Moving to Hungary- Looking for information about Pecs Area

Pecs is a long way from anything really interesting but it depends on what you want/need. 

As retired people you probably want to think about (or eventually think about) public transport, access to healthcare and so on.

All these main services in quantity and "quality" are more readily found in Budapest.

Thanks for the advice.  We thought of Pecs because it looked to be an interesting city.   As I said,  my husband is a musician and is looking for a good music scene.  We are open to any area really,  but property around Budapest seemed to be more expensive and we have a somewhat limited budget.  And of course having lived in hot countries we are looking at climate!

sylvm wrote:

Thanks for the advice.  We thought of Pecs because it looked to be an interesting city.   As I said,  my husband is a musician and is looking for a good music scene.  We are open to any area really,  but property around Budapest seemed to be more expensive and we have a somewhat limited budget.  And of course having lived in hot countries we are looking at climate!

Yes, it's true but it depends really. Just a few km from Budapest, prices fall rapidly but transport becomes more difficult.  Obviously everything cultural is available in Budapest although they do try elsewhere.  Student towns will have more life during the academic year.  Places like Debrecen have large international transient/student populations and also has an airport (not sure if Ryanair still fly there).  There's also Szekesfehervar and Szeged.  There's hardly any difference in weather between these places as Hungary is so small.  Around the lake (Balaton) there's a bit of a micro climate but it's not really significant enough to really rave about it.

Pecs is a university town. Only drove through it once, allot smaller then Budapest but cute.
There is a medical school located there so I suppose there is always a doctor in the house.
My husband and I are also retired and living in Hungary. He is Hungarian by birth but lived most of his life in the US. His entire family is still in Hungary.
We are considering moving from Hungary as the older we get the more we realize we like hot weather all year round.
I need to see sunshine more then just a few months a year.
If you are over age 65 and a EU citizen, you can travel within HU  for free on most transportation. The ferry on the Danube is not free , you would pay if you traveled first class etc.
Medical services are hit or miss even in Budapest.
If you want good treatment you pay extra either at a private clinic or in the form of a tip. I had instructions to get a bit of skin cancer removed off my arm in the US after a biopsy taken there, ran out of time and returned to HU. Was sent by my family doctor in Budapest to a special cancer clinic in Buda, waited months to get in . The very young doctor just looked at my arm and said it looked ok to her., I had papers stating how far a patch of skin should be removed from a specialist in Las Vegas but she just used her eyes to turn me away. Not sure I can trust the doctors with anything serious in Hungary, just something to think about. No worries, going to Vegas where they know about skin cancer and don't take it lightly.
4 dogs is nice but it may be a turn off to any rental owners. You may need to buy a place of your own.

Thanks for all the information.   We would not be renting but buying somewhere.   As to medical care,  it is not very good in the UK now.  My husband needs an operation (not serious),  he has to wait 6 months to see a consultant and then up to another 2 years before any operation!  Of course, if you have lived in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus,  any medical treatment is a bonus,  when I had an infected sandfly bite on my leg,  I was sent to an orthopaedic surgeon who gave me something completely inappropriate when I in fact needed antibiotics and anti histamine.  Shall bear in mind the points you have made.

Thanks.   We had originally booked to stay in Pecs for a few days,  but having had a look at Székesfehérvár,  we think that this area may suit us better and it looks to be a nice city,  very old, we like history.

- 4 dogs : Check local regulations. Each City/town/village can regulate pet ownership. For example, my village only allows two dogs per household.

- All parts of Hungary are dripping with history. There are Roman ruins and an old cobble stone Roman road near where I live. Rather, it is simply the concentration of historical elements that can vary from place to place. Which makes traveling around the country quite fun for history buffs (I love going to castles myself).

- Climate, as already stated, here is pretty similar around the country: mid continental climate. It snows just about everywhere in winter most years. Can be overcast for months on end in some places (Western Hungary, like Sopron is more sunny). If you like warm climates, the winters can be an issue.

