 | Budapest Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 222 |  |
Popular Warnings or Dangers | Other Warnings or Dangers Tips | All Tips (222) Like every big city, Budapest also has them...take good care of your valuables, don't leave your backpack on your back when you get on the tram or bus.
Take extra care on the tram number 4 and 6, because they are really crowded in peek hours, and thus they are quite "attended" by pickpockets. Take good care on the escalators as well! Leave a Comment
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There aren't many dangers in Budapest (at least not more than in any other big city) but there are some things good to know about so you can...well...save some money! :)
Don't never use a taxi which is not belonging to one of the bigger companies (6x6, Fõtaxi, Tele5, etc.).
To independently working ones are usually the so called "hienas", who settle down near railway stations and so, and overcharge the foreign customers.
The best is to order a cab by phone or to wait for one which is belonging to a company. Don't let the people at the stations with "Taxi" sign on a paper lure you to a "No label cab".
It may also be a good idea to ask the cab driver about a price. Between any central railway station and any hotel in the central districts (unless You arrive to the Buda side and go to a hotel in southern Pest) the price shouldn't be more then 5000 forints or even less.
(Picture taken from the website of Rádió Taxi) Leave a Comment
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BKV ZRt Budapest Transport Limited's ticket controllers love tourists, because it's quite easy to cheat on them.
The best way to avoid getting cheated by a ticket inspector is to hold and validate a ticket or pass. Don't forget that there are no free transfers in Budapest, you either have to validate a new ticket or the other end of a transfer ticket when changing lines. If you hold a metro (section) transfer ticket, then you don't have to validate it again, but that's the ONLY exception.
When transfering to a tram, trolley or metro replacement vehicle (denoted by VILLAMOSPOTLO, TROLIPOTLO or METROPOTLO JARAT, the other end of the ticket (without numbers) must be validated - if possible, as you might already have that cancelled when talking about a transfer ticket with numbers at both ends.
Once in trouble on a bus, trolley or tram, just leave the vehicle and don't begin any negotiation with the controllers. Most of them don't speak or understand English well enough anyway. When you are not willing to pay or show any ID, the controller must make you get off anyway - so it's a legal (though immoral) way of escaping from being punished. And please, don't let them catch you in the stop, they are not allowed to.
When you get caught without a valid ticket or pass at a metro, underground, HEV or cogwheel railway station, don't pay, or if you do, don't pay more than 1500 HUF on the spot but show an ID without address. And then, if you are willing to, you can still pay the fine (~2500-3000 HUF) later at Akacfa utca 15.
If they ask for more than 1500 Fts on the spot, DON'T PAY, even if they warn you like 'Police, Polizei, Telefon Police'. Just make sure you have proper identification with you in case they would really call the police, who would take a look at your passport /ID, write down your name and send your address to BKV at a later time. And then you're okay, BKV won't mail you abroad...
FROM 1 SEPTEMBER, FOREIGNERS MAY NOT BE FINED ON THE SPOT BUT BE SERVED WITH A VALID TICKET FOR ITS ORIGINAL PRICE Leave a Comment
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Be very careful when using the numerous cashpoints in and around Budapest.
A favourite trick is to insert a strip of metal into the slot where the money is dispensed. This stops your money from coming out. You go into the shop to report the fault, they quickly remove the strip and your money!!
I was lucky, I managed to ram my hand into the slot before it closed and grab hold of my cash but other friends of mine have not been so lucky.
My tip, if you are near to a bank use their machines which are often inside and protected by security cameras. Avoid the cashpoints attached to shops and petrol stations as well as the stand alone machines. Leave a Comment
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Please take either your passport or any ID that contains photo with you.
The heart of Budapest, most districts are very safe to walk even during the night (even though the lapms on the streets are not too strong somewhere), but avoid some parts of the VIII, IX districts. Leave a Comment
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Driving around in Budapest is not that easy. The insanity of some drivers can be a danger for other travellers, passangers, etc...
Do take care of anyone who seems to have an agressive driving style. They won't let you in the line, they won't give you the way even if according to the signs you would be granted...
Driving here is not the most dangerous in Europe, but it can cause you hard times. Just take extra care and be very patient! :)
And watch for the holes in the road...due to the weather changes and the lack of proper road building and maintenance, roads around here are full of the so called "Katyu's", which can give a hard time to your car's suspension... Leave a Comment
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First - it is very important to buy a metro - tram pass for the entire time of your visit, and even pay for an extra day or two if needed. The ticket offices in the metro stations seemed to open and close without rhyme or reason. At 10 AM the office at the tourist - heavy Vorosmarty ter station was inexplicably closed, yet another was open at 10 PM on the same line at Heroe's Square. Even busy stations like Oktagon had closed kiosks at midday when we passed through there. And - - - The ticket machines are confusing and often don't work. It is very difficult to figure out which single ticket is the one you need due to limited English translation and even local users couldn't get some machines to work. Be forewarned.
Second - don't ride anything without a validated ticket at any time. We saw many more ticket inspectors here than in Prague, and often at stations most likely to be used by tourists. Ticket inspectors are often not on the subway or bus itself but waiting at the exit from the station. We once had our tickets inspected at the foot of the stairway leaving a station at 11 PM, believe it or not. Keep your ticket with you if you buy single tickets until at street level. Smart move - buy the pass. Leave a Comment
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If you get caught using the subway without a valid ticket, you will be fined on the spot. Security uses surveillance and has personnel at many stations looking for people. Playing "stupid tourist" or pretending not to know English doesn't work.
If you don't pay your fine on the spot, it will cost you more to pay it at the main office.
Do yourself a favor and buy a 1, 3, or 7 day pass. Leave a Comment
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Walking down Vaci Utca after dark are pairs of women who will ask you to go party with them or to have a drink with them. I didn't go because having been Ex-Navy, had seen this before. You order a couple of drinks for the lovely women, have some nice idle chatter, buy another round and before you know it, you have run up a $300 bar tab with 4-5 drinks. And pleading that you didn't know the drinks were so expensive will get you nowhere either. You bought the drinks, you pay the bill.
I have heard others stating that this scam is slightly different than what I had encountered in previous travels.
Basically, some attractive women grab tourists and invite them to a bar. The tourists are escorted to a table where there are lots of empty bottles and glasses. The bar then tries to charge the unwitting tourist exhorbitant amounts of money. I've heard a couple of people say that they had to give them $900 before they could leave. And the cops called, of course, are in on the scam so there is no remedy by calling the law enforcement. Leave a Comment
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Anywhere there are tourists, there are aggressive vendors and beggars. In Vaci Str artists wanting to draw you in five minutes will follow you if you acknowledge them.
Also this guy on the photo, collecting charity for their temple.
Just keep walking!! Ignore them and keep walking.
I have seen lot of people being followed and hounded if they spoke or made eye contact! Leave a Comment
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