Being able to say a few words (first-timers) or ask and answer basic questions, (returnees) speaks volumes to Hungarians about how much you value them, and their culture.
- New to Hungarian? Hungarian for Beginners is a list of useful phrases & vocab that you should know.
- Been before? Hungarian Language – nonBeginners is a slightly more advanced intro to the Hungarian language.
Prefer media?
- Watch some real-life Hungarians speaking here (+ use the list from above)!
- If you’re the app-type, you could try Memrise, or DuoLingo.
Medical Information
It is essential that your Team leader is aware of any medical/psychological conditions you may have. This must be stated on the application form, and any changes passed onto the team leader as soon as possible.
Mosquitos
“Nice” (non-malaria carrying) mosquitos live in Hungary and enjoy coming out in the evenings. Whilst there is usually no lasting harm, a number of bites on your legs can become intolerable. Also a number of people have more serious reactions to the bites.
Tips to reduce risk of bites:
- Take mosquito repellent.
- Clearly avoiding areas where mosquitos gather (around water etc.) during the early evening is advisable.
- Wearing longer sleeved tops and long, light trousers is helpful.
- Take anti-histamines with you.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)
The following is taken from the NHS website (link below) :
- Ticks are very small insects found in forests, woods, grasslands, riverside meadows, marshes, brushwood and scrublands. They usually live in the undergrowth, where they can easily get onto people’s clothes or skin.
- You can become infected with TBE if you’re bitten by an infected tick. The virus is present in the tick’s saliva, which also contains a natural anaesthetic so you may not notice you’ve been bitten.
- You can be bitten by an infected tick at any time of year, but tick activity is at its highest during the Spring and early Summer.
- Drinking unpasteurised milk and eating unpasteurised dairy products from infected animals, particularly goats, can expose you to the TBE virus. However, this is rare.
- Please see the following two pages for information on TBE:
- NHS information on TBE
- Tick Removal and another website here
Blood Group
Whilst we do not collect volunteers’ blood group we see that having an official blood group card in peoples wallet is a sensible idea.
Emergency numbers in Hungary
- Any emergency 112
- Ambulance 104
- Fire 105
- Police 107
- British Embassy +36 1 266 2888
For more information on Hungary, please see the British Embassy website.
Documentation
- Passport – In Hungary it is a requirement to carry with you at all times some form of identification. Therefore for us – our passport.
- EHIC card – This covers all emergency health care needs whilst in Hungary. (It is also worth storing carefully the required numbers on your phone in case the card is lost.)
- Driving Licence – If you plan to drive someone’s car in Hungary, you need a valid driving licence plus the “forgalmi engedély” which are the official car papers.
Please see the following websites for further information about healthcare, EHIC and travel issues in Hungary:
- NHS: accessing health care in Hungary
- British Government: Foreign Travel advice for Hungary
What you should take
Please do read carefully the following advice on what to bring.
Bear in mind: you need to carry your own luggage wherever required, so don’t pack more than you need. Your team leader will be able to inform you if there will be any time to shop for items during the week.
Essential
- Passport
- EHIC Card
- Proof of Travel and health Insurance*
- Musical instruments
- Paper Bible (please do not rely solely on electronic versions), notebook and pen
- Mobile + charger + European adaptor
- Any talks / seminar / English lessons / activities resources
- Hungarian phrasebook
- Sunglasses
- Toiletries
- Insect repellent, Antihistamine cream
- Sun cream & Aftersun
- Clothes – including Hat! (see below)
- Sense of humour
- Towel
*PLEASE NOTE: you are responsible for arranging your own travel and medical insurance. You will be asked to bring the details of this to the Camp Planning Day. Suggestions for travel insurance providers can be found here. Your insurance must cover you for the whole duration of your time with ACORNCAMPS.
Worth thinking about
- Small games you enjoy playing and don’t involve complicated language, eg. uno, cards
- Music – Favourite songs / Spotify playlists
- Books to read
- Food supplies: Dried fruit / snack bars / chocolate
- (High fibre content foods can be useful for people who are prone to blocked systems! Often the diet can be high in white bread and low in fruit & veg)
- Torch
- Photos of family, home etc. Hungarians love to see where you’re from, and get to know your family, background etc.
- Silly wigs and other fancy dress items / props
- Typically British things
Clothes
The weather in Hungary during the summer is usually around 25-35 °C. Therefore light, casual appropriate summer wear is recommended including:
- Sleepwear – appropriate for being around teenagers if residential.
- Swimwear – we often visit baths, or a lake if possible. We think modesty is important, but bikinis are permitted, and worn by most young people in Hungary.
- Sports/camp activity wear – think carefully about having clothing that is appropriate for running activities and cool enough to bear the heat.
- Footwear – flip-flops are a must, but it’s often useful to have a pair of shoes for sports activities / walking.
- Churchwear – All teams attend church at least once. We recommend light trousers and short-sleeve shirt for boys and skirts and blouses for girls. Wearing an ACORNCAMPS t-shirt is also acceptable. Smart(ish) flipflops are usually fine.
- Preacher-wear – We recommend short-sleeved white shirt and tie plus summer smart trousers and shoes for anyone preaching in church.
- Wet / cold weather – It is worth bringing in a light raincoat, umbrella, a jumper and long pair of warm trousers. It can be cool in the evenings, and often rains.
Spending money
It is recommended that you should bring personal spending money for sight-seeing and purchasing gifts souvenirs, ice-creams and snacks. Usually £50 is more than enough.
Hungarian Forints or Euros for Slovakia trips can be ordered in advance from the Post Office or other Currency suppliers. Currency can be obtained from cash machines in Budapest, but be aware that some camps are not near towns.
The current rate of exchange can be found by clicking here: (1) Hungarian Forint (2) Euro (Slovakia)
Bring a hobby
One of the best things you can do on camp is be yourself. God has made us all wonderfully unique, and therefore we all have different hobbies and interests. So if you like origami bring that … if you like craft then bring that … playing cards – bring a set … breakdancing – bring the music … juggling – bring balls … magic – bring tricks … nail art … favourite board games … hair braiding … whatever
There will always be time around lunch and dinner just to ‘hang out’ with the teenagers.
Not required
- Bedding