2021 - Budapest Guide

It is time for Christmas markets in Budapest again (2021)!

Posted on November 11, 2021November 11, 2021 by Budapest Guide

After a break in 2020 due to COVID, the Christmas markets in Budapest will once again shine and bring joy to the local population and tourists in 2021. The famous Christmas markets at the Vörösmarty square and the Szent Istvan square will open on November 19th. This is great news for those who want to drink some hot wine, buy souvenirs, and for those who long to taste some Hungarian Christmas fair food.

Christmas market in Budapest recommendations

It has been promised that the Christmas markets in 2021 will be made better for the local population as well. Normally, it has been considered a very expensive experience to eat on these markets, and that is why it is a requirement that all the companies serving food at the Christmas markets should offer meals costing no more than 1500. Of course, there will be plenty of meals costing a lot more, but there should be some cheaper options on their menu to support and to help make this event worth visiting, also for the locals.

More information about the Christmas markets in Budapest

New in 2021 is the fact that a vaccination passport is required to visit the Christmas markets. We do not know how they will actually do this, but there is supposed to be such a requirement. It might be that they will have guards checking the validity of your vaccination at the different entry points to the Christmas market. If such a thing will take place, then you can show it with your cell phone or a vaccination proof (card).

No matter what, we really look forward to be able to enjoy the beautiful Christmas markets in Budapest together with all of you once again!

Hungary is now open to people with vaccination passports!

Posted on July 6, 2021November 30, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Are you living in an EU country? Have you received your vaccines and now you have a valid vaccination passport? If your answer to those questions is yes, then you are currently very welcome to visit Budapest.

Traveling within the EU has become quite a lot easier since July 1st, and the same is true for people who would like to visit Budapest. If you have a vaccination passport you are free to enter the country without any need of going into isolation. You can travel straight from the airport to your hotel and later walk the streets of Budapest, drink a coffee, sip a glass of Tokaj wine, and then eat a nice Goulash in a Budapest restaurant.

Since July 4th, Hungarians no longer need to wear a mask inside stores. There is no guarantee for how long these regulations will remain like this, but hopefully, the worst is over and tourism will return to normal within not so long.

What if I come with kids?

Adults with a vaccination passport can bring their kids along. Children under 18 years traveling with vaccinated adults do not need any further tests or vaccination in order to enter the country.

What if I don’t have a certificate?

If you have gone through COVID within the last 6 months and have official papers to confirm that, you are still allowed to enter the country with no need to be in quarantine.

If you don’t fit into any of the groups above, the best is probably to stay at home and get a vaccination!

Would you like to know even more?

You can find the official information about entering Hungary at http://www.police.hu/en/content/information-on-general-rules-of-border-crossing

The information might be a bit hard to understand, but if you read it through a couple of times, you should find all the answers you need!

Hungary is slowly opening again!

Posted on April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 by Budapest Guide

Hungary has been in strict lockdown since November, and for tourists, since April 2020. In other words, we have missed all tourists coming from abroad, and the tourist guides are working in grocery stores or being without work at home instead. But, there might be a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel!

Hungary is expected to reach 4,000,000 vaccinated people this week (that means, 4 million people who has received at least one vaccine). The government has promised that things will easen up once the number reaches 4 million, meaning that cinemas will be allowed to open once again, theaters can run their performances, and restaurants will be allowed to open up once again.

A week ago, restaurants were allowed to open their terraces, but once Hungary reaches 4 million vaccinated people, they will be allowed to use the inside space as well.

Will a vaccination passport be required?

The messages haven’t been entirely clear yet about whether or not a vaccination passport will be required to visit the restaurants, go to cinema, and to enjoy a play in a theater. The government has mentioned that the activities should only be opened for those with a proof of vaccination, but many fear that this will be “racism”, especially those who believe that Covid is part of a play for Bill Gates to become even richer.

No matter what, Hungary is slowly opening, and most likely, tourists from abroad will be allowed to enter the country more freely this summer.

If you plan on visiting Budapest this summer, we do recommend that you get a vaccination. Without a vaccination, you might be foreced to do lots of tests upon arrival, quarantine and more… and you might experience that you will not be allowed to visit restaurants and more. In other words, you will have a way more pleasant stay and arrival if you have a proof of vaccination in your pocket!

We for sure hope that life will turn back to normal as quickly as possible! We look forward to seeing all of you in Budapest as quickly as possible!

When will Disney+ come to Hungary?

Posted on March 23, 2021April 19, 2022 by Budapest Guide

Are you in lockdown in Budapest (Hungary), or are you just curious about when Disney+ will come to Hungary? Or are you planning a trip to Hungary, but you worry about whether or not you will be able to stream The Mandalorian and all the other popular shows on Disney+ while visiting the country? Here we will give you a status report about Disney+ and its situation and future in Hungary!

So, let us start with the current status. If you visit the DisneyPlus website while residing in Hungary, you will see the following screen.

As you can see on the picture, the service is unavailable. There is a little text in the upper right corner asking if you are a subscriber already, and it gives you the chance to login. But, even if you login, you will not be able to stream anything, because then you will see the following error message.

You will see an error message like the one above in the language of your Disney+ subscription. Above the language is Norwegian, but if the language of your Disney+ subscription is set to English, German, or some other language, you will see the error message telling you that Disney+ is unavailable at your current location message like above.

In other words, even if you have a Disney+ subscription, you will not be able to enjoy it while visiting Hungary…. or?

Is it impossible to watch Disney+ in Hungary?

There are a few ways to stream Disney+ while in Hungary. I can currently recommend the following article which explains easily how to watch Disney+ in Hungary if you already have a subscription, and it also gives instructions on how to get a Disney+ subscription and watch it in Hungary, if you do not have a subscription yet. You can find the article at https://www.thevpnboss.com/disney-isnt-available-in-my-country-what-can-i-do/.

When will Disney+ come to Hungary?

Disney+ is already available in quite a lot of European countries, and the situation is quite similar to the situation with Netflix some years ago. They were available in the most “popular” European countries, but we have to wait for it in Eastern Europe and countries such as Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

But, it has now been made public that Disney+ will come to Hungary on June 14th in 2022!

In other words, this summer Disney+ will finally come to Hungary, meaning that you can stream The Mandalorian, The story of Boba Fett, Loki, and lots of other Disney+ original content and awesome movies on the streaming portal.

That should be considered awesome news. And if you have a Disney+ subscription in some other country, then you can use the same subscription while in Hungary. In other words, you do not need an additional subscription to watch Disney+ in Hungary, but you can use your present subscription while in Hungary. In the same way, Hungarians who will purchase a Disney+ subscription in Hungary can use the same description while visiting other countries in which Disney+ is available.

There are some differences in content between countries for Disney+ and the ratings you see will also reflect the ratings of the country you are in and not your home country. Besides that, everything works in the same way.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your days in Hungary!