Travel and accommodation

If you fly to Hungary you will land at Ferihegy, Budapest’s international airport which is located 28km from the city centre and has three terminals.  International flights are available from all the usual European airports and transcontinental travel has increased exponentially in the last two decades.

From the airport a minibus shuttle goes to anywhere in the city and costs around 2,300 Ft.  If you’re thinking of getting a taxi it is advisable to call a taxi from one of the suggested numbers at the airport pay phones and get a quote as the taxis at the entrance are notorious for charging more.  The taxi journey should cost around 4,000 Ft, with journey time of around 45 minutes.

If you’re not a keen flyer then the other (albeit much longer) option for European medical tourists is taking the train.  Overland journeys can be long but overnight trains with onboard couchettes can make this an interesting experience – but be aware that you may not feel up to it on the return journey if you have had major surgery.

Public transport

The public transport within Hungary is efficient, reliable and cheap.  Deák tér is the city centre from where the metro stations adjoin.  The Eastern Railway is the main international station and there are several daily rail connections to Vienna and Prague from here as well as metro, bus and tram connections to the city centre while Western Railway and Southern Railway serve the domestic destinations.  The main tourist attractions are spread over a fairly small area and are well served by the public transport system.

Accommodation

The average price for a three star hotel in Hungary is 12,000 to 20,000 Florint while a four star would be 20,000 to 30,000 Ft.  (€1 = approximately 300 Ft).  Booking online using price comparison sites offers some good last minute deals or you can book online direct. The three star Hotel Erzsebet in Budapest has rooms from €68 per night including breakfast (www.danubiushotels.com) while the four star Radisson SAS Beke has rooms from €85 per night.  While in Hungary it’s a good idea to take advantage of the rejuvenating and relaxing properties of the country’s many thermal spas by staying at a spa hotel such as the four star Margitsziget Thermal Hotel on Margaret’s Island.  Single rooms cost from approximately €50 per night.