From Budapest airport to the centre
1 h route4 stopsBest: All yearUpdated July 2026
The 100E is the express bus that runs from the airport to Deák Ferenc tér, right in the centre, in about forty minutes, at any hour of the day or night. It’s the comfortable option and the one most people end up taking.
And it carries Budapest’s most expensive trap: the 100E requires its own ticket, and the 24- or 72-hour tourist passes (which are valid on the metro, the tram, city buses and even the airport local train) do NOT cover it. Plenty of people board convinced they do, and the inspector appears.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
The 100E and its separate ticket
It leaves Terminal 2 and reaches Deák Ferenc tér, the hub where three metro lines meet, calling at Kálvin tér on the way. It takes about forty minutes and runs around the clock, more frequently by day than in the small hours.
The ticket is specific to this line and doesn’t allow transfers to anything else. If you already hold a Budapest pass, a cheaper add-on exists instead of the full ticket. And if you hold nothing, buy it before boarding, at the machine or in the app.
Checking on the BKK site takes a minute and saves the fine.
- 02
The 200E, which the pass does cover
The 200E runs as just another city bus and takes ordinary tickets and passes, which makes it the cheap option. It ends at Kőbánya-Kispest, the terminus of metro line M3, from where the centre is about twenty minutes further. It’s slower than the 100E and forces a change with luggage, but it too runs around the clock. For anyone who has already bought the tourist pass, it’s the way not to pay twice.
- 03
The train from Ferihegy
A few stops from the airport, the 200E passes Ferihegy station, from where local trains run to Budapest-Nyugati, the Western station, in central Pest. The train leg comes in a little under half an hour. The interesting part is that the 24- and 72-hour passes cover both the bus and this train, so it’s effectively free if you already hold one. It’s the quickest of the cheap options, and very few people know it.
- 04
The taxi, on a decreed tariff
Only one company holds the airport concession, Főtaxi, with desks and a rank outside arrivals at Terminals 2A and 2B, operating at all hours. You order at the desk or simply join the queue. In Hungary taxi tariffs are fixed by decree and identical across companies, so looking for a “cheaper” one is pointless: what to avoid is the unmarked car touting inside the terminal, which is where the trouble comes from.
Frequently asked
Is the Budapest pass valid on the 100E airport bus?
No. The 100E requires its own line-specific ticket and ordinary 24- or 72-hour passes don’t cover it, though pass holders can buy a cheaper add-on. The pass is, however, valid on the 200E bus and on the Ferihegy train.
How do you get from Budapest airport to the centre?
The most direct is the 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér, about forty minutes, around the clock, on its own ticket. The cheapest is the 200E to the M3 metro at Kőbánya-Kispest, or the 200E to Ferihegy and a train to Nyugati, both covered by ordinary passes.