Red Channel

A compendium of hazards facing today's traveller. This week: safety tips for visitors to Budapest - as supplied by the Gellert Hotel to its guests.

l Never leave your handbag unattended in the breakfast room or hotel restaurant, even when you go over to the buffet table.

l Do not take all your money with you when you go for a walk. Carry your purse or wallet as close to your body as possible - preferably in an inside pocket that closes with a zipper.

l Always keep your handbag or shoulder bag closed and hold it towards the front of your body so that it cannot easily be snatched away from you.

l Remember: even a locked boot and a secured parking place are not a guarantee that no one will break into your car.

l If you drink alcohol you are not allowed to drive.

For foreign office advice on Hungary and many other countries, contact the Travel Advice Unit on 0171-238 4503 or 4504, or fax 0171-238 4545; on the Internet, at http://www.fco.gov.uk/ or on BBC-2 Ceefax from page 470 onwards.