Top tips for getting around Budapest (on both sides of the river)

17.07.2024 - 16:24 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 17, 2024 • 7 min read

Thanks to plentiful buses, boats, trams and Metro trains, getting around Budapest is easy. The Hungarian capital is highly walkable, and for the times when you need to go further afield or get somewhere quickly, there are plenty of options.

Budapest Közlekedési Központ (BKK) runs the city’s transport network, which includes metro lines, trams, buses and even boats in the summer. BKK has a handy app for journey planning, so you can see when the next bus, tram, boat or metro is scheduled to arrive – it's particularly useful in winter, when temperatures regularly drop below -1°C (30°F).

Whatever time of year you come, here are the best ways to get around Budapest.

On Budapest public transport, you can buy a ticket for a single journey or buy a travel pass valid for anything from 24 hours to a month, covering all forms of public transportation run by BKK. Prices start at 2500Ft for 24 hours. The Budapest Card also includes travel on public transport, as well as free entry to sights and attractions; it costs from 12,990ft for 24 hours.

You can buy tickets for public transport from ticket offices in metro stations or at the purple self-service ticket machines at most metro, bus and tram stops. If you get a single ticket, make sure you validate it when you enter the metro station or get on board the bus or tram.

Keep the ticket with you until the end of the journey. Ticket inspectors tend to work undercover – dressed as normal passengers until the purple armband goes on – and there are steep fines if you don't have a valid ticket (the fine doubles if you can't pay on the spot). Beyond changing metro lines, tickets cannot be used for transfers.

Walking may not the fastest way to get around the city, but it's certainly the most enjoyable. A walk through the backstreets of Budapest could lead to the discovery of your new favorite cafe, and every stroll feels like a spontaneous tour of beautiful Budapest architecture.

Budapest is a safe city to walk in, but be aware that bikes and pedestrians share the same paths on some sections of the Danube Banks, particularly in Buda, so watch out for cyclists.

Budapest is a very cycle-friendly city. You’ll find bike paths crisscrossing the center and winding through the outer districts, with the Danube-side cycle paths in Buda being some of the most popular routes for visitors.

It’s easy to rent a bike in Budapest; just look out for the green stations of the MOL Bubi bike-sharing scheme. Rent bikes using the app, with costs starting at 40Ft per minute; when you’re done, simply return the bike to one of the many bike stations dotted around the city to stop the meter.

The metro is the quickest way to get around Budapest, and it comes into its own during the