Budapest, Hungary
Connections
Budapest is connected with the major European cities and most of the EU countries by direct flights. There is scheduled service between Budapest and North America, operated by Malév and Delta Airlines. The city is connected with some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.
In winter (Dec-Mar) Malév’s Budapest Winter Invasion [5] offers discounted fares for international flights to Budapest, and its 45 partner hotels provide 4 nights accommodation for the price of 3.
Airport transfer
For travelling between the airport and the city center the best options are taxi or public transport; taxi is the fastest, public transportation is the less expensive way to get in.
In 2006 a taxi company named Zóna Taxi +36(1)365-5555 won monopoly for the right to take passengers from the airport. The company has received good reputation from the clients. You will have to pay the price in advance at the stand, where you will get a receipt; this eliminates any rip-off. The fare varies according to the zone you go. A trip to Budapest costs HUF 3000-4300; a Terminal 1/Terminal 2 transfer is HUF 1600.
Unless you have a pre-ordered taxi from a different company, do not accept any offer from taxi drivers waiting in the terminal main hall or around the entrance. Some of them may want to mislead travellers, demanding them as much as EUR 80-100 for a single trip.
If you travel the other way around (from city to airport), the previously mentioned Zóna Taxi tends to be the cheapest, ranging HUF 3000-3500 as of February 2007. The same goes with this ‘transfer’ as with the ones from the airport to city: do never take a taxi on sight, rather pre-order it on the chosen company’s phone number (operators almost always do speak English).
The cheapest way to the city center from Terminal 2 is to take bus 200; from Terminal 1 is to hop on bus 200 or bus 93 to Kobánya-Kispest metro station (terminus of M3 /blue/ line). Buses leaving for Budapest center stop outside the terminal buildings; there is only one stop for Terminal 2A and 2B. Vehicles on the line 200 are modern, low floor buses equipped with a reliable display and sound information system and relatively spacious luggage holding facilities; drivers sell one way tickets for HUF 260. The bus takes you from Terminal 1 to Kobánya-Kispest metro station in 15-17 minutes, while the journey takes about 26-30 minutes from Terminal 2. Bus 93 operates only on weekdays, it is slower and less frequent, being intended mostly to serve residential areas between the airport and the metro. Note that public transport tickets are also available in the main terminal halls for HUF 230. Bus 200 runs every 8-20 minutes from 04:55 AM to 00:15 AM from Terminal 2 to the center, and from 05:05 AM to 00:25 AM from Terminal 1 to the center. The last four departures are connected to the night buses 914 and 950 which replace the metro. There is no night bus service between the airport and the city center. At Kobánya-Kispest M3 station you can choose among a wide range of public transport tickets and proceed to the center of Budapest. When arriving from the city to Terminal 1, pay attention to get down in time, since terminal building is not visible from the main road where the bus stops.
If you travel alone, it is worth considering using the Airport Minibus service, a “shared taxi”-type operation that rounds up passengers going in the same direction and will take you to or from anywhere in Budapest for HUF 2300 per person. Join the queue at the airport and you’ll be on your way in 15 minutes; for the trip back, call the center (at least 24h beforehand) and they’ll be there to pick you up.
If your final destination is an East Hungarian city like Debrecen or you intend to proceed to Romania, from Terminal 1 you can reach Szemeretelep railway station walking. The distance is not more than 800 m, but do not expect directions on your way. Train staff will sell you a ticket without any extra fee because Szemeretelep is not served by a ticket office or a vending machine. Otherwise it is easier to get to Kobánya-Kispest metro-railways station by bus or by taxi, and catch your train there. Find your connection at Hungarian Railways timetable.
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