About the Program

• Introduction
• Program Specifics
• Academic Calendar
• Costs

An In-depth Look

• Participants' Perspectives
• Goals and History
• Home Schools
• Founders, Directors and Advisors

Apply

• Applicaton Materials
• Checklist!
• Required Forms for Application

After Acceptance

• Important Information
• Arrival Procedures
• Current Courses
• Required Forms

Alumni

• Returned Students Survey
• Update Your Contact Info
• Transcript Requests
• Join the Facebook Group!

Arrival Suggestions and Procedures

Please carry your Important Information packet with you in your carry-on luggage for the telephone numbers of the program.

Address / Phone

(011=overseas access 36=Hungary 1=Budapest)

Budapest Office Mail

Arriving in Budapest by Air

It is essential that you fill out the travel plans form on-line as soon as you make your travel arrangements. The BSM Office will keep a copy and email a copy to Budapest. It will include the following information:

• Departure City before Budapest (such as Amsterdam, London, etc.)
• Departure Date (from Amsterdam, London, etc.)
• Airline carrier and Flight Number to Budapest
• Arrival time in Budapest

With direct flights or flights into Budapest from a European city, this information is easily known from your travel agent or on your ticket (barring flight delays or cancellations, of course).

In case of a flight delay, call one of the telephone numbers listed above and/or email office@bsmath.hu and budapestsemesters@gmail.com. The Hungarian cell phone number is recommended. If you have internet access remember that Budapest is 7 hours ahead of Minnesota. You may also leave a message for the Budapest office in the states 1-507-786-3114 but it is essential to contact Budapest and apprise them of the situation. If calling Budapest from Europe, you will need to find out the access code and then call one of the numbers above. You may also fax or e-mail Budapest if this is more convenient. If delayed, please remember to contact your parents and keep them posted on your current situation.

Someone from our program should meet you at the airport. After clearing customs, you will eventually enter a roped off area. Look for someone holding up a sign saying, "Budapest Semesters". If they miss you at the airport there is a minivan which says (in English), "Airport Minibus". If arriving during office hours, this van will take you and your luggage to College International (Bethlen Gabor ter 2) for about $20.00. The trip takes about 45 minutes.

If you arrive after office hours, or on the weekend unannounced, take the mini van to a youth hostel, motel, or hotel for the night. Contact the Budapest office when the next regular office day begins.

Arriving in Budapest by Train

If you are arriving by train, please follow a few logical plans:

• If you know the exact train time, date, and number, please give this information to the North American Office as soon as you know. [There are 4 separate train stations in Budapest.] Someone will meet your train and take you to your lodgings.
• Go to the engine of the train and look for a person holding a sign with "Budapest Semesters" written on it. If you are a woman traveling alone, it is best to arrive in Budapest in the morning or early afternoon.
• If you will not know your exact train information until after you arrive in Europe, and would like someone from the program to meet your train, please contact the Budapest Semesters Office in Budapest at least 2 days BEFORE your arrival. (Sooner, if possible.) See the contact numbers above.

Keep in mind that not all persons who will be assigned to pick you up will have telephones. It may be necessary for someone from the Budapest Office to personally go to that person's home to contact them. Thus, changes or unannounced arrivals are not as easily accommodated in Hungary as they are in North America.

If you arrive unannounced at Keleti train station in Budapest during office hours, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (8:30–17:00), (and you don't have too much luggage), it is an easy 3–4 block walk to the school.

If you prefer not to walk, it may be best to hail a cab and show the driver the Budapest Semester's address. The offices are located on the 3^rd floor.

College International
Bethlen Gabor ter 2 VII

If you arrive after the office is closed for the day:

If you have not informed anyone in the Budapest office of your arrival plans, have a change in plans, or are delayed, and/or no one meets you at the train, plan to walk, or take a taxi to a hotel, motel, or youth hostel and spend the night (at your own expense).

Please remember to contact your parents and keep them posted on your current situation.

If it is necessary to spend your first night in Budapest before meeting people from the program or if you are unable to make contact with someone from the program don't panic.

Both the airport and train station have a counter set up to help people find accommodations. Once you arrive at your lodging, there is usually someone at the front desk who speaks English.

If it is necessary to spend your first night in a hotel, motel, or hostel in Budapest before meeting people from the program, or if you are unable to make contact with someone from the program, don’t panic. Eat a good meal, relax by reading a good book (maybe math), or soaking in a hot tub, and get a refreshing night’s sleep. The next morning after breakfast, call the BSM office and apprise them of your situation, and make plans to have someone pick you up at the motel or wind your own way to the office.

Your Lodgings

Whether you arrive via air or train, there is one more piece to your arrival:

A "room match" form was sent to you in your acceptance packet. There is also a form on line. You indicated on that sheet any special needs or wants. The North American office then sent this information to the Budapest office.

The person who meets your plane or train from the Budapest office should accompany you to your housing and go over the lease with you.

They should also give you a mini orientation of your "environment" including your new neighborhood and how it works, i.e., where to catch the public transportation and how to use it; where the food stores in your area are located; and to mark a route on your map of how to get from your location to both the Babilon Language School (if you are taking the optional language course) and College International on Bethlen Gabor ter. If they do not, please ask them (or the landlord or host family) to do so.

Rents are payable in Budapest usually on a monthly basis. Rent will be payable on the day of your arrival. Often a security deposit equal to approximately one month's rent is also due on the day you arrive. [The refundable housing deposit you paid us is for bills or damage which are not invoiced before you return home.] Please be aware that Hungarian customs and laws governing rental properties varies from apartment to apartment and vary greatly from laws in North America. It is possible that if you are attending the language program and arrive in the middle of the month, you will be charged for the whole month (either August or January). We have no jurisdiction over these issues. Do not sign any lease agreement until you fully understand and are comfortable with the terms. The landlord should be willing to give you a few days grace period in which to do so.

The best way to get cash for the monthly rent is to use ATM machines. They are widely available throughout Budapest, and disperse funds in both US dollars (USD) and Hungarian forints (HUF). Someone from our program will assist you with this process upon arrival.

If any problems or concerns arise, or if you are dissatisfied with your accommodations in any way, I strongly urge you to talk to the Program Manager/s, instructors, or administrators of the program, in Budapest, immediately to resolve the issue. They will try to help you sort out the problem and, if necessary, find another place for you to live. Please be patient and flexible, as the process may take some time to resolve, but usually a solution can be worked out.

Be prepared to feel pretty tired and disoriented upon arrival, but things usually get progressively better the more you get acclimated to your new environment and get to know your classmates.

Here is what one participant wrote about her arrival:

The hardest thing about the arrival process is that you are so tired after traveling all the way to Budapest from the US. I had no idea how hard the trip would be...especially when you've got all your luggage, etc.

Another thing that makes the arrival difficult is the extreme culture shock of arriving in a new country. Obviously, there is really no way around this, but I think we should communicate to participants as much as possible to be prepared to feel tired, unhappy/uncomfortable, nervous and scared upon their arrival and for the first day or so. Other than that, however, I think that my arrival went pretty well.

It probably would have been better for me if I had attempted to sleep on the plane on the way over...another suggestion might be to advise students to sleep on the way over, because they will not be able to sleep when they arrive, because there will be several hours of things to do immediately after they arrive. I had to go to the bank to exchange money to pay rent to my landlord, discuss all of the necessary things regarding rent, utilities, etc., with him, buy a transportation pass, etc. (note: if you arrive very late, many tasks will be taken care of the following morning).

Dana Paquin

Davidson College