DIRECTIONS
By plane
Budapest (Ferihegy) International Airport IATA: BUD, Ferihegyi Nemzetközi Repülotér; (pronounced "Ferry-hedge") is the country's largest airport, located about 16 km (10 miles) southeast of the city center. Ferihegy has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, often called Ferihegy-1 and Ferihegy-2, respectively. Terminal 2 is the hub of the Hungarian national carrier, Malév [5].
The airport’s central telephone number for information is: +36-1 296-9696 or on +36-1 296-7000. Luggage services can be contacted on +361 296-5449 in connection with flights into and out Terminal 1 and +36-1 296-5965 for Terminal 2.
Terminals
- The small, renovated Terminal 1 (gates 1-10; opened in 1950) is used by low-cost airlines (such as EasyJet and RyanAir) both from Schengen and Non-Schengen destinations.
- The more spacious Terminal 2 (opened in 1985) is divided in two: Terminal 2A (gates 20-30) serves all Schengen Area destinations. Terminal 2B (gates 11-19) serves all Non-Schengen Area destinations.
It is wise to double-check your arrival and departure terminal: while Terminal 2A is within a short walking distance from 2B, the distance between Terminal 1 and 2 is quite sizable - the trip takes 6-8 minutes by car or 12 minutes by bus.
Duty free stores are operated by Travel Value. Customs authorities in German airports may not allow you to bring duty-free items purchased at the airport in Budapest through Germany. On Terminal 2, among dedicated brand shops, there are only Hugo Boss and Swarowski. The traditional alcohol-tobacco-sweets assortment shop has a decent choice of local wines, mainly by Gundel. Several cafés also serve travellers, there are Caffč Ritazza [7] eateries on Terminal 2A. One is in a pre-checkin area; another is in the boarding area, after passport control. Terminal 2B pre-boarding area has half a dozen of cafes.
Connections
The Hungarian national flag carrier is MALÉV. Budapest is connected with the major European cities and some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa by direct flights. The scheduled service between Budapest and the US is operated by Delta Air Lines.
As of 2009, the following discount airlines operate to and from Budapest (using Terminal 1 unless otherwise stated):
- Air Berlin (from Germany) - Terminal 2A;
- Clickair (from Spain);
- EasyJet (from France, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland);
- Germanwings (from Germany);
- Jet2 (from Great Britain);
- Norwegian Air Shuttle (from Norway);
- RyanAir (from Germany, Great Britain and Ireland);
- SmartWings (from Czech Republic and Spain) - Terminal 2A;
- WizzAir (from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain and Sweden).
In winter (Dec-Mar) Malév's Budapest Winter Invitation [18], offers discounted fares for international flights to Budapest, and its 45 partner hotels provide 4 nights accommodation for the price of 3.
Airport transfer
- Taxi. Zóna Taxi +36-1 365-5555 has the right to take passengers from Ferihegy airport. According to your destination, a trip to Budapest costs between HUF 3900-5700 (EUR 17-27) - the fare is slightly more expensive if paid in Euros. Queue at the taxi stand to receive a written quote for your fare, then pay it when you arrive at your destination - this system is designed to eliminate unjustified price hikes. IMPORTANT: unless you have pre-ordered a taxi from a different company, do not accept offers from taxi drivers waiting in the terminal or near the terminal entrances. This is for your own safety.
- Minibus service. If you travel alone, consider the Airport Minibus service, a shared taxi operation that collects passengers going in the same direction and will take you to or from anywhere in Budapest for HUF 2990 per person, HUF 4990 for a round trip. Join the queue at the airport and you will be on your way in 15 minutes. For the trip back, call the center +36-1 296-8555 (at least 24 hours beforehand) and Airport Minibus will pick you up.
- Bus. From either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, Bus 200E takes you to to Kobánya-Kispest metro 3 station. Buses stop outside the airport terminals. The journey to the metro station takes approximately 26-30 minutes from Terminal 2 or 15-17 minutes from Terminal 1. Buses run every 8-20 minutes from 05AM to midnight. There is no night bus service between the airport and the city, but the last four departures of bus 200E are connected to the night buses 914 and 950 which replace the metro.
If you arrive in terminal 2B, take note that the buses are to be taken from outside terminal 2A, which is 50 meters to the left after you exit. But before exiting terminal 2B, be sure to buy some bus tickets from the newspaper vendor.
Bus tickets are available in airport terminals for HUF 300 at the newspaper vendors, or HUF 400 if you purchase directly from the bus driver. Note that a single ticket is only valid on the bus. If you continue with the metro from Kobánya-Kispest to the central city you need to buy a new single ticket. You will be better off buying 2 tickets from the airport, one for the bus and one for the metro, as the automatic machine in the metro station only takes coins.
