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Budapest Airport to the City Centre: 100E Bus, 200E and Metro, Train, Taxi and Bolt Compared

Writer: Alex van Terheyden
Alex van Terheyden
12 minutes ago
10 min read

Budapest is a city of thermal baths, ruin bars and a parliament built to be photographed from the Danube. But first you have to get out of the airport. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, BUD to the airline industry, sits on the south-eastern edge of the city, and how you cover the distance into the centre makes a real difference to your budget and your temper.


I filmed every option on the way out of arrivals, from the express bus to the cheapest bus-and-metro combination, the train, taxis, ride-hailing apps and the shared shuttle. Since then several prices have moved, and the taxi rules changed this summer, so below I have rechecked everything against the official sources and corrected my own figures where they have gone out of date. Watch the film first, then use this page for the current numbers.



Arriving at Budapest Airport


Budapest has one working passenger terminal, Terminal 2, split into 2A and 2B. In the film I joked about the choice: “To be or not to B.” Most international flights arrive at 2B, but the two halves are joined, so you cannot really end up in the wrong place. Once you are through passport control and customs, everything you need is just outside the arrivals hall: the bus stops, the taxi booths, the ride-hail pickup points and the car hire desks.


One thing has changed since I made the film. If you hold a non-EU passport, including a British one, you now go through the EU’s Entry/Exit System and have your fingerprints and photo taken at the border the first time you use it. Allow a little longer at passport control on your first trip under the new system.


The centre of Budapest is about 16 kilometres north-west of the airport, so plan on 30 to 45 minutes whichever way you go, depending on traffic. Hungary uses the forint (HUF), not the euro, but cards are accepted almost everywhere, including on the airport bus. My advice from the film stands: do not change money at the airport kiosks. When I looked, the gap between the buying and selling rates was enormous. Pay by card, or use a Wise card to spend forints at close to the real exchange rate.


Your options at a glance


  • 100E Airport Express bus: 2,500 HUF, direct to Kálvin tér and Deák Ferenc tér, about 40 minutes, runs 24 hours a day. The best all-rounder.

  • 200E bus + metro M3: two 500 HUF single tickets (1,000 HUF), or one 850 HUF 90-minute ticket in the app. The cheapest way in, with one change.

  • 200E bus + train: bus to Ferihegy station, then MÁV train to Nyugati station. Cheap, and good if you are staying near Nyugati.

  • Taxi (Főtaxi) or Uber/Bolt: regulated fares with a 2,100 HUF airport base fee, plus 520 HUF per kilometre and 130 HUF per minute. Door to door.

  • miniBUD shared shuttle: from 2,499 HUF per person, door to door, but slower if you are sharing.

  • Private transfer or hire car: best booked in advance.


The 100E Airport Express bus


For most people this is the one to take. According to BKK, the 100E runs between the airport and Deák Ferenc tér, the city’s main interchange where three metro lines meet, calling at Kálvin tér on the way (in the film I mentioned Astoria, which is not a current stop). BKK puts the journey at about 40 minutes. It now runs around the clock, seven days a week: every 6 to 10 minutes during the day, every 10 to 15 minutes in the early morning and evening, and every 30 to 40 minutes at night.


A blue BKK 100E Airport Express articulated bus at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

The fare is the special Airport shuttle bus single ticket, which went up to 2,500 HUF on 1 October 2025. That is the price I quoted in the film, and it is still correct. It is a little over £5. The easiest way to pay is the one I showed: tap your bank card or phone on the Budapest Pay&GO reader by the door as you get on, which buys and validates the ticket in one go. You do not need cash or a machine first, so you can walk past the queue at the ticket machines. You can also buy it in the BudapestGO app or from BKK machines and offices.


