on the older buses, have a look at the ticket itself. It is rare but inspectors can flag down the bus in the middle of nowhere so do not overstay your journey.
Summary of bus stations in Budapest and the walking areas they serve:
Budapest Népstadion: Aggtelek, Bükk, Mátra, Zemplén
Budapest Árpád híd: Börzsöny, Pilis
Budapest Népliget: Bakony, Balaton, Mecsek, Vértes.
Timetables
National railway and bus timetables (menetrend) are available at rail and bus stations, and regional versions can be bought at provincial offices. Tourinform offices have a set of timetables and staff will be glad to help with travel plans. For both train and bus services the summer timetable begins in early June and the winter timetable takes over from September. All times are in the 24-hour clock. If planning your trip from outside Hungary check the railway and bus company websites (see Appendix 4). The MÁV website has up-to-date timetables and prices in English, but the VOLÁN equivalent is in Hungarian, although it does provide an on-line Hungarian–English dictionary.
Every main railway station has a map of the national network and a timetable for every line, but a few rural railway halts do not have a booking office or timetable, so take a note of the return services before setting off. The national bus network is decentralised and its timetables show only the regional destinations and arrivals.
Hungary’s timetables are afflicted by a plague of footnotes. Understanding this cluster of symbols and letters could be crucial if you are not to discover that the last bus you thought you could catch does not run on weekdays. Appendix 2 has a few examples. As a general guide no symbols next to a departure time means the service is daily and a crossed hammer symbol or the letter M means that the service runs only on working days.
Health
General
At the time of writing emergency and out-patient treatment are available free to citizens of the European Union, but follow-up care must be paid for or pursued back home. It is worth checking the latest position with the Hungarian embassy before departure. There is no reciprocal health agreement for citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Whatever your status travel insurance is recommended. Doctors usually speak English, although receptionists and nurses do not. Take a simple first aid kit comprising plasters, bandage, safety pin and anti-histamine for insect bites although all these items are available in Hungarian drug stores. In Hungary only pharmacies (gyógyszertár or patika) are authorised to supply medicines taken internally, and antibiotics require a doctor’s prescription. Pharmacies will accept foreign prescriptions if you require resupply during the holiday. Medicines for personal use up to a certain value can be brought into Hungary. Check with the embassy for the latest regulations.
Ticks
Walking in Hungary is relatively safe, but as with most of Central Europe its forests and meadows are a haven for ticks (kullancs), which attach themselves to the undergrowth waiting for a host to pass by. The bite is painless, but an attached tick must be removed promptly and with care so as not to increase the risk of infection. Ticks are active in Hungary from April until the first frost, which can be as late as November, but the main season is May and June. The risk of contracting disease is low for the walker who follows well-beaten trails, uses a DEET insect repellent, and does not wild camp, but if spending a long time in the hills it may be worthwhile getting vaccinated against encephalitis. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics if caught at an early stage, although vaccination is available in the USA.
Dogs
In rural Hungary dogs are not pets but inexpensive alarms, and most houses have a sign on the gate: Harapós a kutya! or Vigyázz! A kutya harap! (Beware of the Dog). Every garden dog feels it is its duty to bark, howl and snarl at any stranger, and once the first dog starts a chain reaction sets in until the whole village is in commotion. Villagers seem to be impervious to the racket but it is unsettling for the first-time walker in Central Europe. Fortunately the brutes are usually safely locked behind garden gates and it is rare to see feral dogs wandering around the countryside. If confronted by an overzealous village defender that has slipped its chain a threatening swipe with a stick or well-aimed stone should be enough to send it on its way.
The risk of rabies (veszettség) in Hungary is very low and health authorities take the control of the disease very seriously. Rabies posters of a fox’s head pinned to trees in some walking areas look alarming, but they are merely informing walkers that bait with a serum has been laid in the area as part of a humane programme to vaccinate foxes against the disease. It is unusual to catch rabies in Hungary as owners are legally obliged to vaccinate their dogs regularly. If you are bitten try to identify the dog’s owner and insist on the vaccination certificate (Oltási papírok) and take it with you to the hospital or nearest surgery. The doctor will administer a tetanus injection whatever the dog’s vaccination history, but if you cannot produce a certificate, or the dog was feral, you will be automatically treated for rabies. There is also a follow-up investigation by the local health authority. Treatment for dog bites is considered an emergency and free if your country has a reciprocal health care agreement, but avoid the risk of a bite and the subsequent bureaucracy: steer clear of dogs however friendly they look.
Snakes
The common viper Vipera berus can be found in many hill areas, especially in the Zemplén, but it is unusual to see one, let alone get close enough to be bitten, and fatal bites are rare. The anti-venom serum is available at rural pharmacies. If the pharmacy is closed ring the bell for the pharmacist, who usually lives on the premises.
Drinking Water
Karst formation has diverted surface water underground in many upland areas and there are few clear streams. It is not advisable to drink stream water, and not all waterborne diseases can be eliminated using the ordinary purification tablets available in camping shops. In summer carry at least two litres of water per person and fill up whenever possible from the blue pumps found on village streets. Alternatively, the local bar will gladly refill your water bottle from their tap, or if you see a villager working in the garden ask: Kérhetek egy kis vizet? (May I have a little water?)
If the route does not pass through villages there are many springs (forrás or kút) marked on walking maps. They range from boggy hollows to elaborate structures built by the local walking club and named after some local worthy or historical figure. Springs and wells above and away from settlements and hunting lodges are likely to be clean, although there are concerns about the quality of water in parts of the Mecsek. Springs or pumps designated undrinkable are marked: nem ivóvíz.
Refreshment Abuse
Some walks pass through villages where cheap bars and excellent restaurants offer food and drink at very reasonable prices. Stopping for refreshments is a pleasant way to break up a walk and Appendix 2 lists a few drinks and how to order them in Hungarian. If you decide to take the opportunity for an extended lunch be aware that excess alcohol is dangerous on a long hot walk. You might also find yourself regretting it as you stumble through the dark to finish the route.
Waymarking
Hungary’s hundreds of trails are marked out by a system of rectangular coloured waymarks comprising two white bands with a central stripe of red, blue, green or yellow. Auxiliary routes use other symbols: a cross connects two routes; a square leads to a settlement or accommodation such as a hostel; a triangle indicates the route to a summit or viewpoint; an L is the way to a historic ruin such as a fortress; a coloured spot leads to a spring or well; a semicircle to a circular route; and an omega symbol leads to a cave. In ski resorts coloured saltires (stiles with a cross-piece) mark the ski routes. Waymarks are
