Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport to Szentendre
Szentendre is about 45 km by road from Budapest Airport. Bus, metro and the H5 HÉV cost about 1,800 HUF and take roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. A taxi or pre-booked car takes about 50 minutes for 25,000–32,000 HUF.
Szentendre is a riverside town of Serbian church spires, galleries and steep lanes, and an old centre that is largely pedestrianised. It is north of Budapest and the airport is south-east, so the whole city lies in between. You can cross it on public transport by changing to the H5 suburban railway at Batthyány tér, or go round it by car on the M0 ring road.
How far is Szentendre from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport?
Szentendre is 45 km (28 miles) from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport by road, about 50 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 29 km. By public transport, BKK 200E + M3 + M2, then H5 HÉV takes about 1h 45m including a change and costs Ft 1800.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: BKK 200E + M3 + M2, then H5 HÉV is the cheapest way at Ft 1800 (1h 45m, with a change on the way). A taxi from Ft 25000 saves roughly 55 min and takes you to the door. Timetable: H5 from Batthyány tér about 04:18 to 23:48.
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 1,800 | Ft 25,000 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | Ft 3,600 | Ft 25,000 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | Ft 7,200 | Ft 25,000 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | BKK 200E + M3 + M2, then H5 HÉV | From Ft 1800, about 1h 45m, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Főtaxi (official airport taxi) | 50 min and door-to-door, from Ft 25000. |
| A group of 4 | BKK 200E + M3 + M2, then H5 HÉV | Four tickets still come to about Ft 7200 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | BKK 200E + M3 + M2, then H5 HÉV stops overnight — timetable: H5 from Batthyány tér about 04:18 to 23:48. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
90-minute ticket 850 HUF to Batthyány tér + 500 HUF BKK single for H5 within Budapest + 450 HUF HÉV ticket Békásmegyer–Szentendre (buy before boarding).
Where to catch it: 200E stop, Terminal 2 arrivals; H5 from Batthyány tér
Times: H5 from Batthyány tér about 04:18 to 23:48
Best for solo & budget travellersBus / shuttle
2,500 HUF airport ticket + 500 HUF M2 single + 500 HUF H5 single within Budapest + 450 HUF outer-section ticket. H5 takes 39 min.
Where to catch it: 100E stop between Terminal 2A and 2B
Times: H5 last from Batthyány tér about 23:48
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Outside the city, so confirm the pre-calculated fare at the booth; via the M0 ring road.
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
Door-to-door with luggage to the edge of the car-free old town; car for 4 from about €68.
Where to catch it: Arrivals hall, Terminal 2
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsSzentendre & 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 Szentendre
Two ways to cross the city
The trip to Szentendre comes down to one choice. By public transport you go through the middle of Budapest, which is cheap and slow. By car you take the M0 ring road around the edge, which is quick and costs about fifteen times as much. The road distance is about 45 km. A car on the ring road takes around 50 minutes. On public transport, allow nearer 1 hour 45 minutes once the changes are added.
The public-transport route
The last leg is the H5 HÉV, the green suburban line that starts at Batthyány tér on the Buda embankment and ends at Szentendre after 39 minutes. In the middle of a weekday it runs every 10 minutes, and every 20 minutes in the evening. The last departure from Batthyány tér is just before midnight. To get to Batthyány tér from the airport, choose one of two routes.
- Fewer changes: take the 100E Airport Express from Terminal 2 to Deák Ferenc tér (2,500 HUF, about 35 minutes), then metro M2 two stops to Batthyány tér.
- Cheaper: take bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest, then M3 to Deák Ferenc tér and M2 to Batthyány tér. One 90-minute ticket (850 HUF) covers all of this.
The H5 is the part that needs care. Inside Budapest, as far as Békásmegyer, it accepts BKK tickets, so a 500 HUF single covers that stretch. North of Békásmegyer the line leaves the city, and you need a separate HÉV ticket for Békásmegyer–Szentendre, which MÁV currently sells for 450 HUF. MÁV requires tickets to be bought before boarding at every stop on the line except Budakalász, so buy it in the MÁV app or at the machine at Batthyány tér. The cheapest combination is the 90-minute ticket, a BKK single for the H5 and the 450 HUF outer-section ticket, about 1,800 HUF in all. With the 100E instead, the total is roughly 3,950 HUF.
Taxi or private car on the M0
Főtaxi, the airport's official taxi company, takes bookings at its booths by the exits of Terminals 2A and 2B. Give them the Szentendre address and they will work out the fare before you leave. The Budapest tariff is 2,100 HUF to start, 521 HUF per km and 130 HUF per waiting minute. Szentendre is outside the city, so take the booth's figure as the price rather than our estimate, which is about 25,000–29,000 HUF for 45 km.
Pre-booked transfers on this route start at about €68 for a car seating four, roughly 25,000 HUF, with minivans costing more. For four people this costs about the same per person as the 100E route. You are driven straight to the door, which matters in Szentendre, where the old centre is pedestrianised and the lanes above Fő tér are cobbled and steep. Ask the driver to stop at the nearest point a car can reach to your guesthouse.
When to go
As a same-day trip from a morning flight, Szentendre works best on public transport. The H5 is frequent until early evening and the station is about a ten-minute walk from Fő tér. Landing at teatime with plans for a dinner reservation, or travelling with a pushchair and two cases, a pre-booked car makes more sense. After about 22:30 the H5 runs only every 20 minutes and the metro at Batthyány tér closes around midnight, so the public-transport route becomes unreliable. A taxi is the realistic choice after a late landing.
Works on the line
MÁV has announced a full renovation of the H5, Budapest's busiest suburban line, with work due to finish by 2029. Short closures and replacement buses have already happened on some weekends and in parts of the summer. Check the MÁV app or the BKK journey planner before travelling. A replacement bus can add 20 minutes or more.
Quick reference
- Szentendre H5 terminus to the main square: about 10 minutes on foot.
- Return trips: H5 from Szentendre to Batthyány tér, then reverse the metro and bus legs. Buy the 450 HUF outer-section ticket again for the return.
- The 2,500 HUF airport ticket covers only the 100E bus.
BUD to Szentendre — FAQ
How far is Szentendre from Budapest Airport?
What is the cheapest way to Szentendre?
What is the fastest way?
How much is a taxi to Szentendre?
Do I need a special ticket for the H5 HÉV?
When is the last H5 to Szentendre?
I land late at night. Can I still get there by public transport?
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
- MÁV-HÉV ticket for the H5 outer section Békásmegyer – Szentendre (450 HUF), MÁV online ticketing · checked 2026-10-21
- MÁV – H5: pre-bought tickets required at all stops except Budakalász · 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
- Suntransfers – Budapest Airport to Szentendre (car from €68.29) · checked 2026-10-21
- Xpatloop – H5 Budapest–Szentendre line to be fully renovated by 2029 · checked 2026-10-21
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