Transfers & transports
How to move around town & airport transfer options
There are different ways to get from Ferenc Liszt International Airport to the center of Budapest:
The most comfortable and easiest option: Private Transfer
If you book a private transfer in advance, you'll have a driver waiting for you at the arrivals hall. He will take you to the door of your acommodation in a little bit over half an hour. The price depends on the distance to the hotel, but calculate around €30 per car.
The door-to-door option you have to be careful with: Taxis
Taxis are known for overcharging tourists, so make sure you take an official one. They aren't allowed to offer flat rats, so you will be charged by a taximeter according to the distance to your destination. Make sure you ask them to turn the taximeter on if they don't do it so they don't overcharge. Also, they can charge extra for luggage, late-night trips or being a public holiday. The average cost of a taxi ride from the airport to central Budapest is 8045 HUF.
The cheapest option: Public Transport
Bus 100E departs from the airport every 30 minutes (all day) and the trip takes approximately 35 minutes to get to its final stop, Deák Ferenc tér M Metro station. Regular tickets for the airport shuttle bus cost 900 HUF per person and can be purchased from the customer service centres, newsagents, ticket offices or ticket vending machines in the arrivals hall. This bus is within the public transports included in the Budapest Card.
Once in the city, the best way to get to know it is walking so you get to see more of its beautiful streets. For further distances, the best 2 ways of transport are:
Public Transport
It has trams, buses, boats and metro. They're very frequent from 4.30 to 23:00. After that, only buses run with less frequency. Single tickets are 350 HUF, a 1-day ticket is 1650 HUF, a 3-day ticket is 4150 HUF, a weekly ticket is 4950 HUF. It's included in the Budapest Card, which is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
BuBi: bicycle sharing system. You have to register with your phone number and e-mail, you can do it online. 1 day is 500 HUF, 3 days 1000 HUF and a week 2000 HUF. Bikes are free for 30 minutes at a time, after that additional fares apply.
Taxis: cheap and easy to use, but they're famous for cheating if they aren't official. Licensed cabs are yellow and have corporate logos on both sides of the front doors and official prices on one of the rear doors. You could also use Taxify app which works like Uber, but always confirm that the car you're getting into is the one you ordered.
Hop On - Hop Off buses: there are 3 different companies that offer different options:
Big Bus offers classic, premium or deluxe tickets for 1, 2 or 3 days. The three include a walking tour on the Pest side. Premium and deluxe tickets include a Hop on -Hop off river cruise, and the deluxe also includes a free Night Tour and Castle shuttle. Prices go from € 19.80 per person.
City Sightseeing has 24, 48 or 72-hour tickets and you can include a boat and a night tour. Prices go from € 22 per person.
Green Sightseeing buses offer a 48-hour ticket to access 3 routes. It includes a river cruise, a walking tour, a meal with goulash and beer and a discount booklet for shopping and dining experiences. Prices go from € 25 per person.
Have you just started to plan your trip? Too many things to decide? Too long do it all by yourself? Special needs or wishes? Then, you should plan your trip with a local to get tailored travel plans & advices.
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