Beware Budapest !
Jan 4th, 2011, 01:50 AM
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Beware Budapest !
We spent Christmas in Budapest. We thought it would be a lovely, magical experience. We stayed in a lovely 5 star hotel.
I am not going to get angry here - as I did on a previous forum!.. Not Fodors by the way.
Our overall impression and experience of the City of Budapest was one of the worst ever. I was especially upset and felt very unsafe from my experience. I came away from the city feeling suspicious and frightened. I was afraid to interact with anyone, because sure enough when I did interact I was met by gruff, cold and unfriendly people and I was constantly afraid that I might in some way be breaking their laws and be fined on the spot, and then the police would come and escort me to jail (which almost happened on Christmas Day as I failed to validate my metro ticket).
Some people may say I am naive and should have done my homework and that all the ticket checkers are doing is just making sure people don't try to ride around for free. It costs about euro 1.20 for the trip I took outside my 5 star hotel to the Szecheny Bath and another euro 1.20 for the return. I was so shocked that the two women (who I thought were beggers by the way and I tried to avoid them as I had not been received well previously when I tried to interact with the locals) zoned in on me and stopped me physically to see my ticket when I was getting off the train at Deak Ferenc Ter. I went to walk away as I thought they were begging. When I realised they wanted my tickets I handed them over and was told that I had to pay a fine on the spot. I still thought they were beggers. I could not believe that the City of Budapest employs people on Christmas day and accosts very obvious looking tourists to make sure they don't take advantage of the City to the tune of a couple of euro. Of course like any normal person I tried to explain that we did not know what to do with our tickets, I thought maybe there might be ticket checkers on the train to collect the tickets. I had no idea you had to validate it before travelling. I had no idea there was no date stamped on the ticket to prove my innocence that I had only just bought the ticket. I had no idea it was an honour type system they have. When I went to walk away I was prevented physically and of course I lost my temper (I am just a very naive person and had no idea what was going on). I wished them both a very merry (expletive) Christmas and tapped her on the arm and was barked back with don't touch me. The police were being called (so they said) and my partner pulled out his wallet to pay them. She then let me walk away and I could honestly see the glint of corrupted greed in her eyes when she saw the money coming out of the wallet. My partner was scared that we would go to jail and had screamed to me that we really don't want to go to jail in a country in eastern europe.....
Unfortunate, bad events happened just a few too many times to be a once-off bad experience - that I was unlucky and that I drew it all upon myself.
On our initial arrival to the airport one of our bags was missing (they were checked in together). Also about 30 other passengers' bags were missing (they all had part of their luggage I noticed). No problem - ok so we go to the desk to do the paperwork, etc. It was a fairly awful scene that unfolded. The girl at the desk started screaming at everyone, she was hyperventilating and crying and was unable to handle the situation. Ok - so again no problem, she was only in her third day on the job and still in training, and her supervisor would come to help her or relieve her for the time being and they might get some other desk people to handle the volume of missing luggage from our flight. No - absolutely no-one came. I could see some other airport workers looking at her like she was some kind of idiot and freak. This was the first impression I had of Budapest - that you are on your own and it is dog eat dog out there - no matter what. And that really is the feeling I grew to feel more and more in Budapest.
Oh and the taxi driver who took us to our lovely 5 star hotel was another story. I was very warm in the taxi (after all our excitement I suppose) and asked him if he could turn down the heat please. Silence. I asked again as maybe he did not hear me and of course he speaks a different language to me. Silence. I'm not sure if I asked again - I was quite surprised that there was not even a bit of body language expression from him to say he may have heard something from his passenger but did not understand. He did not twitch one solitary muscle and we may as well not even have been in his taxi. Again, I found this to be very strange and not very nice or amicable behaviour. So that was one of the times when I tried to engage with some people in Budapest.....
When I went to tell the people at the 5 star hotel about how awful the experience with the ticket checkers was I was again met with a look of - oh well that's the way it is here.
I'm sure there will be many replies to say how stupid I am. So be it. I am glad to be home from Budapest. It was the worst experience of my life.
I am not going to get angry here - as I did on a previous forum!.. Not Fodors by the way.
Our overall impression and experience of the City of Budapest was one of the worst ever. I was especially upset and felt very unsafe from my experience. I came away from the city feeling suspicious and frightened. I was afraid to interact with anyone, because sure enough when I did interact I was met by gruff, cold and unfriendly people and I was constantly afraid that I might in some way be breaking their laws and be fined on the spot, and then the police would come and escort me to jail (which almost happened on Christmas Day as I failed to validate my metro ticket).
