How much does a transfer from Budapest Airport to the city center cost? How to get to the capital by train, bus, shuttle, taxi? We will try to answer these and other questions in the material presented.
General information
The central reception point for international flights in Budapest is known as Franz Liszt Airport. In total, there are 5 major airports in Hungary. Most of them are able to serve overseas flights. But it is Franz Liszt Airport that is considered the main and is the largest in the country.
The airport was named after the famous composer in 2011. The renaming of the object took place on the occasion of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of its birth. However, residents of the Hungarian capital still continue to call Ferihegy Airport, since this name is consonant with the area in which it is located.
The international airport named after Franz Liszt is located quite far from the central part of the capital. To get to the citythe traveler needs to overcome 16 kilometers along a busy highway with numerous transport interchanges. Therefore, it can be quite difficult for an inexperienced tourist to get out of here on his own.
Airport terminals
Franz Liszt Airport in Budapest consists of terminals No. 1, No. 2A and No. 2 B. Fast transitions between the latter two can be made on foot, since they are located close to each other.
As for Terminal No. 1, in 2012 the airport management decided to temporarily close it. This was led to a significant decrease in passenger traffic as a result of the bankruptcy of the main Hungarian airline Malev. The terminal building itself is unique in its kind, as it is made in the shape of an airplane. Getting here is quite difficult, but you can see the original structure in detail from a close distance.
Currency exchange
Immediately after arriving at Budapest airport, it is recommended to resolve monetary issues. Since the payment for travel in the city's public transport, as well as in a taxi, takes place in local currency, it is worth immediately proceeding to one of the many ATMs that are available at the airport. With their help, holders of international credit cards can exchange euros or dollars for Hungarian forints without any problems. Withdrawing money from a card is much more profitable than asking for help from exchange offices, since the latter offerrather unfair course.
Having de alt with the currency exchange, you can proceed to specific actions, deciding on the most suitable transport that will allow you to get to the central point of the city. To do this, you can use one of the cars of the local taxi service, take a train or bus ticket, or rent a private car with or without a driver. We will talk about each of the presented solutions in more detail later in the material.
Bus
The Bus "Budapest - Airport" is one of the most affordable, relatively cheap solutions. From 3:30 in the morning until midnight, transport runs here along route 200E. The indicated bus departs from Terminal No. 2, after which it moves towards the Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, and then goes towards the Ferihegy railway station. There is a flight to the airport with a frequency of 7-8 minutes. Therefore, getting on such a bus is not so difficult.
By boarding Budapest public transport on flight 200E, you can get to the nearest metro station. From here you should change to the line that leads to Ferenc Deák Square. In general, such a trip will cost approximately 350 HUF.
Night bus transfer
How to leave the airport in Budapest at night? How to get to the city after midnight? From 23:00, buses are served at the airport terminals, which run along route No. 900. They run at intervals of one hour. To get to the center by such transport, it is enough to get to the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky metro station,then transfer to bus number 950A, which runs here every 30 minutes.
The most convenient way to get from the city center back to the airport is on the same regular bus route No. 950A. Transport stops at Ferenc Deka Square. After landing, it is enough to get to the Honvéd utca stop. Here you need to transfer to bus number 900, which will actually take you to the airport.
You can also leave Ferenc Deca Square in the direction of the airport by minibuses No. 950, 914 and 914A. Upon reaching the Hatar ut metro station, you will have to change to the same regular transport that follows route 200E.
Where to buy bus tickets?
To easily make a transfer from Budapest airport to the city center, you should take care of buying travel documents in advance. You can buy bus tickets at the information desks at the airport. They are also sold at local newsstands, post offices, and bus stops.
If you wish, you can buy a travel document directly from the driver during boarding. However, in this case, the ticket will cost about 100 forints more.
Taxi
One of the most comfortable ways is to order a taxi from Budapest to the airport. Car parks of the local company Főtaxi are located at the exit of all operating terminals.
