Transit & logisticsBy Clever Tourists · Published
The easiest way from Budapest Airport (Liszt Ferenc, BUD) to the center is the 100E Airport Express bus to Deák Ferenc tér. It costs 2,500 HUF (≈ $7.6), takes about 40 minutes and runs 24 hours a day. You can buy the ticket on board by tapping a bank card. The cheaper option is bus 200E + metro M3 on a regular BKK ticket. A metered Főtaxi to the center typically costs around 13,000 HUF (≈ $40) or more under the August 2026 tariff.
The 100E runs from Terminal 2 (all flights use T2) non-stop into the city, then stops at Kálvin tér and ends at Deák Ferenc tér, where metro lines M1, M2 and M3 meet. Allow 40 minutes, more at rush hour.
• Fare: 2,500 HUF (≈ $7.6) for the special airport shuttle bus single ticket. Regular BKK single tickets, 30/90-minute tickets and most passes are not valid on it.
• Pass holders: with a valid Budapest pass (not the 15-day one), you need only a 1,000 HUF (≈ $3.1) add-on ticket.
• Buying: tap your bank card on the Budapest Pay&GO reader on the bus, which buys and validates the ticket in one step. You can also buy in the BudapestGO app, at BKK ticket machines, ticket offices or customer service centres.
• Frequency: every 6 to 10 minutes in the daytime, 10 to 15 minutes in the morning and evening, and every 30 to 40 minutes at night. It runs around the clock, every day.
Bus 200E is a regular BKK line from Terminal 2 to Kőbánya-Kispest, the terminus of metro M3 (blue line). M3 then runs to Deák Ferenc tér and Kálvin tér. The trip takes roughly 50 minutes in total.
• Tickets (2026 BKK prices): a 90-minute ticket costs 850 HUF (≈ $2.6) and covers the bus, the transfer and the metro. A 30-minute ticket costs 600 HUF (≈ $1.8), which is tight for this trip. The 500 HUF (≈ $1.5) single ticket is valid for one ride only, so you'd need two.
• A 24-hour travelcard (2,750 HUF (≈ $8.4)) or 72-hour card (5,750 HUF (≈ $17.6)) also covers 200E and the metro. If you'll ride transit all weekend, start it at the airport.
• The 100E airport ticket is not valid on 200E.
In the BudapestGO app, scan the QR code again each time you board a new vehicle or enter the metro. On the way, 200E also stops at Ferihegy railway station, where local trains run to Nyugati station.
Főtaxi is the airport's official taxi partner. Book at the Főtaxi kiosks at the Terminal 2A and 2B exits; cars wait at the rank outside. Since late 2025, Uber, operated in Hungary through Főtaxi's partner F Mobilitás, has also been authorized at the airport, so you can order through the Uber app.
All Budapest taxis charge the same city-regulated tariff. From 1 August 2026 it is 1,300 HUF (≈ $4.0) base fare + 520 HUF (≈ $1.6) per km + 130 HUF (≈ $0.40) per minute waiting, plus an 800 HUF (≈ $2.4) airport supplement on airport rides. The center is about 20 km away, so expect roughly 13,000 HUF (≈ $40) and more in traffic. That figure is our estimate from the tariff, not a fixed price, so ask the driver for an estimate before you leave.
Bolt is the most-used ride-hailing app in Budapest and dispatches licensed taxis at the same regulated rates. At the airport, follow the in-app pickup instructions. Taxis take cards, and a tip is not required, though rounding up is common, as explained in our Budapest tipping guide.
Not to the terminal. A direct rail link from Terminal 2 to the city has been planned for years. In 2026 the state put a roughly 27 km line with an underground airport station out to tender as a public-private partnership, and officials have talked about completion around 2034 to 2035. No trains will run for years, so ignore guides that say otherwise.
The only current rail option is Ferihegy station, near the old Terminal 1 site, which you reach on bus 200E. From there, local trains go to Nyugati. It is only worth it if you are heading to the Nyugati area.
• First visit, hotel in District V, VI or VII: 100E to Deák Ferenc tér, 2,500 HUF (≈ $7.6), tap your card on board.
• Budget, or you've bought a travelcard: 200E + M3 on a 90-minute ticket (850 HUF (≈ $2.6)) or a 24/72-hour card.
• Late night, group or a hotel in Buda: Főtaxi or Uber. Split between three or four people, a taxi costs little more per head than the 100E.
Once you've checked in, our 3 days in Budapest itinerary and thermal baths guide take it from there.
2,500 HUF (≈ $7.6) per person for the special airport shuttle single ticket, or a 1,000 HUF (≈ $3.1) add-on if you hold a valid Budapest pass. Regular BKK tickets are not valid on it.
Yes. Tap your bank card on the Budapest Pay&GO reader on board, which buys and validates the ticket in one step. You can also buy in the BudapestGO app or at BKK machines.
Yes, the 100E runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, about every 30 to 40 minutes at night.
All Budapest taxis use the regulated tariff: from August 2026, 1,300 HUF (≈ $4.0) base, 520 HUF (≈ $1.6) per km and 130 HUF (≈ $0.40) per minute waiting, plus an 800 HUF (≈ $2.4) airport supplement. For the roughly 20 km to the center, expect around 13,000 HUF (≈ $40) and more in traffic.
No direct one. A rail link to Terminal 2 went to tender in 2026, with completion talked about for the mid-2030s. Today the only rail option is Ferihegy station, reached by bus 200E.
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