Timetable en Hongrie: time difference and opening hours

Time difference en Hongrie

Hungary has the same time zone as France, Belgium and Switzerland (GMT + 1). Winter time is used here (time changes at the same time as in France). This means that by 4:30 pm in winter, it's already pitch dark.

Opening hours en Hongrie

To see / To do en Hongrie

Don't be surprised: here, most administrations, institutions and small stores close early on Friday and Saturday afternoons - in addition to Sundays off - with the exception of the tourist streets in the various towns. Shopping centers are open on Sundays, as are some supermarkets. On weekdays and Saturdays, they stay open until 8/21pm (or even later). Museums and sites are rarely open past 5 or 6 pm, and close on most public holidays.

Enjoying yourself en Hongrie

Most restaurants serve non-stop from 12pm to 10-11pm on weekends (the kitchen often closes an hour earlier), and some are closed on Sundays. Gastronomic establishments close between noon and two. Small canteens are generally closed from 3pm and at weekends; it's best to refer to your French-Hungarian lexicon (or don't hesitate to use gestures to make yourself understood), as English is rarely spoken.

Take a break en Hongrie

Cafés and patisseries are open between 7am/8pm and 5pm/6pm and often serve breakfast, pastries, snacks and even lunch menus. Bars in Budapest and other major cities close around midnight/2am.

(To) please yourself en Hongrie

Outside shopping centers, which are generally open from 8am to 8pm, boutiques open early (8am) and close early (6pm), including on Saturday afternoons (1pm or 2pm), and are not open on Sundays. Designers are often closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Some boutiques are not open on Saturdays.

Get out en Hongrie

Concerts, plays and operas start around 7.7.30 or 8 p.m., bar concerts at 9 p.m. and discotheques around 10-11 p.m. It's worth noting that most Hungarians go out on Friday and Saturday nights (and to a lesser extent on Thursday nights). The rest of the week - except in summer - most bars and clubs close at 2 a.m. at most, and on Sundays there's not a cat in sight, although with tourists, there's always a crowd. Happy hours are rare in Hungary, except in Irish pubs/international bars.