If you need a doctor, ask your hotel or embassy for a recommendation, or contact FirstMed Centers, a private, American-standard clinic located in central Buda and staffed by English-speaking doctors offering 24-hour emergency service. The clinic accepts major credit cards and has direct billing agreements with numerous international insurance companies. In an emergency you can call for a general ambulance or call American Clinics International and they will arrange for one for you.

Profident Dental Services is a private, English-speaking dental practice consisting of Western-trained dentists and hygienists, with service available until 10 PM except Sundays. S.O.S. Dent, another private English-speaking dental clinic, offers 24-hour care.

Most pharmacies (gyógyszertár) close between 6 PM and 8 PM, but several stay open at night and on weekends, offering 24-hour service, with a small surcharge for items that aren't officially stamped as urgent by a physician. You must ring the buzzer next to the night window and someone will respond over the intercom. Staff are unlikely to speak English, so try to get at least a rough translation of what you need before you go. A small extra fee (100 HUF-200 HUF) is added to the bill. Late-night pharmacies are usually found across from the train stations.

Hungarian hospitals don't have dedicated general emergency rooms that one can just walk into. If you call an ambulance, the paramedics assess you and, based on your condition and location, take you to the relevant department of the hospital, where you are immediately treated. Hungarian doctors are well trained, and most speak English or German. Generally speaking, state hospitals, although more or less hygenic and staffed by reliable, well-meaning professionals, are certainly not in tip-top condition compared to most hospitals in the North America and Western Europe. So we recommend that you go elsewhere if possible. The private Telki Hospital just outside of Budapest or one arranged by the American Clinic are the best options.

Doctors & Dentists

FirstMed Centers (Hattyúház, District I, Hattyú utca 14, 5th floor, Around Moszkva tér. 1/224-9090. www.firstmedcenters.com). Profident Dental Services (District VII, Karoly Körót 1, Around Deák Ferenc tér. 1/342-2546). S.O.S. Dent (District VI, Király utca 14, Around Király utca. 1/267-9602).

General Emergency Contacts

Ambulance (104). Police (107 or 112).

Hospitals & Clinics

Telki Hospital (Telki kórház fasor 1, Telki. 1/459-6555 or 26/372-300).

Pharmacies with 24-hour service

District II (Frankel Leó út 22, Around Batthyány tér. 1/212-4311). District VI (Teréz körút 41, Around Nyugati Train Station. 1/311-4439). District XII (Alkotás utca 1/b, Around Déli Train Station. 1/355-4691).