A few rules are worth knowing. Board at the front door only. The 100E ticket is valid only on the 100E, with no transfers, so you will need a separate ticket for the metro or tram from Deák Ferenc tér. Ordinary single tickets and day travelcards are not valid on the 100E. If you already have a Budapest pass, buy the 1,000 HUF add-on airport ticket in the app instead. Passengers over 65, of any nationality, ride free with proof of age.


The buses are air-conditioned, with room for suitcases, but they fill up at busy times.


The 200E bus and metro: the cheapest way in


If you are counting every forint, or you simply like a bit of adventure, take the 200E. It leaves from the same area outside arrivals, runs 24 hours a day on the normal city fare, and takes you to Kőbánya-Kispest, the south-eastern terminus of metro line M3, the blue line. From there the metro runs straight up through the centre, via Kálvin tér, Ferenciek tere and Deák Ferenc tér, towards Újpest.


The terminus platform of Budapest metro line M3 at Kőbánya-Kispest

This is where my figures in the film are out of date. I quoted 400 HUF in advance and 530 HUF on board. BKK’s current price list gives a single ticket at 500 HUF, or 700 HUF if you buy it from the driver, and you will need exact cash, because drivers do not give change. A single ticket covers one ride on one vehicle, so the bus and the metro need one ticket each: 1,000 HUF in total. Two cheaper alternatives are the 90-minute ticket at 850 HUF, which covers unlimited changes in that time (you validate it each time you board), and the 24-hour Budapest-travelcard at 2,750 HUF, which makes sense if you will be riding the trams and metro for the rest of the day.


Validate paper tickets as you board. Inspectors are common and the on-the-spot penalty fare is 12,000 HUF.


The 200E and the metro together take a little longer than the 100E, and you have to change with your luggage at Kőbánya-Kispest. The metro does not run all night, so if you land late, the 24-hour 100E is the simpler choice.


By train from Ferihegy station


There is no railway station at the terminal itself, which surprises many visitors. The nearest is Ferihegy station, a few stops along the 200E route. From there, Budapest Airport says, trains run to Nyugati station, the grand Eiffel-era terminus on the Grand Boulevard, in about 30 minutes. In the film I said trains leave every 30 to 60 minutes. Check the times in MÁV’s journey planner or on Google Maps before you commit.


A blue and white MÁV Stadler FLIRT train at Ferihegy railway station in Budapest

Here I need to correct myself. In the film I said the train leg was included in your bus ticket “if you plan right”. It is not. You need a BKK ticket for the 200E and a separate MÁV train ticket from the machines on the platform, which take cash or card. The airport points out that there are no train tickets on sale in the terminal. The exception is if you hold a BKK Budapest pass, a county or national pass, or a Budapest Card: these cover the passenger, zonal and InterRegio trains between Ferihegy and Nyugati at no extra cost. For a short hop within the city, the train fare is a few hundred forints.


Taxi, Uber, Bolt and private transfers


If you are tired, loaded with bags or travelling as a group, a taxi is the easy answer. Budapest Airport’s official taxi partner is Főtaxi. You book at the Főtaxi stands at the exits of Terminals 2A and 2B and then take a car from the rank in front. Every car takes cards. Give them the exact address and the Főtaxi airport desk will work out the fare before you set off.


Taxi fares in Budapest are set by the city and are the same for every licensed operator at every time of day. This is the biggest change since I filmed. BKK says that from August 2026 a special airport base fare of 2,100 HUF applies to journeys to and from the airport, on top of 520 HUF per kilometre and 130 HUF per minute. In the film I suggested 8,000 to 10,000 HUF to the centre. On the current tariff, a ride of roughly 20 kilometres comes to about 12,500 HUF before any time spent in traffic, so budget roughly 12,000 to 16,000 HUF. That is my estimate, not an official figure, so ask for the quote at the desk.


I cannot stress the next point enough: ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a taxi. The airport itself warns that drivers from companies without a contract may not follow the regulated fares. A licensed Budapest taxi is yellow, with yellow number plates, the words “minősített budapesti taxi” on the front left door and the fare table displayed on the dashboard and rear doors.


