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Budapest Card, Car parks and garages, Rent a car, public transport, tickets, Budapest Taxi....

Budapest taxis have yellow number plates and a taxi sign in yellow. (Any vehicle without these features is operating illegally.) The total charge that has to be paid by the passenger is made up of three separate parts: the basic charge which is irrespective of how far the journey is (maximum HUF 300 during the day, maximum HUF 420 at night), a per kilometre charge which depends on how many kilometres are covered during the journey (maximum HUF 240 per kilometre during the day, maximum HUF 336 at night), and the waiting charge. Tariffs are clearly displayed on the rear right door and on the dashboard. The larger taxi companies work with rates far lower than the maximum charges listed above.6x6 Taxi: 2-666-666, Buda Taxi: 2-333-333, Budapest Taxi: 4-333-333, City Taxi: 2-111-111, Fôtaxi: 2-222-222, Mobil Taxi: 333-1757, Rádió Taxi: 3-777-777, Taxi 2000: 2-000-000, Taxi4: 4-444-444, Tele5Taxi: 5-555-555, Tourist Taxi: 3-655-555, Volán Taxi: 4-33-33-22No call-out charge is levied on taxis ordered by phone within the boundaries of Budapest, except for exceptional orders (e.g. estate car, type demand etc.).All cars must have a taximeter installed, and these also print out a receipt. Taxi drivers are required to give an invoice on request. Tipping: in general 10% of the fare is acceptable, but this naturally depends on how satisfied the passenger is with the service.Taxi company call centre staff speak foreign languages. Every taxi company takes full responsibility for staff employed by it. Public transportBudapest has an efficient public transport network made up of more than 180 bus, 14 trolleybus, 29 tram, and three metro lines. In general the buses, trams and trolleybuses operate between 4.30 am and 11 pm. The three metro lines intersect at Deák Square in the centre of town. Metros run at 2-15 minute intervals from 4.30 am to 11.10 pm.The local suburban train (HÉV) can be used to travel out to Csepel Island in the south of the city, and to nearby Szentendre, Gödöllô and Ráckeve.Maps sited at the entrances to metro stations give a comprehensive overview of the entire public transport network in Budapest. Conditions of travel are also included, in German and English. BKV public transport is available free of charge to retired citizens of other EU MemberStates too. TicketsMay be purchased at metro stations, ticket machines, tobacconists and newsagents. It isperhaps best to buy your tickets at a metro station because there you have a choice of several types of ticket and various passes.Single ticket (apr. 1 Euro): valid for bus, tram, trolleybus, metro, cogwheel railway for theentire length of the journey, as well as the suburban railway within the administrative limits of Budapest. The ticket has to be purchased beforehand, and validated in the ticket stampers found on the public transport (on the metro, either before you enter the metro or on the platforms) before the trip starts. The Budapest Transport Authority (BKV) has published a free brochure in English and German entitled Information (available from hotel receptions, Tourinform offices), and which gives detailed information about the types of tickets and costs.Information can also be found on the following Internet site: www.bkv.huTicket controls: you may be requested to show your ticket on all public transport or at exit points of the metro by ticket inspectors who wear armbands and have a badge with photograph (they generally operate in pairs, but there may be 4-5 inspectors on the metro). For this reason, please keep your ticket until the very end of your journey or until you have left the metro station. If you travel without a valid ticket or pass or if you contravene the conditions of travel, you have to pay a fine. ParkingThe capital is sectioned into several parking zones, and different parking fees are charged according to the zone (between HUF 120 and 400 per hour). There is a charge for parking between the hours of 8 am–6 pm Monday to Friday. Parking is free on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. On parking, a ticket must be purchased from the nearest ticket machine for the entire period the car is to be left. This ticket should be displayed behind the windscreen. Minimum parking time: 15 minutes, beyond which the ticket machine gives a ticket for the amount of time equivalent to the sum of money inserted. Maximum waiting time: 2-3 hours. For longer periods, it is recommended that you leave your car in a P+R car park. P+Rs are generally found at metro stations and bus termini (Pest side of Árpád Bridge, Nagyvárad Square, Örs vezér Square, Népliget etc.), from where travellers can then easily access public transport for the onward journey.Cars parked illegally will be clamped by the Municipal Public Roads Department. Any car fitted with a wheel clamp will also have an information sheet in several languages stuck to the windscreen to inform the driver how to go about having the clamp removed. Car parks and garagesMulti-storey car parks are generally open 24 hours a day; most larger hotels also have an underground garage. Some of the larger car parks: Bazilika Garage (V., Sas utca), Krisztina Garage behind the Hotel Mercure Buda (I., Kosciuszko Tádé utca), V., Aranykéz utca 4–6, V., Szervita tér 8, VII., Nyár utca 20, Corvin Multi-storey Car Park (VIII., Futó utca 52), Páva Multistorey Car Park (IX., Mester utca). Rent-a-carA selection of the larger car rental companies: Americana, Avis, Budget, Hertz. In general, all companies require that the person renting a vehicle is at least 21 years old, has had at least one year’s driving experience, has a valid driving licence and passport. All the major rent-a-car companies have an office at the airport, and brochures on rent-a-car options are available from hotel reception desks. BUDAPEST CARDLaunched in 1997, this city card is the tourist’s “best friend” for 2- or 3-day (48 or 72 hours) city sightseeing tours. Children under 14 travelling with the card holder are also entitled to the benefits the card offers. The card includes a colour prospectus (over 100 pages) in four languages with details of how to use the card and all the services and benefits that are available. Cards may be purchased in around 250 locations across the capital (airport, hotels, travel agencies, tourist information offices, main metro stations), and in travel agencies abroad.The Budapest Card provides the following services:• free travel on Budapest Transport Company (BKV Rt.) public transport• free admission to 60 museums and other important sites (Zoo, caves in Buda, MatthiasChurch)• discounted city sightseeing tours by bus and boat• discounted tickets for folklore and other cultural programmes• discounts offered in spa baths, restaurants, shops, airport minibus, car rental and numerous other places Publisher: Tourism Office of Budapest

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