Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
1. Useful to Know - Some general information
8 ÜSEFÜL TO KNOW or change from tram to bus in the course of one journey, you need another ticket. Tickets can be bought at metro stations and some newsagents. They have to be validated for each ride by being punched in the little machine on buses, trolleybuses, trams and on the little underground, or before entering the platform on the metro. Children may like to punch the ticket. With the machines in the metro the ticket has to be held firmly and inserted. The machine may not work, so try another! Don’t worry about missing a train. Services on the metro are very frequent. Apart from the single-ride tickets, there are also day, week, two-week and monthly tickets. These can save a lot. The monthly ticket has a substantially reduced rate for school-age children. The doors on metro trains and trams open at all stops. On buses and trolleys you have to indicate your wish to alight by pressing the button above the door. There is often a special, lower button for children near the front door of buses, which children can press to “stop” the bus themselves. It is advisable to avoid the rush hours with children (up to 9 a.m. in the morning and from 3.30 to 6.00 in the afternoon), though, surprisingly by western standards, a seat will invariably be given up for an adult with a child, particularly if the child is being carried. Try it and see! See also Push-chair problems below and Going for a ride (3). Toilets Finding a toilet for a child in Budapest is no laughing matter! Public toilets are few and far between and many are not in the cleanest of states. The best bet is probably to use one in a hotel or café. There’s often a saucer placed just outside or just inside the door for a tip for the attendant, who may also be sitting there. Five forints or so is the norm. On the streets there are a number of coin-operated pay-toilets, which can be reasonably clean. These are often situated near playgrounds (5), and have been indicated in the text. Another solution is to nip into a community centre (10) if you are near one.
