The annual ‘lomtalanitás’ – or ‘bulky waste clearance day’ – takes place on a different date in various parts of each district. Organized by your local authority, lomtalanitás is a great free service which allows you to clear out the clutter, while proving an opportunity for some hawk eyed dumpster-diver types to scour the lomtalanitás …

One of the wonderful aspects of the quality of life in Budapest is its proximity to unspoiled areas to enjoy the outdoors. There’s great hiking in the Buda and PIlis to the west and to the east near Eger. Farther afield, biking around Lake Balaton in the southwest or Lake Fertod near the Austrian border …

There’s no shortage of paprika in Budapest, but every once in a while it’s nice to be able to cook up a little something different…or as the case may be for a lot of expats, something familiar. Culinaris is wonderful if you’re looking for a wide range of Western-style ingredients, but you’ll be more …

Whether you thought you could get away with it, were running a little late, or have just forgotten, there’s a good chance that at some point in your stay in Budapest you’ll find a little red or blue plastic bag clipped under your car’s wiper.  In it will be a receipt and a yellow bill …

Bike lanes are popping up and being redesigned all over Budapest.  If you’d like to leave your car behind for the next trip around town, a website, Mozgásvilág (Moving World), has made an up-to-date, interactive bike route map available, hazards and bike parking included.  It’s only in English at the moment, so here’s a translated …

There are certain things that you don’t mind being lost in translation, however getting your haircut is one situation when you want to be understood loud and clear.

The EHIC was launched in 2006 to provide free or reduced healthcare for citizens of the EEA anywhere within the community.

Expat Echo investigates the nationality question for expat babies born in Hungary and elsewhere.

Many expats are getting ready to pack up their lives and move either to a new destination or back to their home country. Among the many considerations, one thing that may be playing on your mind is getting your security deposit back. It is common practice in Hungary to pay two months rent as a …

Being a vegetarian can be hard when living in Hungary, but it is not impossible to find your favorite produce and keep your veggie dreams alive. Below is a comprehensive list of vegetarian shops and restaurants that should whet your healthy palette. Enjoy!

Biokonyha
home delivery (lakto)
Tel: 20-200-1045
zimrezs@invitel.hu
sales@biochef.hu

Vegafood
Home delivery (lakto)
Tel: 1/221-6601
ennemkell@vegafood.hu
Biopont
Darshan udvar (vegan)
VIII. Krúdy Gy. u. 8.
Tel: …

Quick, easy, and a surefire crowd pleaser, pizza is the staple of children’s diets and parties. Luckily, Budapest is home to many an excellent pizzéria!

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
By William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Published by the North Point Press, 193 pages
By focusing on design, Cradle to Cradle attempts to steer environmental debate about end-of-pipe solutions into a constructive re-conceptualisation of the way we think about the environment – largely by focusing on manmade products and …

It was a long time a-coming, but a genuine Mexican taqueria finally set up shop in Budapest in spring of 2009. Arriba Taqueria (opposite the Muvesz cinema on Terez krt., Dist. VI) is under the direction of Mo Ortiz, well known to expats as a partner in Iguana Restaurant. With its eye-catching décor and focus …

It was a long wait but summer is here, and so hot already!  Aperitif al fresco or barbecues are back on the menu and MonVin is pleased to offer a great mixed case of fresh and fruity wines to please all: a South African Rosé, with New World punch, a fruity Chardonnay d’Oc blended with …