TRAVEL
      Passport and Visa
      Insurance
      Currency, Exchange, Credit Cards
      Weather and Clothing
      Electricity Supply
      Budapest, the Host City

TRAVEL

      The official carrier of the Congress is MALÉV Hungarian Airlines. MALÉV is offering special fares for Congress delegates: 25% discount off the published applicable full fare tariffs and 15% discount off the other published tariffs for each participant. For discount air tickets, please contact your nearest MALÉV representative, and refer to the Congress. Click here for MALÉV representatives!

      Budapest has excellent road and rail connections with all the major cities of Europe. International trains arrive at the three stations in Budapest: the Déli, Nyugati and Keleti pu. all served by metro lines. There is an international bus station. There is a hydrofoil service from Vienna to the city center in Budapest.

      A car rental service is available at the airport and all major hotels.

      Transfer from the airport to the city
      We highly recommend the services of the Airport Minibus Company, organized on a car-pool principle, rather than taxis. You will have no difficulty in finding their representative upon arrival. (The current cost is the equivalent of 6 USD per person to any destination in Budapest.) To the city center, an airport shuttle bus is available. By public transport, from the airport you can reach the metro station by bus #93 (red number).

      Local transportation in Budapest
      Buses, trams and metro trains operate without conductors. Tickets must be purchased in advance; they are available at all metro stations, some shops and automatic ticket distributors. Each ticket is valid for one ride only and must be punched inside the vehicle or at the entrance to the metro. (One ticket costs the equivalent of about 40 cents.) Stapled groups of 10 individual tickets, or daily and weekly tickets are also available.
      The Congress Venue is at walking distance from the Kálvin tér metro station, and can be reached by trams #2, 47 and 49 and bus #15. For the Opening Ceremony, the Budapest Convention Center can be reached by tram #61 (from Moszkva tér or Déli pu. metro station), or by buses #8, 12 or 112. (From the Congress Venue to the Convention Center, take tram #47 or #49 to the Buda direction, i.e. across the bridge and change at Móricz Zs. körtér to tram #61.)

 

Passport and Visa
      Most visitors to Hungary must possess a valid passport. Entry visas are not required for citizens of Canada, the USA, Japan, and of the EU and most other European countries. You are requested to inquire at the Hungarian Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

 

Insurance
      The registration fee does not include any kind of insurance. All participants are advised to make the necessary arrangements in their home countries before departure.

 

Currency, Exchange, Credit Cards
      The official currency in Hungary is the Hungarian forint. Foreign and Hungarian currency can be brought into or taken out of Hungary without restrictions. Currency exchange facilities are available at the airport, at major banks and in hotels. Most post offices accept postal cheques. Bankomats (ATMs) are also available to obtain Hungarian forints from all major credit cards. Cheques and major credit cards are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and some department stores and shops, but you should ask before ordering a service.

 

Weather and Clothing
      The climate in Hungary in August is usually sunny, with an average daily temperature of 22-25 oC. The evenings, however, might be cool, so you may find a pullover, a light coat, a raincoat or an umbrella useful. Showers may occur, but the humidity is normally not high. Informal dress is appropriate for all events.

 

Electricity Supply
      In Hungary, electricity is supplied at 230 V, 50 Hz. The 2-pin plug is different from those used in some other countries.

 

Budapest, the Host City
      The twin cities of Buda and Pest are situated opposite each other on the banks of the River Danube. Buda, on the right bank, is the more ancient of the two, dating back to Roman times and beyond. The baroque Royal Palace, looking down on the plain where the city of Pest sprawls, is already the fourth or fifth regal habitat on the hill.
      Pest, the more modern part, is the home of the country's political life and the seat of government. There, in the heart of the administration district, stands the magnificent neo-gothic building of the Parliament and just a few blocks away is the central building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, next to the oldest bridge in the city. Pest, which stretches to the east and to the south, is also the center of business, banking and industry of the country. Do not miss the busy shopping center of Váci Street with its elegant shops and cafes.
      Hilly Buda, with her famous museums on Castle Hill and the winding medieval streets of the old "burgher town", offering romantic walks and enchanting views of bustling Pest, is also renowned for the traditional Hungarian cuisine to be sampled in some of the country's finest restaurants.

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