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Getting There By Air:

Budapest Ferihegy (BUD)
Tel: (01) 296 9696.
Website: www.bud-airport.hu

Budapest Ferihegy airport, located 24km (15 miles) southeast of Budapest, consists of three terminals, two modern ones close together and a third, older terminal, 5km (3 miles) to the west.

Airport facilities: Facilities include a duty-free shop, florist, newsagent, restaurant, bar, gift shop, post office, bureaux de change, banks and car hire. There is also a business lounge, and left luggage facilities are available.

Transport to the city: Trains run regularly between the airport and Budapest’s western railway station. The journey takes 30 minutes. The Budapest Card (see Sightseeing) provides a discount on the airport train.

LRI’s Airport Minibus Shuttle (tel: (01) 296 8555; website: www.airportshuttle.hu) takes visitors to any address in the city. You can buy single or return tickets from LRI’s passenger service desks or book before departure. The service also picks up passengers at hotels or private addresses for the return flight.

The public buses 200 and 93 travel to Kõbánya-Kispest metro station. This is a cheap alternative to and from the airport, but takes longer.

Taxis are available at all times but are a more expensive option.

Approximate flight times to Budapest: From London is 2 hours 20 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 45 minutes; from Los Angeles is 19 hours 15 minutes; from Toronto is 9 hours 40 minutes and from Sydney is 26 hours 30 minutes.

Getting There By Water:

From April to early October, Budapest is connected to Vienna and Bratislava by ferry and hydrofoil services on the Danube. Boats, which are run by Mahart PassNave (tel: (01) 484 4013; website: www.mahartpassnave.hu), dock at the Nemzetközi hajóállomás (International Ferry Pier; V Belgrád rakpart) in the heart of the city.

Ferry services: Bratislava can be reached in 4 hours 30 minutes and Vienna in 6 hours 30 minutes.

Getting There By Road:

Traffic drives on the right. Motorways are marked by ’M’ and international roads by ’E’. Minor roads are designated by two or more digit numbers. Most motorways are toll-free, with the exception of the M5 from Budapest to Kecskemét, the Gyor-Hegyeshalom stretch of the M1 and the M3 between Budapest and Füzesabony. In 2000, motorway vignettes (passes) were introduced on the M1 and M3. You can buy vignettes at the Hegyeshalom border crossing point, at the former motorway gates and at filling stations near the motorways. On the spot fines are issued for those who travel without one.

The minimum age for driving in Budapest is 18 years. Speed limits are 130kph (75mph) on motorways, 110kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (50mph) on main roads and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts are compulsory in the front seats and outside built-up areas for passengers in the back seats. There is a total alcohol ban when driving - licenses are withdrawn if drivers are found to be under the influence of alcohol. On the spot fines are issued and the police officer must provide a receipt.

The pink format EU license is accepted but an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required if a green UK license is held. A car registration document and country sticker are also necessary. Third-party liability insurance is compulsory. For drivers based in Hungary for over six months, customs clearance must be sought.

There are 24-hour emergency phone lines located every 2km (1.25 miles) along motorways M1, M5, M7 and Road 5. Magyar Autóklub (tel: (01) 345 1800; website: www.autoklub.hu) has reciprocal agreements with many automobile associations and provides a 24-hour breakdown service.

Emergency breakdown service: Magyar Autóklub (tel: 188).

Routes to the city: Hungary has eight main routes, seven of which start from Budapest. The road numbering goes clockwise from the west towards the south. The M0 ring road around Budapest eases access to destinations in the city. Approaching Budapest, the two main highways are the M1 (from where the E65 and D1 to Brno lead to the D1 to Prague) from Győr and Vienna, and the M7 along Lake Balaton. The A4 from Vienna leads to the Austro/Hungarian frontier at Hegyeshalom, from where the M1 toll road leads to Budapest. The M3 connects Budapest with eastern Hungary. Warsaw is reachable on the E77.

Approximate driving times to Budapest: From Prague - 7 hours 40 minutes; from Vienna - 2 hours 45 minutes; from Warsaw - 11 hours 30 minutes.

Coach services: Volánbusz (tel: (01) 382 0888; website: www.volanbusz.hu) operates international services to 20 countries in Europe, including the UK. Buses leave from Népliget coach station, IX Üllői út 131. Volánbusz also operates several services to Hungarian towns and resorts. Services to the west are provided from Népliget coach station, while services to the east are from Stadionok coach station and services to the Danube Bend from Árpád híd coach station, Árpád híd.

Getting There By Rail:

The service on Hungarian State Railways (MÁV), VI Andrássy út 35 (tel: (01) 371 9449; website: www.mav.hu), is relatively clean and comfortable, and services generally punctual. Not all express trains have dining or buffet cars so it’s advisable for visitors to bring their own food and drink on long journeys. Tickets for international journeys should be purchased 24 to 36 hours in advance. You can make reservations on all international trains with MÁV. Seat reservations are strongly advised for all services. Tickets are also available from the MÁV booking office, V Andrássy út 35.

