Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) has no metro or direct train link, so the bus is how most passengers reach the city. There are three options and the price gap between them is large: bus 200E plus the metro costs HUF 850, the dedicated 100E Airport Express costs HUF 2,500, and the official miniBUD door-to-door shuttle runs roughly HUF 5,500–7,500 per person. This guide covers all three with 2026 fares, timetables, night services and the discounted add-on ticket most visitors never hear about.
Budapest Airport buses at a glance
- Fastest and simplest — bus 100E, direct to Deák Ferenc tér in about 40 minutes, HUF 2,500.
- Cheapest — bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest plus metro M3, HUF 850 on a 90-minute ticket.
- No walking with luggage — miniBUD shared shuttle, dropped at your address, roughly HUF 5,500–7,500 per person.
- Both public buses run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Your travelcard does not cover the 100E — but if you hold one, an add-on ticket cuts the fare to HUF 1,000.
- The 100E accepts contactless payment on board through the Budapest Pay&GO devices.
| Option | Journey time | 2026 fare | Runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 100E Airport Express | ~40 min to Deák Ferenc tér | HUF 2,500 | 24/7, every 6–10 min by day | Central hotels, fewest stops |
| Bus 200E + metro M3 | ~25 min + ~17 min | HUF 850 | 24/7 | Tight budgets, M3 destinations |
| miniBUD shared shuttle | 45–75 min | ~HUF 5,500–7,500 p.p. | Meets arriving flights | Heavy luggage, outer districts |
Bus 100E — the direct Airport Express
Line 100E is the dedicated airport express and the option most visitors want. It leaves from outside Terminal 2 and runs into the centre with only a handful of stops — Kálvin tér, Astoria and the terminus at Deák Ferenc tér, one of the city's main interchanges. The whole trip takes about 40 minutes, longer in weekday rush hour.
Frequency is genuinely high. During the daytime the 100E departs every 6–10 minutes on Mondays and Fridays and every 7–10 minutes from Tuesday to Thursday and at weekends. Early mornings and evenings drop to every 10–15 minutes, and overnight it settles to every 30–40 minutes. The line never stops running.
All three stops sit on the metro network, so you can switch to M3 at Kálvin tér or Deák Ferenc tér, or to M1 and M2 at Deák Ferenc tér. If your hotel is near Keleti station, see our guide to getting from the airport to Keleti train station.
Bus 200E — the cheapest way into Budapest
Line 200E is an ordinary city bus, which is exactly why it is cheap: it runs on the standard HUF 500 single ticket rather than a special airport fare. It carries you from Terminal 2 to Kőbánya-Kispest, the southern terminus of metro line M3, in roughly 25 minutes. From there M3 reaches the centre in about 17 minutes.
Total door-to-door time is comparable to the 100E once you add the transfer, so the trade-off is not really speed — it is carrying your bags down into a metro station and changing vehicles. If you are travelling light, the saving is substantial.
Unlike the 100E, 200E accepts BKK travelcards. If you already hold a valid day, 3-day or longer pass, you ride at no extra cost.
Night buses from Budapest Airport
Both public lines operate through the night, but they behave differently after hours.
The 100E is the simpler overnight choice: same route, same terminus, just reduced to every 30–40 minutes.
The 200E changes its route at night. Between roughly 23:05 and 03:44 on weekdays, and 23:05 and 03:19 at weekends and on public holidays, it terminates early at Határ út instead of Kőbánya-Kispest. From Határ út you continue on night bus 914, 914A, 950 or 950A into the centre. It works, but with luggage and a change in the small hours, the 100E usually earns its higher fare.
miniBUD — the official door-to-door shuttle
miniBUD is the airport's own shared shuttle service. You book a seat, share a minivan with other passengers heading into the city, and each person is dropped at their own hotel or address in turn. Expect 45 to 75 minutes depending on how many stops come before yours.
