Budapest Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The BUD crew card
| Fastest into town | 100E Airport Express to Deák Ferenc tér in 40 min via Kálvin tér, on the HUF 2,500 airport shuttle bus single ticket, around the clock |
|---|---|
| First / last run | The 100E Airport Express keeps running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every 30 to 40 min on average at night |
| Payments | Standard BKK single ticket HUF 500, or HUF 700 bought on the spot; 24-hour Budapest travelcard HUF 2,750; the 100E carries its own airport shuttle bus single ticket at HUF 2,500 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 112 (112 can be called free of charge from any public, landline, or mobile phone, and a 112 call can be started even when the phone shows no network) |
| Solo & at night | Book a taxi at the Főtaxi stands at the entrances of Terminals 2A and 2B; the airport warns that using non-contracted taxi companies that offer their services in the terminal building can be risky if they are not subject to the regulated tariff rules |
| Crew knows | Both airport buses leave from the arrivals level stops between the terminals, and they do not take the same ticket. The HUF 2,500 airport shuttle bus single ticket works on the 100E only, where a standard BKK single is refused. Bus 200E is the mirror image: a HUF 500 single, a travelcard, or a pass gets you on, and the airport ticket does not. Board the wrong one with the ticket already in your hand and you are travelling without a valid ticket, which is HUF 25,000, or HUF 12,000 if you pay on the spot or within two working days |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · BUD crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
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Getting from Budapest Airport to the City Centre by 100E Airport Express, bus 200E to metro M3, the Ferihegy train, or taxi
Four ways in from the airport. The 100E Airport Express goes direct, though only on its own ticket. Bus 200E to metro line M3 is the cheap route, on a standard BKK ticket. From Ferihegy station the train reaches Nyugati railway station, and taxis and Uber both run on the same regulated airport tariff. The bus stops are on the arrivals level, between the two terminals.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100E Airport Express bus | 40 min to the city centre | HUF 2,500 airport shuttle bus single ticket; HUF 1,000 add-on ticket for holders of a valid Budapest pass (except the 15-day pass), Pest County Pass, or Hungary Pass | Direct between the airport and Deák Ferenc tér, via Kálvin tér, around the clock and seven days a week. A standard BKK single will not get you on it. Pay on board by holding a bank card, phone, or watch to the Budapest Pay&GO device, or buy in the BudapestGO app. BKK sells it at its customer service centres, ticket offices, and ticket vending machines too. |
| Bus 200E to metro line M3 | BKK single ticket, multi-day travelcard, or pass; Hungary Passes and Pest County Passes are also accepted, and the airport shuttle bus single ticket is not accepted | Runs day and night between Terminal 2 and Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, which is the transfer point for metro line M3, for MÁV trains, and for buses into East and South Pest. At night it reaches further: on weekdays from about 23:00 until 04:00 and at weekends from midnight until 04:00, the route is extended to Határ út. From there, night bus lines 914, 914A, 950, 984, and 985 carry on to the city centre. | |
| Train from Ferihegy station (MÁV-START) | 30 min from Ferihegy railway station to Nyugati railway station in the city centre | a discounted HUF 300 bus ticket for the 200E leg is sold only together with the train ticket to or from Ferihegy, at any railway ticket office or ticket machine; the train fare itself is not published on the sources opened | Ferihegy is the nearest train station to Terminal 2, and bus 200E is how you reach it. Terminal 2 sells no train tickets at all. The machines on the Ferihegy platform cover every domestic service, 24 hours a day, for cash or card. Passenger, zonal, InterRegio, and Szeged Napfény InterCity trains between Ferihegy and Nyugati are free if you hold a BKK pass, a national or county pass, or a 24, 48, or 72-hour Budapest Card. Watch the supplement: some trains want one. |
| Taxi (Főtaxi) | regulated airport tariff: HUF 2,100 one-time base fare plus HUF 520 per km and HUF 130 per minute | Főtaxi is Budapest Airport’s official taxi service provider. Book at the stands by the entrances of Terminals 2A and 2B; the cars themselves wait at the ranks in front. Before the trip starts Főtaxi prepares a fare calculation from the exact destination address, and every vehicle takes cards. The airport’s own warning is worth repeating: using non-contracted taxi companies that offer their services in the terminal building can be risky if they are not subject to those rules. | |
| Uber | same regulated tariff as taxis: HUF 2,100 base fare on airport rides plus HUF 520 per km and HUF 130 per minute | Order it in the app on arrival, straight from Terminals 2A and 2B. At Terminal 2A the app hands you a six-digit PIN: walk to the Uber pickup point in front of the terminal, take the first available car, and read the PIN to the driver. Terminal 2B is where the XL vehicles are ordered, seating up to six people. Enter the destination and the app gives an approximate price. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Budapest, from the Pest riverside core at Deák Ferenc tér to the Castle District across the river
District V, Belváros and Lipótváros: The riverside core on the Pest side. Also where the 100E puts you down, at Deák Ferenc tér.
District VII, Erzsébetváros: The old Jewish quarter, thick with ruin bars and kitchens that stay open late. Loudest option after dark.
District I, the Castle District: Buda’s hilltop old town across the river. Cobbles and long views, and the slow gear if your window is short.
