Dreaming of moving
Hi Everyone,
Last month, I visited Hungary with my Hungarian girlfriend. We spent most of the time in Velence, Fejer and we also did sight seeing in Budapest and lake balaton (mainly Siofok and Fonyod). After spending a week in Hungary eating loads of langos, galuska and gulyas, I've absolutely fallen in love with the country. Beautifual landscape, big and lovely food, nice beer, friendly people esp. the lady selling drinks by the beach in Velence, she was the sweetest! Ever since we got back I've been thinking of moving there and having a house (preferably in Velence) with a massive garden/land for us and the dogs. I told the missus about the idea of moving and she simply laughed and said, "maybe one day." I just hope the day comes really soon :fingerscrossed: The reason behind I chose Velence is because a) my girlfriend's parents live there so they can look after the dogs when we go travelling :p b) Budapest is only about 25 miles away c) House prices seem to be reasonable d)There's a good buzz in the summer near the lake. Few questions: 1) What's it like there in winter? Does it get wet and cold like in the UK? 2) Would it be difficult to move due to brexit? 3) Is it easy to drive to Hungary with dogs? Channel crossing, toll fares, fuel costs etc. Your suggestions on the above questions would be really appreciated. Thank you. |
Re: Dreaming of moving
1. Winters are dry and cold. (UK doesn't get cold, we had -22 last winter!). Typical annual sunshine hours here = 2000 whereas the UK is about 1000
2. Now and until UK leaves it is easy to move as the EU rules apply. After Brexit anyones guess. Although if you are married to a Hungarian there should be no problems at any time. 3. Get the dogs a passport, a chip and a rabies jab and there should be no problems. Others here who have done it can better advise. However there's lots more to think about Velence is a bit of a tourist town and expensive, some of the surrounding villages would be worth a look, cheaper and the houses will tend to have bigger gardens. Do you need employment? without Hungarian this will be difficult. Whilst Budapest is just a rush up the motorway - Székesfehérár is very close and IMO a very nice town, preferable to Budapest. It takes time to find the right place, IMO a 2 week house buying visit is a recipe for expensive mistakes. |
Re: Dreaming of moving
HelloFlydragon,
Indeed I agree with allyour reasons for moving and general view of Hungary, although we live in the very north of the country on the borderwith Slovakia, so lifestyle is a little slower than aroundBalaton. With regard to your points.
I would add that I think it is a pretty safe country too. Two weeks ago we were in Budapest in the evening for the Robbie Williams concert. There was no trouble at the event, no trouble on the transport and the business area where we parked our car and returned to at gone midnight was also trouble free. My wife would not have done the same thing in London, let alone the Midlands. Crime in our area is extremely low too, though drink driving from the "elderly natives" seems problematic. Hope that helps, this is an excellent forum and I'm surethere will be plenty more advice for the regulars. Kind regards, Carrot Cruncher |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Carrot Cruncher - for the citizenship test, if you have been here for the requisite amount of time (5 years I think) and you are over 65 then there is NO exam, just box ticking. It might be worth your parents getting Hungarian nationality. (under 65 there is a language exam and a constitutional exam - so I am told!)
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Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by Peter_in_Hungary
(Post 12333097)
1. Winters are dry and cold. (UK doesn't get cold, we had -22 last winter!). Typical annual sunshine hours here = 2000 whereas the UK is about 1000
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Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by Moses2013
(Post 12333108)
No doubt that it's warmer and sunnier in summer but Budapest and area would be just as grey as London between November and January.
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Re: Dreaming of moving
Living in a village not too far from one of the bigger towns where you have everything - hospitals, Tesco, Aldi and Interspar etc is imho the best option, a car of course is almost a necessity ...
We live near Hévíz and Keszthely part time (I'm German and my wife is from Eastern Hungary) and are really happy here. However beware of having a large garden - when you get older this turns slowly from an advantage into a burden ... |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by wolfi
(Post 12333146)
Living in a village not too far from one of the bigger towns where you have everything - hospitals, Tesco, Aldi and Interspar etc is imho the best option, a car of course is almost a necessity ...
We live near Hévíz and Keszthely part time (I'm German and my wife is from Eastern Hungary) and are really happy here. However beware of having a large garden - when you get older this turns slowly from an advantage into a burden ... For the large garden, just make sure its big enough to justify a ride-on mower |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Hi Flydragon
We live north of lake Balaton around the Veszprém area. It is good because although it is a tourist area it is also largely residential which means that it is quieter in the winter but still functioning for everything that you need. Velence is lovely and has very good train services for commuting to BP. (About 30 mins). The train is very cheap and I believe you can buy an annual ticket that entitles you to 70% discount. If you have IT or engineering experience you may be able to get a good job. I have noticed even around where we live that there are more jobs advertised in English. Have a look at profession.hu, just put English into the search engine and see what comes up. However it would be worth you learning Hungarian and start asap cause it is really difficult. Healthcare is the one issue that I struggle with sometimes. I go to BP to ensure I get the best care but I need regular checkups and tests so my situation is more complicated. Can't beat the NHS IMO but you have to weigh the pros and cons. I would also say that it is rarely Grey here, more likely to be blue and cold or blue and hot. Good luck |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by Peter_in_Hungary
(Post 12333154)
For the large garden, just make sure its big enough to justify a ride-on mower |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Thank you everyone for your feedback. I will certainly take all the points on board. Let's make this dream a reality!
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Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by Flydragon
(Post 12332887)
Hi Everyone,
....nice beer..... 2) Would it be difficult to move due to brexit? Nobody really knows what will happen when UK leaves the EU. My advice would be to wait a couple of years to see how things pan out. |
Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by fidobsa
(Post 12333283)
I wish I could agree with you about the beer!
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Re: Dreaming of moving
Originally Posted by fidobsa
(Post 12333283)
Nobody really knows what will happen when UK leaves the EU. My advice would be to wait a couple of years to see how things pan out.
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Re: Dreaming of moving
I would love to just pack up everything right now and move but the missus is a bit skeptical about the idea as she reckons it's still too soon. She left Hungary before it joined the EU and is fully settled here. She did say that Hungary has changed a lot esp. Budapest where she grew up. I just hope that I can convince her soon enough so that we can enjoy the rest of our lives there.
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