Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport to Budapest-Keleti Station
Keleti station is about 22 km from Budapest Airport. Bus 200E plus metros M3 and M4 cost 850 HUF on a 90-minute ticket. The 100E plus M4 costs 3,000 HUF; Főtaxi charges roughly 13,000–16,000 HUF.
If you are landing at BUD to catch a train out of Keleti, plan backwards from the departure board. There is no direct bus, but metro M4 links Keleti to Kálvin tér, which is the first city stop of the 100E. That gives you a reliable 40-odd minute route with one change. Below are the timings, the fares, and how much buffer to leave before a fixed-time departure.
How far is Budapest-Keleti Station from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport?
Budapest-Keleti Station is 22 km (14 miles) from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport by road, about 30 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 15 km. By public transport, BKK 200E + M3 + M4 takes about 58 min including a change and costs Ft 850.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: BKK 200E + M3 + M4 is the cheapest way at Ft 850 (58 min, with a change on the way). A taxi from Ft 13000 saves roughly 28 min and takes you to the door. Timetable: M3 from Kőbánya-Kispest 04:26–23:56.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | Ft 850 | Ft 13,000 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | Ft 1,700 | Ft 13,000 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | Ft 3,400 | Ft 13,000 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | BKK 200E + M3 + M4 | From Ft 850, about 58 min, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Főtaxi (official airport taxi) | 30 min and door-to-door, from Ft 13000. |
| A group of 4 | BKK 200E + M3 + M4 | Four tickets still come to about Ft 3400 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | miniBUD (official airport shuttle) | It runs through the night (On demand, shared). |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
100E airport ticket 2,500 HUF + 500 HUF single for M4 (two stops from Kálvin tér to Keleti pályaudvar).
Where to catch it: 100E stop between Terminal 2A and 2B, arrivals level
Times: 100E 24 h; M4 until about 23:54 from Kálvin tér
Best for solo & budget travellersBus / shuttle
One 90-minute ticket (850 HUF) covers bus and both metros; change M3→M4 at Kálvin tér.
Where to catch it: 200E stop, arrivals level, Terminal 2
Times: M3 from Kőbánya-Kispest 04:26–23:56
Best for solo & budget travellersShuttle
From 2,499 HUF per person to city addresses; shared drops make timing uncertain, so it is a poor choice if you have a train to catch.
Where to catch it: miniBUD desk in arrivals
Times: 24 hours
Best for budget travellersTaxi
Regulated tariff: 2,100 HUF start + 521 HUF/km + 130 HUF/min waiting; ask for the Baross tér entrance.
Where to catch it: Főtaxi booths at the exits of Terminal 2A and 2B
Times: 24 hours
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Flight-tracked: the pickup moves if you land late, which helps protect a train connection. Sedan from about €36.
Where to catch it: Arrivals hall; driver monitors your flight number
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsBudapest-Keleti Station & Budapest in photos
Buying tickets in Budapest
100E Airport Express: ordinary BKK single tickets and travelcards are not valid. You need the airport shuttle single ticket (2,500 HUF). The simplest way to buy it is to tap a contactless bank card on the Budapest Pay&GO reader as you board. It is also sold in the BudapestGO app, at the purple BKK ticket machines by the bus stops and at the BKK customer service counters on the arrivals level of Terminals 2A and 2B. Holders of a monthly Budapest, Pest county or national pass can buy a 1,000 HUF supplementary airport ticket in the BudapestGO app and must show the pass when boarding.
200E bus, metro, trams, bus 16, HÉV within Budapest: standard BKK fares apply. Since 1 June 2025 they are 500 HUF for a single ticket (one line; you can change between metro lines), 600 HUF for 30 minutes and 850 HUF for 90 minutes with unlimited changes. A 24-hour Budapest travelcard costs 2,750 HUF. The airport shuttle ticket is not valid on the 200E. Validate paper tickets in the machine on board or at the metro entrance; app tickets are activated in BudapestGO.
Trains from Ferihegy station: train tickets are not sold in Terminal 2. Buy them in the MÁV app or from the machines on the platform at Ferihegy station, which take cash and cards and work 24 hours a day. A ticket to Budapest-Nyugati costs 500 HUF. BKK passes, county and national passes, and the 24/48/72-hour Budapest Card (sold at the BKK counters in arrivals) are valid on local and InterRegio trains between Ferihegy and Nyugati.
Taxi scams & safety in Budapest
Use the Főtaxi booth. Főtaxi is Budapest Airport's contracted taxi company and the only one allowed to queue at the terminal kerb. Book at the booth by the exit of Terminal 2A or 2B, give your destination address, and the staff will work out the fare before you leave. Every Főtaxi car takes bank cards.
Know the tariff. Budapest taxi fares are set by the city. Since 1 August 2026 they are a 1,300 HUF base fare plus an 800 HUF airport fee (2,100 HUF to start), then 521 HUF per km and 130 HUF per minute of waiting. A typical ride to central Pest comes to about 14,000–17,000 HUF. Uber operates at the airport under the same regulated tariff, so check the pickup point shown in the app.
Ignore offers inside the hall. The airport warns that non-contracted drivers who approach passengers in the terminal may not follow the regulated tariff. Do not accept a ride from anyone who walks up to you, and check that the meter is running once you are in the car.
Step-free access in Budapest
Budapest Airport runs a free assistance service for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility (PRM) under EU Regulation 1107/2006, whichever airline you fly with. Ask for it through your airline when you book. For an arriving passenger, staff help from the aircraft seat through disembarkation (by ambulift or wheelchair if needed), passport control and baggage reclaim, and out to the arrivals hall or car park.