Some people may say I am naive and should have done my homework and that all the ticket checkers are doing is just making sure people don't try to ride around for free. It costs about euro 1.20 for the trip I took outside my 5 star hotel to the Szecheny Bath and another euro 1.20 for the return. I was so shocked that the two women (who I thought were beggers by the way and I tried to avoid them as I had not been received well previously when I tried to interact with the locals) zoned in on me and stopped me physically to see my ticket when I was getting off the train at Deak Ferenc Ter. I went to walk away as I thought they were begging. When I realised they wanted my tickets I handed them over and was told that I had to pay a fine on the spot. I still thought they were beggers. I could not believe that the City of Budapest employs people on Christmas day and accosts very obvious looking tourists to make sure they don't take advantage of the City to the tune of a couple of euro. Of course like any normal person I tried to explain that we did not know what to do with our tickets, I thought maybe there might be ticket checkers on the train to collect the tickets. I had no idea you had to validate it before travelling. I had no idea there was no date stamped on the ticket to prove my innocence that I had only just bought the ticket. I had no idea it was an honour type system they have. When I went to walk away I was prevented physically and of course I lost my temper (I am just a very naive person and had no idea what was going on). I wished them both a very merry (expletive) Christmas and tapped her on the arm and was barked back with don't touch me. The police were being called (so they said) and my partner pulled out his wallet to pay them. She then let me walk away and I could honestly see the glint of corrupted greed in her eyes when she saw the money coming out of the wallet. My partner was scared that we would go to jail and had screamed to me that we really don't want to go to jail in a country in eastern europe.....
Unfortunate, bad events happened just a few too many times to be a once-off bad experience - that I was unlucky and that I drew it all upon myself.
On our initial arrival to the airport one of our bags was missing (they were checked in together). Also about 30 other passengers' bags were missing (they all had part of their luggage I noticed). No problem - ok so we go to the desk to do the paperwork, etc. It was a fairly awful scene that unfolded. The girl at the desk started screaming at everyone, she was hyperventilating and crying and was unable to handle the situation. Ok - so again no problem, she was only in her third day on the job and still in training, and her supervisor would come to help her or relieve her for the time being and they might get some other desk people to handle the volume of missing luggage from our flight. No - absolutely no-one came. I could see some other airport workers looking at her like she was some kind of idiot and freak. This was the first impression I had of Budapest - that you are on your own and it is dog eat dog out there - no matter what. And that really is the feeling I grew to feel more and more in Budapest.
Oh and the taxi driver who took us to our lovely 5 star hotel was another story. I was very warm in the taxi (after all our excitement I suppose) and asked him if he could turn down the heat please. Silence. I asked again as maybe he did not hear me and of course he speaks a different language to me. Silence. I'm not sure if I asked again - I was quite surprised that there was not even a bit of body language expression from him to say he may have heard something from his passenger but did not understand. He did not twitch one solitary muscle and we may as well not even have been in his taxi. Again, I found this to be very strange and not very nice or amicable behaviour. So that was one of the times when I tried to engage with some people in Budapest.....
When I went to tell the people at the 5 star hotel about how awful the experience with the ticket checkers was I was again met with a look of - oh well that's the way it is here.
I'm sure there will be many replies to say how stupid I am. So be it. I am glad to be home from Budapest. It was the worst experience of my life.
Jan 4th, 2011, 02:17 AM
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What a shame. Budapest is one of my favorite cities for music, dance and good food and am anxious to go back.
On one hand, you are lucky you were able to bribe the ticket checkers, because in other European countries the fine is hefty on the spot and bribing might actually get you arrested. Most countries have a ticket validation requirement before getting on transport.(Just FYI)
Read up next time before you go about public transportation if you plan to use it, or ask at your hotel before you venture out how the public transportation works.
Did your taxi driver speak good English? I didn't find many who did, so your request might have gone in one ear and out the other.
I am glad you are glad you are back. Bad vacations need to be over PRONTO.. just sorry you don't have fonder memories.
On one hand, you are lucky you were able to bribe the ticket checkers, because in other European countries the fine is hefty on the spot and bribing might actually get you arrested. Most countries have a ticket validation requirement before getting on transport.(Just FYI)
Read up next time before you go about public transportation if you plan to use it, or ask at your hotel before you venture out how the public transportation works.
Did your taxi driver speak good English? I didn't find many who did, so your request might have gone in one ear and out the other.
I am glad you are glad you are back. Bad vacations need to be over PRONTO.. just sorry you don't have fonder memories.
