August 10, 2026
How to Get from Budapest Airport to the City Center
You land at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, you’re tired after a long flight from Dhaka, and the first real decision of your new life in Hungary is standing right in front of you. How do you actually get into the city? Here’s what your options actually look like, what they cost, and which one makes sense for your situation.
If you’re arriving with heavy luggage and just want the simplest option, take the 100E Airport Express bus straight to Deák Ferenc tér in the city center. It runs 24 hours a day and needs no transfers. If money is tight and you don’t mind one change, the 200E bus plus M3 metro combination is the cheapest way in.
| Option | Best for | Approx. price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100E Airport Express | Most new arrivals, especially with luggage | ~2,200 HUF | ~40 min |
| 200E bus + M3 metro | Traveling light, on a budget | ~450 HUF | ~50 to 60 min |
| Főtaxi (official taxi) | Late night, groups, lots of luggage | 7,000 to 9,000 HUF | ~30 to 40 min |
| miniBUD shuttle | Booking ahead, door to door | 5,500 to 7,500 HUF per person | ~40 to 50 min |
| Bolt (ride-hailing) | Convenience, no cash needed | Varies, often cheaper than street taxis | ~30 to 40 min |
Prices change over time, so treat these as a rough guide and confirm current fares on bkk.hu before you travel.
100E Airport Express bus
This direct express bus runs between the airport and Deák Ferenc tér, one of Budapest’s main transport hubs, passing through Kálvin tér along the way. There’s no transfer to figure out, which matters a lot when you’re jet-lagged and dragging two suitcases through an unfamiliar terminal.
The bus stops right outside the arrivals area at both Terminal 2A and 2B, and it runs every 7 to 15 minutes during the day, dropping to roughly every 30 to 40 minutes overnight. You can buy a ticket from the purple vending machines near the bus stop, or just tap your bank card on the reader when you board using the Budapest Pay&GO system. No app, no separate ticket purchase required.
This shows the road route the 100E bus roughly follows into the city center. Actual bus stops and timing depend on BKK’s schedule, not this route line.
200E bus plus M3 metro
Take bus 200E from the airport to Kőbánya-Kispest, then switch onto the M3 metro line into the city. Because this route uses a standard public transport ticket rather than the airport express fare, it’s meaningfully cheaper. The tradeoff is that you’ll be hauling your bags through a metro station and changing vehicles, which is manageable if you’re traveling light but genuinely annoying with a lot of luggage.
Official airport taxi (Főtaxi)
Főtaxi runs a fixed, zone-based fare system, so you’ll know your price before you even get in the car. Follow the “Taxi” signage as you exit arrivals and you’ll find the booth. This is a solid choice if you’re landing late at night, traveling in a group, or simply have too much luggage for a bus.
miniBUD shuttle
miniBUD is the airport’s official shared shuttle service. It’s a minivan that drops you directly at your dormitory or apartment door, often sharing the ride with a few other passengers heading in a similar direction. It costs more than the bus but less than a private taxi, and the appeal is that you don’t have to figure anything out yourself once you’re inside the van.
You can book miniBUD online before you even land, which is genuinely worth doing if this is your first time in Budapest and you’re arriving at night with no sense yet of how the city fits together.
Bolt and Uber (ride-hailing)
Uber left Hungary in 2016 after a regulatory dispute and was gone for eight years, so a lot of older articles online still say it doesn’t operate here. It came back in June 2024 through a partnership with Főtaxi, running on the same regulated fixed-fare system as Budapest’s licensed taxis rather than Uber’s usual dynamic pricing. Bolt has been running independently across the city the whole time and is generally the cheaper option. Download whichever app you prefer and add a payment card before you fly, so it’s ready to go the moment you land. You’ll need a working SIM card or the airport’s free Wi-Fi to actually request the ride.
A few things worth knowing before you land
Withdraw some Hungarian forint from an airport ATM before you head to the bus stop or taxi rank. Not every ticket machine reliably accepts foreign cards, and it’s frustrating to discover that while half-asleep at 2am.
Keep your admission letter and passport somewhere easy to reach, not buried at the bottom of your suitcase. You may be asked to show them more than once in your first few days. And save your dormitory or apartment address written in Hungarian, not just English, on your phone. It makes things much smoother when talking to a driver who doesn’t speak much English.
Once you’ve made it into the city and dropped your bags, the next thing worth sorting out is your phone and a few essential apps. We cover exactly what to install in our guide to the must-have apps for international students in Hungary.