Driving in Budapest
Discussion
Chaps,
Have just spent a long weekend in Budapest, seeing a mate out there. Had an excellent time ...
He is there on business, and has a Skoda Octavia hire car. (Excellent bit of machinery - recommended.) He said he really enjoyed working out there as the roads are clear, and the standard of driving is high. My observations were exactly that - not as high as Germany, but people kept to lane, no stupid over/undertaking, courteous and respectful to others on the road. Much MUCH better than in London.
Road surface was good - generally better than the UK roads, and much better than London. Good network, not-great signing but well marked junctions. Free parking just about everywhere ...
And the police make regular stops, to check insurance and driving licences (which you are obliged to carry at all times). We were stopped about an hour out of Budapest, near the Slovak border. Bunch of 4 coppers flagged us down, spoke impeccable English, were as polite as the day is long, checked car hire papers, driving licence, passports (mine as well), told us that all was in order and told us to enjoy the rest of the day. It all took about 5 minutes. No excuses, no drama, no fuss, just a run-of-the mill thing they do many times a day. Apparently that is the second time this has happened in 6 months to my mate, and strikes me as an excellent system.
If they can make it work in Hungary, an ex-Eastern Bloc nation, with huge under-investment and much poverty, why oh why can't we get it right in the UK? Are we really to slip behind what should be our poorer brother in such a fundamental matter as transport?
Oli.
Have just spent a long weekend in Budapest, seeing a mate out there. Had an excellent time ...
He is there on business, and has a Skoda Octavia hire car. (Excellent bit of machinery - recommended.) He said he really enjoyed working out there as the roads are clear, and the standard of driving is high. My observations were exactly that - not as high as Germany, but people kept to lane, no stupid over/undertaking, courteous and respectful to others on the road. Much MUCH better than in London.
Road surface was good - generally better than the UK roads, and much better than London. Good network, not-great signing but well marked junctions. Free parking just about everywhere ...
And the police make regular stops, to check insurance and driving licences (which you are obliged to carry at all times). We were stopped about an hour out of Budapest, near the Slovak border. Bunch of 4 coppers flagged us down, spoke impeccable English, were as polite as the day is long, checked car hire papers, driving licence, passports (mine as well), told us that all was in order and told us to enjoy the rest of the day. It all took about 5 minutes. No excuses, no drama, no fuss, just a run-of-the mill thing they do many times a day. Apparently that is the second time this has happened in 6 months to my mate, and strikes me as an excellent system.
If they can make it work in Hungary, an ex-Eastern Bloc nation, with huge under-investment and much poverty, why oh why can't we get it right in the UK? Are we really to slip behind what should be our poorer brother in such a fundamental matter as transport?
Oli.
Glad you had a good stay here. Overtaking on the inside does happen, I think you must have been lucky from your comments. There is lots of poor driving here, but, everybody knows this and expects tossers to queue jump and cut in at the last minute etc. This could probably be stopped if people did not just let them in, but then again, letting them in prevents road rage, so you takes your pick..
zcacogp said:Well, they had 70 years practise at stopping people! And locking them up/shooting them is everything was NOT in order!
...
And the police make regular stops, to check insurance and driving licences ... We were stopped about an hour out of Budapest, near the Slovak border. Bunch of 4 coppers flagged us down, spoke impeccable English, were as polite as the day is long, checked car hire papers, driving licence, passports (mine as well), ... No excuses, no drama, no fuss, just a run-of-the mill thing they do many times a day ...
If they can make it work in Hungary, an ex-Eastern Bloc nation ...
- StreakyMuch the same in the Czech Republic where I drive a lot. Been stopped by the roadside several times just the same I must report.
Only thing is don't leave your doc's behind & drive through the border - doh. What fun we had that day.
Yep it's a good system, think the last time I was stopped in the UK was four years ago, for a dirty no plate as you do
I was once stopped in Sardinia as they heard us coming down the mountain - our tyres had been sqealing a bit too much apparently hhhmmmmm
Only thing is don't leave your doc's behind & drive through the border - doh. What fun we had that day.
Yep it's a good system, think the last time I was stopped in the UK was four years ago, for a dirty no plate as you do
I was once stopped in Sardinia as they heard us coming down the mountain - our tyres had been sqealing a bit too much apparently hhhmmmmm
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