Travel planning


Getting around in Hungary

Explore Budapest and Hungary with Experience Plus!

As you are planning your bicycle trip and beyond, you will certainly wonder how to best get around. We’re here to help and have put together some general information and tips for you. Find step-by-step arrival and departure instructions specific to your tour in your tour packet. Note that any fares and timing mentioned are estimates.

We also recommend Rome2Rio, which is an excellent route and travel planning resource. 

The Budapest Ferihegy Airport (BUD) is serviced by major airlines such as Lufthansa and British Airways, as well as many low-cost carriers such as EasyJet and RyanAir. It is well-connected to downtown Budapest by public transportation, or easily reached by taxi.

  • By Bus: Bus 200 connects the Köbánya-Kispest metro terminal to the Budapest airport.
  • By Train: Numerous daily trains connect the Budapest Airport from the Western Railway Station in Budapest to the Budapest airport. The trip takes about ½ hour.
  • By Taxi: Taxis can be called from hotels or hailed from one of the taxi stands. It should cost about HUF 5,000 to HUF 7,000 to get from downtown Budapest to the airport.

Budapest Public Transportation (BKV) operates buses, trolleybuses, trams and underground trains in the Budapest. Tickets must be purchased in advance and validated for travel. The city also has a night bus service and a suburban railway (HEV). Day passes and season tickets are available.

You can travel to many cities within Hungary using the train system, which is operated by MAV. Taking intercity trains is the fastest way to travel to/from Budapest from the following cities: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dombovar, Gyor, Gula, Hajduszoboszlo, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Sopron, Szeged, Szolnok, and Szombathely.

In all Hungarian train stations a yellow board indicates departures (indul) and a white board shows arrivals (érkezik). Express trains are indicated in red, local trains in black. In some stations, large black-and-white schedules are plastered all over the walls. To locate the table you need, first find the posted railway map of the country, which indexes the route numbers at the top of the schedules.

  • Buses: A suggested bus line is Volanbusz. There are three important bus stations in Budapest. Most buses to Western Europe as well as to Prague, Bratislava, Slovenia and Croatia leave from the international bus station at Erzsébet tér (metro: Deák tér). Volanbusz service links Budapest with major provincial towns. Hungary’s Volan buses are a good alternative to the trains, and bus fares are only slightly more expensive than comparable 2nd-class train fares.
  • Taxis: Taxis can easily be found outside airports and train stations. Before getting into a taxi, it’s a good idea to ask the driver roughly how much it will cost to get to your destination. Taxis are all supposed to have working meters and be able to issue a receipt. City Taxi and Fo Taxi have a reputation for trustworthiness. Taxi drivers will expect a tip from you at the end of the journey. Do not get into taxis that are unmarked and do not have yellow license plates (these taxis aren’t licensed or regulated).
  • Rental Car: If you decide to rent a car, we suggest arranging this from the U.S. – it’s cheaper. Be sure to find out the exact address of the location to pick up your rental car, (preferably at your arrival airport). It’s best to make these arrangements in advance and many of the rental car companies are the same ones found in the US (i.e. Avis, Hertz, and National) among others that are specifically European (Europcar, or Sixt).