Arriving in Hungary – Trains and Airports

If you fly to Hungary, you will likely land at Budapest’s Ferihegy airport. If you travel to Budapest by train, you will arrive at one of three train stations: Keleti palyaudvar (east station), Nyugati palyaudvar (west station), or Deli palyaudvar (south station).

Those who arrive via bus will first come to the Erzsebet ter bus station, located in the heart of downtown Budapest.

Airport

Ferihegy airport has two terminals which are situated several miles apart.

The Hungarian airline, Malev, uses the newer Ferihegy-2 terminal while most other flights arrive and depart from the much older Ferihegy-1 terminal. Ferihegy airport lies roughly 14 miles southeast of Budapest.

Taking a taxi into Budapest from the airport might end up costing you a lot more than it should because – as in other cities in Eastern Europe – a syndicate controls the taxi stands. Unless you are lucky and find an honest cabby, the fares will be several times higher than normal.

Airport Minibusz is a reliable shuttle express service that runs to and from the airport. It is relatively inexpensive, runs frequently, and you can find out the schedule at any airport information desk. If you are calling from outside the airport, the phone number is (01) 157-6283 or (01) 157-8993. You can also catch the number 93 bus from both airport terminals to take you downtown.

Train Stations

All three of the main trains stations in Budapest are situated near metro (subway) stops of the same name, which makes them very convenient to most destinations within the city.

Most trains coming in from the West stop at Keleti palyaudvar, as do trains from Bucharest, Warsaw, and Sophia. Trains that serve Prague, Berlin, and points in eastern Hungary use Nyugati palyaudvar. Deli palyaudvar services trains going to points south in the former Yugoslavia and also Austria. The Eurocity express train to Vienna arrives and departs from Deli palyaudvar. Nyugati palyaudvar and Keleti palyaudvar are located in downtown Budapest, on the Pest side of the Danube. Deli palyaudvar lies on the Buda side of the river, over Castle Hill from downtown.