Note: Prices below are valid for 2025.

Hungary Pass:

The Hungary Pass is valid for 30 days for travel on Budapest public transport system (BKK), trains (MÁV) and domestic buses (Volán) within Hungary. It costs 18900 HUF and you can purchase it through the train company (MÁV), see train section for details.

Note: you need to purchase the full-price pass, you are not eligible for a student pass.

Traveling within Budapest:

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (BKK)

Budapest has a very efficient public transportation system called BKK. There are various means of transport (bus, metro, tram, trolleybus, suburban railway), which generally run daily during the hours 4:30 AM – 11:30 PM. There are also buses that run outside these hours. To plan your trip use the Budapest Go mobile App, the BKK online route planner  or Google Maps.

A monthly Budapest-pass, valid for transortation within Budapest for 30 days, costs 8950 HUF.  For the rest of your stay you can buy a 15-day Budapest-Pass (5950 HUF) or single tickets (500 HUF or 4500 for 10 tikets). You can buy BKK passes and tickets from ticket machines or the Budapest Go mobile app (note: if your phone battery is not reliable, the paper ticket from the machine is a safer option).

As an alternative to the monthly Budapest-pass, you can purchase a monthly Hungary Pass for 18,900 HUF, which is valid on the BKK and all trains and buses in Hungary (see train section for purchase info).

Note:

• You need to purchase the full-price pass, you are not eligible for a student pass. Having the wrong pass may result in a fine of 16,000 HUF or more.
• The BKK pass / country pass are NOT valid on bus 100E which runs between downtown and the airport. You can buy a ticket on the bus, it costs 2200 HUF. (The pass is valid on bus 200E.)

TAXICABS

Taxis in Budapest have uniform fares. A trip within downtown costs around 2,000–4,000 HUF, and taxi companies have online fare calculators. Make sure the taximeter displays the actual fare during the ride.

BICYCLES

Use extra caution when riding a bike in Budapest, as rules of the road and driving habits are quite different in Hungary than in North America. Even if you ride in a bike lane, be aware that drivers do not always give the right of way to bikers.

Budapest has a public bike-sharing system called MOL Bubi.  It has many docking stations all around the city, so you can just grab a bike and go. For details see this page.

Traveling outside of Budapest:

BY AIR

Budapest Airport (BUD) is located about 16 km (10 miles) southeast of the city center. You can travel to and from the airport by taxi, Airport minibus, or train. Transportation to the airport is also covered by the monthly public transport pass—take bus 200E from the Kőbánya-Kispest terminal of M3. For further details, see this page. 

Many international airlines operate from Budapest. There are several low-cost airlines (e.g., Wizzair, Ryanair, and easyJet), which operate to various destinations including Paris, Rome, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, Crete, and Jerusalem.

TRAINS

Trains operate from Budapest to all parts of Hungary and throughout Europe. They depart from either of the four major railway stations:

• Keleti Pályaudvar – East Railway Station (metro lines 2 and 4)
• Nyugati Pályaudvar – West Railway Station (metro line 3; trams 4 and 6)
• Déli Pályaudvar – South Railway Station (metro line 2)
• Kelenföldi Pályaudvar – Kelenföld Railway station (metro line 4)

You must purchase FULL PRICE tickets BEFORE BOARDING the train through the MÁV mobile app, the MÁV website, or ticket machines / tickets booths and the station. To set the language of the MÁV mobile app to English click the three lines in the upper right corner / Beállítások / Nyelv / English.

Notes on the Hungary Pass:

• The Hungary Pass costs 18900 HUF, and it is valid for 30 days for travel on Budapest public transport system (BKK), trains (MÁV) and domestic buses (Volán) within Hungary.
• Buy the Hungary Pass is a multi-step process, allow time for that.
• For some trains a seat ticket is required for 650 HUF in advance or 990 HUF on the day of travel. To buy the ticket through the app, add the Hungary Pass as a discount for the traveller.

BUSES

International service
Many European destinations can be reached by bus, which might be more cost-efficient than taking a train. Some useful websites for international bus travel:

• www.eurolines.com
• www.studentagencybus.com

Domestic long distance service
You can also visit many tourist destinations in Hungary by bus. You can buy your ticket from the driver, but it is preferable to buy the ticket before departure at the ticket offices of the main bus stations. For schedules and ticket purchase, see this page.