Avoid Hailing Down a Taxi in Budapest

There are many good ways to get a reliable taxi in Budapest. Hailing them down, however, is not recommended.

‘Don’t hail down a taxi in Budapest’ – then what can you do?

Unless you do not mind paying 30-100% more than the average taxi cab rates, do not just hail down a cab. There are several Budapest taxi services, with max 5-15 min waiting time at all times (except for New Year’s Eve, which is a big rip-off and cab vulture time). Contact reliable Budapest Taxi companies easily from your cell phone. Our Budapest taxi guide features a long list of trustworthy taxi companies.

Besides using a reliable taxi company, it is also important to have the right bank notes with you (suggested notes are 1000HUF, 2000HUF).

Here comes one story from Lavera a Danish traveler to Hungary:

” A scam that taxi-drivers seem to pull off if you pay with a 10,000 HUF bill ( equivalent to around 45 euro) is to pretend it is a 1,000 bill and demand that you pay more…

When this happens at night, in the dark of a taxi it is difficult to argue, also you may be taken by surprise as I was, when the driver seemed friendly, and running on a meter.

So just a word of warning, try and avoid 10,000 Huf bills in such circumstances.” It is a scam, which is not so often played, but it is still a good warning.

Definitely DO NOT DO: Further Budapest warnings

• Do not have valuables with you. Learn from general Budapest warnings.
• Do not travel unprepared. Save the Budapest crime emergency phone numbers to learn how to contact the Hungarian Police just in case.
• Do not stay near the Parliament and the Heroes’ Square on Hungarian national holidays
• Do not take marijuana, drugs in Budapest. What about alcohol?
• Do not go to dangerous night clubs in Budapest.
• Do not hail down a taxi in Budapest.
• Do not buy HUF / Forint from a street vendor in Budapest.
• Do not board Budapest public transport vehicles without a ticket.
• Do not cross the road without checking the traffic in Budapest.
• Do not expect some cultural conveniences in Budapest
• Do not take valuables with you to Baths in Budapest – or preferably in the city.
• Do not go to Budapest Airport unprepared – there are 2 Budapest terminals – approx. 5 min car travel from each other: even though T1 is getting closed, T2 is a bus stop away from T1 train station.
• Do not go to touristy restaurants in Budapest – to eat pricey food of lower quality.

Check out Budapest FAQ for more useful tips!
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