Getting to Budapest

How to reach Budapest

By Plane

  • Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD): The main international airport serving Budapest, with numerous flights from Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Most major airlines and low-cost carriers (e.g. Wizz Air, Ryanair, LOT, Lufthansa) operate routes to BUD.
  • Alternative airports: Nearby alternatives include Vienna International Airport (VIE) in Austria, ~230 km west of Budapest, and Bratislava Airport (BTS) in Slovakia, ~180 km northwest. Both have shuttle connections to Budapest (see train/bus below). Domestic/regional flights may use Debrecen (DEB) or other smaller Hungarian airports.

Tip: Check Skyscanner or airline websites for the most direct routes. (Budapest Airport’s official site BUD.hu has flight schedules and updates.)

By Train

  • Vienna – Budapest: Fast Railjet and EuroCity trains run frequently, with the trip taking approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, which can be quite affordable (around €20–30 one-way); for example, Railjet tickets start from approximately $30. Trains depart from Vienna Hauptbahnhof and arrive at Budapest Nyugati or Keleti stations.
  • Bratislava – Budapest: Trains take roughly 2 h 20–2 h 30 over ~212 km. The journey time is about 2 hours and 23 minutes. Tickets start from ~€15–€40. (Several direct trains run daily between Bratislava hl.st. and Budapest.)
  • Prague – Budapest: Direct trains take about 6–7 hours for the ~443 km route . The typical travel time is around 7 hours and 8 minutes, with 6–8 departures per day. Fares begin around US$30 (≈€25) with advance booking . Trains leave Prague Hlavni (Main) and arrive at Budapest Keleti.
  • Berlin – Budapest: Direct trains cover ~986 km in roughly 11–12 hours. The fastest trip is about 11 h 13 m , with overnight and daytime trains available. Ticket prices start around €50–70 for one-way travel.

Booking: Official rail operators include Austrian Railways (ÖBB), Hungarian Railways (MÁV), Czech Rail (ČD), and Deutsche Bahn. FlixTrain and RegioJet also serve some international routes. International tickets can also be booked on Rail Europe or directly via the rail providers.

By Bus

  • Vienna – Budapest: FlixBus coaches run hourly, with a typical travel time of ~3–3.5 hours. The Vienna–Budapest airport route takes around 3 hours and 20 minutes. Fares start around €15–20 (off-peak). Buses depart from Vienna Westbahnhof or Zentrum to Budapest (Népliget or Kelenföld).
  • Bratislava – Budapest: FlixBus offers ~14 daily buses. The journey time is about 2 hours and 15 minutes over 121 miles, and the cost is as little as ~$17 (≈€15). Buses leave Bratislava (Lamačská cesta) and arrive at Budapest Népliget or Kelenföld.
  • Prague – Budapest: FlixBus and RegioJet both serve this route, which is ~535 kilometers (335 miles) long. The typical duration is 6–7 hours. Tickets start at around $26–30 (≈€22–25). There are over a dozen daily departures from Prague’s Florenc or South Station to Budapest (Népliget).

Berlin – Budapest: Long-distance buses (FlixBus) run overnight, taking ~11–13 hours to connect Berlin to Budapest via Prague or Vienna. Prices often start around €50–€60 for couchette or sleeper tickets. (Note: Given the long duration, trains or flights are usually preferred on this route.)

Booking: Official sites like FlixBus sell tickets directly; schedules are also on Omio or Busbud.

How to get to the city from the Liszt Ferenc Budapest Airport?

To reach the city center, using public transport or a taxi is advised.

  • Public Transport:

100E Airport Express bus to the city center, Deák Ferenc tér (with two drop-off points at Kálvin tér and at Astoria) departs every 30 minutes from the airport. This service is available only with a special ticket (2,200 HUF). See details

  • Taxi

To avoid any inconvenience, please use the recommended taxi company. Please note that all licensed Budapest taxi companies have yellow cabs and uniform fares, which are clearly displayed on the screens. You should be advised that accepting offers from non-contracted taxi companies and individuals offering their services inside the airport terminal building may pose risks.

Főtaxi: +36 1 222 22 22  www.fotaxi.hu
Pre-orders by e-mail: rendel@fotaxi.hu
Pre-orders online: click here
Order at the airport: Főtaxi is the official partner of the Liszt Ferenc International Airport, with onsite dispatch booths on both terminals. Reservations can be made in person at the booths at terminals 2A and 2B exits.

Fares should be around 27-35 EUR per route (airport-city center) per car. Bank card payment is available in all cabs.

 

Public Transportation

Budapest has an efficient and reliable public transportation system operated by the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). The service includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metro), and above-ground suburban trains (HÉV). Buses, trams, and trolleybuses run daily from 4:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.

Three of the four recent metro lines interconnect at the Deák tér station, and two at the Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway) station. Service frequencies range from 15 minutes in the late evenings to every two minutes at peak times. Tickets or passes must be bought before boarding. They are available at BKK Customer Service Points and ticket offices at metro stations, but the best option is to use vending machines throughout the city.

Please note that to ensure everyone has a ticket, the transport company has hired uniformed ticket inspectors to check the tickets on board.

For detailed information on public transportation fares and timetables, please visit www.bkk.hu.
The official, free BUDAPEST GO app is available on Google Play and iTunes for smartphones.
For  YOUR PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BUDAPEST TRANSPORT please click here

, such as FlixBus, sell tickets directly; schedules are also available
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