Budapest City Center from the Airport: Options Explained

Q: Is there any service to avoid?

To avoid scams and overcharging , don’t accept transfer offers from drivers who approach you at the airport. Always avoid getting into unmarked cars or booking suspicious, low-rated transfers. Stick to official taxis, public transport, or trusted services. The options I listed in this article are all reliable; use one of these.

Planning a trip to Budapest often starts with the simple question of how to get to the city center from the airport. Calm down, it is super easy and there are tons of options that satisfy all needs and meet everyone’s budget.

If you’re after the best value for money, the 100E Airport Express Bus is a fast, direct, and affordable option that runs 24/7. For those who prefer convenience without the high taxi fare, the miniBUD shared shuttle is a great balance, especially for small groups.

If comfort and privacy are your top priorities, official taxis or private transfers offer a seamless experience from the terminal to your accommodation. And of course, for the budget-conscious and adventurous, public transportation remains a solid and surprisingly straightforward alternative, especially during daytime hours.

In this guide, I include all options, tell you how much they cost currently in 2025 plus how and where exactly to book them, illustrated with photos taken by me.

Here is a quick overview of the best transfer options to Downtown Budapest From Liszt Ferenc International Airport:

100E Airport Express Bus: fast and affordable, operates 24/7, cost: 2,500 HUF (~€6.3).
Public Transport: cheap (1,000 HUF, ~€2.5), but requires planning since you’ll need to switch between bus and metro, and some services don’t operate during late hours.
Taxi or Bolt/Uber: most private and comfortable, expect paying 10,500-13,000 HUF (€26-32).
Shared Shuttle (miniBUD): convenient and quick, available all day, fare is relatively high for one person (starting from ~€15), but reasonable for groups (~€32 for 4 people).
Getting picked up by a friend or family member: easiest option; you don’t have to worry about booking or planning anything. There is a free pickup zone a few minutes’ walk away from the terminal building.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.

Learn More: Detailed Guides With Booking Options

Taxi

The official taxi service at Budapest International Airport (BUD) is Főtaxi, using standardized bright yellow cars. You can download their app to request rides (with the option to select vehicle type), or just use the airport taxi stands for immediate bookings. Their main booth is located in the arrivals area of Terminal 2B, and it operates around the clock.

The government regulates taxi fares in Budapest; the base fare is 1,300 HUF (€3.5), 521 HUF (€1.4) per kilometer, and 130 HUF (€0.36) per minute of waiting time, as of 1st of Aug 2026. Moreover, taxi rides to and from Budapest Airport now include an extra airport surcharge of 800 HUF, meaning the meter now starts at 2,100 HUF (roughly €5.74).

A typical ride from the airport to the city center costs around 10,500-13,000 HUF (approximately €25/30), depending on traffic conditions. It is not cheap, but not super expensive either, but definitely the most convenient way of transportation experience.

Főtaxi information desk at Budapest Airport Arrivals Level — This is the Főtaxi desk, just outside the arrivals terminal

Uber/Bolt

Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt are also available for both arrivals and departures. However, they operate in partnership with Főtaxi, and since Hungarian law forbids undercutting of taxi rates, the same rates apply to them.

For reference, here is a screenshot of how much a Bolt ride would cost to a hotel in District V. (city center), taken on a weekday morning. You can see that the estimated fare was 10,300-13,100 HUF (€25-32), which is the same as the taxi fare.

screenshot of bolt application showing the prices from Budapest airport to the city center — This screenshot shows how much a Bolt taxi would cost to Budapest center; as you can see the fares are the same as official taxi rates

That said, there is not much advantage to using Uber or Bolt from the airport, but if you still want to, you can. Just make sure to follow the app’s guidance to the exact pickup location, as it differs from the taxi pickup point. They usually use the second lane in the arrivals area.

Bolt taxi in Budapest Hungary — Bolt taxis (and also Uber) work in partnership with official taxis in Budapest and use standard yellow cars

Shared Transfer

Booking a shared transfer is a convenient way to travel from the airport to downtown Budapest. The official airport shuttle service provider is miniBUD, operating shared shuttle buses on a door-to-door model between the airport and any address in central Budapest.

Their fares are competitive; I find them a little expensive for one person (8,990 HUF, ~€22.5 for one-way booked through their website) but reasonable when booked for a group (one way is 12,990 HUF, ~€32.5 for four people), especially the return options (19,900 HUF, ~€50 for four people).

