Language: Hungarian

Climate: Warm, dry summers and fairly cold winters. January is the coldest month with daytime temperatures usually around 0°C. In the summer, daytime temperatures reach 20-25°C, but sometimes climb higher to 30°C or more. Mostly, summertime weather is dry with sunny spells, although sometimes heavy thunderstorms can occur at the end of the day.

Time Zone: CET – Central European Time

International phone code: 36

Currency: Forint (HUF)

Capital: Budapest

Transportation: Hungary's main international airports are Budapest Ferihegy Airport in Budapest and Airport Debrecen in Debrecen. Several low-cost carriers fly to Budapest, including Ryanair, Wizzair and Easyjet. Hungary presently has no regular domestic flights. As Budapest lies in the center of the country and pretty much any point can be reached within three hours by train or bus, there isn't much need for scheduled domestic flights. Intercity (IC) trains are the fastest, and they're up-to-date, well maintained and clean. They link the major cities with Budapest.

Gay Hungary:

Though Hungary was once considered fairly tolerant compared to some of its central European neighbours, its swing to the right in its 2010 election marked a huge step back for gay rights. Even prior to the 2010 election, gay Pride marches came under siege in Budapest beginning in 2006, where marchers were contained to fenced-in corridors and attacked by anti-gay protesters. In 2012, a bill was introduced to ban any "gay propaganda". Homophobia is on the rise. Gay travellers would be wise to research the current climate before making any plans to visit.