Budapest Airport to the city centre: what each route costs, including at night
Fares and transfer conditions read from BKK on 15 October 2026 · Frequencies and night routing from the airport's own page
Two things decide this journey, and neither is usually put plainly. The first is that the 100E costs 2,500 forint and the 200E with the metro costs 850, so the direct bus is about three times the price for fifteen minutes saved.
The second matters more if you land late: the 100E runs around the clock, and the 200E changes its route after about 23:00.
- 100E: direct to Deak Ferenc ter, about 40 minutes, 2,500 Ft on a dedicated airport ticket. Runs 24 hours.
- 200E plus metro M3: 50 to 60 minutes, 850 Ft on a 90-minute ticket.
- 🔴 A 500 Ft single ticket does not cover it. BKK does not allow transfers on a single, so you would ride the second leg without a valid ticket.
- At night the 200E goes to Hatar ut, not Kobanya-Kispest, and night buses continue from there.
- You can tap a bank card on the 100E to buy and validate on board. No machine, no queue.
- Prices quoted around 2,200 Ft are out of date.
The three routes, with prices
The airport is about 24 kilometres from the centre and the bus stops are on the arrivals level, between the two terminals.
| Option | Price | Time | Ticket you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100E Airport Express | 2,500 Ft | ~40 min | Dedicated airport shuttle ticket. No other single is valid |
| 200E plus metro M3 | 850 Ft | 50 to 60 min | 90-minute ticket |
| Taxi | Fixed by zone before you board | ~35 min | None |
The 100E runs from the terminals to Deak Ferenc ter, calling at Kalvin ter and Astoria on the way in. The 200E takes you to Kobanya-Kispest, where metro line M3 starts.
One practical improvement worth knowing about: you can buy and validate a 100E ticket on the bus itself with a contactless bank card, through the Pay&GO service. That removes the usual arrival problem of finding a machine that works before the bus leaves.
Arriving at night
This is the part that is genuinely hard to find, and the one people keep asking about. The short answer is reassuring: there is no last bus to miss.
| When | 100E frequency |
|---|---|
| Daytime | Every 5 to 10 minutes |
| Morning and evening | Every 10 to 15 minutes |
| Night | Every 20 to 40 minutes, all night |
The catch is on the other line. From about 23:00 on weekdays and from midnight at weekends, the 200E does not stop at Kobanya-Kispest. It continues to Hatar ut, and from there night bus lines 914, 914A, 950, 984 and 985 run into the city.
So if you have memorised the daytime route and you land at one in the morning, you will be waiting for a metro connection at a stop the bus no longer serves. One more detail in the same family: going back to the airport, the 100E only calls at Astoria between 00:04 and 04:47.
The 500 forint ticket does not cover it
A BKK single ticket costs 500 forint and is the one most people buy by default. It does not cover bus plus metro. The conditions are unambiguous:
It is valid for a one-way single trip on one vehicle. Trip interruptions, transfers and return trips are not permitted.
The only exception is changing between metro lines in one direction. Bus to metro is not covered, so with a single ticket the second leg is an unticketed journey, and BKK inspectors work the metro entrances.
| Ticket | Price | Covers 200E plus metro |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 500 Ft | No. One vehicle, no transfer |
| 30-minute | 600 Ft | Not long enough |
| 90-minute | 850 Ft | Yes, unlimited transfers |
| Block of 10 singles | 4,500 Ft | No, same limit |
And the detail that catches people with the right ticket: validate the 90-minute ticket again when you change. Stamping it once on the bus is not enough.
The 100E costs about three times more
With the numbers side by side, the decision is clear enough:
| 100E | 200E plus M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 2,500 Ft | 850 Ft |
| Time | ~40 min | 50 to 60 min |
| Difference | +1,650 Ft | 15 to 20 minutes more |
You are paying roughly four and a half euros per person to save a quarter of an hour. For two that is nine euros, for a family of four more than eighteen. The 100E still earns it with large luggage, late at night, or with small children, because one change fewer is one change fewer. Otherwise the 200E is the obvious call.
Worth knowing before you plan around a travelcard: the 24 and 72-hour passes do not cover the 100E. What they do and do not include is in the Budapest Card guide.
When a private transfer earns its money
It is the most expensive option and it has a narrow but real case: a 2am landing, a group with luggage, or simply not wanting to solve anything after a flight. Unlike a taxi, the price is fixed when you book and somebody is waiting with your name.
For one or two people arriving in daylight, the numbers above say take the 200E. This is for the other cases.
Budapest Private Transfer from/to Airport
A fixed price agreed at booking and someone waiting at arrivals with your name, which is the difference from a taxi. Takes 1 to 15 people, so in a group the cost per head gets close to public transport. For two arriving in daylight the 200E plus a 90-minute ticket costs a fraction of this and takes twenty minutes longer. Tips are not included.
The train, and why it is not obvious
There is no railway station in the terminal, which is why the train rarely comes up. But the 200E stops at Ferihegy railway station, and from there MAV trains run to Nyugati station in the city centre, as well as to Szolnok, Debrecen, Nyiregyhaza and Szeged.
So the 200E is the first leg whatever you do next, and if your accommodation is near Nyugati, or you are heading straight out to another Hungarian city, the train is worth checking before you default to the metro. We have not priced the MAV leg, so treat this as a route that exists rather than a fare we can quote. If you are continuing further, the Vienna guide covers the cross-border trains properly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Budapest Airport to the city centre?
Three sensible ways. The 100E Airport Express runs direct to Deak Ferenc ter in about 40 minutes and costs 2,500 forint on a ticket sold only for that bus. The 200E bus to Kobanya-Kispest plus metro line M3 takes 50 to 60 minutes and costs 850 forint on a 90-minute ticket. Or a taxi, where only one company is authorised at the rank and the fare is fixed by zone before you get in.
How do I get into Budapest from the airport at night?
The 100E runs around the clock. According to the airport, it goes every 5 to 10 minutes during the day, every 10 to 15 in the morning and evening, and every 20 to 40 minutes at night, so there is no last bus to miss. The 200E also runs at night but changes route: from about 23:00 on weekdays and from midnight at weekends it continues to Hatar ut instead of stopping at Kobanya-Kispest, and night buses 914, 914A, 950, 984 and 985 take you on from there.
Does a 500 forint single ticket cover the 200E and the metro?
No, and this is the mistake that costs money. A BKK single ticket is valid for one journey on one vehicle and its conditions say transfers are not permitted. Because the 200E means changing to the metro, a single ticket leaves you without a valid ticket for the second leg. You need the 90-minute ticket at 850 forint, which allows unlimited transfers, and you have to validate it again when you change line.
How much is the 100E Airport Express?
2,500 forint, read from BKK on 15 October 2026. It is a dedicated airport shuttle ticket and no ordinary single ticket is valid on it. Lower figures of around 2,200 forint still circulate and are an earlier fare. You can now buy and validate on board with a contactless bank card through the Budapest Pay&GO service, so you do not need to find a machine first.
Can I take a train from Budapest Airport?
Indirectly, and it is the option most people miss. The 200E stops at Ferihegy railway station, where you can transfer to MAV trains and reach Nyugati station in the city centre, as well as Szolnok, Debrecen, Nyiregyhaza and Szeged. There is no train from the terminal itself, so the 200E is the first leg either way.
How much is a taxi from Budapest Airport?
We do not publish a figure, because the sources we checked disagree by a wide margin. What is consistent is how it works: only one company is authorised to use the airport rank, and the fare is set by zone at a desk before you board, so you know the price before the car moves. Ask for the slip with your zone on it.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. Full disclosure.