Buses
The national bus network in Hungary is operated by 28 state run companies that are united under the Volán Association . Buses are efficient for longer distances and they’re as fast as the train. Hungarians prefer to travel by bus and therefore buses tend to get overfilled.
Tickets can be either purchased at bus stations or from the driver when boarding. Red-numbered buses are expresses that skip a few stops.
Available discounts are as follows:
- Children under the age of six can travel for free.
- Children between the age of six and 14 get a discount of 50 per cent.
- Over 65s can travel for free. This only applies to EU citizens and Hungarians.
- All students with a valid student card receive a 50 per cent discount.
Metro
Within the city centre of Budapest, you will find three metro lines. M1(yellow), M2 (red), M3 (blue). The metros run every day from 4.45am until 11.45pm. Metros in Budapest run very frequently, every 3-5 minutes at off-peak times and at the weekend, every 1-3 minutes in rush-hour and every 10 minutes later at night. The rush-hour is between 6-9 am and 2-7 pm.
Note that single tickets only can be used for one service. If you wish to change, you need to purchase a second ticket.
Train
Trains in Hungary are run by Magyar Államvasutak (MÁV) . Budapest is the center of the railway network, so if you’re going on a long distance trip, you will need to travel through the capital of Hungary.
It’s recommended that you purchase a ticket in advance since some stations stop selling tickets five minutes before the train is scheduled to depart. Tickets can be purchased up to two months in advance from train stations or by calling MÁV customer service directly.
Tram (Villamos)
Budapest has an extensive system of above-ground trams. The most popular lines are lines four and six, which run to the city centre. Tram or trolley systems are also present in Debrecen, Szeged and Miskolc.
Air travel
Budapest’s major airport Ferenc Liszt International Airport is located 20 km away from the city centre and serves European and intercontinental routes. Ferenc Liszt International Airport has three terminals. One for low cost airlines, one for flights that depart and arrive from Schengen countries and the other terminal is for non-Schengen and non-European flights.
Other, smaller airports in Hungary include:
- Debrecen Airport - located in the second largest city in Hungary. It’s main airline is the budget Wizz Air which flies to London, German cities, the Netherlands, and some North African destinations.
- Hévíz Batalon Airport - for flights to German, Scandinavian, and Eastern European cities.