Dear to whom it may concern,

I received this e-mail note, so I promised I would post the information. Truthfully, I get so many questions about the time an American can stay in the Schengen Zone, I hope this will cut back on my needing to respond. Now I can just point them to a link. Many US Americans seem to believe that since they are from the US, they have unlimited time in Europe. Not so!


Dear to whom it may concern,

I hope I am not interrupting you. My name is Kathie Dotson and I am the coordinator of a webpage that we have created and it contains info on Schengen Visas.

We have worked hard to collect info and offering quality info. The website www.schengenvisainfo.com has a lot of information for people who want to go in Schengen Zone Countries and need Schengen visa.

We need your support.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Great Regards,
Kathie

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Eruption of Corruption in the EU and Beyond

According to Portfolio.hu, Hungary ranks 23rd out of 31 European countries. This is based on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The number really has impact when you read further to grasp the fact that Hungary is within the top 1/3 of the most corrupt countries in Europe. You can read the full article here. From a list of 177 countries, the US placed number 19 with Barbados ranking better. This does not promote any bragging rights from me, for sure.

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No Visa for Hungary?

American Express tells us not to leave home without out, but in Hungary, it is essentially a wallet stuffer. Other than higher class hotel and some expensive restaurants, the likelihood of getting to whip it out is close to nil. The only use for a Diners Club card without the MasterCard logo is for admission to the Diners Club lounge at the airport. Diners Club outside of the US is only a Diners Club card.

As the financial road narrows, it is causing more obstacles still. VISA is feeling Hungary troubles. According to Portfolio.hu, VISA is struggling along.  They claim that “Visa Europe has been constantly losing ground in Hungary every year; the number of Visa cards in circulation dropped by more than one million over the past three years. The company has found itself in an exceptionally difficult position on the Hungarian card market due to an agreement sealed with the European Commission earlier.”

The article does not make it clear how Hungary is different from the rest of the EU in regard to these regulations. However, the interview is with Mark Antipof, Managing Director Growth & Emerging Markets at Visa Europe. Mr. Antipof was asked if VISA could reasonably leave the Hungarian market? To this he responded

“We are unable to compete effectively and are losing market share as a result of factors which are not related to our performance, neither over which we have control. We thoroughly explained the issues we face in this regard to the ministry and related authorities, including the implications if nothing changed regarding Visa Europe's position.

In practice, the Hungarian banking card market is becoming monopolistic. We believe if the situation remains as it is, the lack of competition will be harmful for all parties in the banking card sector: banks, merchants and consumers. Competition on level-playing field is beneficial for the players and will also help the introduction of various payment innovations, such as contactless, e-commerce and mobile payment.”

My gosh, if you visit Hungary without a MasterCard, what will you do? Traveler’s checks are no longer used here. How will tourists survive? They actually have to figure out the zeros on Hungarian bills and use forints as a last resort. It figures, as of June 1st, Visa stopped charging the international exchange fees for purchases made in currencies other than the US dollar.

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Jewish or Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Tours of Budapest

For specialized tours of the city which focus on a particular area of interest, it is essential to have a guide who knows that aspect of the city intimately.

This tour company provides two specialized types of  Budapest City Tours: Jewish Budapest and  Gay and Lesbian aspects of Budapest. We had taken the Gay and Lesbian Tour when it was offered during the European Union Pink month of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender diversity celebrations. Our guide was excellent. She not only provided the specific tour related highlights as we walked, but also included much of the generalized tour information.

What was most impressive is that she highlighted buildings or monuments that we had passed hundreds of times, but never knew there was a historical gay, lesbian, or bisexual story associated with it.

Visit their Facebook page here to send them a message regarding their tours.

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Honey, Is the Life Insurance Paid?

Thanks to the All Hungary News Group, I happened upon this frightful information. It is sourced from Hungary Around the Clock for everything within the quotation marks.

"The Hungarian mortality rate is almost 50% higher than the average of the most developed EU15 countries, according to a study included in the Central Statistics Office publication Demographic Portrait 2012.
 

The death rate here is also higher than in those countries that joined the EU simultaneously or later than Hungary. More than 25% of Hungarians die from cancer, somewhat lower than the West European average. The mortality rate among Hungarian men younger than 64 is nearly twice as high as the average of the EU15. The mortality rate of women below 64 years of age is 70% higher than the average of the EU15 and almost 20% higher than in countries that joined the EU in 2004 or later."

According to IndexMundi.com, Hungarian life expectency comes in at 91 out of 220 countries. Just for some perspective, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 49, the United Kingdom is number 29, while the US is a fat 49. 

The US is working hard at 'super sizing' all of the other healthier countries with their fast food exports, so there will be more competition for those larger numbers as the waist lines increase.

