How to get from Budapest airport to Budapest city center

Here you are at the Budapest airport, you have collected your entire luggage, waited a line for the passport control, customs check also went well, now it’s getting-from-the-airport part of the trip. There are various ways to travel to Budapest city center with the difference mostly in price and arrival time. It usually takes around 45 minutes for the whole journey, but it also depends on traffic, weather conditions and etc.

Means of transport to use to get from the Budapest Airport to Budapest city center:

Taxi

That is the easiest yet one of the most expensive ways to get to your destination from Budapest airport. The taxi booths are located next to the exits from terminals 2A and 2B so you can easily find then upon you arrival. Since 2013 fixed rate system was introduced in Budapest, while current taxi charges are the following 450 HUF base rate + 280 HUF/km. Thus, this taxi trip should cost you about 6000-7000 HUF (20-25 euros). You can recognize official taxi vehicles due to their black and yellow colors. It takes approximately 30-40 minutes to get to the city center depending on the time of the day and traffic.

Taxify in Budapest

Such internet companies as Uber and Taxify usually offer taxi rides at relatively low prices. You can book them via your smartphone whenever you get your luggage at the airport not to wait outside the terminal. However, keep in mind that Uber does not work in Budapest, thus you might consider installing Taxify to our smartphone before your arrival. It is usually much cheaper than taking a taxi, but significantly more expensive than using public transportation.

Budapest public transport 

Bus 200E

You can always use public transportation to get out from the airport. In this case you need bus 200E, which operates throughout the day from 4 AM till 11 PM. It goes from Terminal 2 every 10 minutes to metro line M3 -Kőbánya-Kispest station. Using the M3 you will get to the city center. The entire trip to the final destination – Deák Ferenc tér (the city center) – will take you about 50 minutes.

Bus 100E

The other bus you can take from the airport is bus 100E. It departures less frequently (every 30 minutes) but goes directly to the city center (Deák tér), passing such stops as Kálvin tér and Astoria. This bus requires different ticket, which costs 900 HUF (3 euro). The overall trip will take you about 35-40 minutes. The first bus departures as early as 5 AM and the last one goes at 12.30 AM.

Night Bus 900

If you are coming late at night – no worries, there is a night bus that operates from 11PMtill 4 AM at Terminal 2. It departures every 30-60 minutes and goes to Bajcsy- Zsilinszky Ut., where you will need to change to bus 950 to get either to Deak Ferenc Ter (central station) or Nyugati railway station.

Public transportation tickets in Budapest:

There are several options how you can purchase public transportation tickets in the airport: BKK points and newspaper stands inside the airport or special ticket machines outside the terminal. The price of 1 journey is 350 HUF (1.20 euro). Keep in mind that you need separate tickets for each transportation mean you use. It is cheaper to buy a transfer a ticket, which is a basically two single tickets rolled in one, sold cheaper (530 HUF) but with the condition that the second trip must take place within 30 minutes. You can also purchase tickets directly from the bus driver. However, the price in this case is slightly higher – 450 HUF (1.5 euro)

Airport Shuttles

Budapest airport has its own shuttles service called miniBUD, which is one of the most popular ways to get anywhere from Ferenc Liszt Airport. It’s a door-to-door transfer service, combining several people who travel to the same area of Budapest. Because these are more or less shared rides, it might take a bit longer to get to your destination depending traffic and addresses of other passengers. If you are not in a hurry, would like to travel with comfort and not to spend much –then miniBUD is a great option. You can check their official website for more details

Private Budapest Transfer

You can also always book a private transfer online, whether it is a car or a bus, depending on how many you are. It is one of the quickest and most convenient door-to-door transfer services as you can specify all your preferences beforehand, and be sure that there will be a person waiting for you in the airport with your name sign. It is obviously more expensive than miniBUD but you don’t need to wait for other passengers and be dependent on their destinations so you might consider spending extra money for extra comfort.

Car rental in Budapest Airport

Last but not least, there is always an option to rent a car in Budapest. You will find six car rental companies at terminals 2A and 2B. In case you decide to rent a car, we recommend booking it in advance to skip the waiting queue in the airport. However, weigh all pros and cons of renting car in Budapest, as it might be hard to find parking, expensive to use and finally bad for the environment.

We hope you will have fast and comfortable trip!
Segway King Budapest Team