Their main information desk is right in the baggage reclaim area, next to belt 4, and there is another desk in the arrivals area. You can book the transfers in advance through their website, but it is not even necessary, as they take bookings in person on the spot too, since their service runs 24/7, every 15–25 minutes.

miniBUD airport shuttle information desk at BUD airport — The miniBUD information desk in the arrivals terminal. There is a similar desk in the baggage claim area too, next the Belt 4.

You’ll find the buses right outside the arrivals hall. They are all-white buses with the miniBUD logo on them (see the photo below). The fare includes one large suitcase and one small carry-on.

I checked what people say about this service, and the reviews are mixed. Some liked it a lot, while others complained that they waited at the airport for 15-20 minutes before a shuttle bus became available.

Although I didn’t try this service, my friends did once, just a one-way transfer to get to their hotel, and they said everything was OK. Once I talked to one of their agents at the airport and he was very helpful, so overall, I would give them a try if I would be looking for a relatively cheap but comfortble way to get to the center but I would not be using this service on the way back to the airport due to some reviews saying they don’t always show up on time when pre-booked.

minibud shared shuttle minibus at Budapest airport — This is how miniBUD buses look like: you’ll find them right outside the arrivals terminal

Here, I’d like to add one thing: I tried to research what other shared transfer options are available so I can include more options, but honestly, I didn’t find highly-rated ones I would recommend. But I came across Flibco, and I decided to mention it.

Actually, I found them through Google Maps, listed among the public transport options. The company advertises city center transfers just for €9. Honestly, I never heard about them and haven’t seen any of their buses at the airport or in the city, so I decided to check them out. I found many reviews, most of which say that it is a scam and the vehicle never arrived. I just want you to be aware of them to avoid disappointment.

Private Transfer

There is an option to use private transfers, so if your hotel or travel company provides one or you want to arrange it privately, you can definitely do that. It’s a simple, door-to-door option if you want more comfort after landing.

The driver usually meets you in the arrivals area with a sign or at the designated pickup area outside the terminal. Prices vary depending on the provider and vehicle type, but are generally comparable to taxi fares.

To save you time and hassle, this private transfer is really popular and easy to book whenever you want.

100E Airport Express Bus

When people traveling to Budapest ask me what the most cost-effective, but still comfortable and fast way to get to the city center from the airport is, my answer is the direct airport express, line 100E.

The bus departs from the arrival level, right outside the terminal. It goes directly to Deák Ferenc Tér, with a drop-off option at Kálvin tér. (Early morning and late night buses also stop at Astoria.)

The service operates 24/7, every 6-10 minutes during the day, 10-15 minutes in mornings and evenings and 30-40 minutes at night.

The journey time is approximately 40 minutes and the service is pretty reliable, since buses in Budapest use dedicated lanes to avoid traffic congestion.

100E Budapest airport express bus — A comfortable, fast and affordable way of getting to Downtown Budapest: 100E Airport Express

This line can be used only with the Airport shuttle bus single ticket (not with day passes!), which currently costs 2,500 HUF, ~€6.3 (as from October 2025). If you hold a valid digital or paper Budapest Pass (excluding the 15-day pass), Pest County Pass, or Hungary Pass, you can purchase a discounted 1,000 HUF airport shuttle bus add-on single ticket instead of the standard 2,500 HUF ticket.

Ticket for 100E airport express can be purchased:

at the ticket vending machines right outside the arrivals terminal
onboard the buses using the Budapest Pay&GO device
through the BudapestGo app or at the BKK (Budapest Közlekedési Központ, aka the public transport company) service desks inside the terminal building. You find one at Terminal 2B (opening hours from 9 am to 9 pm daily) and one at Terminal 2A (opening hours from 8 am to 10 pm daily).

BKK service desk Budapest Airport Arrivals Terminal — This is the BKK service desk inside the arrivals terminal

Note that people over the age of 65 can use public transportation in Hungary for free, including the 100E line, upon presentation of proof of age (valid identification document).

Public Transport

I know most people aren’t big fans of using public transport when they’re abroad, especially in a place where they don’t know the system. But in Budapest, I actually encourage you to use it.

Budapest’s public transportation system is not perfect, but it’s affordable, runs fairly reliably, and can get you almost anywhere you need to go.

Although taking the bus, metro or tram is not the most straightforward way of getting to downtown Budapest, but it is not difficult either. If you are arriving during the day and want to start exploring the city already on your way to the center, or if you are not a first-time visitor and already have a bit of local knowledge, it is actually easy and fun!

