets Church

Jehovahs Witnesses

Saturday at 17.30New Covenant Church

Sunday at 10:00Centre of the Hunagrian MuslimCommunity

.Close to the university, on

there is a Mecset (Masque)

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Travelling in Budapest

Public transportIf you want to use public transport, youneed to have a ticket or a pass. These arevalid for all tram-, metro- and trolleybuslines, on the Millennium Undergroundand the cogwheel railway, but on HÉV(suburban railway) only within theadministrative boundaries of Budapest.On bus lines: tickets are valid on thewhole length of the lines, but Budapestall-line passes (for example the monthlypasses) are valid only to the first stopoutside Budapest.(Budapest unified/combined passes(BEB passes) are valid on all lines ofBKV Ltd. (Budapest Public Transport)and on allotted lines of MÁV-STARTZrt. (Hungarian Railways) and VOLÁN(yellow buses beyond Budapest.)

Where to buySingle tickets can be purchased fromticket vending machines, at the cashiersat metro and HÉV stations and onthe main traffic points in Budapest, atnewsagents’ and at every Post Office in

Budapest and in the suburb.Pre-purchased one-day travel cards, three-day travel cards, seven-day travel cards,family tickets and passes can be redeemedbefore the starting day. You also have topay a handling charge of 200 HUF.The monthly passes can be purchasedwith any starting day and are valid until24.00 on the previous day of the startingday in the next month.If holders of monthly passes arecontrolled without their passes on them,they have only two opportunities a yearto show their passes afterwards in BKVoffices, if they have no outstanding debtson previous fines (holders of the yearlypasses have no limitation in showing theirpasses afterwards).The passes shownhave to be valid oneday before and onthe day of fining.

NOTE: Single tickets, transfer tickets,tickets of the discount coupon book,family tickets and the conurbation ticketscannot be used on the night servicenetwork. The single tickets boughton the spot / ticket for night service(320 HUF) are valid at night too, theycan be purchased from the employees atthe entrances of the stations, from ticketcontrollers, from vending machines andat the cashiers. The monthly passes arevalid on the night service network too.

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Controllers on the boardOn the busses, trams, etc. can becontrollers. If youre travelling withouta valid ticket or pass or not keeping toTerms and Conditions of Travel, youare obliged to pay afine: 6000 HUF paidon the spot 12 000 HUF paidafterwards on postalcheque 24 500 HUF paid beyond 30 daysWith a valid Student Card you can get themonthly pass much cheaper. Now it costs3850 HUF. The prices of other ticketsand passes you can read on this page:

The starting day can be chosen atpurchase.TIP: If you want to go somewhere, butyou didnt know how to get there, youcan easily use this line planner:

First 3 heads: from where do youstart 1. city, 2. circle, 3. street and housenumber. The second 3 heads apply forthe place where you want to go (thesame order as by starting place). If yousnap down MEHET, it will show youhow to get there, which bus, tram, etc.you have to use.

TaxisTaxis are abundant, but it is good to checkwhether they have working meters as somedrivers may overcharge unsuspectingforeigners. Better, determine price toyour destination before entering taxi,if possible. Taxis with reasonable ratesincluded:

6 X 6 TaxiCity TaxiTele 5FõtaxiRádiótaxiBudataxiTaxi 2000

Getting to Ferihegy Airport

The simplest, and best way is via theAirport Minibus Service (

), which picks you upat whatever address in Budapest you givethem and takes you to the airport in aboutan hour. Be sure to order it in advance.If more people travel together to theairport, then Zona Taxi is the cheapestsolution. (They have fix price to and fromthe airport.)

Public transportation: Take the bluemetro line (3) as far as KõbányaKispest(end station) and get on to bus 200(Reptérbusz). Note that Ferihegy 1 andFerihegy 2 are two different terminals andthey are 10 minutes far from each otherby bus.

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Travelling in the Country

TrainsShowing your Student Card at the timeof purchasing train ticket, you cantravel anywhere in Hungary with 50%discount.The train schedule (menetrend) is availableat . You can also findschedule for all trains in Hungary as wellas international trains to Prague, Viennaand other cities in Central/EasternEurope.There are three main train stations:

Nyugati=West; Keleti=East; andDéli=South. If you are planning to buythe ticket at the train station, it is a goodidea to arrive early, because the lines areoften long and English is rarely spoken.Most international trains depart fromKeleti station.In buying tickets for international travel,be sure to have your passport with youeven, if you are paying in forints.