- Limited budget: Prices for retail goods are not much cheaper, and sometimes more, than in Western Europe. And you have the high local VAT tax in part to blame. Buying a house may be much less than in other countries, but such buildings often need significant renovation.

- Language: If you do not speak Hungarian, you may find yourself somewhat isolated, especially in the "retired" age group, as most Hungarians that age do not speak English. Expat groups that can be a linguistic lifeline, outside Budapest, are usually rather small.

- Music: Hungarians love music. Get a group of Hungarian together and they seem to always break out into song. If you play a fiddle/violin you will be welcome. But do know there is a difference between Hungarian folk music and "gypsy" music. It varies, but some Hungarians love the former while are not too fond of the latter.

Hi, thanks for detailed response, slightly depressing!   I have asked about the limit regarding dogs, - a Hungarian Estate Agent- who says he has never heard of this. Not sure how we can establish this,  it is no good finding a suitable property only to find one cannot have more than a certain number of dogs. They have been in Cyprus, Spain, France and the UK so I would not be willing to part with them now.    We realise about being cheap and needing renovation,  the property here in Wales has been a nightmare, so we would not be looking at anything that needed complete renovation although my husband likes to keep his hand in when it comes to this.    Yes he is aware of the folk/gypsy music,  he does play both.  I have looked at some comparisons regarding prices and they certainly seem cheaper than the UK,  France is quite expensive but not so much Spain.

sylvm wrote:

I have asked about the limit regarding dogs, - a Hungarian Estate Agent- who says he has never heard of this. Not sure how we can establish this,

Each City/town/village is suppose to post all their laws on-line at their web site. If you do not wish to sift through all that, you should ask at the local clerk/notary's office that handles the locals laws. Just because an estate agent is not aware of something means little. There are 4000+ Cities/towns/villages in Hungary, and each is pretty much free to enact its own local regulations on many issues, which means locals laws can and do vary widely and change constantly.

Funny, every time I think of Szekesfehervar ( sorry not messing with the proper HU spelling with this old laptop)
I think of a funny little Hungarian I worked with in Las Vegas, he was from there and he was a trip.Such a funny guy with a dry sense of humor.
We thought of a flat there long ago, stayed for 6 months in a rental villa at lake Velenca and used to drive to fehervar to see movies and hang in the mall with our son. Something to do at night after a day at the lake.
Realized for us it was just a bit too country although it is a cute little town and not too far from either lake in either direction.
You never know in Hungary though, I needed knee surgery and they booked me in within 10 days, Not even enough time to really think it over in detail, big mistake in my case.
Was really messed up for over one years time after surgery, still swollen and my leg was so weak I couldn't get around with out a crutch or cane and before that I was a serious workout freak for over 30 years, they destroyed my muscles and they got weaker by the day, went to the US and after 2 months of hard core PT I am cane free and back to working out hard, not like I used to but at age 60, I will cut myself a little  slack.
We find minor issues with health are well done here in Hungary but for anything serious it's best to head home to the US for treatment.In the US the rich get great care and the poor do too. being old and poor as it's advantages sometimes...
Dental work is best done in Hungary if you find a good dentist, that's the major trick though.
Been to at least 9 dentists and it is hit or miss, mostly miss.
Price for dental work is good though, the US does not cover any dental care in heath insurance, have to buy a different coverage for that.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

The very young doctor just looked at my arm and said it looked ok to her., I had papers stating how far a patch of skin should be removed from a specialist in Las Vegas but she just used her eyes to turn me away.

My experience with National Health is they will not do much work unless it requires non-obvious work, such as setting a broken bone.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

for anything serious it's best to head home to the US for treatment

Quite frankly, I have had nothing but problems with the American medical establishment myself. But I do not trust the Hungarian medical system either. Someone living near us in Hungary cut her toe, it got infected, then the doctors cut off her leg, then they buried her.