Here is exactly how to get to Budapest center from the airport using public transport:

Take bus 200E
This bus connects the airport with Kőbánya-Kispest station. It departs from a stop located just outside the arrivals terminal.
Switch to the blue metro (M3)
At Kőbánya-Kispest, enter the metro station and hop on the M3 metro toward Újpest Központ. Trains run every 5–10 minutes during the day.
Walk to your hotel or apartment
Get off at the station closest to your hotel or apartment, then walk the rest of the way

The total journey takes about 60 minutes.

200E bus in Budapest operating between BUD airport and Kőbánya-Kispest — The 200E bus is operating between BUD airport and Kőbánya-Kispest

Bus line 200E runs both day and night. During the night (roughly 11 PM to 4 AM), it only goes as far as Határ út, where you’ll need to transfer to a night bus like the 914, 914A, 950, or 950A to get to the city center as the metro does not operate overnight.

As night travel is more difficult – services are less frequent, and the journey can take much longer – if you’re arriving late at night, I don’t really recommend this option. For safety and convenience, you’re better off taking a taxi, a door-to-door shuttle, or the 100E airport express bus.

To use the bus, metro (and generally public transport in Budapest), you need to buy a multi-day travel card or pass. Buying a pass is worth it if you’re staying for more than a day and plan to use public transport regularly.

If you don’t want to buy a pass, there are also single-journey tickets available, which cost 500 HUF (as from 1st June 2025), approximately €1.25.

You can buy the ticket (also the passes) the same way as the airport bus ticket:

at the BKK desk inside the terminal
through the BudapestGo app
from the vending machines outside the terminal
or even directly from the driver, however, in this case it will cost you 700 HUF (~€1.75)

public transport ticket vending machines at the airport in Budapest — You can easily buy your bus ticket from one of these vending machines

Pick-up by a local friend or family

Private cars are no longer permitted to pick up passengers directly from the arrivals level at Budapest Airport. Instead, drivers should use the free Passenger Pick-Up Zone located in the Terminal Parking area.

It’s just a few minutes’ walk from Terminal 2, situated behind the TRIBE Budapest Airport and ibis Styles Budapest Airport hotels, and can be reached via a covered pedestrian walkway.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of this solution. While the pick-up zone isn’t far from the terminal, it still makes collecting passengers less convenient than simply stopping outside the arrivals hall.

The change was introduced because the arrivals level frequently became congested during busy periods, with too many cars causing long queues and traffic delays. Since only the first 5 minutes of parking are free (and it only applies for the first entry per day), I recommend walking to the pick-up zone first and then calling the person collecting you once you’re already there. This way, you can avoid unnecessary parking fees and make the process much smoother.

If you exceed the grace period or enter a second time, the standard parking fee is payable: 600 HUF (~€1.65) for up to 5 minutes and 1,850 HUF (~€5) for up to 30 minutes in this parking area at the time of writing this article.

Renting a car

And what about renting a car, you might ask. You can rent a car at Budapest Airport from major companies like Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Alamo, Sixt and others, all located in the arrivals area, but I find it unnecessary unless you are coming for a longer time and planning to explore the countryside too.

Budapest is easy to get around using public transport and taxis, which are reliable and widely available. Plus, parking in the city center is limited and often expensive. For most visitors, it’s simpler and more convenient to skip the car altogether.

Final Thoughts

Getting from Budapest Airport to the city center might seem overwhelming at first. But in reality, it’s simple and flexible, with plenty of reliable options for every budget and travel style.

Whether you’re a solo traveler looking for the cheapest route, a family in need of a door-to-door solution, or someone craving comfort after a long flight, there’s a transfer method that will suit your needs.

This guide gives you all the information you need to organize your journey with confidence, no matter which option you choose. With just a bit of planning, your arrival in Budapest can be smooth and stress-free, setting the perfect tone for your stay in this beautiful city. Safe travels, and enjoy your time in Budapest!

FAQ

The city center is about 21 km (12 miles) from Budapest Airport.

It usually takes around 30–40 minutes by car or taxi, and about 45–60 minutes if you take public transport.

Yes, it’s easy! Just take the 200E bus from the airport to Kőbánya-Kispest, then switch to the M3 (blue metro line), which takes you right into the city center. There is also a direct airport bus, running between the airport and Deák Ferenc tér. This bus can be used only with the airport express bus ticket, not with the normal public transport tickets or passes.

The cost to get from Budapest Airport to the city center varies based on your choice of transportation but it generally ranges between approx. 1,000 Ft and 13,000 HUF (~€2.5-32).

To avoid scams and overcharging, don’t accept transfer offers from drivers who approach you at the airport. Always avoid getting into unmarked cars or booking suspicious, low-rated transfers. Stick to official taxis, public transport, or trusted services. The options I listed in this article are all reliable; use one of these.