Make sure your partner's life insurance is paid up to date.

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See Me Fly Before I Have Fallen From the Sky

Here is a riddle for you. What is silver and blue with a red, green, and white stripe that is currently flying, but may not be for much longer? Give up? Here is a hint.

Yes, the Hungarian national airline may be permanently grounded in the near future. As it turns out, the European Union is imposing fines on the national airline for selling its soul to the 'wrong' investors just to keep the airline afloat. 


Apparently, the government from which the airline calls home, is the wrong investor. The EU is fining Malév for receiving state support totaling Ft 100 billion (€355 million) to keep it afloat. Well, technically it should be keeping it airborne, but with the losses Malév have stacked up, losses of Ft 25 billion last year and expected to end this year in the red with Ft 8-10 billion, it is drowning in debt. Afloat is the better choice of words in this instance. 


The real shame of it all is that each and every time we have flown Malév, we have been pleased with the service. I have never heard a non-Hungarian ever complain about the airline. Not that I have heard Hungarians complain, but since they are still telling me how awful the Budapest public transportation system is, they cannot be trusted to judge any form of people movers. 


Believe me, we have heard enough airline complaints to fill an encyclopedia. The largest entry would be under Air France. Now there is a dismal excuse for a national airline. Malév, there are a few of us rooting for you!

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Bucharest Voted the Ugliest EU Capital

Do not confuse Budapest with Bucharest, even if one of the more recent US Presidents happened to do so, but I will not beat any bushes to mention a name.

Apparently joining the EU is not like a beauty contest. You don't have to look ravishing and perform well in a talent competition. Come to think of it, if each EU country had to model in a swimsuit contest, how would they make out, I wonder?

Subliminal message: Do not confuse Budapest with Bucharest. Well, I am curious who voted to name Bucharest the ugliest EU capital? Well, if you are interested, you can read the rest here. It is barely worth my energy to reiterate what the story states, but let it be known if I had any wish to visit the city, I no longer do. There are beautiful little cities and towns to visit in Romania, so head there and avoid the capital. We have been to Cluj and loved it. Once again, the fuller story is here. Subliminal message: Do not confuse Budapest with Bucharest.

Would you believe the Radisson Hotel Bucharest charges upwards of 356 Euros a night? What gall. Subliminal message: Do not confuse Budapest with Bucharest, but if the Radisson here charged that much, it would be worth for this is closer to one of the more beautiful capitals of the EU.

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Hungary News in Brief...

Our flight does not leave Budapest until 6:50 pm, so I have some time on my hands. I could be doing something productive like laundry or exercising, but nah!

Here are some brief notes to check out. Hungarian hotels are in such dire straits that they are closing off floors to save money. Budapest of course is in bed with desperate measures due to the economy. Read more here. 

Northern Hungary had a tornado. It could very well have been one here that uprooted the trees on Margaret Island a few months back. To read about the tornado weather, click here.

 

Another headline was Skype "unplugs" Budapest call center. I read the article, but I am still not sure what it means other than more job losses.

Surprisingly Hungary found to have lowest rate of foreigners in EU. Perhaps if we read the article about hotels, which are meccas for the unskilled and undereducated, we can see some reasons. Then the Skype lay-offs and many Hungarians moving to other countries to find fame or fortune has persuaded others not to make this a long-term stopover. There is that niggley little issue of having to pass a Hungarian exam both written and verbal before getting citizenship. Hmmm...I can think of 44 reasons (the Hungarian alphabet) off the top of my head that would prevent many from doing it. Interestingly, some people where the consensus was that they were not brightest bulb in the chandelier have actually learned enough Hungarian to pass the exam. Others who are award winning scholars have not been able to master a simple sentence; if such as sentence exists in Hungarian. With easier languages to learn, you just may want to drop France or Spain from your list of places to live. Read this.

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These Rules Are Not Meant to Be Broken

The old adage "Rules are meant to be broken" should not apply to major corporations, especially the airlines. They are making aviation history with the nickel and dime charges they seemingly conjure up on the spot when you are standing before them to check in. Before you ever set foot on a plane, you should be armed with information you may need to demand your rights.

US airlines now have some laws to protect you, the consumer. Will they share that information with you? Hardly. Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware." and this is especially true when airlines are falling from the sky due to their antiquated business models not changing with the times, causing operating costs to be rocketing out of control. Christopher Elliott wrote this article in 2008, but he is still referencing it himself, so I am thinking it is still valid. Another source is Independent Traveler.com where they have an article posted on US Passenger Rights.

Any flights going to or from the European Union, EVEN those that start outside of the EU such as those from the US, they are covered by EU law 261. Click here to get a full easy to understand explanation of Q & A of the law. 

