Arrival:

This year, the workshop will take place in Budapest. Due to its geographical location Budapest can easily be reached by air, rail, road or river. The airport is served by a number of major world airlines. For transportation from the airport to the hotel we suggest the Airport Minibus Service. It is an airport-operated shuttle service to any given address in Budapest. This service can be ordered and paid upon arrival in the airport lobby and costs about 10 EUR / person / trip.

Taxis have a yellow traffic plate. The usual fare is about 200-280 HUF / km during the day, somewhat higher during the night. Fares from / to the airport are higher, since it is outside Budapest . Some taxi companies offer fixed airport fares. If you decide to take a taxi, please make sure it belongs to a taxi company and the rates are indicated in the car.

Major taxi companies:
Citytaxi: (+36-1) 211 1111
Volántaxi: (+36-1) 466 6666
Budataxi (+36-1) 233 3333
Fotaxi: (+36-1) 222 2222
Taxi 2000: (+36-1) 200 0000
Tele 5: (+36-1) 355 5555
Radiotaxi: (+36-1) 377 7777

Useful websites and addresses:
National and international rail timetables: www.elvira.hu
Airport: www.bud.hu
National and international bus timetables: www.volanbusz.hu
Boat timetables: www.mahartpassnave.hu

Workshop Site:

RFIDSec08 will be held at "Gólyavár"
Address: 1088 Budapest, Muzeum krt. 4.

"Gólyavár" is next to the Hungarian National Museum, in the Campus of the Eötvös Loránd University, right in the city centre. The romantic caslte-like building is surrounded by a beautiful park and is a symbol of the university.

It is relatively easy to find your way around Budapest . The Danube flows through the middle of the city, the right bank is Buda, the left is Pest . The main traffic routes are the boulevards and the radial avenues.

The three underground metro lines, trams, buses and trolley buses make up an extensive public transport network. Public transport is generally operating from 4:30 a.m. till 11-11:30 p.m., but an extensive night-time bus network is also available Tickets must be purchased in advance at the stations, fares cannot be paid on board. Tickets are valid for one ride only; a new ticket must be validated every time you change lines. Tickets have to be validated at the underground station entrances and on board of other vehicles and must be kept during the whole journey. Daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly passes are also available as well as tourist passes for 2 or 3 days.

48 or 72-hour Budapest Cards are also available; they offer free use of public transportation and other discounts on museums and restaurants.

Map of the City Centre:

The location of the workshop site is indicated in the map. Here you find a detailed map from the workshop site:

Some rooms are reserved for the workshop in the following hotels:

Hotel Mercure Museum****
Location: next to the venue (2 min. walk)
Rates:
100 Eur/single room/night
120 Eur/double room/night

This 4 star hotel is an historical building located in the heart of the city, offering 54 air-conditioned rooms with ensuite. Within walking distance of the Vaci pedestrian mall just 800 m away and only 300 m from the National Museum and Synagogue. Sauna, jacuzzi, turkish bath and massages are available for a complete relaxation. The lobby bar offers a wide selection of cocktails and wines. Other services include WiFi, swipe card system, free safe at the reception and secure parking next to the hotel.

Hotel Mercure Korona****
Location: 5 minutes walk from the venue
Rates:
100 Eur/single room/night
120 Eur/double room/night

In the heart of the city, opposite the National Museum and a few minutes to the river Danube . 420 sound-proof, air-conditioned rooms with bath, Sat-TV, modem. 1 Restaurant, bars, meeting / congress rooms, pool, sauna, and parking facilities.

Hotel Ibis Centrum***
Location: 5-7 minutes walk from the venue
Rates:
78 Eur/single room/night
94 Eur/double room/night

Ibis Budapest Centrum is located in the city centre, on one of the most vibrant cult-streets of Budapest. Ideal for business or tourist stays, it is within easy access by public transport. The hotel has 126 air-conditioned rooms. You will appreciate its garden with a terrace and its bar open 24/24 to serve light meals and snacks. Restaurants are immediately close by. Wifi Internet access is aavailable so as covered pay parking.

Hotel Kalvin House***
Location: 5-7 minutes walk from the venue
Rates:
64 Eur/single room/night
84 Eur/double room/night

House Kálvin is located in the historical downtown of Budapest in a quite street next to Kálvin Square , just a few steps from the Danube, Freedom Bridge and the Great Central Market Hall. You can walk within minutes to the pedestrian street "Váci utca" and the National Museum. Shopping and lively environment is just around the corner.

All rates include breakfast and all taxes. Please note that Budapest is very full at the period of
the workshop and there are only limited amounts of rooms reserved for workshop participants.

For questions regarding accomodation or also for booking you can contact:
Elica Winchester, HBL Travel Hungary
tel: +361-299 0686
fax: +361-299 0685
email: elica.winchester@hbl.t-online.hu

Some useful information:

Currency Exchange
Foreign currency exchange services are provided by the major Hungarian banks and the post offices, though it is worth checking the rates at various exchange points in the city (most of them don't take commission). Exchange points are usually open 24 hours a day; they also accept travellers' cheques. All major credit cards are accepted in Hungary where it is indicated at the shop entrance. And there are plenty of cash machines in the city that you can also use for getting your Hungarian Forint.

Telephones
Public phones accept 20, 50 and 100 Ft coins, or more conveniently you can buy a phone-card at any post office, newspaper stand, tobacco shop or underground station. For international calls dial " 00" before the country code, for long-distance Hungarian calls dial " 06" before the city code. "06-80" marks toll-free numbers, "06-40" is for blue (local-fee) numbers, while "06-90" is for high-fee dials (chat-lines, etc.). "06-20", "06-30" and "06-70" are mobile phone numbers. If you use your mobile to call a number in Budapest , always dial "+ 361" before the number.

Opening hours
Shops are generally open from 9 a .m. till 6 p.m. Mon-Fri, and from 9 a .m. till 2 p.m. on Saturdays, food stores from 7 a .m. to 7 p.m. Mon-Fri and 7 a .m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Some supermarkets and shops in the major shopping centres have extended opening hours, till 8 or 9 p.m. All over Budapest you can find non-stop shops which are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

Banks are generally open from 8 a .m. till 2 or 4 p.m. Mon-Fri. Post offices are open from 8 a .m. till 6 p.m. Mon-Fri, and from 8 a .m. till 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The opening hours of the museums vary, but all museums are closed on Mondays.

Tips
Restaurant prices in Hungary do not include service fees, unless it is indicated in the menu. Therefore it is customary to leave a tip of 10 % for the waiters in restaurants, bars and cafés and also for taxi drivers, hairdressers and beauticians.

Passport & Visa
Citizens from the EU-countries, from the USA and Canada and fromAustralia do not need to have a visa to travel to Hungary. Hungary does accept the Shengen Visa since November, 2007. Please note that in some cases the arrangement of the visa to Hungary might take 4-6 weeks!