Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport to City Centre (Deák Ferenc tér)
Deák Ferenc tér is about 24 km from Budapest Airport. The 100E Airport Express takes about 35 minutes for 2,500 HUF. Bus 200E plus metro M3 costs 850 HUF; a Főtaxi costs roughly 14,000–17,000 HUF.
Deák Ferenc tér is the square where three metro lines meet, and the airport has its own express bus that goes nowhere else. That makes the centre the easiest trip from BUD. The real choice is between paying 2,500 HUF for a 35-minute ride with no changes, or 850 HUF for a slower one with a change of bus and metro. A taxi only makes sense if you are three or four people or arrive in the small hours.
How far is City Centre (Deák Ferenc tér) from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport?
City Centre (Deák Ferenc tér) is 24 km (15 miles) from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport by road, about 30 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 17 km. By public transport, BKK 200E + metro M3 takes about 50 min including a change and costs Ft 850.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: BKK 200E + metro M3 is the one to take: Ft 850 with a change on the way, and only about 20 minutes slower than going by car. Timetable: 200E 24 h (to Határ út at night); M3 from Kőbánya-Kispest 04:26–23:56.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a private transfer 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) | Private transfer (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | Ft 850 | Ft 13,500 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | Ft 1,700 | Ft 13,500 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | Ft 3,400 | Ft 13,500 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | BKK 200E + metro M3 | From Ft 850, about 50 min, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Főtaxi (official airport taxi) | 30 min and door-to-door, from Ft 14000. |
| A group of 4 | BKK 200E + metro M3 | Four tickets still come to about Ft 3400 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | BKK 100E Airport Express | It runs through the night (Every 5–6 min midday, 7–15 min evening, 15–45 min overnight). |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Non-stop to Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér. Needs the 2,500 HUF airport ticket (tap a bank card on board); ordinary BKK tickets not valid. Monthly-pass holders: 1,000 HUF supplement.
Where to catch it: BKK stops on the arrivals level between Terminal 2A and 2B
Times: 24 hours; weekday sample: 05:00, 05:20 … every 5–6 min 10:30–18:00 … 23:52, then 00:00–03:40 night departures
Best for solo & budget travellersBus / shuttle
200E to Kőbánya-Kispest (~22 min), then M3 to Deák Ferenc tér. 90-minute ticket 850 HUF covers both; two singles cost 1,000 HUF.
Where to catch it: 200E stop, arrivals level, Terminal 2
Times: 200E 24 h (to Határ út at night); M3 from Kőbánya-Kispest 04:26–23:56
Best for solo & budget travellersShuttle
Fixed price from 2,499 HUF per person to the city centre, luggage included; waits for other passengers and makes several drops.
Where to catch it: miniBUD desk, arrivals hall, Terminal 2
Times: 24 hours
Best for budget travellersTaxi
Regulated tariff since 1 Aug 2026: 2,100 HUF start (incl. 800 HUF airport fee) + 521 HUF/km + 130 HUF/min waiting. Fare estimate given at the booth; cards accepted.
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
Price fixed when you book (sedan from about €36), so no meter and no surprises; minivans for up to 8 cost more.
Where to catch it: Meeting point agreed at booking, arrivals hall
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsCity Centre (Deák Ferenc tér) & 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 City Centre (Deák Ferenc tér)
The short answer
Take the 100E Airport Express. It leaves from the stops between Terminals 2A and 2B on the arrivals level and stops only at Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér. On BKK's timetable for a normal weekday, a midday bus reaches Kálvin tér in about 30 minutes and Deák Ferenc tér a few minutes later. Through the middle of the day there is one every 5 or 6 minutes, and from April 2026 BKK added more departures on the busiest days. The fare is a flat 2,500 HUF. You pay by tapping a contactless bank card on the reader at the door, so you do not need forints or a ticket machine.
Ordinary BKK single tickets and 24-hour travelcards are not valid on the 100E. This catches out a lot of visitors who buy a day ticket at the machine and then find the bus wants something else. If you hold a monthly Budapest, Pest county or national pass, the BudapestGO app sells a 1,000 HUF supplementary airport ticket instead.