Jan 4th, 2011, 03:02 AM
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I'm sorry that you had a bad experience, but you should remember what the basis was: you got things wrong.
The ticket-checking on public transport in Budapest is heavy, more so on the metro than on trams and buses, and the most heavily policed point on the metro is Deak Ferenc Ter. The hotel staff reaction of "oh well that's the way it is here" is simply a recognition of truth. The real message that one should take from your post is not that Budapest is bad, but that every visitor to a place needs to find out how things are done there.
The ticket-checking on public transport in Budapest is heavy, more so on the metro than on trams and buses, and the most heavily policed point on the metro is Deak Ferenc Ter. The hotel staff reaction of "oh well that's the way it is here" is simply a recognition of truth. The real message that one should take from your post is not that Budapest is bad, but that every visitor to a place needs to find out how things are done there.
Jan 4th, 2011, 03:16 AM
#4
"The glint of corrupted greed in her eyes" -- oh, I like that, but since you were so observant about this sort of detail, how come ticket validation escaped your notice? And if you thought that the tickets of tourists should not be checked on Christmas day, I certainly do not understand why you bothered to buy one.
Jan 4th, 2011, 03:21 AM
#5
So sorry you had a bad time. I generally find Hungarians do not offer much in facial expressions but there you go. I guess one of the things about foreign travel is that things are different there.
I have avoided Budapest for some years now after visiting most of the rest of the country but went there last year and found it very pleasant. Our 4 star (no idea what a 5 star hotel is for except to extract money) sent us a bottle of champagne as it was Mrs Bilbo's birthday all gratis and they wondered why I thanked them.
How did you get on in the baths, I managed to break the system twice and got taken around by the Director to stop it happening again
I have avoided Budapest for some years now after visiting most of the rest of the country but went there last year and found it very pleasant. Our 4 star (no idea what a 5 star hotel is for except to extract money) sent us a bottle of champagne as it was Mrs Bilbo's birthday all gratis and they wondered why I thanked them.
How did you get on in the baths, I managed to break the system twice and got taken around by the Director to stop it happening again
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:12 AM
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On one hand, you are lucky you were able to bribe the ticket checkers, because in other European countries the fine is hefty on the spot and bribing might actually get you arrested.>
I see no evidence to jump to conclusions that this was a bribe and not the fine - ticket controllers often dress down so as to not be noticed - I see nothing wrong with what the ticket controllers did only what this UGLY American IMO did in this instance and I find her/his attitude with the other ecnounters equally distgurbing and am ashamed if she/he were American because these loutish types who do not even understand simple things like ticket validations and then when explained balk at paying what locals would - well I would hope they would just stay at home.
I see no evidence to jump to conclusions that this was a bribe and not the fine - ticket controllers often dress down so as to not be noticed - I see nothing wrong with what the ticket controllers did only what this UGLY American IMO did in this instance and I find her/his attitude with the other ecnounters equally distgurbing and am ashamed if she/he were American because these loutish types who do not even understand simple things like ticket validations and then when explained balk at paying what locals would - well I would hope they would just stay at home.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:12 AM
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On one hand, you are lucky you were able to bribe the ticket checkers, because in other European countries the fine is hefty on the spot and bribing might actually get you arrested.>
I see no evidence to jump to conclusions that this was a bribe and not the fine - ticket controllers often dress down so as to not be noticed - I see nothing wrong with what the ticket controllers did only what this UGLY American IMO did in this instance and I find her/his attitude with the other ecnounters equally distgurbing and am ashamed if she/he were American because these loutish types who do not even understand simple things like ticket validations and then when explained balk at paying what locals would - well I would hope they would just stay at home.
I see no evidence to jump to conclusions that this was a bribe and not the fine - ticket controllers often dress down so as to not be noticed - I see nothing wrong with what the ticket controllers did only what this UGLY American IMO did in this instance and I find her/his attitude with the other ecnounters equally distgurbing and am ashamed if she/he were American because these loutish types who do not even understand simple things like ticket validations and then when explained balk at paying what locals would - well I would hope they would just stay at home.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:22 AM
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I hadn't noticed that you posted both in the 6 year old thread and started a new one. Seems to make sense to keep it all in the same (expletive) subject 
, but to pare down from the other...
I don't know of any country where you don't have to follow the laws if you're a visitor. I certainly can't speed through Ireland or wherever because I can't sort out miles per hour vs KM per hour. I think the cop would laugh himself silly... right until I cursed at him and tried to drive off. I imagine the locals would be pretty pleased if I got what was coming to me for behaving like that.
In all fairness, however, it sounds much like my first experience arriving in Dublin. Missing luggage, inept response to that.... ripped off by an aggressive taxi driver, disinterested service here and there. It happens or can happen anywhere. Part of the experience is what we bring with us, as it is driven by what we're familiar with, including whether or not we're used to having a public transport system, or living around very chatty people, etc. None of which is a reflection on Dublin, of course. Nor is it a reflection of Budapest, IMO.
This all kind of reminds me of a relative who swears the dvd player is stupid because they don't know how it works.
LOL cold. It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshine-y day.
, but to pare down from the other...I don't know of any country where you don't have to follow the laws if you're a visitor. I certainly can't speed through Ireland or wherever because I can't sort out miles per hour vs KM per hour. I think the cop would laugh himself silly... right until I cursed at him and tried to drive off. I imagine the locals would be pretty pleased if I got what was coming to me for behaving like that.
In all fairness, however, it sounds much like my first experience arriving in Dublin. Missing luggage, inept response to that.... ripped off by an aggressive taxi driver, disinterested service here and there. It happens or can happen anywhere. Part of the experience is what we bring with us, as it is driven by what we're familiar with, including whether or not we're used to having a public transport system, or living around very chatty people, etc. None of which is a reflection on Dublin, of course. Nor is it a reflection of Budapest, IMO.
This all kind of reminds me of a relative who swears the dvd player is stupid because they don't know how it works.
LOL cold. It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshine-y day.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:23 AM
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I am sorry you had such a bad experience and am glad you made it safely home. Yes, you did wrong, and the ticket checkers certainly only did their job. However, the ticket checkers here in Germany do their job, too, and when they catch someone who didn't validate their ticket their reaction is quite different from what you experienced.
I've been in Budapest last year in March, stayed in a 5star, too, and while I've never gotten into such a trouble like you did I must say that almost nothing makes me want to go back. My overall experience with people there was not very pleasant, either. You hardly draw a smile out of them, they're not very welcoming and so on. Btw, I was there on business and got a deeper insight than the usual tourist gets.
Considering the current developments of the political situation in Budapest (and what went on in the recent past) all this doesn't come as a surprise to me.
I.
I've been in Budapest last year in March, stayed in a 5star, too, and while I've never gotten into such a trouble like you did I must say that almost nothing makes me want to go back. My overall experience with people there was not very pleasant, either. You hardly draw a smile out of them, they're not very welcoming and so on. Btw, I was there on business and got a deeper insight than the usual tourist gets.
Considering the current developments of the political situation in Budapest (and what went on in the recent past) all this doesn't come as a surprise to me.
I.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:29 AM
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However, the ticket checkers here in Germany do their job, too, and when they catch someone who didn't validate their ticket their reaction is quite different from what you experienced.>
Hopefully but if the miscreants reacted like the one above - hauvghty and just walking away would have German controllers been so patient?
folks say the same thing you do about dour Budapesters about East Germans, BTW (even though I have never felt this - others tell me they did).
Hopefully but if the miscreants reacted like the one above - hauvghty and just walking away would have German controllers been so patient?
folks say the same thing you do about dour Budapesters about East Germans, BTW (even though I have never felt this - others tell me they did).
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:41 AM
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lost in translation - bribe or fine - not many people here seem to be able to distinguish between the two - I think I was being fined and we reluctantly paid the fine - but perhaps we were being bribed by corrupt people, who knows, it does in fact seem very difficult to distinguish between the two - and that is a common problem in Hungary.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:48 AM
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but perhaps we were being bribed by corrupt people, who knows, it does in fact seem very difficult to distinguish between the two - and that is a common problem in Hungary.>
in your mind - give some examples to prove just what you said that 'this is a common problem in Hungary' please.
You violated the rules - were caught - refused to pay - tried to walk away... point the finger where it belongs - yes an UGLY American, if you are an American.
in your mind - give some examples to prove just what you said that 'this is a common problem in Hungary' please.
You violated the rules - were caught - refused to pay - tried to walk away... point the finger where it belongs - yes an UGLY American, if you are an American.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:51 AM
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Seems you're savvy enough to visit forums after you're bad experience but not savvy enough to have done some basic research before you went. Are you honestly looking for sympathy here? You say you expected many replies saying how stupid you are, you got it in one.
Jan 4th, 2011, 05:53 AM
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Better yet, delete it all together. It doesn't add much to the forum except to illustrate why a bit of reading before one travels is a good idea. Which, I assume, Fodors already hopes people do... considering that they sell travel guides.