The bus ticket has to be validated inside the bus, while the metro ticket will be validated in the orange machine present at the entrance in the station.
- Railway. If your flight lands at Terminal 1, there is a quick train service from the nearby Ferihegy railway station to Nyugati station in the centre of Budapest (on the Pest side). Tickets can be purchased from the information kiosks in the airport or from the machine at the train station. The train is not an option for travellers who land at Terminal 2, due to the distances between the terminals. The fare costs HUF 320, and ensure you purchase it before you get on the train, as a ticket bought from a conductor on board carries a sucharge of HUF 2,000. Trains run two or three times an hour from 04:00 to 00:00 and in the other direction from 03:00 to 00:30. Budapest public transport tickets are NOT valid on this train, but Budapest passes are valid [21]. For timetable information, check the Hungarian Railways website [22]. Use the words "Ferihegy" for the airport and "Nyugati" for the city center. The journey takes about 25 minutes, however, delays may occur and buying a ticket at Nyugati station can be time consuming in peak hours.
By train
Budapest has direct rail connection with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and various Hungarian cities.
The main railway stations (pályaudvar) are Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station) and Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station). The stations are not named for their geographic location in the city, nor for the direction of the destinations served by each (trains to Vienna, for example, leave from Keleti). The stations are well connected to each other and to the rest of the city. Keleti and Déli Railway Stations are located on Metro 2, Nyugati Railway Station is on Metro 3. A transfer should not take more than 15 minutes at peak hours; slightly more on weekends and evenings. Depending on where you are coming from, some outer stations can be useful to you; trains arriving from Vienna, Bratislava, the lake Balaton or other western locations stop at Budapest Kelenföld station, which is a good public transport hub for Southern Buda. Trains arriving from Romania, Ukraine and Eastern Hungarian cities regularly stop at Kobánya-Kispest station, a good place to get to Eastern Budapest or to Ferihegy Airport.
Train stations in Budapest are not up to Western quality standards; they are hard to access for people with disabilities and their facilities are very limited. Be prepared for long queues at the ticket office; English is rarely spoken. Do not expect luggage trolleys or clean toilets. Food or a coffee purchased at the stations is unlikely to give you a gastronomic buzz; it is also difficult to find a good nearby cafe if you didn't research in advance. If using taxi on your way from the station, do not accept any offer from drivers waiting around the station entrance. For further information read also Stay safe section.
Hungary’s rail system is operated almost entirely by the Hungarian State Railways (Magyar Államvasutak, MÁV). About services, discounts, schedules and on-line booking check Hungary#Get_around.
If you want to have comfy feeling on your trip, use the InterCity trains (additional fee applies, seat reservation compulsory). Local trains with older coaches can look like interesting, however lots of old coaches were replaced. When travelling late night, expect that some trains operated on not very frequented lines can be completely empty.
By bus
Budapest’s long distance bus stations are located outside the city centre, but are very well connected to the rest of the city. Main stations are:
- Népliget Bus station (Népliget autóbuszállomás, metro 3, Népliget station). Buses from abroad and most of Western Hungarian destinations arrive (and depart) here. Fairly modern station with reliable facilities. Do not forget to check in if you travel abroad.
- Stadion Bus Station (Stadion autóbuszállomás, formerly known as Népstadion autóbuszállomás, metro 2 Stadionok station). The biggest hub for Eastern Hungarian destinations, quite modern but somewhat dirty station built underground.
- Árpád Bridge Bus Station (Árpád híd autóbuszállomás, metro 2 Árpád híd station). A smaller station for some Northern destinations and suburban traffic; use it to and from Szentendre, Esztergom or Visegrád.
- Etele tér Bus Station (Etele téri autóbuszállomás, bus 7E, 173E). A newly built station next to Kelenföld Railway Station, at the future terminus of metro line 4, useful for getting to Statue Park and some suburban destinations.
International bus routes are operated by Eurolines +36-1 318-2122. Although most connections are not as frequent as before the low-fare airlines revolution, they still run two or three times a week; from Austria and Slovakia daily. Orangeways [25] 36-30 830-9696, a low fare bus company offers cheap tickets from and to Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia. Check timetables on company sites.
Hungary’s national bus network is operated by Volán Association. If you arrive to Budapest from another Hungarian city, bus is often the best option. About services, discounts, schedules and on-line booking possibilities check Hungary#Get_around.
By boat
There is a scheduled hydrofoil service on the Danube to and from Vienna and Bratislava daily between early April and early November operated by Mahart, +36-1 484-4000