First tour tips for the 120th Harley-Davidson Anniversary Festival in Budapest 2023
Tips for planning your trip to Budapest at a glance
What you need for good tour planning!
Wenn es in den tiefen Osten geht, kann eine gute Tourenplanung kann nicht schaden. Ungarn gehört nicht zu den typischen Reisezielen der Harley-Davidson Community, deshalb habe ich mir die Mühe gemacht ein paar Themen aufzugreifen die für Biker wichtig sein können. Ich selbst fahre oft einfach los und lasse es auf mich zukommen, aber es gibt Länder, in denen es kleine Stolpersteine geben kann, an die man nicht direkt denken würde und die einem das Leben schwer machen, wenn es mal nicht so rund läuft.
What to look out for on the motorcycle tour to Budapest, to the 120th Harley-Davidson Anniversary you should pay particular attention to in this article.
Preparation for the Harley-Davidson tour to Budapest
Travel documents: Make sure you have a valid passport or identity card and that your driver's license is valid for motorcycling abroad, sometimes your route goes through different countries.
Insurance: Check whether your motorcycle insurance is valid in Eastern European countries and whether you should take out additional insurance if necessary, I will go into this separately later, because this is one of the most important points to consider.
Vignette! What you need to watch out for!
Do I even need a vignette for my motorcycle in Hungary?
Yes, you need it and you should get it! The authorities in Hungary are constantly checking the toll roads with the latest technology. They scan the license plates, I wouldn't be sure if they can really scan motorcycles properly, but it's not worth all this stress.
You can drive the whole month for around €18.90, but if you drive without a vignette and are caught, they may send you a fine notice to Germany. In general, fines for motorcyclists caught without a valid vignette in Hungary can range from 15,000 HUF (approx. 42 EUR) to 200,000 HUF (approx. 560 EUR). It is also better to avoid a conflict with the Hungarian police, as is the case everywhere abroad.
Where can I buy the vignette?
You can still get the adhesive vignette at petrol stations. The easiest way to get them is via the https://digitale-vignette-online.hu/de order. The site is in German and very simple, you can pay by credit card or Paypal.
Umlauts on the license plate: Hungary does not have our umlauts. When entering the license plate number, proceed as with the license plate number for Plön, for example: „PLÖ“ = „PLO“, i.e. without the umlaut. If you transcribe the umlaut with UE, you have done it wrong, which causes problems.
Pay attention to the correct information: - License plate number (Rendszám / Registration number) - Country (Ország / Country) - Period of validity (Típus / Type) - Vehicle category (Kategória / Category)
Vignette Hungary - The toll charges on Digital Vignette
D1M - Motorcycles (weekly and monthly vignette) The e-vignette can be ordered online in advance. 10 days cost 12,90€ and 1 month 18,90€, on the page https://digitale-vignette-online.hu/de/shop/motorrad
Vignette Hungary - car up to 7 persons and up to 3.5 tons 10 days = 21.90€ / 1 month = 29.90.
Vignette Hungary - motorhome or van 10 days = 28,90€ / 1 month = 44,90.
In which countries do I have to pay tolls for my motorcycle?
If you drive to Budapest, you have to pay tolls for the motorcycle in Austria, Slovenia and Hungary. In the Czech Republic, or if you also want to drive to Romania, you do not need a sticker. (as of 06/2023)
The Vignette APP, is also a possibility
What to look out for in Hungarian road traffic
speed limits
In built-up areas, the speed limit is 50 km/h unless otherwise indicated. Outside built-up areas, 90 km/h. If you are traveling with a car and trailer, you may only drive at 70 km/h. Motorhomes over 3.5 tons may also only drive at 70 km/h on country roads. The speed limit on highways is 130 km/h, cars with trailers only 80 km/h, as are motorhomes over 3.5 tons. On expressways, the speed limit is 110 km/h, cars with trailers only 80 km/h, the same applies to motorhomes over 3.5 tons.
Do I always have to switch my light on?
Motorcycles must have their lights switched on during the day.
Safety vests, warning triangle, first-aid kit, spare lamp set
Drinking and driving in Hungary?
Alcohol and motorcycling generally don't mix well, but what if I've had a beer at the event in Hungary, am I still allowed to ride? No, the 0.0 alcohol limit applies in Hungary and also in the Czech Republic.
The fine starts at €370, for endangerment/accident etc. it depends on the situation. You don't really want this hassle, and you don't really want it abroad, so take a 0.0 blood alcohol level or a cab. Fines of 70 euros or more are also enforced in Germany, so you sometimes have to carry the hassle home with you.
