One would think that paying for utilities, such as water, gas and electricity consumption, is a relatively straight forward thing to do.  However, when relocating to a new country with different payment systems and cost itemization options, such a simple procedure suddenly becomes a nerve-racking hassle.
Download the definitive guide to paying your utility bills (PDF  …

There is a wide variety of private healthcare options in Budapest. Expat Echo weighs the options…

Winter is only a few months away, so enjoy the nice weather while it lasts; it’s time for some outdoor fun!  Budapest is the ideal expat family posting, as it has so many fun and unique activities to offer.  There are literally dozens of fantastic playgrounds to choose from all over the city.

Surprisingly, dialing in Hungary is not as straightforward as one might assume. Expat Echo provides the details on digits.

Moving to a new country can be challenging. According to Families in Global Transition, relocation stress syndrome is the name of the bundle of physiologic and psychosocial disturbances that result from transfer from one environment to another. Rewarding, exciting, and enriching as international relocation may be – and it is all of those things – …

So, you’re here, in Budapest, in a lovely new house, but the furniture is, well, not to your taste. Don’t worry, Budapest has plenty of places to bag a bookcase, snare a sofa or procure a pouf.

Occasionally, an expat might complain about “bad” Hungarian driving, when in reality the problem lies with the expat not fully knowing the local rules of the road.

Nowadays, the health conscious often opt for bottled water over tap water. However, few are aware of the impact their choice of H2O tipple has on the environment. Bottled water consumption has more than doubled globally in the last six years and is greatly taxing the world’s ecosystem.

Your first trip to a Hungarian market may prove a tad disconcerting. Cows’ tongues, pigs’ cheeks and chicken heads dangle overhead. Lanes are crammed with mounds of weird shaped legumes, knobs of queer nuts and peculiar fruits. It all seems a wonderful trove for a witch’s kitchen, but the poor expat can be forgiven for …

We all know what it is like to be a new arrival on the expat scene. It can be unnerving walking into a room full of strangers for your first expat social. But do make the effort!

Here is a quick but simple explanation on how to pay your parking with your mobile phone:
Send an SMS, with yor car license plate, to the number [06], followed by the two digits of your provider ([20] for Pannon, [30] for T-Mobile and [70] for Vodafone), then [810] followed by the four numbers indicated on …