The budget route, and when it pays off
Bus 200E leaves from the same part of the arrivals level and runs to Kőbánya-Kispest, the southern end of metro M3. The timetable gives about 22 minutes for that leg. Then you go down to the metro and ride M3 north to Deák Ferenc tér. Allow around 50 minutes in total, more if you just miss a bus. In the daytime the 200E runs every 7 or 8 minutes and M3 every 5, so the wait is rarely long.
The ticket to buy is the 90-minute ticket at 850 HUF. It covers the bus, the metro and the change between them, as long as you validate it at the start. Two single tickets would cost 1,000 HUF, so the 90-minute one is cheaper and simpler. The 100E costs about three times as much. For one person on a budget the 200E is worth the extra 15 minutes. For a couple with large cases the M3 stairs and escalators at Kőbánya-Kispest may tip it the other way.
Three or four of you? Do the maths on a taxi
Főtaxi has the airport contract and the only rank at the terminal kerb. Book at the booth by the exit of 2A or 2B and staff work out the fare from your address before you set off. Since 1 August 2026 the regulated tariff is 2,100 HUF to start (a 1,300 HUF base plus an 800 HUF airport fee), then 521 HUF per kilometre and 130 HUF for each minute in slow traffic. For the 24 km or so to Deák Ferenc tér that comes to about 14,000–17,000 HUF depending on traffic on Üllői út.
Four people on the 100E pay 10,000 HUF, so a taxi costs only a few thousand forints more and takes you to the door. Two people on the 100E pay 5,000 HUF, so the bus is much cheaper. Cards are accepted in every Főtaxi car. Uber also picks up at BUD on the same regulated tariff; the app shows where to meet the driver.
Shared shuttle and pre-booked cars
miniBUD is the airport's official shared shuttle. It takes passengers to city-centre addresses for a fixed fare from 2,499 HUF per person, with luggage included. Its desk is in the arrivals hall. You may wait while the van fills and it stops for other passengers, so allow 30 minutes to an hour. It suits a solo traveller who wants to be dropped at a hotel without changing buses.
A pre-booked private car from a transfer site starts at roughly €36 for a sedan, around 13,500 HUF, and minivans for up to eight cost more. You agree the price when you book, so there is no meter, which helps if you are nervous about taxis in a new city. The cost is similar to Főtaxi, so the extra is mostly certainty.
Arriving after midnight
The 100E runs all night. After 01:00 the gaps grow to between 15 and 45 minutes; on a weekday the timetable has a 45-minute gap after the 02:15 departure. Look up the next departure before you walk out. The metro stops around midnight, so from Deák Ferenc tér you would need a night bus, many of which leave from the square, or a short walk. The 200E also runs at night but goes to Határ út instead of Kőbánya-Kispest, where night buses 914 and 950 continue into the city. That is slower and involves a wait, so most late arrivals are better off with the 100E or a Főtaxi.
Which stop to get off at
Deák Ferenc tér is the last stop, but it is not always the best one. Kálvin tér, the first city stop, is on metro M4 and puts you close to the Great Market Hall and the southern part of the inner city. Astoria is on M2 and handy for the Jewish Quarter around Dohány utca. Deák Ferenc tér has M1, M2 and M3, plus bus 16 up to the Castle. Check which stop is closest to your accommodation before you board, because getting off one stop early can save you a metro ticket.
Things that trip people up
- Keep the 100E ticket or card receipt until you get off; inspectors check on board.
- Validate a paper 90-minute ticket on the 200E straight away. An unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket.
- Only use the Főtaxi booth. The airport warns that drivers offering rides inside the terminal may not follow the regulated tariff.
- Heading back to the airport, the 100E leaves from Deák Ferenc tér and Kálvin tér all day. Astoria is served only in the early hours, between about midnight and 04:47.
BUD to City Centre (Deák Ferenc tér) — FAQ
How far is Budapest Airport from the city centre?
What is the cheapest way from Budapest Airport to the centre?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi from Budapest Airport to the city centre?
Can I use a normal BKK ticket on the 100E?
What time is the last bus from the airport?
I land at 2 a.m. What should I do?
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
- BKK – 100E runs more often from 1 April 2026 · 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 Budapest (private car, minivan, shuttle prices) · checked 2026-10-21
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