Budapest Transportation
Budapest Airports
Find more airports near Budapest
Budapest Transportation
TO BUDAPEST BY AIRMany international airlines have direct flights to Budapest, and the age of budget flights have made the city an easily accessible weekend destination within Europe. The Ferihegy International Airport (http://www.bud.hu/) consists of 3 terminals located approximately 24 km (15 mi) from the city: Ferihegy 2A reserved for Hungarian airline Malév and its partners, Ferihegy 2B for foreign airlines and Ferihegy 1 around 5km (3mi) west of terminal 2 designated for low cost airlines. It is not uncommon for terminal of departure not being stated on the boarding card, so checking online or by phone is advisable to avoid any inconveniences.
Travel Regulations
Valid ID or passport is enough for citizens of the EU, and those arriving from the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. South African citizens require a Visa.
FROM THE AIRPORT
Direct transport services are provided to the inner city, including taxies and shuttle buses, but public transport and the national rail also provide a relatively easy ride into town:
Train
The least expensive and most convenient way to get into town: Trains (http://www.mav-start.hu/) leave from just outside terminal 1 every 10 to 20 minutes and run all the way to centrally located Nyugati Station. The journey takes a surprising 19 minutes with no changes necessary and full fair costing no more than 365 HUF. Arriving at Ferihegy 2 means having to take bus no. 200 to terminal 1 and changing to the train there.
Public Transport
Buses no. 200 and 93 run regularly between Ferihegy 2 and Kobanya-Kispest metro station, stopping en route at Ferihegy 1. Metro line no. 3 (otherwise known as the blue metro line) runs all the way into the inner city from the bus terminal. Two single tickets costing 320ft each are necessary as they lose their validity after one ride. (http://bkv.hu/en/)
Airport Shuttles
Want door-to-door transfer? Then the Budapest Airport Minibus (+36 1 296 8555) is the service to chose. A one way ride within the city costs 2100 HUF per person. Reservations should be made at least 24 hours before arriving.
Rental Cars
Several rental car companies can be found at Ferihegy Airport, a good option for those on a longer visit and planning several excursions out of the city on their stay.
TO BUDAPEST BY TRAIN
The Hungarian State Railway (MAV) (http://www.mav.hu/) links Budapest to the European railroad network via three international railway stations: the Keleti (Eastern), Nyugati (Western) and Deli (Southern), with the Keleti Station being responsible for most of the international traffic. The following rail passes are valid within Hungary: Inter Rail, Bij, Euro Domino, Res, City-Star and Eurail.
TO BUDAPEST BY BUS
Volanbusz Rt. (http://www.volanbusz.hu/en/) as part of Eurolines (http://www.eurolines.com/) provides fares to and from 15 European countries. The three main bus stations in Budapest are Népliget, Népstadion and Árpád híd.
OrangeWays (http://www.orangeways.com/en) provides fares between Budapest and several European cities such as Berlin, Bratislava and Krakow for fixed prices of 3000 HUF one way and 5000 HUF return.
GETTING AROUND
By Public Transport
The network powered by the Budapest Transport Ltd. (BKV Zrt.) includes the underground (metro) consisting of 3 lines, the extensive system of buses, trams and trolley buses within the city plus the 4 suburban railway lines to surrounding suburbs. Leisure lines, namely the cogwheel railway, funicular, children's railway and chairlift in the Buda hills are popular tourists routs. Single tickets and passes are available at every underground metro station, bus, tram, and trolley terminal, all valid for all means of transport listed above excluding the funicular, chairlift and children's railway. Separate tickets can be purchased on the spot. Tickets must be validated on entering the transport vehicle, and one ticket is valid for one journey in one direction. Changing vehicles means validating a new ticket. For more detailed information about public transportation, go to the bkv.hu website or check out the "survival guide to Budapest's public transport" on the Budapest Local Flavor Blog site powered by NileGuide.
By Taxi
Taxis are available throughout Budapest, but rather than hailing them off the streets it is advisable to call one by phone. They normally arrive at the requested location within 10 minutes and it is handy to know that all taxis in Budapest have yellow number plates. Agree upon the price beforehand and make sure the meter is set back to zero.
By Car
Driving in Budapest is unadvisable unless you know the city well, as the system of one way streets are enough to drive anyone mad. Plus frequent traffic jams and road closures around construction sites are what to expect.
[ source data from Travelmath and DistanceCalc ]