BusesWith a Student Card, there is a 50 %discount on bus travel throughout

Hungary. The main bus terminals forVolánbusz are Népliget (on blue M line),Stadionok and Árpád Bridge (in Pest).

TIME TABLES on the Internet

MÁV, Hungarian Railway Co.

VOLÁN, Long-distance coaches

MAHART, Passanger Shipping Ltd.

BKV, Public transport in the capital

MALÉV Hungarian Airlines

Every timetable is available at

(menetrendek=schedules)

Rent a car: EUrent:

World Wide Rent a Car

Fox Autorent:

Hertz Mercur Rent-a-car

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For a longer stay here, it is best to buya mobile phone. Customers can chooseto either prepay for their phone usageor purchase a monthly payment plan.Both payment methods have advantagesand disadvantages. You should checkwhich one suits your needs better. Themajor mobile phone providers: T-Mobile,Pannon and Vodafone. These mobilephone companies often have an offer,you should check them.

To make an international phone call, thecheapest way is to buy an internationalcalling card.

TelecardNeophonePrivate TalkNo Limits

You can also find some public phonesin the city. They take 10, 20, 50 and 100Forint coins and give instructions inEnglish, French and German. Most publicphones are being converted to use phonecards ONLY. Phone cards are available atyour hotel, post offices, petrol or railwaystations, and newsstands.

To make a call:

(for example from Budapestto Budapest, or from a mobile phonenumber to the same companys mobilephone number): dial the 7-digit number.

(forexample form Budapest or from yourmobile to other Hungarian cities or othermobile phones): 06 + area code + phonenumber

Area codes:BudapestT-MobileTelenorVodafoneGreen numbers (free)Raised calling fee

Budapest area code: 1 (+7-digitnumber)Cell-phone numbers are 9-digit, afterdialing 06, the first two numbers dependon the telephone company: 20, 30 or 70.

00 + country code+ area code + phone number

Hungarys country code: 36

Important phone numbers: Ambulance Fire department Police Emergency call Directory Assistance International Directory

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There are quite a few English-languagenewspapers in Hungary at present,all of them weekly. The oldest of theindependents is Budapest Week, whichhas ample coverage of news and culturalevents but sometimes reads a bit like acollege newspaper. It recently mergedwith its sister paper, the HungarianTimes, which deals with economics andpolitics. The Budapest Sun is trying tocompete but appears to be saturated.The Budapest Business Journaldevotesitself to financial news and features. TheDaily News (infact a weekly) islittle more thana news bulletinpublished by theHungarian newsagency MTI.Western newspapers inEnglish are available onthe day of publication atmany large kiosks and atexpensive hotels in Budapestinclude the InternationalHerald Tribune, theEuropean edition of theWall Street Journal and TheFinancial Times.Other English-language periodicalsinclude the Hungarian Observer publishedsporadically throughout the year, andthe monthly Hungarian EconomicReview from the Hungarian Chamberof Commerce. The most erudite of all

Quarterly, which examines a wide varietyof issues in great depth and is a valuablesource of current Hungarian thinkingin translation. Another is the BudapestReview of Books, the English-languageedition of the popular quarterly Buksz.House of the World Press is the biggestnewspaper shop in Downtown where youcan find 1200 foreign papers (address:

)Oxford University Press is situated in thefifth district as well:The Hungarian Television has severalstations (M1, M2, Duna TV, etc.), andthe Hungarian Radio has three namedafter Lajos KOSSUTH, Sándor PETÕFIand Béla BARTÓK. There are newsand cultural programs on Kossuth (inHungarian), classical music on Bartók,

and modern music on Petőfi.Radio Bridge (102.1 MHz/FM)

has hourly Voice of Americanews broadcast in English,

news features at 8 am and8 pm weekdays and a late-night jazz show. RadioBudapest (6110, 7220, 9385

and 11910KHz) has nightlyEnglish-language programmes

at 11 pm.TVs equipped with satellite dishes andthe relevant decoders can receive Sky TV,CNN, BBC and others.Besides, several commercial radio and TVstations provide 24hour programs (e.g.Sláger Rádió, Juventus Rádió, RTL Klub,TV 2, etc.).

