Security and Safety

Tourist Advisory For Hungary

U.S. citizens planning to travel to Hungary should acquaint themselves with common tourist scams and areas with a high incidence of theft. Since we would like you to have an enjoyable trip to Hungary, this advisory has been issued in the hope that with advance warning, you can avoid potential theft situations. Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Americans have had pleasant, incident-free stays in Hungary.

Clubs and Restaurants

The vast majority of clubs and restaurants in Budapest are legitimate businesses that offer good value and service. However, there are clubs and restaurants in Budapest about which the U.S. Embassy has received numerous complaints from U.S. citizens for engaging in unethical business practices. Victims have filed reports with the Embassy describing the following practices: excessive billing of customers, physical intimidation to force customers to pay exorbitant bills (including holding a member of a party while others in the group pay the bill at ATMs, 24-hour cash facilities), and assault by club/restaurant employees for non-payment of excessive bills. There have been incidents, albeit rare, where U.S. citizens unknowingly have been drugged.

Further, Do NOT let seemingly helpful taxi drivers or local women lure you to an establishment they recommend - they may receive a commission for bringing victims to the club/restaurant. It is also advised that you not patronize clubs/restaurants that do not list prices or provide a menu with prices. Always verify the cost prior to purchase. Be aware that a menu switch may occur at the time of a billing complaint/dispute, for you may be handed a menu that lists higher prices and other hidden charges.

American citizens are strongly urged to avoid these clubs and restaurants due to multiple reports of victimization received by the Embassy:

This list is not all-encompassing, so please use common sense and take note when/where one or more local women approach U.S. citizens in the guise of friendship. Please note that most of these places are located in Budapest's fifth district, on/near the main tourist street, the Váci utca.

Lastly, the Embassy has received reports of attacks in the Chain Bridge area on both sides of the Danube, and on the bridge itself. American citizens are advised to take note of their surroundings as they tour the city.

If you have been the victim of any incident, scam or theft, you should file a police report and report the incident to the U.S. Embassy. (Please see our Contact Information page.) The Incident Report Form can also be downloaded here. (Pdf file, which can be viewed and printed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this software, please visit Adobe's page, where you can download it for free.)

Some U.S. citizens have reported that the police appear to be ineffective and unmotivated to deal with tourist scams and similar crimes. The Hungarian Ministry of Economic Affairs has a special, 24-hour telephone number for tourists to use if one becomes a victim of personal crime while in Hungary. Police personnel with foreign language capability, including English, are on duty seven days a week. Victims of personal crimes, such as thefts, scams, overcharges, abuses or molestations while in Hungary are strongly encouraged to report all such incidents. This telephone number is: 438-8080.

There is a Tourinform office that provides service in English and in German and is located in one of Budapest's busiest tourist areas: Sütõ u. 2., 1052 Budapest, open daily 8-20. Tourist police service is also available during the opening hours.

Money and Passports

One common scam usually occurs in tourist areas and involves a "money-changer" and two "undercover policemen." In this scam, a tourist is approached by a man who asks if s/he would like to change money. If the tourist says, "No, thank you," the man will leave. A minute or so later, two men (sometimes of intimidating size and demeanor) in plainclothes will approach the tourist. The two men will openly display their false police badges or "police identification cards," and request to see all of the tourist's money - the money the tourist might have changed with the first man. At this point, the money will be handled by the two men and then replaced in the tourist's wallet. Only, not all the monies are replaced - the small bills are put back in the wallet and later, the tourist will learn s/he has been robbed of the larger denomination dollar and/or Forint bills. By the time the loss is discovered, the team of three men will have escaped. There are variations of this scam and one of them involves questioning by these "undercover policemen" of the tourist about drugs and eventually leads to seeing the tourist's wallet.

Hungarian police are generally in uniform and do not deal with tourist money changing issues. Tips on avoiding the above scam are: turn away and head in another direction after being approached by the first man; tell them you'd like to consult with another police officer patrolling the area; or tell them you'd like to call the U.S. Embassy.

Transportation

Another potential scam may occur while driving on the Motorways. This one involves someone who attracts your attention by saying that there is something wrong with your car (i.e. a smoking hood, or a flat tire) in order to encourage you to pull over to the shoulder of the highway. Once you are pulled over, while you are busy inspecting the aforementioned trouble, these scamsters will take your purse, etc. out of the car, or even the car itself, and drive away. Also, car thefts are on the rise; favored cars are VWs and Audis. It is best not to leave any items in the car and not to let others see you put things in the trunk (do this before you arrive at your next destination).

Prime theft areas involve crowds of people, where it is easier to distract the unsuspecting tourist. Train stations, trains, trams and metros are full of people and present many opportunities for the thief. Do not leave purses and luggage unattended at any time - all it takes is one unguarded moment and the thief will have what he is after: your money and/or U.S. passport. The U.S. Embassy has received numerous theft reports from these areas: on trains to/from Hungary; all train stations - in particular, Keleti Station; metro lines #1 and #3; tram lines #2 and #4; bus line #7; and American fast food places like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.

Last updated: 08/12/2005

(via US Embassy)