General Safety
CRIME
Take sensible precautions against petty crime. Bag snatching and pick-pocketing are common, especially in Budapest. Be particularly careful on busy public transport, in train stations, at markets and at other places frequented by tourists. Theft of and from vehicles is common. Don’t carry large amounts of cash.
Certain bars, clubs and restaurants in Budapest, particularly near the large hotels in the business district (V district) of central Pest, may charge exorbitant prices. Common scams include adding a 20,000 HUF (£60) surcharge per drink to the final bill or charging up to 100,000 HUF (£300) for a meal. Individuals who have been unable to settle their bills have frequently been accompanied by the establishment’s security guards to a cash machine and made to withdraw funds under threats of violence. Some taxi drivers are accomplices in these frauds. They often receive a commission to recommend certain bars, clubs and restaurants to passengers. Never ask a taxi driver to recommend a bar or club. If a driver offers to take you to one, or you are approached on the street with an invitation to enter a club, treat that advice with extreme caution. As a general rule it is better to phone for a taxi from a reputable local company. Be careful in establishments where menus do not properly display prices.
Don’t use street money changers. Take care when receiving bank notes that are no longer valid are still in circulation. There have been a small number of reports of taxi drivers deliberately passing these notes to tourists - as well as notes from neighbouring countries that are not valid in Hungary.
ROAD TRAVEL
It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol. You must use headlights on roads outside towns even in daytime. If you drive on the Hungarian motorways M1, M3, M5 and M7 you must buy a motorway vignette at a petrol station, post office or online. In winter, you must equip your car for severe conditions.
RAIL TRAVEL
If you travel by overnight train, try to avoid travelling alone and secure your compartment from the inside.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN BUDAPEST
Foreign visitors are often caught out by the ticket system in Budapest, and fined by ticket inspectors. Follow the passenger information notices, which are usually printed in English. Validate your ticket before starting your journey (before you get to the platform if travelling by Metro; and immediately after boarding buses, trams or trolley buses). Keep your ticket until the end of your journey and show it to inspectors on request. You have to validate another ticket every time you change lines.
A special ticket is required for use on the night service network.
POLITICAL SITUATION
There are occasional political demonstrations in Budapest and elsewhere in the country. These tend to take place on or close to important national holidays with a political relevance, like 15 March (anniversary of 1848 Revolution) and 23 October (anniversary of 1956 Anti-Soviet Uprising). Peaceful political demonstrations have occasionally ended in violence. You should avoid all political demonstrations.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Community regulations ensure the free movement of goods between EU member states. This means that no customs procedures are required for exporting goods from Hungary to another EU member state and/or for importing goods from a member state to Hungary. The export and import of goods purchased for non-commercial purposes (for personal use or as gifts) while travelling is not restricted, however, the transport of certain goods (such as: pets, hunting weapons, alcohol and tobacco products, medicines containing drugs, etc.) within the European Union is restricted or subject to special permissions.
Source: gov.uk - Official UK government travel advice