Security
 

Is there any particular safety issue on should be aware of when in Budapest?

It's a relatively safe city, but no place is totally safe. You should be alert and sensible.

The Budapest Tourist Office warns about pickpockets in crowded places and dodgy money-changers operating on the streets, but I don't think the incidence of street crime is particularly high.

Is this one of the cities to be aware of unscrupulous taxi drivers?

I was just there last week for almost a week.

First - it's a very much walkable city. I stayed on the Buda side and I was able to walk from the Pest side all the way back to my hotel.

The few times I used public transportation, it was a piece of cake.

I used the same service for airport pick up and drop off.

Here is my report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34961498



Reporting from Warsaw.

Travelnut asks: "Is this one of the cities to be aware of unscrupulous taxi drivers?"

It's not too bad, certainly not as bad as Prague. Rates must be displayed on the door of the cab, and there are set maximum rates. Cabs that cruise the streets plying for hire generally charge the maximum rate; it is usually cheaper to phone for a pickup. There is a free city guide produced by the tourist office and widely available: it gives the phone numbers of a number of firms that give good rates (and have English-speaking staff in their control centres).

Whenever I had to take a taxi in Budapest, I always insisted on paying my fare in advance of taking off. Otherwise you leave yourself open to exploitation.

http://www.travel--guide.org/Budapest

Danny, the link you give shows nothing to support your suggestion.

I would prefer to trust the official city guide and my own experience. In any city, you might encounter a rogue taxi driver. Where there is regulation, as there is in Budapest, what you need to do is ensure that the driver uses the meter. The exception is travel from the airport TO the city, where one operator has exclusive pickup rights and rates are fixed by a contract with the airport authority.

I get it now, Danny. The link you gave is one you are scattering over a number of discussions where Budapest is mentioned. It's a commercial site, and you are spamming.

Ditto for Paris.