How to get the best out of Budapest on a budget

18.07.2024 - 21:31 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 18, 2024 • 6 min read

One of the biggest reasons that travelers love Budapest is its reputation as a budget-friendly place to visit. Although it has become more expensive over the years, many visitors still find it’s still cheaper than other European capitals.  

Here are some top tips to make your money stretch further in Budapest.

Unlike many major cities in Europe that have separate far-flung airports for low-cost airlines, Budapest has only one airport. Whether you fly in on a flagship airline or on a low-cost carrier, you’ll arrive at the same place. Low-cost airline Wizz Air is a Hungarian company based at Budapest airport.

Budapest’s airport is technically in the city but it’s far from the center, so you’ll need to get a transfer into town. Fortunately, there’s inexpensive public transport to get you to where you want to go. A one-way ticket for bus 100E to the city costs 900 Ft (about US$3) and will take you to Deák Ferenc tér, where metro lines 1, 2 and 3 congregate, or you can get off at Kalvin tér for metro line 4. Both stops put you in the heart of downtown Pest.

Budapest has plenty of great hostels, making a dorm or an inexpensive private room in the city center an easy find. Dorms can cost as low as 3000 Ft (US$8) a night, but if you’re planning on getting a good night’s sleep, avoid the ones marketed as “party hostels.”

To have a more personal – and less expensive – experience of Budapest, opt for a homestay or a private room instead of renting out a whole apartment or getting a hotel room. You can find rooms on Airbnb with local hosts (check the ratings and reviews carefully) and homestays on Homestay.com and sometimes on Booking.com. Couch surfing is another option. In the Budapest “Official” Couchsurfing group, you can ask for hosting or advice from local group members.

Want to go on a sightseeing bus tour for a fraction of the price? Just hop on Budapest’s public transport. Tram line 2 running north to south along the Danube is one of Europe's most beautiful tram routes, and you’ll see the riverbanks of the Danube along the Pest side with stunning views of Castle Hill and the Hungarian Parliament along the way. 

If you want to go to the riverbanks of the Danube on the Buda side, take trams 19 or 41. You can also ride up Andrássy Avenue – a UNESCO-listed boulevard – above ground on bus 105, which will take you up to Heroes’ Square and back along the Danube. A single bus ticket costs just 350 Ft (about US$1).

If you come to Budapest in the summer, you must sail the Danube. Budapest’s most famous sites – including Buda Castle, Hungarian Parliament and the bridges, to name a few – are best seen from the water. But you don’t need to book a pricey Danube cruise: just get the boat operated by