Ride-hailing works in Budapest, but through licensed taxi drivers, so the regulated fares still apply and the app is not much cheaper than a taxi. You do get a price up front. Budapest Airport’s Uber page says pickup is easiest at Terminal 2A: order an Uber Taxi, get a six-digit PIN, walk to the Uber pickup point in front of 2A and give the PIN to the first available driver. Larger XL cars for up to six people are available at 2B. In the film I showed the ride-hail zones outside 2A. Bolt, my pick for getting around the city itself, says its airport pickup point can change, so follow the directions in the app. If you are new to Uber, the code uberAVT from my film’s description gets you some credit.


If you would rather have a driver waiting in arrivals with your name on a board, book a private airport transfer with GetTransfer before you fly. You get a fixed price, and it works well for families and late arrivals.


The miniBUD shared shuttle


For door-to-door travel without the cost of a whole taxi, there is miniBUD, the airport’s official shared shuttle. You can book online, by phone, in the app or at the desks in arrivals. The airport lists fixed fares into the city from 2,499 HUF per person, with luggage included. In the film I quoted 3,000 to 5,000 HUF depending on the drop-off zone, so check the price for your address when you book. Because it is shared, you may wait for other passengers and sit through their drop-offs, so the trip can take up to an hour.


Hiring a car at the airport


If Budapest is the start of a wider trip, to the Danube Bend or Lake Balaton, say, the big rental firms have desks at the airport. I compare prices on Discover Cars and book automatics early, because they are in short supply. Bring your driving licence, your passport and a credit card in the driver’s name, because a debit card may not be accepted for the deposit.


Rather than buying the desk’s expensive excess cover, I take out separate car hire excess insurance with Cover4Rentals. Hungary’s motorways need a digital vignette (e-matrica), which you buy online from the National Toll Payment Services before you join one. Check cross-border fees for Slovakia or Austria. For a city break, though, skip the car: parking in the centre is hard work and public transport is excellent.


Which should you choose?


Here is my verdict. On your own or as a couple with normal luggage, take the 100E. It is direct, runs all night and costs 2,500 HUF. On a tight budget, take the 200E and the metro for 850 to 1,000 HUF. Staying near Nyugati and happy to walk a little, try the train. Arriving late, with heavy bags, or with three or four of you to split the fare, take a Főtaxi from the official stand or order an Uber or Bolt in the app.


Stay connected and pay like a local


Sort out your data before you land, so the BudapestGO app, maps and ride-hailing all work the moment you switch your phone on. My go-to eSIM is Saily, and code Wondering gets you 15% off. Roamless is another good option, with code WONDERING for 20% off. For forints without the bank charges or the airport exchange rate, I use Wise. I filmed this guide on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, recording to a 256GB micro SD card.


Where to stay in Budapest


The 100E ends at Deák Ferenc tér, so anywhere in central Pest (District V around Deák and Vörösmarty tér, or District VII, the old Jewish quarter where the ruin bars are) puts you a short walk or one metro stop from the bus. Buda, across the river, is quieter and hillier. Compare hotels on Booking.com Budapest or find an apartment on Airbnb. The Budapest hotels map below shows places and prices.



Things to do once you are in


With your bags dropped, the river is the place to start: the Chain Bridge, Castle Hill and the Parliament at dusk. Then a thermal bath and, eventually, a ruin bar. My earlier post, Budapest: Central Europe’s Finest City?, has more on the funicular, the House of Terror and why I keep coming back. For guided options, browse Budapest tours on Viator or Budapest tours and tickets on GetYourGuide, which include Danube cruises, bath tickets and Parliament visits.


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The Wondering Englishman has visited over 90 countries so far, and I'm slowly making my way around the world. Budapest remains one of my favourite cities in Europe, and now you know how to get into it without overpaying.




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Safe travels, The Wondering Englishman

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