Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) has six official car parks, and the difference between them is worth real money: the same 24 hours costs HUF 6,700 in Smart Parking and HUF 50,000 in the Arrivals pick-up area. This guide compares every zone — Holiday, Smart, City Break, Terminal, Premium and the pick-up area — with 2026 rates, walking distances and capacities, then covers the independent off-airport operators and how to pay.
Budapest Airport parking at a glance
- Long stay, best value — Smart Parking, from HUF 6,700 per day, about a 10-minute walk.
- Long stay, closer — Holiday Parking, from HUF 8,400 per day, 4–10 minutes on foot via a covered passage.
- A few hours to a couple of days — City Break Parking, 2–5 minutes from the terminal.
- Short stay and drop-offs — Terminal Parking, directly outside Terminal 2.
- Closest of all — Premium Parking, in front of Departures, only 70 spaces.
- Meeting an arrival — the Arrivals pick-up area; free for the first 5 minutes, then the most expensive tariff at the airport.
- The first 5 minutes are free in every car park, and pre-booking online is cheaper than driving in off the street.
| Car park | Walk to Terminal 2 | Spaces | Best for | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Parking | ~10 min | 1,440 | Cheapest long stay | HUF 6,700 / day |
| Holiday Parking | 4–10 min, covered | 2,525 | Long stay, closer in | HUF 8,400 / day |
| City Break Parking | 2–5 min, covered | — | Hours to a few days | HUF 2,900 / 2 h |
| Terminal Parking | 2–3 min (175 m) | 746 | Short stay, drop-off | HUF 3,400 / 2 h |
| Premium Parking | At Departures | 70 | Very short stay | HUF 9,000 / 2 h |
| Arrivals pick-up | At Arrivals | — | Meeting a flight | HUF 10,000 / 2 h |
All rates below are the published drive-in tariffs for 2026. Prices are set by the airport and can change during the year, so treat them as a guide and check the rate on the barrier display or in the booking portal on the day you travel.
Holiday Parking: the main long-stay car park
Holiday Parking is the car park most people mean when they search for long-stay parking at BUD. It is built for travellers leaving a car for several days or weeks, holds 2,525 monitored spaces, and sits a 4–10 minute walk from Terminal 2 along a covered passage — so you can push a trolley from the car straight to check-in without getting wet.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | HUF 8,400 (~€23) |
| 2 days | HUF 11,600 |
| 3 days | HUF 13,900 |
| 4 days | HUF 16,200 |
| 30 days | HUF 58,000 |
| Each extra day | +HUF 1,100 |
Note how the tariff tapers: the first day costs HUF 8,400 but each additional day adds only HUF 1,100, which is why Holiday Parking works out well for a one- or two-week trip. Pre-booking online secures a lower rate than driving in, and in July, August and around public holidays the long-stay zones do fill up.
Smart Parking: the cheapest long-stay option
Smart Parking is the newest of the long-stay zones and the cheapest per day. It offers 1,440 monitored spaces about 10 minutes on foot from Terminal 2 — the trade-off for the lower price is that walk, which is worth thinking about with heavy bags or small children.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | HUF 6,700 (~€18) |
| 2 days | HUF 9,400 |
| 3 days | HUF 11,500 |
| 4 days | HUF 13,400 |
| 15 days | HUF 31,500 |
| 30 days | HUF 47,400 |
| Each extra day | +HUF 900 |
Over a fortnight Smart Parking saves roughly HUF 10,000 against Holiday Parking. If the walk matters more than the money, pay the difference for Holiday Parking; otherwise Smart is the default choice for any trip longer than a couple of days.
City Break Parking: hours to a few days
City Break Parking sits next to Terminal Parking, 2–5 minutes from Terminal 2 along a covered walkway. It is insured, monitored and fitted with licence-plate recognition, and it fills the gap between the short-stay tariffs and the long-stay zones.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Free (first two entries per day) |
| 6–30 min | HUF 1,100 |
| 31–60 min | HUF 1,600 |
| 2 hours | HUF 2,900 |
| 3 hours | HUF 3,800 |
| 11–24 hours | HUF 10,500 |
| 2 days | HUF 13,700 |
| 30 days | HUF 68,200 |
| Each extra day | +HUF 1,300 |
Watch the daily rate: at HUF 10,500 for 24 hours, City Break is noticeably dearer than Holiday or Smart Parking for anything beyond an overnight stay. It earns its keep for a half-day visit or a single night, not for a holiday.