If fifteen pages is too comprehensive for you, know that ALL airlines servicing the EU are mandated to have copies of passenger rights at the check-counters. Many times they will claim they don't or are not required to, but they are. I demanded our rights in Prague when we missed a flight. Although I had to stand up to the airline people, we were booked on the next available flight which was not until the next morning, but our hotel, transporation and dinner was paid for by the airline. 

It always surprises me how many of our guests, mostly Americans, have not fought for their rights when they were aware of them ahead of time.

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Underground News

Having quit just in time, the Budapest city council has officiated a ban on smoking in all of Budapest's underpasses from July 18, 2010. Those caught could be fined up to Ft 30,000.Of course whether or not anyone will uphold the law to impose the fine or bother collecting it will be up for grabs. What has always amused me was that you were able to smoke in the underground up to the line where the metro area was designated. That was off limits. 

In other underground news, it seems that the elevators that were used in Metro 2 construction had a MADE IN CHINA label attached with a Made in Germany sticker covering it up. The problem is that the funds for the reconstruction were from EU pots of gold, where the law clearly states all products must be EU constructed. Ooopah!

Back in the sunshine or rather cloudy skies above, here is one article that makes some sense Let us count the 14 ways the new government could revitalize Budapest from Realdeal.hu. The key word being could, not will, but more like not going to happen.

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We Are Sorry to Say, Your Pilot Has Died

I just spoke with Ron. He will be leaving for the airport in a couple of hours. I don't know how he found this out, but he told me that a Continental Airlines jet coming in from Brussels has priority landing at Newark Airport in NJ, because the pilot died during the flight. Yikes!! I cannot even imagine that crew announcement. Fortunately, overseas flights have three crew members in the cockpit.

His other joyful news included the weather report that Newark and the Jersey coast are experiencing storms causing flights outbound to be delayed. If you read this, keep your fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for a safe journey. I hope he is able to make his connections in Lisbon without any issues, but I would rather he have an overnighter in Lisbon and get home safely. For those flying to any EU country, even from North America, the EU rules for passenger rights are in effect.

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Which Euros Did You Want?

We have a guest coming here from the States. We had advised her that we prefer payment in Euros even if Hungary has not converted over to them yet.

She sent me a note today stating she went to the bank to order Euros and THEY, the bankers asked her if she wanted Italian, German, or French Euros since they could not get Hungarian Euros. Holy smokes!! A bank asking these questions blew my mind.

It gave me a big laugh, but I did not laugh at her when she asked which we preferred. I could understand her not knowing, but any banker should obviously be up-to-date on this information.

If this leaves anyone scratching their heads, I will save you the time from Googling it. From January 1st, 2002, twelve of the fifteen European Union members completed their conversion to using the Euro instead of their own national currencies. These twelve states comprise the Eurozone, sometimes called Euroland. The Vatican uses the Euro, but does not circulate them. They are sold in sets. Finland does not circulate the 1 Euro cent coin, but stores sell it for an inflated price. San Marino has its own set too.

All Euro bills are the same regardless of the country. The coins are all the same design on one side, but each country has their own design on the other. All currency is legal within the Euro zone regardless of the country of origin.

There are 27 countries in the European Union, but the last 12 to be admitted will not be able to use the Euro for some time yet. Hungary like the others, need to meet a set ratio of debt vs Gross National Product for two years before being allowed to convert to the Euro. In Hungary, it is estimated it will not be until about 2012.

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A Dutch Guardian Angel's Advice

If anyone should come to Amsterdam, I thought I would share the information that the Dutch Guardian Angel gave to me regarding the ticket machines.

A demo is available on the web at http://webdemo.ns.nl/e2000.html

Note that I could not get the credit card machine to work with my Mastercard. Many in front of me were having problems too, so I would make sure I used a coin machine in the future.

Raak het scherm aan is: Touch screen

Enkele reis is: single

Dagretour is: day return, you are returning the same day

Touch the letter for the city you are going. In my case it was L for Leiden. Some machines will list all of the cities with their codes and there is a numeric pad to put in the city code.

If the screen shows the cities, touch the city you want to go.

2e is: Second class (there is not that much difference to waste the money for 1st)

Vol Tarief is: full price (even if you are senior, you may not qualify for a discount if you are not an EU citizen)

Vandaag geldig is: valid today

Kaartje is: number of tickets

Muntgeld is: coins
The amount you need to insert will display. Enter the coins and wait for your ticket.

Remember the problem I had was not having enough coins to cover the fare, otherwise I could have avoided waiting in line for purchasing a ticket.

In Amsterdam, there are women who are wearing blue and red hats and are service persons to assist. If you think you will need one, get one to assist you before you are standing in front of the machine. There may not be one within screaming range.

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