Metro in Budapest: how to use, working hours

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Many major cities in Europe have a "subway" that is very useful for unloading trams and buses. After all, this method of transportation is very convenient - you do not stand in traffic jams and do not swallow exhaust gases from cars. The main city of Hungary is no exception.

As in any European capital, there is a subway in Budapest. True, it is not so extensive, and the stations here are simple and functional - without marble columns and other architectural excesses.

But the Budapest subway is very easy to use. But out of habit, a novice tourist, and even not knowing Hungarian, can get confused here. Therefore, the article provides a small instruction with useful tips.

Budapest metro hours

The local trains start leaving early, but late tourists will have to choose another mode of transport. Budapest is the capitalbusiness people, she lives for herself, and not for travelers. Therefore, you will have to reckon with it.

The subway opens at half past five in the morning, and the last carriages leave around 23:00. And early and evening go quite rarely, every quarter of an hour. Keep this in mind if you want to catch your morning flight to the airport. To do this, you need to catch the first train.

If you are traveling, for example, from the center, then from the station "Ploschad Ferenc Diak" you will reach the final point closest to the hub in 20 minutes. Bus 200E, which goes to the airport, is usually already waiting for the first passengers.

History

The Budapest Metro itself is one of the attractions of the city, despite its modest appearance. The first historical subway line was built in 1896.

It was opened for the millennium of the Hungarians' founding on the lands of the modern country, on the Danube. It is one of the oldest European "subways". Previously, only the London Underground was built.

But it has been built since 1894, when it was necessary to unload the transport lines connecting the two parts of the city - Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube. The bridge over the river could not withstand.

The construction was undertaken by the Siemens company, which also supplied the world's first electrified trains to Budapest. It was laid at a shallow depth, along Andrassy Avenue. A total of 11 stations were built, ten of which still exist.

How to navigate

OnAt the moment, the metro in Budapest consists of only four branches. They are indicated in the diagram in yellow, blue, red and green. Almost all metro stations are located in the part of the city that lies on the plain - in Pest.

The blue line is the longest, the train takes a little more than half an hour along it. And the “youngest” line is green. It was built in 2014 and leads to residential areas.

Ploschad Ferenc Diak is the only station that connects three subway lines, except for the green one. But if you find it difficult to navigate “by eye”, you can purchase a metro map. Usually they are sold in newsstands or kiosks with large letters VKK. Often they can be taken for free at the counter in many hotels in the city.

Even right at the entrance to any station there is a scoreboard with a map. And in the new cars, in addition, there are electronic circuits of the line on which you are traveling, with names. They are announced, of course, in Hungarian. But after a couple of days you will get used to it, and you will already associate the inscriptions with the words on the radio.

Prices and how to buy a ticket

Travel documents are sold almost everywhere. They are needed to use the metro in Budapest. Their cost is not so high. Metro prices are the same as any other public transport in the Hungarian capital.

The cost of one ticket is 350 forints (about 70 rubles). Travel documents can be bought at ticket offices at many stations. But it's best to learn how to use the machines.

The fact is that at some stations the ticket officeliquidated. But there are vending machines almost everywhere, and not only in the subway. They can be found at the train station, at the airport, and at bus and tram stops at major interchanges.

New machines already have an interface in Russian. But most of them have inscriptions in Hungarian and English. You can pay by card or cash.

What kind of tickets are there

But above we named the price of a one-time travel document. It can only be used on one line. If you want to make transfers in the Budapest metro from one line to another, you need to buy a special ticket that provides for this possibility.

It is called "Transfer Ticket" and costs 530 forints (about 110 rubles). With it, you can get to the airport and transfer not only to another metro line, but also to a trolleybus and bus.

If you are in Budapest for a couple of days, buy a block of 10 tickets right away. They cost 3 thousand forints (approximately 600 rubles). It will be cheaper than constantly purchasing single tickets.

You can also buy a one-day pass. It costs 1650 forints, or 330 rubles. This ticket is interesting in that it is valid not only on the metro and surface public transport system, but also on river buses along the Danube (but only on weekdays).

And if you have a large company or family - up to 5 people inclusive - you can purchase a group ticket. It is valid for 24 hours from the moment of the first mark of the composter. All five can ride anytransport as many times as necessary during this time. Such a ticket costs 3300 forints, or 660 rubles.

How to ride the subway

So you've got your tickets. But how do you use them on the Budapest metro? First of all, they need to be composted. This is done in the validator. You put the tickets in the hole and they go through automatically.

But travel documents are not composted, but "fed" to the machine, which returns them back with a printed date and time. Usually, these validators are located in the lobby of metro stations in a conspicuous place or right next to the escalator. If you have not a one-time ticket, but a travel ticket, then you show it to the controller.

Can I ride a hare? Often there is no one near the validator, and the turnstiles that we are used to began to appear here only in 2015, and even then at some stations of two lines. But during rush hours, controllers are on duty at the entrance and exit of the metro. Therefore, the travel document should not be thrown away. It may be required by exit controllers.

The fine for ticketless travel is quite large - almost 50 euros, or 3600 rubles, but if you pay on the spot, the amount is reduced by half. The subway cars themselves are often stylized as vintage trams. Lineups are short. It's just three cars connected to each other. They can carry no more than 250 people. The platforms are on both sides of the trains.

How to get to train stations by metro

Budapest subway is also convenient with the location of the stations. Different herlines lead to three railway stations of the capital. Budapest has a lot of different attractions. Some of them can also be reached by metro.

People get to railway stations along the red (Delhi or South station, as well as Keleti or East) and yellow (West) lines. During the day, metro trains run very often, literally every two minutes.

Metro and attractions of the Hungarian capital

But the subway can also be used during excursions. The yellow line is called M1. This is the oldest, historical metro line. It is very small in length - only 5 kilometers. And all stations are at a distance of 500 m from each other.

To get to Heroes' Square, you need to get off at the Hoseok Tere bus stop. There is also an art gallery. Spa lovers are advised to get off at the Széchenyi Furdo station. Vajdahunyad Castle and Varosliget Park are within walking distance. From there you can quickly get to the Széchenyi baths.

If you get off at the Oktogon station, you will find yourself in the area of the Franz Liszt Academy. And you will drive a little further - you will get to the Opera House. But unfortunately, you won’t get to the palace complex of Buda by metro - unless you cross the Danube on the green line. And on the hill itself, where the old city is located, you already need to climb the bus.

By the way, residents of the capital practically do not use the yellow line - mostly tourists do it. You can use the red line to get to the building of the Hungarian Parliament, the one that looks likeEnglish. You need to get off at the station "Lajos Kossuth Square".

Metro in Budapest: traveler reviews

Those who have ever used the subway of the Hungarian capital assure that although the stations are quite the same and “no frills”, using this transport is very convenient. The metro has excellent navigation.

The signs are clear, there are many diagrams, maps and scoreboards, where everything is described in detail not only in Hungarian, but also in English and German.

But for people with disabilities, unfortunately, the metro is not very suitable - there are a lot of steps. There are two elevators only on the newest, fourth line.

But in general, tourists praise the Budapest subway a lot and find that it makes traveling around the city easier.