Preparing for your Hungarian Adventure
Pre-Arrival Form
We kindly ask that you complete the following short survey to share your arrival and departure information with the Hankinco Team. We’ll also ask for a few details that we need to collect for our hotel partners and tour providers.
Please submit this form along with your final invoice payments by Sunday July 30.
Thank you for the quick turnaround on this information and your payments — it’ll expedite our check in process when we arrive in Budapest and Tokaj.
Budapest Arrival INstructions & Local Currency TIps
Arrival Information: Arriving at the Budapest airport and making your way to the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel is fairly straightforward. Since our guests are arriving over the course of several days from many different countries we’re asking everyone to independently take a taxi or local ride share from the airport to the hotel for our initial check in.
Budapest Hotel Address: Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, Erzsébet krt. 9, 1073 Hungary (map below)
When you exit your gate at the airport you’ll proceed through customs to claim your luggage. Keep in mind, if you entered into a European Union (EU) country you will not receive a second passport stamp in Hungary. You are able to exit without a stamp.
Taxi vs. Ride Share: Whether you opt for the traditional taxi or a ride share app everyone in Budapest will know where the “New York Palace Budapest Hotel” is located. This is one of the most famous hotels in the city and a very popular cafe/restaurant in the center of town. You’ll have two affordable options that we recommend:
Option 1 (traditional taxi): The yellow Budapest airport taxis have the distinctive “TAXI” sign on their roof and are always available outside T2 of BUD Airport. All airport taxi transfers are operated exclusively by Főtaxi — so look for this logo/identification in the cab if you’re unsure. The fare should be approximately 32$ from the airport to the hotel. If you prefer to book ahead to have a taxi waiting for you, we recommend Welcome Pickups.
Option 2 (ride share: Bolt): This is the equivalent of Lyft/Uber operating in Hungary. It’s typically around 5-10$ cheaper than the traditional taxi option (depending on the arrival time). In fact, sometimes when you call a Bolt you’ll actually end up riding in a taxi. Like the US ride share companies, you can connect your credit card, name, and destination and the app provides a nearby driver to take you to your location. The Hankinco team used Bolt many times throughout our scouting trip — it’s reliable, easy, and a cool way to chat with locals. Download the app before you arrive in Budapest.
Hungarian Cash: If you haven’t already acquired a few HUF (Hungarian Forint) before arriving in Budapest we recommend changing approximately $50-100 USD at the airport. There is a currency exchange located in the Terminal 2A Arrival Hall after baggage claim (10am-8pm). This amount will be plenty for minor purchases during your time in Hungary. As of July 2023 there are about 355 Forints to the US dollar. You should be able to exchange dollars for Forints at most major airports before you arrive in Hungary. Euro are also accepted throughout Hungary but the exchange rate is not as good.
[Please note: Breakfasts and dinners are included in your Hankinco costs, as are some wines, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages for dinners. Breakfasts and dinners will be quite substantial - the Hankinco Team skipped lunches during our scouting visit. Please have cash on hand for: cocktails or other drink upgrades, snacks between meals, souvenirs at vendor stands, etc.]
Return to Budapest on Aug 13: When we return to Budapest from Tokaj all guests will be dropped off at the Budapest International Airport. We will be coordinating departure times from Tokaj to Budapest based on your flight information. These will be noted in your individualized itineraries.
If you plan to return to downtown Budapest to continue your adventure we kindly ask that you take a taxi or ride share from the airport.
Map to the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel:
Hungary Packing Tips
Wearing casual clothing in Budapest, Eger, and Tokaj is commonplace. You’ll see locals in jeans or shorts as well as tank tops and t-shirts. If you like to dress up a bit that won’t be out of place either. There’s no significant modesty culture in Hungary so feel free to wear whatever you’d be comfortable wearing in the US. We recommend you bring along a top or second layer that covers shoulders if you plan to go inside churches or synagogues. Bring along a small tote, backpack, or day bag to bring along on excursions.
Comfortable shoes are a must! We’ll be doing lots of walking throughout the trip so make sure you’re happy in your shoes. We recommend guests who are participating in any active or water based excursions to bring a change of sneakers so you stay comfortable throughout the trip. It’s always good to be on the safe side with a change of shoes. Here at Hankinco…we argue shoes > extra clothes any time.
Summers in Budapest can get hot! We’re likely to see highs of 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit during our time in Budapest with slightly cooler weather in Tokaj. Take full advantage of the warm weather and pack a wardrobe to reflect the heat. You will want to take flowery dresses, loose blouses, tank tops and skirts or shorts. Don’t forget your sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses! Bring along a light jacket or summer sweater for cooler evenings outside or trips to the wine cellar / cave systems.
Try and choose light fabrics such as cottons, linen and silk that are breathable and absorb moisture. Don’t forget to pack a swimsuit and flip flops for your trip to the Budapest’s baths and the pool in Tokaj. Towels will be provided so no need to bring your own.
There may be short rain showers in the afternoons or early evenings but no need to pack rain gear — it’s typically fairly dry.
Don’t forget:
sunscreen/bug spray
hat and sunglasses
day bag or small backpack for exploring
comfortable shoes (at least one pair!)
breathable clothes
swimsuit
light second layer for caves or religious sites.
Luggage Tips & Too Many Bags: We’ll be traveling from Budapest to Tokaj in crossover SUVs so we kindly ask that you don’t show up with 6 months worth of luggage! A good-sized suitcase and personal item (backpack/large purse, etc) are no problem, but keep in mind you’ll be sharing a vehicle with 2-3 other folks.
We will have an extra “luggage” vehicle but hope to pack each guest’s luggage in their primary vehicle. No need to wear the same t-shirt/shorts all week to save space either. In fact, we hope you change your clothes at some point in Hungary! Just be considerate of your fellow travelers and try not to show up with an absurd amount of luggage.
Communication Tips:
We recommend you download WhatsApp and the Bolt rideshare app on your cell phones before traveling. These allow us to keep in touch with you throughout our adventures. The Hankinco Adventure team will have 24/7 cell access to make sure everyone feels connected and safe.
Both hotels have excellent Wifi access, but if you’d like to have cell service while in Budapest we recommend you contact your cell provider. Most short term or “pay for use” international plans are fairly reasonable these days!