Budapest, Hungary

Getting around Budapest

How to travel around Budapest — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-08

1. Metro line 1

The oldest underground line in continental Europe, a UNESCO site you can commute on.

Cost: HUF 450 single

2. Trams 4 and 6

Run around the Grand Boulevard almost around the clock.

3. Bolt and Főtaxi

App booking and the licensed fleet; Hungarian taxi fares are regulated.

Watch outUnmarked taxis at the airport and station running tariffs far above the regulated rate.

4. Buda funicular and Castle bus

The funicular up to the castle, and bus 16 as the much cheaper alternative.

Cost: Funicular around HUF 4,000 return; bus on a standard ticket

5. Airport bus 100E

Direct express bus from Ferenc Liszt into the centre.

Cost: HUF 2,200, requires its own ticket

Booking apps in Hungary

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Bolt

Widely used in Budapest.

Coverage: Budapest and larger towns.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.

Főtaxi

Budapest's licensed taxi fleet with regulated fares.

Coverage: Budapest.
Why it helps: Hungarian taxi fares are regulated; using a licensed fleet is how you actually get them.