District XIII, Újlipótváros: Quiet residential blocks along the river, north of Parliament. The cafes here do not come with the queue.
Városliget, the City Park: Green space where the thermal baths and the museums sit together. A one-stop plan for the day you cannot face a route.
What to Do on a Layover in Budapest: is a five hour sit long enough to leave the airport?
Under 5 hours: Stay at the airport. The 100E is quick, sure, but the round trip into the centre and the walk back through security eat exactly the buffer you want to keep.
5 to 9 hours: One district, not five. The 100E lands you in the middle of Pest at Deák Ferenc tér, so a compact loop on foot is realistic. Fix the turnaround time before you leave, and hold yourself to it.
9 hours plus: A real Budapest day fits. Take the Pest core and the river, or the Castle District across the water, or the baths. The airport bus runs around the clock, so the way back is not the part to worry about.
Crew Tips for Budapest and Ferenc Liszt Airport: the ticket the 100E insists on, the penalty fare clock, and where a bag waits at Terminal 2
Public transport payments: A standard BKK single is HUF 500, or HUF 700 if you buy it on the spot, and a block of 10 costs HUF 4,500. On a layover the short-term travelcards usually win: HUF 2,750 for 24 hours, HUF 5,750 for 72 hours. Keep the 100E out of that sum. Its airport shuttle bus single ticket is a separate HUF 2,500 fare, with a HUF 1,000 add-on version for pass holders.
The 100E needs its own ticket: That HUF 2,500 airport shuttle bus single ticket covers one uninterrupted one-way trip on the 100E, city centre to airport or back, and the journey has to be finished within 80 minutes. No transfers. It buys you nothing on any other line. Quickest way to hold one: touch a bank card, phone, or watch to the Pay&GO device on board, which buys and validates in one move. The BudapestGO app and the BKK sales points work as well.
Ticket checks and penalty fares: Validate before you travel. Riding without a valid ticket costs a basic penalty fare of HUF 25,000, cut to HUF 12,000 if you pay on the spot or within two working days. Miss that window and the clock works against you: after three days the full HUF 25,000 stands, and once the debt passes 30 days it climbs to HUF 50,000, with a procedure fee on top.
Taxis and ride-hailing: Book at the Főtaxi stands by the entrances of Terminals 2A and 2B, or order an Uber in the app. Same regulated tariff either way: HUF 2,100 base fare, then HUF 520 per km and HUF 130 per minute. Főtaxi works the fare out from your exact destination address before the trip starts, which is the part that keeps the ride argument-free. And the airport’s warning stands: using non-contracted taxi companies that offer their services in the terminal building can be risky if they are not subject to those rules.
SIM cards at the airport: A Telekom counter on the arrivals level of Terminal 2B sells travel SIM cards, plus chargers, cables, power banks, and earphones. The opening hours are a mess: the airport’s own page states them inconsistently, so look at the counter when you land instead of planning around a closing time.
Luggage storage: The Excess Baggage Company desk takes bags from 06:00 to 22:00, seven days a week. Rates run HUF 2,750 up to 4 hours, HUF 5,500 up to 24 hours, HUF 8,000 up to 48 hours, HUF 10,500 up to 72 hours, and HUF 2,500 per day beyond that. Read the small print before you hand anything over: prices are per item, every started period is charged, and you pay on collection. Outside those hours, baggage storage and lost and found move to the departure level of Terminal 2B, at the baggage wrapping unit.
Emergency Numbers for Budapest and Hungary, starting with 112 from any phone
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| Emergency (police, ambulance, disaster management) | 112 |
| Police | 107 |
| Ambulance | 104 |
| Disaster management | 105 |
| Medical help outside GP hours (national on-call line, reachable 24 hours) | 1830 |
| Victim Support Line (free, 24/7) | +36 80 225 225 |
| Hungary country code (calling from abroad) | +36 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Budapest Airport to the city centre?
Four ways. The 100E Airport Express goes direct to Deák Ferenc tér via Kálvin tér in 40 minutes, around the clock, on a HUF 2,500 airport shuttle bus single ticket. Bus 200E runs day and night to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station for metro line M3, and a standard BKK ticket or pass covers it. Trains from Ferihegy railway station, which bus 200E reaches, take 30 minutes to Nyugati railway station. Taxi or Uber puts you on the regulated airport tariff: HUF 2,100 base fare plus HUF 520 per km and HUF 130 per minute.
How much is the 100E Airport Express in Budapest?
HUF 2,500 for the airport shuttle bus single ticket. It drops to HUF 1,000 as an add-on ticket if you already hold a valid Budapest pass (the 15-day pass is the exception), a Pest County Pass, or a Hungary Pass. One uninterrupted one-way trip, finished inside 80 minutes, and that is the whole entitlement. The standard BKK single at HUF 500 does not work on the 100E.
How much does a taxi from Budapest Airport cost?
The airport run is on a regulated tariff: a one-time base fare of HUF 2,100, then HUF 520 per km and HUF 130 per minute. Főtaxi, the airport’s official taxi service provider, prepares a fare calculation from your exact destination address before the trip starts. Uber sits on the same tariff and gives an approximate price in the app.
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Crew Discounts in Budapest: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you walk out to the bus stops between the terminals. Next Budapest rotation you start on the rates, not on a search box.
