Budapest Airport to City Centre Guide

Budapest became a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many tourists wondering how to get from Budapest Airport to the city. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive taxis to make the trip. Simply take the convenient airport bus to the city centre.

Budapest International Airport

The main airport of Hungary, officially called Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) has two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B. The 100E Airport Bus will drop you off in front of Terminal B. The budget flights’ check-in desks can be found in Terminal B while all other airlines are going to be in Terminal A. After security, both terminals lead to the same space, so you don’t have to worry about which entrance you pick. Usually, the security at Terminal A is less busy.
Inside the terminal building, you will find shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

Budapest Airport to City Center

Upon arrival at Budapest Airport, head to the baggage reclaim area and once you picked up your luggage, follow the green arrows towards the exit. Take the bus from Budapest Airport to the city centre.

If you arrived at Terminal A, after you exit the terminal building, turn right and walk over to Terminal B (2 minutes walk) until you see the signs for the 100E Airport Bus.

If you arrived at Terminal B, you will find the 100E Airport Bus right at the exit.

City Center to Budapest Airport

There are two bus stops in the city centre where you can take the bus to the airport. The bus leaves from Deak Ferenc Square (Deak Ference Ter) every 20 minutes. You can also get on the bus at Kalvin square (Kalvin Ter) but be prepared that the bus might be busy. Both stops will have staff selling tickets, but they only take cash. Prepare 900 HUF cash for the tickets.

100E Budapest Airport Bus

From Budapest Airport, take the 100E Airport Bus to Budapest City Centre. The bus leaves every 20 minutes from Terminal B, the first bus leaving at 5am and the last at 1:20am.

Normally, only the front door of the bus is open and there will be staff who checks your ticket before you board. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket machines using cash or card (VISA, MasterCard) for 900 HUF. If you are using the ticket machine, select your language and look for the first option “Airport shuttle bus single ticket”.

Budapest Airport Bus 100E

The bus only stops 3 times in Budapest, at Kalvin Square (Kalvin Ter), Astoria and Deak Ferenc Square (Deak Ferenc Ter). The trip takes about 45 minutes during the day, outside of rush hours but expect 20+ minutes delays during rush hours.

Morning rush hours: 7am – 9am
Evening rush hours: 4pm – 7pm
Sundays afternoons and evening might be also busy because of returning commuters.

Astoria & Kalvin Square Stops

There is a bit of confusion regarding these two stops. Does the 100E stops at Astoria and when? Does the 100E only stops at Astoria in the early morning?

Based on the official Timetable of the 100E, the bus going towards Deak Ferenc Square, does stop at Astoria and Kalvin Square all day to let passengers get off. No boarding the bus at these stops.

Going towards the Airport, the 100E only picks up passengers at Astoria in the early morning, between 3.42 am and 4:42 am. Otherwise, Astoria is only a drop-off point coming from the Airport.

100E Budapest Airport Bus Ticket

Before you can board the 100E Airport Bus you will need to purchase a ticket. The ticket costs 900 HUF (~2.8 EUR, ~3.25 USD, ~2.5 GBP) one way and it’s called “Airport shuttle bus single ticket”. If you are at the airport, look for the ticket machines at the bus stop, outside of Terminal B. Using the machines is easy, simply select your language, or switch to English and tap on “Airport shuttle bus single ticket”. It is a good idea to purchase two tickets, so you don’t have to worry about buying one before you return.

100E Budapest Airport Bus Ticket

The machines accept cash and credit cards (VISA, MasterCard). You will receive a small ticket and receipt which looks almost the same as your ticket. If you paid by cash, don’t forget to take your change.

Ticket Machines

Bus StopLocation
Terminal BNext to 100E Bus Stop, outside of Terminal B
Deak Ferenc Square
Kalvin SquareMember of staff selling tickets (cash only) at the bus stop.
Ticket machines in the subway station. Look for the “M” sign. See Map at the end of this article.

Before you board the 100E Bus, a member of staff will check your ticket and tear it. If there is nobody at the door, the driver might look at your ticket and wave you in. In this case, will need to validate your ticket yourself using one of the small machines on the bus.

There are announcements on the bus in Hungarian and English. Each stop will be announced a couple of times before the bus arrives. There is also a screen in the front, displaying the upcoming stops.

It is a good idea to stay seated during the ride as the drivers tend to break suddenly. Once the bus is stationary, the drivers usually leave enough time for everybody to get off, no need to rush.

100E Budapest Airport Bus Timetable

The 100E Bus is a dedicated airport bus so it operates according to the airlines’ schedule.

100E Timetable From Budapest Airport

Busses leave every 20 minutes.

Bus StopFirst BusLast Bus
Budapest Airport – Terminal B5:00am1:20am

100E Length of Journey From Budapest Airport

Bus StopThe ride takes
Kalvin Square35 minutes
Astoria40 minutes
Deak Ferenc Square45 minutes

100E Timetable From Deak Ferenc Square

Busses leave every 20 minutes.

Bus StopFirst BusLast Bus
Deak Ferenc Square3:40am0:40am

100E Length of Journey From Deak Ferenc Square

Bus StopThe ride takes
Astoria
Kalvin Square5 minutes
Budapest Airport45 minutes

100E Bus Route Map to & from the Airport

The below map show the 100E bus stops, ticket machines and the route to and from Budapest Airport.

24/7 Airport Bus

As an alternative to 100E, there is a 24/7 bus service called 200E. This is a non-direct service which operates all night. As this bus stops at all regular bus stops, it takes a lot longer to make the journey to and from the airport. The Airport Shuttle Bus ticket is not valid, you will have to purchase a regular bus ticket for 350 HUF. Only recommended if for any reason you can’t take the 100E.

To find more information, visit the official website of Budapest Airport Shuttle.

If you have any questions regarding finding your way around the city, leave a comment below.

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Greg Varga, co founder and travel writer at You Could Travel

Greg Varga – Greg Varga is a travel writer and the co-founder of You Could Travel. He has travelled to over 50 countries, but Japan remains his favorite. He currently lives in Tokyo with his wife. Greg loves writing about his travels around Japan and sharing his knowledge with others. He is an expert on organising self-guided itineraries for visitors to Japan.

Comments

2 responses to “Budapest Airport to City Centre Guide”

  1. Barry Carlier Avatar
    Barry Carlier

    G, Thank you for the 100E details. However there seems to be different information on other websites.
    I want to travel from the Airport and get off at ASTORIA. Some sites say this can only happen in the very early morning like 04:00am.
    Can you please confirm for me that the 100E stops at the Astoria on weekdays. We arrive about 8.00pm at the airport from Istanbul.

    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      Hi Barry, We have updated the article, see “Astoria & Kalvin Square Stops” section with new information.
      Yes, we can confirm that the bus stops at Astoria to drop people off all day. However, you can not board the bus going to the Airport at this bus stop except in the early morning.

      You will be ok at 8 pm to take the 100E and get off at Astoria. Have a safe trip.

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