Public Transportation in Budapest

The public transport of Budapest (according to other european cities) is pretty good, however a few people would disagree with this. Approxminately 60% of the public of Budapest use the public transport to reach most parts of the city on a daily basis. The public transport (especially the trams and the underground) is usually much faster than taking a car especially in rush hour traffic.

Because of civil organizations the night time public transport improved immensely in the last couple of years. However the conditions of some of the public transport and stops are not excellent. The price/ value ratio of the public transport in Budapest is good. If we take into consideration the usual daytime traffic jams, the difficulties to find a parking place and the cost of it, we can say that as a tourist it is worth choosing the public transport (and take advantage of the Budapest Card). At the reception of the hotels you can find free tourist maps which is a great help with the orientation around the city, with underground, metro and bus routes.

Tickets, prices:
If you wish to use the public transportation you need to have a ticket (or the above mentioned Budapest card). Tickets have to be purchased in advance and you must validate your ticket on the buses, trams and metro lines. Train tickets are validated at the underground before you enter the station. At the moment a ticket costs 300 Ft (about 1,10€) and you can buy the tickets from vending machines or at a cash desk located at frequented places. You can buy a 10 or 20 ticket booklet at a discounted rate, or a daily/weekly pass. There are controllers working on the Trams and metros, and the amount of the fine is increasing frequently, so there’s no point in taking the risk of travelling without a valid ticket on the public transportation sytem of Budapest.

Underground transportation:
The easiest and fastest way of travelling inside the city. Budapest has got 3 underground lines: nr1 (yellow color coded), nr2 (red) and the nr3 (blue) which cross each other on the Deák Ferenc square. On the line nr2 (red) there are the stops to the South Railway Station (Déli pályaudvar) and to the East Railway Station (Keleti pályaudvar), while by the line nr3 (blue) you can access the West Railway Station (Nyugati pályaudvar) and Kőbánya- Kispest, where the buses to Ferihegy Airport are departing from. However we would like to highlight the yellow “small underground train” which is more than a hundred years old and at that time was unique in Europe. It leaves from the heart of the city (Vörösmarty tér- end of Váci street) and follows the direction of the Andrássy street towards the Heros’ square and the City Park. It is worth a try.

Bus, Tram and Trolley- bus transport:
The service is mostly from 4.30 in the morning ‘till 11h in the evening, you have to buy your ticket in advance. The vehicles are very multifarious, you can find the old times “retro” as well as the brand new high- tech ones. The night time public transportation in Budapest is good as well, however at this time of the day the cab is more comfortable and safe.

Budapest Cabs:
The cabs in hungary have got a yellow license plate and a yellow “Taxi” sign on the top of them. The total charge is made up of two seperate parts: a basic charge (which is irrespective of how far the is) and a a per kilometre charge. It is compulsory for the driver to use a taximeter, and has to give a receipt as well. Because of the different prices it is worth asking the driver how much the trip will approximately cost.

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