What is the cost of a taxi in Budapest airport - city center? Since 2013, a law has been in force in Hungary, according to which,such transfers are carried out according to fixed prices, which are not more than 0.95 euros per kilometer (280 forints). However, for landing alone, you will have to pay 1.50 euros (450 forints). In general, the cost of a taxi in Budapest (airport - city center) cannot exceed the amount of 22 euros (6500 forints).
Be guided by the above provisions, it is recommended to agree in advance with the driver on the cost of the transfer. Indeed, in practice, there are quite often swindlers who act around the law and are always ready to “rip off” a few extra euros from an inexperienced tourist.
Custom car
If a taxi ride does not look like the most preferable solution, you should use a more comfortable option by ordering a personal carriage to one of the terminals. You can apply for the service in one of the local companies that provide such transfers for business clients. It is convenient to order a personal car on the Internet. At the same time, a driver with a corresponding sign will be waiting at the exit from the terminal.
Stopping on this option, passengers do not have to be afraid of dishonest taxi drivers, carry luggage on their own, make any transfers, think about how to get to the metro from Budapest airport, and solve other problems. In addition, by a private car with a driver, you can easily get not only to the center of Budapest, but also go to other resort cities in the country. The only downside to this solution israther high cost of services, which is exorbitant for tourists who plan to save on travel as much as possible.
Rent a car at the airport
How to leave the airport in Budapest, how to get to the city? You can do this on a rented vehicle. Renting a car is quite easy. To do this, you just need to contact the services of one of the relevant offices. Representative offices of such organizations are located directly at the airport terminals. Here, for a moderate fee, about 100 euros per week, you can get at your disposal a comfortable car, which will become the main means of transportation for the entire stay in the city.
Airportshuttle
The best option for a group of travelers who have arrived in Budapest and do not want to burden themselves with traveling by public transport is to rent a so-called shuttle. The specified transport will cost much cheaper than a taxi. However, only if there are enough passengers to fill it.
How to leave the airport in Budapest, how to get to the city by shuttle? The idea is as follows. Such minibuses are engaged in the transportation of those who leave the airport. The only requirement is that all passengers must go to the same destination or get off at the right points in the city as traffic moves, without deviating from previously plannedroute.
Fares here will depend on the distance. In most cases, drivers declare an initial cost of about 7-8 euros. But even this amount is much lower than what you would have to pay for a taxi ride.
Train
How to get to the subway from Budapest airport? One of the most convenient solutions for this, in terms of saving time and money, is a trip by train. After the recent reconstruction of the airport terminals, getting to the railway station has become quite problematic. You can get here on the same bus that runs from terminal number 2 along route 200E.
Once at the station, you need to purchase a travel document that will allow you to board the train that follows to the Nyugati station, located in the central part of the city. Here you will need to transfer to the metro, take a tram, or immediately check into one of the expensive hotels located in the historical center of Budapest.
Every day, about 25 electric trains depart from the railway station, which is located near the airport. At the station, you can buy a ticket with the right to a single transfer, as well as a travel card, which will allow you to travel throughout the week without the need for an additional fee.
Return transfer from Budapest to airport
How to get from the city center to the airport at the end of the trip? When carrying out a return transfer, you should focus on the above instructions. In order not to get confusedroutes, it is enough to often pay attention to the information signs indicating the directions that are available at each stop in the city.
When planning a transfer from the metro to the bus to the airport, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the timetable in advance. If you decide to take a taxi, you should arrange in advance to call a car by contacting the hotel staff at the reception. Only in this case, the car will be served at the exit of the hotel at the right time, which will not allow you to miss the right flight at the airport.
In closing
So we figured out how to leave the airport in Budapest, how to get to the city. Obviously, there are a whole host of fairly convenient ways to do this. It is worth resorting to one or another option depending on the requirements of comfort, the breadth of the available budget, the time during which you need to get to the central part of the Hungarian capital.
