Wondering how to travel to Budapest?

Here’s all the information you’ll need on all of the different ways to travel to Budapest.

Travel to Budapest by Plane

If you choose to travel to Budapest by plane, you’ll arrive at Budapest International Airport (locally called Liszt Ferenc Airport), which is located 25 km south-east of Budapest’s downtown.

Budapest Airport has two terminals:

Airport Terminal 1 mainly handles European budget airlines (cheap flights) including Easy-jet, Wizzair, Smartwings, Germanwings, AirBerlin, Jet2, Ryanair and Vueling, among others. (Airport Terminal 1 has ceased operations on May 29, 2012. All airlines have been relocated to Terminal 2)

Airport Terminal 2 is divided into two sections: Terminal 2A and Terminal 2B where most all major airlines depart from.

Both Terminals have good and clean facilities for passengers. You’ll find souvenir and coffee shops as well as duty-free shops and a restaurant. If you need a tourist information office, currency exchange facilities or a car rental office, this is where to find them.

0104-xFlyingtoBudapest.jpg.pagespeed.ic.oXCr4FX4QaSeveral airlines from over 30 different countries fly to Budapest. Many major airlines, such as Air France and British Airways offer daily direct flights from Paris, London and New York.

Many other European and American Airlines such as Delta Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa and United Airlines(including the low-budget airlines) have connecting flights between more than 60 towns and cities in Europe; therefore, it is possible to fly to Budapest from almost any European capital.

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There are no direct flights from South America, Australia or New Zealand. Your cheapest way to get to Budapest from any of these locations is to fly to Paris, London, Madrid, Amsterdam or Frankfurt and then transfer to a cheap flight from any of the budget airline with a connection to Budapest.

Getting to Downtown

There are several affordable and quick Airport Transfer Services to take you to the city from Budapest Airport.

Airport Minibus Shuttle

If you travel to Budapest alone and want to save some money on getting to the city from Budapest airport, then consider hopping onto the Airport Minibus Shuttle – it provides door-to-door service and will take you from Budapest airport to any address in Budapest. Tickets are sold at the Minibus Shuttle counter, which is open 24 hours.

This service is probably less expensive than taking a taxi, but you will probably find it takes a bit longer to arrive at your destination, since these usually shuttle several people together.

If you are the type of travelers who like making sure everything is well planned then I recommend you book an Airport Transfer Services in advance.

Thus, you won’t have to queue at the counter to hire the service, you just need to look for the person who is holding a sign with your name on it. It’s a reliable service, with English speaking drivers, and you will not be surprised with any extra fees. This is a private service that carries 1 or 2 passengers in a private car or from 3 to 8 passengers in a private minibus.

For your return, you can arrange your pickup the same way you booked it for your arrival.

Bus and Underground

Taking the bus 200E and the underground is the cheapest way to get to and from Budapest airport. Bus 200E runs from outside Terminal 2 to the last stop of the M3/blue metro line (Kõbanya-Kispest). From there, take the blue metro to the Deák Ferénc Tér stop.

This is the metro station where all 3 metro lines meet. There you can change to the yellow metro line (going to Heroes’ Square) or the red metro line (going to Buda/Deli Palyáudvar).

Download here your Bus 200E schedule (Airport to K-K Metro station). (pdf)

Download here your Bus 200E schedule (K-K Metro station to Airport). (pdf)

Download here your Public Transport Guide to the City Centre (Airport –  K-K Metro station – Citc Centre). (pdf)

Remember: Every time you travel by metro, bus or tram, you need to validate a new ticket. To validate your ticket, insert it into one of those punching machines (orange in color) you will find at the top of the escalators on the underground; and on board, on buses and trams.

Local bus 93 also runs from Kõbanya-Kispest stop to Terminal 1 every half an hour; it’s is a slower service but a good alternative. Tickets can be bought on board or at the Terminal. If you buy the ticket on board you will need the exact fare for the ticket- 400ft.

Taxi

Without a doubt, taking a taxi is the quickest way to get downtown. Outside the arrivals terminal, you’ll find a taxi service kiosk where you can give your name and destination address.

taxi 3You’ll then receive a ticket that you will give to the driver; it shows the fixed price to pay depending on the zone of the city you wish to go. Ask the driver to use the meter, and if at the end of your transfer the meter price is lower than the ticket price; do not hesitate to pay the lower rate.

And don’t forget that it is typical to give the taxi driver a tip, usually 10% of the fare.

Taxis in Budapest look yellow in color. The company that provides the airport transfer service. There are also other trustworthy companies such as City Taxi (2 11 11 11) and ZonaTaxi.

FõTaxi has a toll-free line, so you don’t need a coin or a phone card ( 2 22 22 22). To order a taxi in Budapest, dial 00 36 (1) X XX XX XX.

Taking a taxi to and from the airport in Budapest has become expensive for many of us, luckily there are other alternatives to it.

If you would like to calculate how much the taxi service would cost for you, here there is a rate calculator of one of the taxi companies in Budapest.

Airport Train

Another inexpensive way to get to the downtown area from Budapest airport is to take the railway line that runs between the Western Railway Station (Nyugati Palyáudvar) and Airport Terminal 2 train stop.

Tickets are available at the Tourist Information desk and from vending machines at Terminals 2A and 2B .