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Culture in Budapest:

Travelling:

Lawyers:

World papers:

Weather forecast:

Internet providers:

Itineraries/Travel plans:

Mobile phone services:

Useful links

Public holidays

1st January New Years Day15th March National holiday Anniversary of the war of independence

18484913th April Easter Monday1st May Labour Day31st May Whit Monday20th August National Day/St. Stephans Day Anniversary of the

foundation of the Hungarian State by St. Stephen23rd October Republic Day

Anniversary of the outburst of the revolution and war ofindependence 1956,Day of acclaiming the 3rd Hungarian Republic (1989)

1st November All Saints Day25th26th December Christmas

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Addresses

Hungarian addresses look like this:Budapest V., Kossuth utca 107. II. 6.The town/city comes first (Budapestaddresses begin with the district in Romannumerals), followed by the street name,building number, floor (Roman numerals)and apartment number. Postcodes are4-figure numbers.

is an assortment of extra levels betweenthe ground floor (földszint) and first, suchas magasföldszint (‘upper ground floor’)and félemelet (‘half floor’).

Forest tick

There are no troublesome snakes orcreeply-crawlies to worry about; thebiggest complaints among travellers areinsect bites. One insect that can bringon more than just an itch is the foresttick (kullancs), which burrows underthe skin causing inflammation andeven encephalitis. You might considergetting an FSME (meningoencephalitis)vaccination if you plan to do a lot ofhiking and camping.

Money, Exchange

The unit of currency is Hungarian Forint(HUF). In Hungary the abbrevation ofForint is Ft.Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 HUF.Banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000,10 000, 20 000 HUF. (Always checkhow many zeros you have there! Likedont pay 20000 instead of 2000.)Since February 2008, we have no morecoins of 1 and 2 forints. But in shops,the prices can still end in 1,2,3 etc. Theyround 1 and 2 to 0 , and 3,4,6 and 7 to5, and 8 and 9 to 10. (So if you want tobuy something for 312 HUF, you pay 310HUF. Instead of 419 HUF, you pay 420HUF.) With credit card you pay the exactamount.

Practical information

TIP: In Budapest, the post codes startwith 1, and the two middle numbermarks the district. This way you are ableto guess where the place is what yourelooking for. Like 1024 Budapest II.district.

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Electricity in Hungary

The voltage is 230 V/50Hz with Europeantwo-prong plug.Electrical equipment of 110V/60Hzrequires the use of an adapter and/orvoltage converter.

Floor numbers

To avoid an old tax law that penalisedbuildings with more than four floors, there

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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

Time is always measured interms of time to come, notin time past. 1/2 8 or f8 isactually 7:30, as in German.Think of it as half to the hour, not halfpast it.Also dates have other order: year/month/day

Tipping in Hungary

Restaurant prices in Hungary generallydo not include a service charge andit is therefore customary to give a tip,generally equivalent to 10% (15% forexceptional service) of the bill. Do notleave the bill on the table, always pay theserver directly.

VAT refundingIf a non-EU citizen foreign travellerpurchases new, unused goods in Hungarywhen the value of an invoice includingV.A.T. exceeds the limit of 50 000 HUFand takes them out of Hungary he/sheis entitled to claim for the refund of thevalue of V.A.T. The goods must be takenout of the country within 90 days fromthe issuance of the invoice, and V.A.T.refund can be asked within not morethan 183 days from the date of customsclearance.

Travel Tips and Experiences (byanexchange) Check for cheap deals on last minutepackages ($150 for a flight & one weekapartment in Crete). Check airfare prices! Discount airlines(WizzAir, EasyJet, GermanWings, etc.)offer cheaper tickets to major Europeancities than the railway companies. Thesooner you book in, the cheaper the pricecould be. Online booking is available. Always check to see, if you need a seatreservation. Carry euros and dollars with you, andwear a money belt. Take advantage of travelling withinHungary.

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Szia (familiar)

Viszontlátásra (formal)Szia (familiar)

Jó reggelt

Jó napot (most common greeting)

Jó estét

Kérem (asking something)Tessék (handling something)

Köszönöm (szépen)Köszi (fam.)

Szívesen

Igen

NemTalán

(Nem) Értem

Nem beszélek magyarul

Van itt valaki, aki angolul beszél?

Honnan jön?

Hogy van? (form)Hogy vagy? (fam.)

Köszönöm, jól.

Legyen szíves (for attention)

SajnálomBocsánat(stepping on someones toe)Elnézést

How much does it cost?Mennyibe kerül?

Hol van ...?

Eltévedtem.

Tudna nekem segíteni?

Megégettem a nyelvem a krumplival!

JMit sütsz kis szûcs, tán sós hústsütsz kis szûcs?

Greetings & Civilities

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 wererewritten by the members of ESN BME: Mákos Erna Ninetta, Farkas Gergely. László Bacsárdi,Melinda Jambrich. Eszter Ozsvald aug 21, 2010. Printed in Hungary by CopyGuru, Budapest, Aug 2010. Copyright 2010.

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