New visitors to Hungary, hiring a car for the first time need to exercise a certain amount of caution. A combination of trams, trolleybuses, one-way streets and over-zealous traffic police can make driving in the city a little challenging. But understanding the local motoring culture and roads will help make your drive through the country as pleasant as possible.

City Driving

• The general state of roads is similar to those in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, with major roads and motorways offering a fairly reasonable standard

• However drivers should watch out for potholes, especially in the springtime 

• Kerbs can be high and may damage the car if parking is not done carefully

Country Driving

• Rural and side roads are often poorly lit with the need to be aware of pedestrians and livestock

• Many railway crossings are not equipped with crossing gates 

• At railway crossings always slow down and make sure that no train is coming