Help is always at hand for visitors to Budapest at a friendly office just half a minute's walk from the junction of the three underground lines, the

Tourinform office: 317-9800

Right in the heart of the city, at Süto utca 2, the office is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. , to 4 p.m. at the weekend.

You can get virtually all information here in German, English, Russian and French, sometimes even in Italian. The office has the most up-to-date information on transport, activities, sights, on everything a tourist might be interested in, and it's all on their computer.

They keep a range of travel brochures here as well. There are about twenty people on its changing, but remarkably experienced staff, who are always happy to pass on their own knowledge of the city. They will also do some detective work to find out where some special goods can be bought. I spent a whole morning in this office checking various data and was struck by their enthusiasm. In need you can always rely on them. In the heroic times ó before the changes ó they were rumoured to have sewn a button back on a student traveller ó which they can't do as a rule.