FŐTaxi - Is the fare per taxi or per person?

Taxi fares are fixed by law at maximum values for trip start, per kilometer and wait time, not per passenger:

https://www.numbeo.com/taxi-fare/in/Budapest

I do not know about extra fees for large or more suitcases. You can call the taxi company, they should have English speaking dispatchers.

That being said:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g274 … dvice.html

If you are going to the airport, there are also transfer options (this usually costs per person):

http://www.airportcollections.net/desti … s-hungary/

I would look over the above link before jumping into your next cab.
Cabbies are scammers everywhere in any country.
I'll never forget the $90. ride from the airport in Paris to our hotel on the left bank in 1986, my husband was tired and not thinking clearly after the long flight, when he realized we had gone around in a huge circle for the 3rd time, he told the cabbie to get it together, what a scam.
You should always ask the driver for a approximate cost before sitting inside any cab.
We learned the hard way many times, even in Boston the cabbie took us on a long haul, we had to scream at him to just stop the darn cab and let us out, he was abusing us with his long way around the city.
My husband actually worked for Fo Taxi back in the late 1960's when it was more honest, the drivers were professionals who wore uniforms , suits and ties and actually had regulations to follow.
Different world, different time.
We asked how much a cab was last summer for a short ride from the Octagon  to the city park, my husband speaks perfect Hungarian and the cabbies didn't want to even give him a quote, they said they were on a break, no way, they just didn't want a short ride with a local, looking for a tourist to scam. We finally found a new driver who didn't know the routine and gave us a honest quote, gave us a ride and he got his tip as should be.
My husband also was a cabbie off and on for 7 years in Las Vegas, great part-time job he would quit after 6 months when we returned to Hungary for holiday, was rehired 5 times with the same co. No reports of him ever mistreating any clients etc.
He said many of his fellow drivers were just " trashy" they would take tourists in Vegas on the Arterial without first asking them, there was a huge extra fee on the tab to use that one short cut road.
He would always ask first, most people said no unless they really were in a rush to get to the airport.Always told them it was extra, not going into his pocket but to the cab co. directly, those drivers in Vegas only get a percentage of the meter, tips and taking people to strip clubs is the real bread and butter, no one works for the meter pay alone.
We notice so many cabbies sitting out near Keliti on chairs, very odd,like they are just waiting for the right person to devour.
Not sure about charges for huge bags, if there is room in the trunk/boot of the cab then it shouldn't be extra, heavy bags though should warrant a larger tip, hernias are common in drivers from lifting all those extra heavy bags women , yes it is usually women who weigh  under 120 lbs. who lug around a 90 lb bag expecting others to help them out and then often forgetting to tip.

susanoakdale wrote:

FŐTaxi - Is the fare per taxi ride or per person? If it is per person, how much is it for each extra person to share a taxi? Also, are large or extra suitcases an additional fee? Thanks.

There's a scale of charges in the taxi.  Usually it's distance based, plus additional passengers and bags.  Nothing unusual.

If you are going to the airport from within Budapest, then it's fixed price (normally).  Outside of Budapest limits, it has to be negotiated.

If there are a few of you, it can be cheaper to get someone to drive you and drop you off.  Note: best to say goodbyes away from the terminal, then whizz in to departures, drop the passengers and bags, then get out quickly (<5 minute).  Otherwise it's VERY expensive.  You can also pick people up free from departures if you are very organised (and can be in and out in less than 5 minutes).   This means being prepared - empty back of the car, seats clear etc.

Or, if staying away for sometime, it can be worthwhile to leave your own car at the airport.  The cost of parking has reduced considerably and now it's competitive with taxis for 1-2 weeks of being away.   You can book everything online too.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....taking people to strip clubs is the real bread and butter, no one works for the meter pay alone.
....

They used to do that in Budapest as well of course.  I don't take taxis very often now but I expect they are doing that still.  Typical scam.  We don't hear so much of those scams anymore though (or at least they don't make the warnings on embassy web sites).

Yes, usually by the time any "useful" info is available through a embassy the next scam is already up and running.
It may still be possible to make a formal complaint to a company who one feels has given bad service but I have no info on how fast they respond and how easy it is to collect any fees for over charges.
They do usually target tourists knowing full well they have no time to report any abuse.

fluffy2560 wrote:

If you are going to the airport from within Budapest, then it's fixed price (normally).

Since the September 2013 law change, taxis can not charge a fixed rate and must work off the meter only, and you can request (in fact you are entitled to) a receipt from the meter. if they ask for more for your spouse or friend to get into the taxi, or offer a fixed rate (which is different than a km and wait time cost estimate), which some may indeed try to do, don't get in. Get another taxi. But if you do get in a taxi that quoted a fixed rate (often from the airport) the trip must still be metered, and if the meter rate is lower, you only "legally" have to pay the meter rate. Good luck with that however. Sanctioned taxi service from the airport is a monopoly of just one company.

Side note: I have never understood why Budapest does not have efficient public transportation to its International Airport. Vienna is so much better.

klsallee wrote:

.....
Since the September 2013 law change, taxis can not charge a fixed rate and must work off the meter only, and you can request (in fact you are entitled to) a receipt from the meter. if they ask for more for your spouse or friend to get into the taxi, or offer a fixed rate (which is different than a km and wait time cost estimate), which some may indeed try to do, don't get in. Get another taxi. But if you do get in a taxi that quoted a fixed rate (often from the airport) the trip must still be metered, and if the meter rate is lower, you only "legally" have to pay the meter rate. Good luck with that however. Sanctioned taxi service from the airport is a monopoly of just one company.

Shows how often I take taxis.  I used to see a table in the taxi which showed the charges.   I stopped taking taxis to the airport.  Now I drive myself (including last Saturday).

There's was a taxi scam where they put in a higher rate for metering, i.e. you are one person and they say there are 3 of you and multiple bags.  As a user, how is one supposed to know how a taxi meter is programmed.

Airport monopoly reasons are the same reasons Uber no longer operating in Hungary.  Protests by the taxi operators and vested interests.  Used to be, any taxi can drop off but the taxi monopoly is the only one that can pick up.  Hence the huge numbers of taxis parking off site.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Side note: I have never understood why Budapest does not have efficient public transportation to its International Airport. Vienna is so much better.[/i]

See above on monopoly plus communism.  Look what they did - build a train station for Budapest T1, then Malev finished as T2 was for them and the next thing is that the station is useless.   They also used the same main line for the airport as for other traffic.  Obviously they need to extend the metro all the way to T2 or to put in a direct express to a mainline station.   But all of this is messed up by not having money - they haven't even finished the M0.  Fizzles out at the "Colbert" bridge.   If they finished the M0, it'd pass within about 7km of me (with better house values I expect).

During communism time, T1 was the only terminal. It was a weird experience travelling through there in the early 1990s.  One really knew one was in (former) Commieland.

I don't know about Austria but in Germany, taxis are (or used to be) a "guild" which means the "skill" is protected professionally.  That's why they are (were) so expensive.  Basically a cartel.