Depending on the time of year and what you plan to do during your trip to Hungary, you will need to include various essential items in your suitcase!
Basically, Hungary has a continental type climate and experiences generally temperate conditions. Winters are cold across the whole country, colder than in the UK in fact. It snows often in Hungary. By contrast, summers are very pleasant, indeed very hot! With Hungary having no direct access to the sea, temperatures can reach 40°C in the countryside.
However, temperatures are milder around Lake Balaton, which is often referred to as the 'Sea of Hungary'. Balaton is one of the country's essential places to visit. So trunks/a swimming costume will definitely come in useful!
That said, Hungary has plenty of shops of all types and kinds in both its capital, Budapest, and elsewhere. So there is really no need to overload yourself with too much luggage. You can buy everything you might need locally, and often at more reasonable prices than in the UK.
Here are the essential items to pack in your suitcase to ensure you get the most out of your trip to Hungary. You will need to take the time of year into account when deciding what to pack.
- A map of the country: whether travelling by car, by bus/coach or hitchhiking, this can always come in useful.
- Make sure you leave some room spare in your suitcase so that you can bring souvenirs back with you!
- A Hungarian phrasebook: English is not very widely spoken in Hungary.
- Sun cream: you can actually get this in Hungary, but it is more expensive.
- An umbrella or a rain poncho, because it rains frequently in winter and autumn.
- Sunglasses, because the sun gets seriously strong and bright in summer!
- A large coat, gloves and a woolly hat if visiting the country in winter, when temperatures can fall rapidly.
- A camera with a powerful zoom to capture all the architectural details of the wonderful buildings and monuments.
- Comfortable shoes so you can explore the endless streets of the capital, Budapest.
- Trunks/a swimming costume so you can fully enjoy Lake Balaton in summer, and for visiting the swimming pools and thermal baths at any time of year! Hungary is particularly well served where thermal springs are concerned, and visiting thermal baths is an important part of the local culture.