Pulling in Budapest (I): Who the Girls Are

Before we tell you where to pick up girls in Budapest, we should first say a few words about the sorts of ladies you are likely to find out on the town in the Hungarian capital on any given night. It is of course impossible, and more than a little tasteless, to try and neatly pigeonhole an entire population of young females into a half-dozen categories. But it's always fun to try, and people always ask, so here it goes:

Teen Temptresses

With more time and energy than money, these girls party hard and don't care too much where or whom with. They will dance seductively to any music, however bad - and there's lots of bad music in Budapest. While they can make great eye candy for men of all ages, if you are willing to stoop to their level, anything can happen. (Note that Hungary's age of consent is just 14 for a reason.) Even if you are poor, you are likely to have more money than them, and they'll greatly appreciate that round of drinks, or even just a swig of your plastic bottle of red wine and cola (vörösboros kola, VBK). She is unlikely to speak more than broken English, but may want some one-on-one practice for those upcoming exams.

Next Door Girls

These girls are friendly, helpful and easy to talk to - and they tell themselves (at least before they've had a few drinks) that only Mr. Right will do. They don't necessarily dress to impress, but that doesn't mean they won't be impressed by the right moves, or a carefully-placed compliment or two. You might have to wait until the second date, but it's worth it if you are in Budapest for more than a weekend. Often self-confident and contemplative, and possessing a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor. Very unlikely to be impressed by a free drink, or by the fact that you speak English, not least because she might speak it better than you.

Party Chicks

Essentially a grown-up Teen Temptress, this type of csaj travels in a squawking pack and has a tendency to run wild on the intoxicating combination of strong drinks and girly giggles. Breaking into the group is easy, but prying one away from her friends and the dance floor can be frustrating, which is why your best shot is usually towards the end of the evening. Be exceeding careful of any signs that suggest you are being used as a drink-ticket. Being less educated and ambitious than the Next Door Girl, she is unlikely to speak English very well. May also still live with her parents, so if you get to ask "your place or mine?" make sure you have one.

Bohemians

While outnumbered by techo-bimbos and "normal" girls by roughly 100-to-one, there is nevertheless a growing population of world-class bohemian babes in Budapest. As with the Next Door Girl, you being a relatively well-off foreigner is unlikely to be all that impressive, especially if she is wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt. She is also no more likely to have "bohemian" attitudes towards casual sex than any other girl - oops, woman - you are likely to run across. She is, however, likely to be interesting, genuine, and honest, if that sort of stuff turns you on.

Showbabes

Usually seen wearing enough make-up and hair products for an entire fashion show, but outfits so skimpy mere Party Chicks wouldn't wear them to the beach, these vixens seem to exist for little other reason than to torture men like you. A snooty "you can't afford me" is a popular retort to any unsolicited advances, and may not be bluster. (The classic Budapest plázacica - or "mall kitten" - seems to do nothing else but shop and party, and all those handbags and cocktails cost money, even in Hungary.) Unless you roll up in a limo and buy Dom Pérignon for the house, you'll be lucky just to strike up a conversation with her - in Hungarian, and about shopping.

Expat-ettes

If you are a foreign male looking to pick up a woman in Budapest, don't assume your options are limited to Hungarians. While the younger expatriate set tends to skew male, there are thousands of single foreign women living in the Hungarian capital at any given time, teaching, studying, doing business or just living abroad for a stretch. And given how sick to death most single külföldi lanyok are of how most local and foreign men spend their time drooling over Hungarian Teen Temptresses and Showbabes, your attention may be more than welcome. All are approachable and well worth talking to, especially the city's legendary tribe of Norwegian medical students, who always look like they are just itching to play doctor. But if they're not, they may know some sizzling Hungarian honeys who are.