- Call points with a camera and microphone are in both terminal halls and in the City Break and Terminal Parking car parks. Press the button there to tell the assistance team you have arrived or to ask for help.
- PRM assistance phone: +36 1 296 8998. Call only if you need these services.
- The airport also supports blind and partially sighted passengers and passengers with hidden disabilities.
Getting from BUD to Budapest-Keleti Station
Plan around the M4
Keleti pályaudvar is the terminus of metro M4, and the 100E Airport Express stops at Kálvin tér on the same line. That makes the route straightforward. Take the 100E from the arrivals level between Terminals 2A and 2B and get off at Kálvin tér after about 30 minutes, the first stop it makes in the city. Go down to the M4 platform for trains towards Keleti pályaudvar and ride two stops, through Rákóczi tér. M4 runs about every five minutes through the day, so the change adds little. Door to platform, expect 40–45 minutes.
This trip needs two tickets. The 100E needs its own 2,500 HUF airport ticket, which you buy by tapping a bank card on board. The M4 needs a standard 500 HUF single from a BKK machine or the BudapestGO app. That makes 3,000 HUF in total. Buy the metro ticket in the app while you are on the bus so you do not have to queue at a machine at Kálvin tér.
Lowest cost: 850 HUF
On a 90-minute ticket you can avoid the 100E altogether. Take bus 200E from Terminal 2 to Kőbánya-Kispest (about 22 minutes), then M3 towards Újpest-központ as far as Kálvin tér, and change there to M4 for Keleti. One 850 HUF ticket covers all three legs. It is a slower trip, roughly 55–60 minutes with average connections, and Kálvin tér involves a walk through passages between the two metro lines. For a solo traveller with a backpack and time to spare it is the best value. With a heavy case and a train to catch, the 100E route is the safer choice.
Taxi times and fares
By road Keleti is about 22 km from the terminal, and Főtaxi usually takes around half an hour outside the rush hour. The regulated tariff since 1 August 2026 is 2,100 HUF to start, 521 HUF per km and 130 HUF per minute waiting in traffic. That puts the fare at roughly 13,000–16,000 HUF. Book at the Főtaxi booth by the exit of 2A or 2B; the booth calculates the fare from the destination before you leave and the car takes cards. Ask to be dropped at the main entrance on Baross tér, the side of the station that faces the square with the domed façade.
Weekday afternoon traffic on the approach roads into Pest can add 15 minutes or more. If you have a fixed departure from Keleti between about 15:30 and 18:30, the metro is more predictable than a car.
Other door-to-door options
The airport's licensed shared shuttle, miniBUD, sells seats from 2,499 HUF per person. Because it pools passengers and drops them in turn, its timing is uncertain, so it is a poor choice if you have a train to catch. Pre-booked private cars from transfer sites start at roughly €36 for a sedan, about 13,500 HUF. The driver tracks your flight and adjusts the pickup if you land late, which helps when a delayed arrival puts your connection at risk.
How much buffer to leave
Add up the time from landing to leaving the terminal (passport control at 2B for non-Schengen flights, plus baggage reclaim), about 45 minutes on the 100E and M4, and 15 minutes at Keleti to find the platform and your carriage. Long-distance and international services often require a seat reservation. If you have not printed your ticket or downloaded it in the MÁV app, allow extra time for the ticket office queue.
Late at night
The M4 closes around midnight; the last departure from Kálvin tér towards Keleti is just before 00:00 on a weekday. After that, the 100E still runs all night and drops at Astoria on the way into town. From Astoria it is about 1.6 km straight along Rákóczi út to Keleti, around 20 minutes on foot. The pavements are wide and lit, but at that hour most people with luggage would rather take a taxi. Főtaxi is the simplest option at night, at the same tariff as in the daytime.
Leaving Keleti for the airport
The reverse trip works the same way. Take M4 from Keleti to Kálvin tér, then the 100E from the Kálvin tér stop, which serves outbound buses all day. Buy the 2,500 HUF airport ticket before you board or tap a card at the door. Allow at least an hour from Keleti to check-in, more on summer Friday afternoons when the 100E fills up.
BUD to Budapest-Keleti Station — FAQ
How far is Keleti station from Budapest Airport?
What is the cheapest way to Keleti?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi to Keleti?
Is there a direct bus from the airport to Keleti?
When does the last metro to Keleti run?
My flight lands late and my train leaves soon after. What is safest?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- Budapest Airport – 100E Airport Express · checked 2026-10-21
- Budapest Airport – 200E bus to Kőbánya-Kispest · checked 2026-10-21
- BKK journey planner (timetables for 100E, 200E, M1–M4, bus 16, H5), 22 Oct 2026 service day · checked 2026-10-21
- BKK – single-ticket fare changes from 1 June 2025 (500 / 600 / 850 / 2,750 HUF) · checked 2026-10-21
- BKK – airport shuttle single ticket and pass-holder supplementary ticket · checked 2026-10-21
- Budapest Airport – Főtaxi, official taxi partner and tariff · checked 2026-10-21
- Xpatloop – Budapest taxi tariff from 1 August 2026 (1,300 base, 521/km, 130/min, 800 airport fee) · checked 2026-10-21
- Budapest Airport – miniBUD official shuttle · checked 2026-10-21
- Suntransfers – Budapest Airport to Keleti station (23 km, ~30 min) · checked 2026-10-21
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