I once broke my hand in Hungary. A very bad break. It required surgery, a metal pin and PT. I went to Switzerland to have it fixed and did the PT in Switzerland.

Will do some homework on this subject. I used to live in New Zealand and they have similar regional laws there re pets. At the moment we are going to concentrate on the area around Szekesfehervar.   Seems to be a rather lovely city and halfway between Lake Balaton and Budapest.  I am sure there will be music opportunities there.   The wine looks as if it might be good as well (very important for Peter)!    We are in Spain from 9th October to April but are planning to travel to Hungary in March to ascertain the situation re property, etc.  Thanks again for your advice.

@sylvm: I recently moved to Hungary with my wife because she's studying in Pécs. She came ahead of me and I followed a few months later while I finished things up in the USA. We lived in Pécs for about 7 months, and all I can say is I can't wait to move back there.

We recently had a daughter and she was born in Pécs. That has been my only experience with hospitals here, and while it leaves much to be desired of, they get the basics done. We live in BP now because of my work, but Wife still studies in Pécs and commutes once a week. I wanted to find a job there really badly, which I did, but pay was not to par with my experience and the field so I had to let it go; it was a truly painful decision to move away.

I find Pécs very friendly, green, diverse, laid back and quite relaxing. It's a perfect place for young families and retired peoples, I'd argue. If you live close to the town center, you will be drawn to its charm and accessibility. The large central plaza in front of the old mosque attracts many families with dogs. The longest traffic I encountered there was a 10 minute delay. Parking is not even close to being as painful as in Budapest. Not many people speak English, as may be the case in BP, but it's not nearly as uncommon as in more rural towns. There's a generous offering of bars, pubs, and restaurants if that's in your list of interests. There are also a few markets where you can get local produce for a good price (one is across the city's largest mall).

I think Pécs has a pretty attractive atmosphere. Being a university town, there is a lot of young blood. Mix that with the old Hungary charm and it makes for a really nice place. It seems like the town has spent a lot of money in the recent past renovating and becoming what it is today. There is a very active cultural environment there, with MANY events going on year round. The National Opera in Pécs is 5 minutes walking from the Town Center, and there are many other smaller theaters/cinemas. There is a fairly new and large event center that hosts many classical concerts and operas. The impressive Zsolnay Cultural Quarter (Zsolnay Kulturális Negyed) is a magnet for spending lazy afternoons (or days) appreciating the many offerings there; concerts, sweets, handcrafts, parks, nice views, tours, seasonal activities, and many others. Prices for all these activities is pretty accessible, I believe. It is a hilly town, so it lends itself to nice vistas of the surrounding hill country. On clear days, you can see as far as Croatia to the south and Balaton to the north from the TV tower atop the Mecsek hills (tallest structure in Hungary).

Granted, you won't find the fancy offerings Budapest (or some of the other large cities) may have, but the essentials are all there, and the few times we came to Budapest to shop for fancy stuff we often came back empty handed anyway. For example, the larger Tesco in Pécs is better stocked (in my opinion) to the ones in my area of BP. You mentioned you're on a budget; I think Pécs will fit your pocket. A decent sized 2-bedroom apartment may run you down about HUF 100.000 a month for rent, plus utilities and other costs. Property prices for similarly featured abodes are generally about 30 to 50% less than in Budapest. You can get all over town by bus, and taxis are oddly plentiful (900 to 1.200 Ft will get you almost anywhere in town).

Finally, being in the south of Hungary, Budapest is close to Croatia and Serbia, both with plenty to see as well if you're up for a day trip. I'd suggest you download the free Android application "Visit Pécs" for some good information. Good luck! I think you will find Pécs quite likable.

I don't know a lot of thing about logistcis in Hungary but I know one thing, you need to learn Hungarian language. Only one problem, it's a language veryyy hard with a lot of declensions and what doesn't look like to saxons and latins languages...