MÁV directs the three large international railway stations in Budapest - Keleti pályaudvar (eastern station), VIII Baross tér, Nyugati pályaudvar (western station), VI Nyugati tér, and Déli pályaudvar (southern station), I Krisztina körút. All three stations have exchange facilities and tourist information services. Keleti and Nyugati have 24-hour left luggage facilities.

Rail services: Direct rail links connect Hungary to over a dozen European cities, with over 50 international scheduled trains arriving at Budapest. Keleti is the principal terminus for international rail services from Western Europe. Nyugati is the main terminus for trains heading to Eastern Europe, for destinations such as Bucharest and Bratislava. There are also rail links to southern Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia, to destinations such as Zagreb and Ljubljana. The Orient Express (tel: 0845 077 2222, in the UK only; website: www.orient-express.com) also provides luxury rail safaris between London, Budapest and Venice.

Getting Around:



Public Transport
Budapest’s cheap and effective transport system is run by Budapesti Kozlekedési Vállalat - BKV (tel: (01) 461 6688; website: www.bkv.hu). The network includes the metro, trams, buses, trolleybuses (a cross between a bus and a tram) and trains. In summer, there are also BKV Danube ferries. There are also limited night buses, all of which are marked with ’É’.

There are three metro lines (M1 yellow, M2 red, and M3 blue) that intersect at Deák tér. The M1, built for the 1896 exhibition, is the oldest line in Europe.

The BKV Cog-wheel Railway (Fogaskerekû vasút) operates from Városmajor utca to Széchenyi Hill daily.

You can buy tickets at metro stations, some tram stops and newspaper stands. Tickets are valid for one trip on one mode of transport and must be validated on the bus or tram, or when changing lines on the metro. Single tickets, ticket booklets and day passes (napijegy) are available.

The Gyermekvasút or Children’s Railway (tel: (01) 397 5392; website: www.gyermekvasut.com) was formerly run by the Communist youth organization and is still largely run by children of 10 to 14 years old, although it is overseen by MÁV (see Getting There By Rail). The train runs from the Hûvösvölgy district to Széchenyi Hill.

A BKV chairlift runs from the Zugliget district to János Hill - the highest point of Budapest. The 100m (328ft) funicular runs up from Clark Ádám tér to the Castle District.

HÉV trains are Budapest’s commuter suburban train lines. Four lines serve the city, one north to Szentendre (see Excursions) from Batthyány tér, two south to Csepel and Ráckeve and one east to Gödöllő.

Taxis
Taxis without a yellow number plate, which is required by law, as well as a reputable logo on the side doors and a table of fares posted on the dashboard should be avoided. Visitors should ask the driver for a taxi card, for a better fare on the next journey.

Recognised companies include Rádió Taxi (tel: (01) 377 7777), one of the cheapest and most reliable firms, offering significant discounts if taxis are ordered by telephone, Fő Taxi (tel: (01) 222 2222; website: www.fotaxi.hu), recognized by their red and white chequered doors, and the English-speaking City Taxi (tel: (01) 211 1111; website: www.city-taxi.hu), which also has a reputation for being trustworthy.

Driving in the City
Central streets are frequently jammed due to roadworks, cobblestones make for a jolting journey and the tram lines and unusual Hungarian driving techniques can make navigating the city a hair-raising experience. Only taxis and cars with a special permit are allowed into the Castle District - the Várbusz (Castle Bus) service runs from Moszkva tér to Szent Gyorgy tér. Margaret Island can only be accessed from Árpád híd, as far as the car park outside the hotels - bus 26 crosses the island.

Vehicles are not permitted to park for longer than three hours in central parking lots and clamping and towing away are enforced with a hefty charge for release. Parking meters often display the phone number for wheel clamping release and cars that are towed away can also be traced by telephone (tel: (01) 307 5208). There are four large car parks, which are located on V Aranykéz utca 4-6, V Szervita tér 8, VII Nyár utca 20 and VIII Kálvin tér. The hourly rate is more expensive in secure car parks.

Car Hire
It‘s wise for hirers to ensure that the price quoted is inclusive of Áfa (VAT). The majority of hire cars in Budapest have manual transmission. A valid national driving license is required and a credit card is usually requested for the deposit. The minimum age for car hire is 21 years, although some hire companies require drivers to be over 25. Extra charges are made for additional drivers. Third-party liability insurance is compulsory in Hungary.

Car hire is available at Ferihegy airport or at Volán, Express and Budapest tourist offices, as well as at large hotels. Major companies include Avis, V Szervita tér 8 (tel: (01) 318 4240; website: www.avis.com), Budget, I Krisztina körút 41-43 (tel: (01) 214 0420; website: www.budget.hu), and Sixt, XIII Váci út 141 (tel: (01) 451 4227; website: www.sixt.hu).

Bicycle Hire
Although there are some bicycle lanes, Budapest is not that cycle friendly. Cyclists should acquire the ’Budapest on Bike Map’ showing bike lanes and trails throughout the city.

Bringóhintó, Hajós Alfréd sétány 1 (tel: (01) 329 2746; website: www.bringohinto.hu), on Margaret Island (which is closed to cars), hires bicycles and tandems in the summer. You can also hire bikes from Yellow Zebra Bikes (see Tours of the City).

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