Travelling to and around Budapest

Getting to Budapest

By Air

Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport is 16 km from the centre of Budapest, offers international connections primarily within Europe and has good connections with London, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Amsterdam and others.

Budapest Airport Transfers

Shuttle Buses

You can get a shuttle bus from the miniBUD Airport Shuttle Service for a special 'CEU' rate of 3900Ft (one-way) or 6900Ft (return).  To get this rate you must quote CEU and order the shuttle bus to V. Budapest, Nador utca 9 (the Shuttle Bus order system will take you to CEU's Residence Center which is out of the city centre).  You should book at least 48 hours prior to the departure time of your flight by calling +36 1 550 0000 or by email: info@minibud.hu

Taxi

If you prefer to travel by taxi, passengers are recommended to use Főtaxi, the official taxi partner of Budapest Airport to reach their destinations in Budapest, without need for reservation. Upon arrival simply approach the taxi counters located right outside the terminal buildings at the airport.

By Train

Budapest has good rail links with all large European cities. More than 50 trains a day provide direct links between Budapest and 25 other European capital cities. The international railway station “Keleti” is part of the Budapest Underground system, the Metró. It is one stop of the Red (M2) line. MÁV (Hungarian Railway Company) may be able to offer discounts to students and others under the age of 26.

By Bus

The bus station is in the south-eastern part of the city. “Népliget” is one stop on the Blue (M3) line of the underground. Major transport companies offer student discounts of up to 10% to students and others under the age of 26. For more information please click here.

By Car

Travelling by car can be the most convenient way to reach Hungary from neighbouring countries, though finding a parking spot in the city centre might prove difficult and expensive. CEU cannot offer public parking. For using the highways you have to buy an E-vignette - click here for information and to purchase.  Vignettes can also be purchased in any fuel station.  You will need to purchase a weekly (valid for 10 days) or monthly vignette.

Travelling around Budapest

The Underground

The most efficient public transport in Budapest is the underground. Budapest has four metro lines and three of them meet at Deák Ferenc square, which is very close to the CEU campus. You can buy single tickets which you have to validate every time you get on another vehicle (a ticket costs 350Ft which is just over €1). You can also buy a pass for different time periods, and depending on how much you want to travel around, it is recommended to buy one of those. Hungarian Public Transport System (BKK) does not take international student IDs. For more information please click here. 

Bubi Bicycles

Locals and visitors can ride around Budapest using bicycles called MOL bubi, a self-service rent-a-bike system. For more information click here.  Fares are from as little as 500Ft a day (deposit required).

Taxi

If you prefer to travel by taxi, please be aware that a new Taxi Decree was introduced in Hungary regulating the price of the taxis at a fixed tariff of 280Ft/Km (€0.95/Km) in addition to the one-off basic fee of 450Ft (€1.50) and waiting fee.  A ride from the airport to the city centre should typically cost around 6500Ft (€22) depending on traffic conditions.

Local taxi numbers (you will need to add the country code and the city code +36 1 in front of the number below if dialling from a non-Hungarian telephone):

Buda Taxi: 2-333-333

Budapest Taxi: 4-333-333

City Taxi: 2-111-111

Rádió Taxi: 7-777-777

Taxi 2000: 2-000-000

Taxi4: 4-444-444

Főtaxi: 2- 222-222 (official taxi partner of Budapest Airport)

Trip Planner app

If you need assistance in finding your way around the city the local transportation trip planner website BKK Futar has an app for both iPhone and Android. Click on the operating system to go to your app store and download the app.