In Budapest, the quickest and safest way to get a taxi is to call the taxi company. On our trip, we used the Citytaxi service every time because it is known to have more English-speaking drivers. This taxi company got us to our destination quickly and safely. Most of the time, the hotel or wherever you are will call the taxi service for you so you don't have to spend a lot of time with the language barrier.

 

The language barrier isn't too bad even though you are in a foreign country that speaks the world’s third most difficult language. (Chinese is No. 1 and Korean is No. 2). The taxi drivers know simple phrases like, “Where are you going?” “Thank you!” and so forth.

 

Getting around is pretty easy if you know the name of the street or the place you want to go. One trick is to have the address written down on a piece of paper. You can then hand it to your driver.

 

Another way the language barrier is difficult is when the taxis first arrive, and all the cab drivers are speaking to each other with a sense of urgency. Most of the time they are talking about how they should get there the fastest or making sure the other driver is aware of where they are going. When two or three taxis follow each other through the streets of Budapest, it’s like a scene from the movie “Italian Job.” Instead Mini Coopers from the movie speeding through the streets of Rome, you have Volkswagens, Mercedes, BMWs and other brands speeding throughtout the streets of Budapest.

 

Being the passenger in the front seat is the primo seat in Budapest’s taxis. You not only get to see all the beautiful views of the city, but you also get to check out how the taxi drivers dress. In Budapest, being dressed nicely is a must, and this applies to their taxi drivers. They don't dress as if they are going to drive all day. They look as if they are going to an office. Dress pants, dress shoes and a crisp button down shirts are their uniforms. They wear them well.

 

Some of the taxis in Budapest are unregulated by the government, which means unlike in the U.S., they can charge you whatever rate they want for their services. This is a worry to all visitors, and this is why you also never want to just wave down any random taxi driving in the street.

 

Citytaxi and a number of other taxi services are approved safe with fixed rates and no hidden meter charges. Citytaxi cabs even had its fare on the dashboard and the seats to make sure you were aware of its 280 forint per kilometer fare it charges.

 

All in all, it’s just better to call a certified cab than risk getting charged too much because you’re foreign.

 

As busy as the streets are, taxis zoom around the city in the taxi lane that most of Budapest’s streets have.

 

Because the traffic flows so well, there is a less honking by drivers in Budapest than in any other city I’ve been to. Drivers in Los Angeles honk almost every minute, and in Chicago, they honk a little less, but they still do it frequently.

 

Not once while I was in a cab did I fear we were in any sort of danger. Even when the streets have trains going down the middle of them half the time, I still felt like I was completely safe. The taxi seemed to be the perfect way to get around the city.

 

Once the taxi stops and drops you off, the cab drivers would smile at a job well done, and they don’t even suggest that they want a tip. That's something I admired, but of course, as a typical American, a tip of 200 forint or more a trip is appropriate. The drivers reply, “köszönöm” (which means, “thank you”) – everytime.