Terminal Parking: short stays and drop-offs
Terminal Parking is directly outside Terminal 2, about 175 metres or a 2–3 minute walk along a covered walkway, with 746 spaces. It is the standard choice for dropping someone off without rushing, or for a short stay. Payment machines sit inside the car park and by the terminal entrances, and there is a staffed payment desk.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Free |
| 6–30 min | HUF 1,400 |
| 31–60 min | HUF 2,000 |
| 2 hours | HUF 3,400 |
| 3 hours | HUF 4,800 |
| 5 hours | HUF 7,600 |
| Each additional day | +HUF 16,000 |
The daily surcharge makes Terminal Parking an expensive place to leave a car overnight — for anything longer than a few hours, move to City Break, Holiday or Smart.
Premium Parking: closest to the terminal
Premium Parking is the closest facility of all, directly in front of the Departures area and fully monitored. With just 70 spaces availability is never guaranteed; if it is full, Terminal Parking is the fallback a few steps further on. The first 5 minutes are free for the first two entries per day.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Free (first two entries per day) |
| 6–30 min | HUF 3,000 |
| 31–60 min | HUF 4,500 |
| 2 hours | HUF 9,000 |
| 3 hours | HUF 13,500 |
| 5 hours | HUF 22,500 |
| Each additional day | +HUF 45,000 |
Arrivals pick-up area
The Arrivals pick-up area exists for one job: collecting passengers. Take a ticket on entry; the first 5 minutes are free on the first entry of the day. Beyond that it carries the steepest tariff at the airport, so if the flight you are meeting is delayed, it is cheaper to wait in Terminal or City Break Parking and drive round when the bags are collected. Check the live board on our arrivals page before you set off.
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Free (first entry) |
| 6–30 min | HUF 3,500 |
| 31–60 min | HUF 5,000 |
| 2 hours | HUF 10,000 |
| 3 hours | HUF 15,000 |
| 4 hours | HUF 20,000 |
| 10–24 hours | HUF 50,000 |
Which car park should you choose?
- Under 5 minutes — any zone; the first 5 minutes are free everywhere.
- Up to 3 hours — City Break at HUF 3,800, or Terminal at HUF 4,800 if you want the shortest walk.
- One night — City Break, HUF 10,500 for 24 hours.
- 3–7 days — Smart Parking; Holiday Parking if you would rather not walk 10 minutes.
- Two weeks or more — Smart Parking on price, or an off-airport operator if you are willing to use a shuttle.
- Meeting an arrival — the pick-up area only if the flight has landed and bags are on the belt.
If you are dropping someone off, our guide to how early to arrive at the airport helps you time it, and the terminals guide explains where 2A and 2B sit relative to the car parks.
Booking, payment and how to save
Book online in advance. The airport sells parking through its own reservation portal, and the pre-booked rate is lower than the drive-in tariff — the saving grows with the length of the stay, so it matters most for Holiday and Smart Parking. Booking also guarantees a space in the summer peak.
Paying on site. Automatic machines stand at the terminal doors and inside the car parks, and a staffed payment desk operates at Terminal Parking. Cash in forints and bank cards are both accepted; pay before returning to your car, then use the ticket to raise the barrier.
Accessible parking. Designated spaces for people with reduced mobility are provided at Terminal Parking, Premium Parking and the Arrivals pick-up area. At Terminal Parking they are free for the first 60 minutes; at the other two the free period is 20 minutes.
Park ’n Wash. When booking online you can add an exterior car wash, so the car is clean when you land. Park ’n Wash can be reached on +36 30 181 8498.
Not driving after all? Compare the alternatives on our airport transfers, taxi and city-centre transport pages, or pick up a car on arrival instead with car rental at Budapest Airport.
Off-airport parking: independent operators near BUD
Besides the official car parks, several independent companies run secure lots a short drive from the terminals — often cheaper for stays of several days or more. Well-known operators include Park&Fly, BUDCAR Parking, Best Parking and NOA Parking. The model is the same everywhere: book online, drive to a fenced and guarded lot, and a shuttle takes you to the terminal, typically in 5–10 minutes.
| Option | Location | Transfer to terminal | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official BUD car parks | On airport grounds | Walk, 1–10 min | Short trips, convenience, no shuttle |
| Park&Fly | Off-site, near the airport | Shuttle, ~5–10 min | Longer stays on a budget |
| BUDCAR Parking | Off-site, near the airport | Shuttle, ~5–10 min | Long-term parking |
| Best Parking | Off-site, near the airport | Shuttle, ~5–10 min | Budget long-term parking |
| NOA Parking | Off-site, near the airport | Shuttle, ~5–10 min | Guarded long stays, 24/7 |
Booking tips: reserve ahead — in summer and around holidays the independent lots sell out days in advance. Compare the total price for your exact dates rather than the daily rate, check shuttle frequency if you fly very early or land very late, and save the operator's phone number for the pick-up call on your return. Full airport background is in our Budapest Airport travel guide.