USING THE TELEPHONE IN HUNGARY
At best, telephones in Hungary are merely frustrating. Most of the time, though, they are outright appalling—even worthy of profane outbursts. "I had promised to call
someone at three o'clock in the afternoon, when I was out and about in downtown Budapest. I covered several blocks and more than a few telephone booths before finding even one barely functional pay-phone, and it still took me three or four tries to get through."
The telephone system is presently in the midst of a long-overdue overhaul. Numbers are changing to meet the specifications of the new digital system. And it's a mess. Public Telephones -
Public phones come in three colors: red (for long distance), silver (for local), and blue (for both).
- Look for the newer style of public phone. They work for both domestic and international calls. You will need coins—at least five forint denominations, for most phones. Long-distance calls require 20 forint coins.
- For reliable pay phones try the main post office(s) in Budapest or your town of residence.
- Keep looking until you find one that works!
- Buy telephone
calling cards. These will help keep you from dumping all your coins into the ill-working phones.
For long distance calls within Hungary: dial 06, wait for a dial tone, and then dial the city code and the rest of the number. A central service for sending and receiving fax messages is available at: Post Office No. 62
VI. Terez krt. 51
Budapest
Phone: (01) 112-1200
Fax: receiving (01) 153-4670
(You must pick up your faxes personally at the post office.)
Calling Home For international calls, try AT&T Direct. It's by far the most reliable way to use a calling card or call collect. AT&T Direct Dial 00 (wait for tone) 800-011-11 or 00-36-0111
MCI WorldPhone: 00 (wait for tone) 800-014-11 Important Telephone Numbers Budapest Police emergency: 07
Fire emergency: 05
Ambulance: 04 or (01) 111-1666
Police headquarters: (01) 118-0800 or (01) 111-8668
Fire station: (01) 121-6216
Directory assistance: (01) 267-7111
International operator: 09 Mail in Hungary >>> | 
