Everything about Safety in Hungary. I’ll tell you what tourists should be cautious about, where you might lose money, how things are at night, and whether there are many petty thieves. This information will assist you during your travels in Hungary, and perhaps even save you some nerve cells and finances.
Safety in Hungary: General Information
I’ll start with the most important point right away, to be clear and concise. Hungary is an entirely safe country for tourists. There’s nothing to fear here at any time of the day. Yes, there are petty thieves and beggars, but just like in any European city. In most cases, when it comes to safety in Hungary, you can say: forewarned is forearmed.
Hungarians are a very hospitable and responsive nation. They may not be as smiley as some other European nations, but they are always ready to help tourists. The most significant difficulty you might encounter is that Hungarians, in general, have limited knowledge of English, and you probably don’t speak Hungarian. It’s a completely different league of a language and can pose significant challenges during your travels.
- Everything about the Hungarian language for tourists: lots of life hacks that can be very helpful.
Hazards in Hungary:
As for natural dangers in Hungary, everything is fine here as well. The country is not located on the coast and is not in a seismic active zone. There are no risks of earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, or forest fires like in Australia, where entire cities are evacuated. Hungary doesn’t have poisonous insects or dangerous diseases like in Asian countries. Yes, there are snakes here, as in any forests in this region, but that’s about it. The only natural hazard in Hungary is flooding when the Danube overflows. The last major one was in 2006.
What Tourists Should Be Cautious About in Hungary and Where You Can Lose Money
In summary, some general points about safety in Hungary for tourists, and you’ll understand them on your own:
- There are very few illegal migrants from African countries here, almost none. They all go to France, Germany, and so on.
- In the city center (similar to how it is in Barcelona or Rome), nobody will offer you drugs. It’s simply not happening.
- Leaving 2 euros in plain sight in your car won’t result in anyone smashing the car’s windows, as can happen in Paris.
- You can safely walk around any city at any time of the day.
Important to remember:
however, like anywhere else, some people want to take advantage of inattentive tourists. Not all, but there are enough. The main challenge for tourists is dealing with Hungarian Forints. The country has not switched to the Euro yet, and many people can’t quickly convert amounts into Euros.
The following are the key points where tourists might not fall for scams but could overpay:
- Currency exchange: exchange rates vary at exchange offices, and each has its own commission. Someone might charge half a euro for the exchange, while others might charge 13 euros. So, you need to be attentive. A useful article about currency and its exchange in Hungary.
- The Roni ABC network of 24-hour mini shops. It’s a blatant rip-off of tourists, with no correct price tags, and prices inflated by a factor of 5. You might easily be charged in Forints and end up paying 30 euros for a beer, some cheese, and a couple of rolls. Just don’t go in there. Everything about shops and markets in the country, with many tips and nuances.
About the police on the streets of Budapest and other cities
There is a police presence on the streets of cities, especially in the center of Budapest, especially at night. Not many, but not too few either. They don’t bother anyone; even if you walk by them with a beer in your hand, they won’t pay you any attention. They’re just monitoring the situation. If something happens to you, don’t hesitate to ask for their help.
At night, there are incidents between tourists on the bar streets in Budapest. Among those who can’t stand on their own two feet. They lose money and phones, fights happen, just like anywhere else. The police are there mainly because of these drunk incidents.
- Information about the police is more interesting for those planning to rent a car. In the linked article, you’ll learn everything about traffic regulations, fines, police, toll roads, parking, and more.
Tips and Precautionary Measures
You should always remember that no matter how safe Hungary is, you still need to follow common-sense precautions. Safety in Hungary is primarily about your attentiveness.
- Don’t flaunt large sums of money on the street.
- If you’re going to drink in ruin bars all night, don’t take all your money with you. What to see in Budapest, the top 30 attractions, including ruin bars.
- In public transport, keep your wallets hidden in your outer pockets.
- Inquire about the price of the item you’re interested in in advance; you won’t be cheated here, but you might overpay.
- Also, I recommend counting your change, especially at night in bars. And pay attention to the bills you give: 2,000 Forints and 20,000 look similar, and all bills have the same size, so it’s easy to make a mistake.
- If you’re parking your car for the night, put all your belongings in the trunk. It’s better if nothing valuable is visible in the car.
In conclusion, I hope you understand everything about safety in Hungary. In general, it’s much safer here than in major European capitals like Rome, Paris, and Berlin. You have nothing to worry about in any part of the city at any time of the day. If you follow basic safety rules, I don’t know what could happen to you. There are simply no significant threats in the country. Well, you might fall into the Danube if you’re drunk and walk along the riverbank without a guardrail. In the city center, there isn’t one.
IMPORTANT: Below are useful links that will help organize your trip to Hungary and Budapest:
- Flight: Aviasales – compares prices for flights among 30+ airlines flying to Budapest.
- Tours and excursions:
- Viator and GetYourGuide – the best services for finding tours in Budapest and Hungary with the largest database of activities in Hungary. They offer river cruises on the Danube, tickets to baths, and 1000+ tours (available in different languages).
- Accommodation, apartments, hotels, hostels:
- Car rental: DiscoverCars – the leading and largest car rental service in Hungary.
- Travel Insurance: EKTA.
- eSIM – Airalo virtual SIM card in Hungary.
- Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel