Budapest Travel Risk — Low Risk (24/100)
Is Budapest safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Budapest scores 24/100 on our travel risk index (Low). The US State Department rates Hungary Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 15 Apr 2026); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Government advisory (score 10)
Crime (score 26)
September 27, 2026
Budapest, Hungary has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 24 out of 100 (low risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 26/100; the lowest-rated category is government advisory at 10/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Hungary travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Budapest to visit in 2026?
Budapest currently sits at 24/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the low-risk tier. Most travelers report routine, uneventful trips and the page below covers the few category-specific things to stay alert for. The highest-rated risk category for Budapest is crime (26/100), and the lowest is government advisory (10/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (28/100) and natural hazards (31/100).
A score of 24 is higher than the scores of 12% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Budapest maintains a low risk baseline composite of 24/100 and a US State Department advisory level of 1, alongside a global CDC Dengue notice. However, ongoing conditions include a drought alert and recent safety concerns, with residents expressing fear over certain streets due to growing crime.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 07:23 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 26/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Transport safety (score 20/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Budapest
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime conditions are generally secure along major corridors and commercial districts. Keep bags zipped and avoid displaying high-value items openly.
Risk levels elevate noticeably after dark outside main central zones. Avoid walking alone through unlit parks, alleys, or quiet transit stations; favor pre-booked door-to-door transport.
Safety by Traveler Type in Budapest
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Budapest for solo travelers (Crime 26/100 · Transport 20/100), women traveling solo (Crime 26/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 15/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 20/100), business travelers (Digital 20/100 · Money 35/100 · Transport 20/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 10/100 · Political 15/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Budapest
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 1 · Exercise Normal Precautions
Hungary - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Drought is on going in Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, Belarus, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Ukraine, ORANGE · ~421 km away · 2026-02-11
The Drought notification level is Orange.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 07:23:59 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Budapest happened in August (2 of 4 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Hungary travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Hungary entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Budapest
The most weather-stable two-month window for Budapest is June–July, when typical daily temperatures run from about 15°C to 27°C and monthly rain averages 65 mm.
No threshold-level heat, cold, wind, or cyclone flag appears in the stored normals; May is the wettest typical month at about 79 mm.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Aug 15, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Budapest
Budapest has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Unnamed hospital
- Hospital: Emineo Magánkorház
- Hospital: Irgalmasrendi Kórház
- Hospital: Izotópdiagnosztika
- Hospital: Országos Gerincgyógyászati Központ
- Hospital: Országos Onkológiai Intézet
- Hospital: Országos Sportegészségügyi Intézet
- Hospital: Patológia
- Hospital: Szent Rókus Kórház
- Hospital: Városmajori Szív- és Érgyógyászati Klinika
- Police: Unnamed police
- Police: Fővárosi Önkormányzati Rendészeti Igazgatóság
- Police: I. kerületi Rendőrkapitányság
- Police: II. kerületi Rendőrkapitányság
- Police: Körzeti megbízotti iroda
- Police: Kürt utcai KMB Iroda
- Police: Nyugati Pályaudvar Rendőrőrs
- Police: Rendőr-főkapitányság Terézvárosi körzeti megbízotti iroda
- Police: Rendőrség
- Police: XII kerületi Rendőrkapitányság
- Embassy: A Török Köztársaság Nagykövetsége Rezidenciája
- Embassy: Elefántcsontparti Köztársaság Konzulátusa
- Embassy: Embassy of Cyprus
- Embassy: Embassy of Montenegro
- Embassy: Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
- Pharmacy: Batthyány Gyógyszertár
- Pharmacy: Benu Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Budai Arany-Sas Gyógyszertár
- Pharmacy: Budai Mérleg Gyógyszertár
- Pharmacy: Downtown Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Kulcs patika
- Pharmacy: Lipótvárosi Patika
- Pharmacy: Naphegy patika
- Pharmacy: Szűz Mária Gyógyszertár
- Pharmacy: Tabán Gyógyszertár
- Fire station: Belvárosi Katasztrófavédelmi Őrs
- Fire station: Budavári Katasztrófavédelmi Őrs
- Fire station: Fővárosi Katasztrófavédelmi Igazgatóság
- Fire station: Rózsadomb Önkéntes Tűzoltó Egyesület
- Fire station: XI. Kerületi Hivatásos Tűzoltó-parancsnokság
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Hungary)
| Police | 107 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 104 |
| Fire | 105 |
| General | 112 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | low |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | low |
| Emergency response | low |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | low |
The provided sources do not contain specific information about medical facilities or services for travelers in Budapest.
Common scam patterns
- Bar Overcharging (Ruin Bar / Konzumlány). Visitors are invited to bars, especially in the ruin bar district around Kazinczy utca, where drinks are served without a menu and the final bill can be many times higher than expected. The staff set prices arbitrarily, targeting tourists who are unfamiliar with local pricing. Tip: Always ask for a printed menu with prices before ordering and confirm the total before paying.
- Taxi Overcharging. Unlicensed or unmetered taxis, particularly near Keleti station and the airport, often charge inflated fares or take longer routes to increase the price. Drivers may claim the meter is broken or demand cash only, leaving tourists overcharged. Tip: Use official metered taxis, reputable ride‑hailing apps, or confirm the fare in advance.
- ATM and Currency Exchange Traps. ATMs (e.g., Euronet machines) and airport currency exchange bureaus may apply hidden fees, poor exchange rates, or extra charges that are not disclosed upfront. Travelers can lose a significant amount of money if they accept the first offer. Tip: Withdraw cash from bank‑affiliated ATMs and compare exchange rates before converting money.
Area notes
- Buda Castle District (District I). Highly rated for safety with strong police presence and well‑lit streets.
- Pest City Center (District V). Central tourist zone with heavy foot traffic and low violent crime.
- Kazinczy utca (Ruin Bar District). Popular nightlife area where bar overcharging scams are frequently reported.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in Hungary for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
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Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 18 → 24 | low | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 20 | low | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references) |
Every editorial change to Budapest's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Budapest
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Budapest, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.