Budapest public transport

Budapest airport transport by bus and metro

Budapest’s public transportation systems are operated by the company BKV. The service includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metro) and above-ground suburban trains (HÉV).

Budapest airport transport tickets and passes

Tickets or passes must be bought before boarding; you cannot buy them from the driver. They are available at Metro stations, tobacconists and newsagents, and from vending machines at many bus and tram stops in the city centre. Download the BudapestGo app for schedules and digital ticket purchases.

The single tickets (350 HUF) are valid for one single journey of any length on all routes (including the Cogwheel Railway, but excluding those parts of the HÉV that lie outside the metropolitan boundary of Budapest). There is also a range of pre-paid books of tickets and value-for-money passes on sale, like transfer ticket (530 HUF), metro section ticket (300 HUF), One-day travel card (1.650 HUF), Three-days travel card (4.150 HUF),  and 10 pieces discount coupon book (3.000 HUF). 

When using single tickets, a new ticket has to be validated at the beginning of each journey, and this is done by inserting it into the slot in the small red or orange box situated at waist height near the doors of buses, trolleybuses, trams and HÉV trains. Please note that on the Underground system these boxes are in the stations at the top of the escalator.

There are many ticket inspectors wearing a red/blue armband and carry a photographic identification badge. They can ask to see tickets and passes on any vehicle and anywhere on the Metro system, including after you have got off – so please remember to validate your ticket and keep hold of it! Maps sited at the entrances to metro stations give a comprehensive overview of the entire public transport network in Budapest. Conditions of travel are also included, in German and English.

Hungarian citizens as well as citizens of other member states of the European Union over the age of 65 years can travel free of charge on BKV Budapest public transport services (except for the funicular, the chair-lift and boat trips) when they present to inspectors a personal identity card or document certifying their citizenship.

How can you get from the Budapest airport to the city center by public transport?
Airport bus, No. 100E:
During the day: every 7-10 minutes,
Night (24:00-03:30): every 30-40 minutes.
The price of the ticket is HUF 2,200 (€6).
This bus runs from Budapest Airport to Deák Ferenc Square. If you need to travel further from there, you need to buy a new ticket
Travel time 40 minutes.

Budapest transfers