Public transport methods in Budapest - the options

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BKK (Budapesti Közlekedési Központ), the public transport provider in Budapest, has an extensive network that stretches far out into the suburbs making Budapest accessible wherever you might be staying.

Within Budapest the 4 & 6 trams is one of the most heavily used routes, drawing a long semi circle around the major downtown area. Four metro lines (number 4 just recently opened) criss-cross the city connecting you with all the major neighborhoods and sights, while the busses and trolleybuses fill in the gaps.

Tickets prices start from 450 HUF for a single and there are 24hr, 72hr and monthly passes available, with discounts for students (make sure you have an ISIC card). Luckily for the non-Hungarian speakers, signage has started to improve vastly in the last year with English translations, clear timetables and useful maps and diagrams.

The taxi business in Budapest has cleared itself up. Recent regulation changes have fixed the fares and mean all taxis must be in good condition and painted yellow. However, some reports of rouge operators still emerge, so definitely apply some common sense. You’ll find properly managed taxi ranks outside stations and most popular tourist spots so make use of them.

Beware of lone taxi drivers loitering and offering “good deals”, especially at the airport. If they won’t put the meter on find another one. If you want to call one, here is a list of the major operators.

Uber was banned in Budapest, but Bolt runs a very similar service using metered taxis and indeed most of the major taxi firms have apps now, allowing you to book and pay online.

A public bike rental scheme - known as ‘Bubi’ bikes - similar to those in London, Paris and Barcelona was launched in 2014. You download the app and then pay or a monthly or yearly ticket

As well as buying an access ticket you’ll be charged for how long you use the bike. Get it back to a docking station before 30 minutes and the ride is free. You’re then totally free to rent the same bike back out and repeat.

A less talked about mode of transport are the riverboats also run by BBK. Running fairly regularly from sunrise until early evening, they are obviously great if you live next to the river. And, with a single ticket costing 750 HUF and refreshments onboard the boat, they also make a great alternative to the more expensive tourist river cruise boats.

There are light rail trains that service the very outer reaches of Budapest and the towns and villages surrounding Budapest. You purchase a single BKK ticket and then an additional ticket based on the number of kilometers you need to travel outside the center.