All trains running from Budapest via the Cegléd-Szolnok route stop at the airport stop. This train stop is located near Terminal 2 and is accessible by bus 200E (daytime) or 900 (night time). Trains depart every 30 minutes and the ride takes 20 minutes.

Rent a Car in Budapest

To rent a car is the most comfortable way to travel around for many people. If you want to rent a car for your trip to Budapest, I recommend you to decide first what you want to do and see.

In my opinion, if you plan to stay in the city, visit the city highlights and surroundings you don’t really need to rent a car. Puclic transport is quick and safe, plus a great number of Budapest’s attractions are close enough to walk. On the other hand, if you really want to drive in the city you should keep in mind that finding a parking spot is not always easy, parking fees are really high in downtown and that there is heavy traffic always.

However, if you are interested in visiting the city’s outskirts or taking day trips to neighbor cities, renting a car gives comfort and flexibility to your trip. You can stop whenever and wherever you want without any pressure of schedules.

Szentendre, Esztergom, Visegrad, Balaton and Pécs are beautiful places you can drive and reach quickly if you rent a car.

Renting a car in Budapest is easy but you need to know where to go. There are many car rental companies at Budapest Airport, so you can rent your car upon arrival but in my opinion, the best and fastest way is to rent it online and pick it up at the airport or in the city center.


Travel to Budapest by Train

Many people choose to travel to Budapest by train, because of the multiple advantages of this convenient alternative.

Traveling by train offers you lots of flexibility, no airport hassles or wasted time, comfort and a relaxed environment as you gaze through panoramic windows. In most cities there are train stations in the city center, so we can say that trains take you from city center to city center. Traveling by train is very popular amongst Europeans and its advantages are endless.Book your ticket in advance to get best prices.

Rail Europe offers a wide variety of convenient alternatives for all budgets:

Point to Point Rail Tickets  l     Youth Passes   l    European East Pass   Multiple Country Passes  l

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 Trains arrive in Budapest from almost all capitals and major European cities.

There are 3 major train stations in Budapest.

Nyugati Paláudvar (the Western Train Station, the city’s first rail station, built by Eiffel)

Keleti Palyáudvar (the Eastern Train Station, the arrival and departure point for most international trains).

Deli Palyáudvar (the South Train Station, located in Buda).

When you arrive at any of the train stations, avoid catching a taxi that only shows the sign ’Taxi ’on top; these are private taxi drivers that usually take advantage of tourists and will often overcharge. It is better to call for a taxi ahead of your arrival; it’s actually cheaper and safer.

All major taxi companies have English-speaking operators; just give your name and the location or address where you need to be picked up.

If you don’t want to catch a taxi, keep in mind that every train station is directly connected to the underground system.

Another alternative is to book in advance your Budapest Train Station Arrival Transfer. This is a private service available for individuals or groups. It is an economical option if the travelers are more than one.


Coach Travel

An inexpensive alternative to travel to Budapest is to do it by coach. Most coach companies provide excellent facilities on board to ensure that their passengers have a pleasant trip.

0104-xorangeways.jpg.pagespeed.ic.nqroktVh8eIf you’re travelling around Europe, it’s advisable to invest in a Euroline Pass, which is valid for 15 or 30 days and offers unlimited luxury coach travel between 40 major European cities, including Budapest. www.eurolines.com

Student Agency is a luxury coach line that connects many cities all over Europe including Budapest. Its website offers an easy system to buy tickets online. www.studentagencybus.com

Orange Ways is another coach company that offers comfortable trips across Europe in luxury VIP buses. www.orangeways.com

Budapest has 3 coach stations for national and international services.

• Népliget Bus Station (IX,Üllöi út. 131)

• Stadion Bus Station (XIV, Népstadion)

• Árpad Híd Bus Station (XIII, Forgách u.)

All three are located in Pest and can be easily accessed by the blue and red Metro lines.


Travel to Budapest by Car

If you enjoy driving, travel to Budapest by car is a good choice since Hungary offers a good motorway network that directly connects Budapest with almost all surrounding countries.

There are three types of roads in Hungary: Motorways, designated by an ’M’, National highways numbered by single digits and secondary and tertiary roads that have two or three digits.

The main motorways are:

M1 that goes from Budapest to the Austrian border (Hegyeshalom).

M3 that links Budapest to Nyiregyhaza: this takes you to the Ukrainian and Romanian borders.

M5 that joins Budapest to Szeged: it takes you to the Serbian border.

M7 takes you from Budapest to the Slovenian and Croatian borders (Letenye).

Motorways require an electronic vignette that can be bought at any petrol station, through a mobile phone or via the internet. Drinking and driving is a serious offense in Hungary and there is zero tolerance towards it, alcohol level in your blood must be 0.00% when driving.

For more information on driving in Hungary, visit www.motorway.hu


Travel to Budapest by Boat

Arriving in Budapest by boat on the Danube can be a very romantic adventure and is made possible by taking a hydrofoil cruise that runs from Vienna to Budapest from April to early October.

0104-xHidrofoiltoBudapest.jpg.pagespeed.ic.nNgzIQxhqcIf ordered in advance, a stop can be made in Bratislava, the Slovak capital.

This service is provided by the boat company Mahart Pass Nave. For more information on these types of cruises, visit their website www.mahartpassnave.hu

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