If the last drop of fuel is gone, then 1 liter of reserve on board can't hurt.
This has actually happened to me twice, I've overdrawn the low range indicator on the Harley-Davidson twice now because I thought I could still make it. Under normal circumstances it works really well, once there was no turn-off from the highway to the gas station and once I misjudged. That can happen, a 1.25 liter spare bottle should still have room somewhere when you're traveling.
Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST 117 - Breakdown due to lack of fuel
3 kilometers before the next gas station, low range is actually less than low range! A Notliter in your luggage won't hurt.
Harley-Davidson Insurance
Now comes a very important topic! It doesn't matter who you are insured with, before you set off you should have asked your insurance company what you have to consider, or take a close look at your contracts before you ride your Harley-Davidson to the East.
What should I bear in mind? Some insurers have an Eastern Europe clause
Basically, it always helps to take a look at your own contracts; if you still have an old contract, there may be different conditions as to how your motorcycle is insured.
If you have stated that your motorcycle is always parked in a garage at night, then it should also stay in a garage in Budapest. Then you can only hope that the hotel garage in Budapest is not overcrowded. It's all happened before and these are the problems that nobody needs. What do you do if someone hits your Harley in Budapest? Let's say it's a Romanian or French biker and he only knows English by reputation, then you have a problem! A good insurance company will take over the settlement and pay in advance, it will collect the money itself from the other party if he is obviously at fault for the accident.
What do you do if you have a breakdown, for example, if the tire breaks, how do you want to replace it so quickly, there are hardly any tires for the Harley even here at the moment? Your insurer will surely have a solution for both of these scenarios. I have with the Harley-Davidson Insurance Services and I was told the following. In any case, you should generally call your insurance advisor so that they can take a look at your contract and bring you up to date on the current situation before you head east.
Liability is usually not the problem, but theft can be a different story. Keyword is, is there an Eastern Europe clause in your contract? Otherwise you may have limited protection.
Foreign claims cover is recommended and cover letter!
Abroad, the law of the country in which you are currently located always applies. This means, for example, that in the event of an accident, the other party's insurance company may have different standards for settling claims. There are countless possibilities of what could happen and you always hope that you won't need it.
But a cover note can also be really helpful if things don't go smoothly. This is not expensive and can be activated as a supplementary module to your insurance. It covers breakdown assistance, recovery, vehicle and medical repatriation, etc. The scope of cover depends on the respective insurer.
ADAC members should check their status
What many ADAC members have not yet noticed is that the ADAC has restructured its services. There is now the ADAC membership, Plus membership and Premium membership.
What used to be Plus is now Premium. If you are an ADAC member, you should check your status before traveling to Hungary to avoid any nasty surprises if the worst comes to the worst. Compare the prices and benefits with your Harley insurance, they are often cheaper as an additional module.
Stow your helmet and jacket safely at the event
The Harleysite partner DEEMEED, has a security bag with alarm system in its program. Anyone tampering with the Smart lock triggers the approx. 110db loud alarm, the alarm function can be switched off. The bag is secured with a plastic-wrapped steel cable and an inner steel net prevents it from being cut open. Small pack size and the bag is waterproof. DEEMEED bags are available from many authorized Harley-Davidson dealers.
The Hungarian currency
In Hungary, the forint is valid, although the euro is also accepted, but the forint is usually used as change. The best way to pay is by credit card. According to Google, the exchange rates in Budapest are better than at our banks, which is generally not unusual.
The Czech Republic is not part of the euro area either, but if you pay by credit card, you won't notice. However, you should be careful whether they enter euros or their respective national currency and not confuse euros and their currency; this has happened to me before, but I always get a message immediately and was able to complain about the mistake straight away.
1 forint corresponds to approximately 0.0026 euro
Do I have to pay roaming charges in Hungary?
No, there have been no more roaming charges within the EU since 2017. If you want to make calls with your cell phone in Hungary, you can do so at the same conditions as your normal domestic tariff, regardless of the provider.
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Budapest
1014 Budapest I. District, Úri utca 64-66 / Telephone information at +36 1 4883 -500 / E-mail: konsulat@buda.diplo.de / Internet: www.budapest.diplo.de
Of course I assume that we will have a great and safe Harley-Davidson meeting in Budapest. There is a lot of interest in this event and sometimes these tips can be helpful for some people who are not so experienced in motorcycle tours abroad.
All information has been compiled to the best of our knowledge and belief, no advice is given.
120th Harley-Davidson Anniversary in Budapest June 22 - June 25, 2023
The 120th Harley-Davidson Anniversary Party in Budapest will be the largest and most spectacular Harley-Davidson event in Europe in 2023!