Pricing is zone-based rather than flat, so it varies by where you are going — budget roughly HUF 5,500–7,500 (about €15–21) per person one way, with return bookings cheaper per journey. Because the exact fare depends on your destination zone and on current promotions, confirm the price at the booking step rather than assuming a figure. Holders of the Budapest Card receive a 20% discount.
You can book online in advance or at the miniBUD desk in the arrivals hall. For a private car that waits for you alone rather than a shared van, compare private airport transfers instead.
Tickets and fares in 2026
The two public lines use different tickets, and mixing them up is the single most common mistake at the airport.
| Ticket | Price | Valid on 100E | Valid on 200E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport shuttle bus single ticket | HUF 2,500 | Yes | No |
| Standard single ticket | HUF 500 | No | Yes |
| Single ticket bought from the driver | HUF 700 | No | Yes |
| Add-on airport shuttle ticket (pass holders) | HUF 1,000 | Yes | — |
| Budapest-pass / Pest County / Hungary Pass | — | No, add-on needed | Yes |
The airport shuttle single ticket rose from HUF 2,200 to HUF 2,500 on 1 October 2025, so older guides quoting HUF 2,200 are out of date. You can buy it from the Budapest Pay&GO devices on board using a bank card, phone or watch, in the BudapestGO app, at BKK customer service centres, or from the ticket machines at the stop.
Children under 14 travelling with Hungarian identification, passengers aged 65 and over, and those with health-related travel entitlements travel free.
The HUF 1,000 add-on ticket — who can use it
This is the detail that saves money and is rarely mentioned. A standard Budapest travelcard does not cover line 100E, and neither does the Budapest Card. However, since October 2025, if you hold a Budapest-pass (any except the 15-day version), a Pest County Pass or a Hungary Pass, you may buy a discounted add-on airport shuttle bus single ticket for HUF 1,000 instead of paying the full HUF 2,500.
For anyone already buying a multi-day travelcard for their stay, that turns the airport express into a HUF 1,000 ride — cheaper than most alternatives and with no transfer. Note the add-on is a supplement, not a standalone ticket: it is only valid alongside the pass it was bought for.
Which option should you choose?
- Staying in districts V, VI or VII — take the 100E. Deák Ferenc tér is walking distance or one short metro hop from most central hotels.
- Already holding a travelcard — buy the HUF 1,000 add-on and take the 100E.
- Travelling light and counting every forint — 200E plus M3 at HUF 850.
- Two or more heavy suitcases, or a family — miniBUD or a private transfer. Per person, a shared van stops being expensive once you factor in what a group would pay on the express.
- Landing between midnight and 04:00 — 100E, or a licensed airport taxi if the 30–40 minute wait does not suit.
- Going somewhere off the M3 line — compare everything on our airport to city centre transport guide.
Buses from the city centre to the airport
In the other direction the same lines apply, with two things worth planning for. The 100E departs from Deák Ferenc tér and the same HUF 2,500 ticket rules apply, so buy before boarding or use Pay&GO on board. For the 200E, take M3 to Kőbánya-Kispest and pick up the bus at the terminus.
Allow more time than the timetable suggests on the way out: the route crosses the city and weekday morning traffic is unpredictable. Check our guide on how early to arrive at Budapest Airport, and confirm which part of the building you need in the terminals guide before you set off.
Luggage, accessibility and practical tips
- No luggage fee on either public bus, and no separate baggage ticket. Suitcases travel with you in the vehicle.
- Both lines use low-floor buses, which makes boarding with a large case or a pushchair straightforward.
- The 100E has luggage space but no dedicated racks on every vehicle, so at peak times you may be standing with your bag.
- Validate or buy before you travel. Inspectors do check the airport line, and the fine is far more than the fare.
- The bus stop is signposted from the arrivals exit at Terminal 2 — both lines leave from the same area outside the terminal.
- Prefer rail? There is no station at the airport, but our Budapest Airport train guide explains the 200E plus Ferihegy station route.