There is no railway line between Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport and Keleti pályaudvar, the city's main long-distance station — so every route involves either a road transfer or a bus-plus-metro combination. The quickest public option is the 100E Airport Express to Kálvin tér, then two stops on metro M4, which takes about 45–50 minutes for 3,000 HUF. A Főtaxi from the rank outside the terminal covers the same 17 km in 25–35 minutes for roughly 12,000–13,000 HUF under the tariff that took effect on 1 August 2026.
Budapest Airport to Keleti station: every option compared
All figures below are 2026 fares. Public transport prices are the ones that took effect on 1 June 2025, and the dedicated airport bus ticket rose to 2,500 HUF on 1 October 2025 — older guides still quoting 450 HUF singles or a 2,200 HUF airport ticket are out of date.
| Option | 2026 fare | Door-to-door time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 100E + metro M4 | 3,000 HUF (1,000 HUF with a travelcard) | 45–50 min | Fastest public route |
| Bus 100E + metro M2 | 3,000 HUF (1,000 HUF with a travelcard) | 50–55 min | Same price, alternative interchange |
| Bus 200E + metro M3 + M4 | 850 HUF on one 90-minute ticket | 55–70 min | Cheapest option by a wide margin |
| Official taxi (Főtaxi) | ~12,000–13,000 HUF | 25–35 min | Luggage, late arrivals, no planning |
| Pre-booked private transfer | fixed, from ~€30 | 25–35 min | Groups and fixed-price certainty |
Where Keleti station is and what runs from it
Keleti pályaudvar sits on Baross tér, roughly 3 km east of the Danube and the historic centre, at the boundary of the VII and VIII districts. It is Budapest's principal terminus for international and long-distance services, and it is a direct metro interchange: both M2 (red) and M4 (green) stop underneath the building, with M4 actually terminating there.
That combination matters for planning. Because two metro lines meet at Keleti, almost any airport route can be finished with a single, short underground hop rather than a long walk with luggage. If your onward journey is towards Austria, our guide to travelling from Budapest Airport to Vienna covers the rail and coach options in detail.
Why there is no direct train from the airport
The airport does have a railway station of its own — Ferihegy, a few minutes away on bus 200E — but the line it sits on runs into Nyugati pályaudvar, not Keleti. No scheduled service links Ferihegy with Keleti directly, so using the train would mean travelling into Nyugati and doubling back across the city. Our Budapest Airport train guide explains when that route does make sense, which is mainly when your accommodation is near Nyugati or along the M3 metro line.
Route 1 — bus 100E plus metro M4 (the fastest public route)
The 100E Airport Express leaves from outside Terminal 2 and makes only three stops in the city: Kálvin tér, Astoria and its terminus at Deák Ferenc tér. Get off at the first of them, Kálvin tér, which takes about 35 minutes from the airport. From there, metro M4 reaches Keleti pályaudvar in two stops — Rákóczi tér, then Keleti — about four minutes underground.
The 100E runs 24 hours a day, every 6–10 minutes during the day, every 10–15 minutes early in the morning and in the evening, and every 30–40 minutes overnight. It never stops running, which is what makes it the dependable choice for an awkward arrival time.
The ticket trap to know about: the 100E does not accept standard BKK tickets or travelcards. You need the dedicated airport shuttle single ticket at 2,500 HUF, plus a separate 500 HUF single for the metro leg — 3,000 HUF in total. If you already hold a 24-hour, 72-hour or longer Budapest travelcard, you instead buy a 1,000 HUF add-on ticket for the bus and your travelcard covers the metro, bringing the whole trip down to 1,000 HUF.
Route 2 — bus 200E plus two metros (the cheapest route)
Bus 200E is an ordinary city bus, which is exactly why it is cheap: it runs on standard tickets and accepts travelcards. Take it from Terminal 2 to Kőbánya-Kispest (about 25 minutes), change to metro M3 and ride to Kálvin tér (about 17 minutes), then change to M4 for the last two stops to Keleti.
Three separate single tickets would cost 1,500 HUF, but there is no need to buy three. A single 90-minute ticket at 850 HUF allows unlimited transfers within 90 minutes, and this journey takes 55–70 minutes — so one ticket covers the bus and both metro legs. That makes Route 2 roughly a quarter of the price of Route 1 in exchange for two changes and about 20 extra minutes.
The trade-off is luggage. Two metro interchanges with heavy suitcases, some of them involving escalators and stairs, is genuinely harder work than the single change on Route 1.
2026 Budapest transport ticket prices
| Ticket | Price | Valid on 100E? | Valid on 200E and metro? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport shuttle single ticket | 2,500 HUF | Yes | No |
| Airport shuttle add-on (travelcard holders) | 1,000 HUF | Yes | — |
| Standard single ticket | 500 HUF | No | Yes |
| Single bought on the spot | 700 HUF | No | Yes |
| 30-minute ticket | 600 HUF | No | Yes |
| 90-minute ticket | 850 HUF | No | Yes |
| Block of 10 singles | 4,500 HUF | No | Yes |
| 24-hour travelcard | 2,750 HUF | No (add-on needed) | Yes |
| 72-hour travelcard | 5,750 HUF | No (add-on needed) | Yes |
Tickets are sold by the machines and the BKK booth in the arrivals area, in the BudapestGO app, and on board the bus at the higher on-the-spot price. Validate every ticket as you board or as you enter the metro — inspectors work the airport lines heavily and fines are issued on the spot.
What a taxi to Keleti costs in 2026
Airport taxis are handled exclusively by Főtaxi. Licensed cars are yellow, carry yellow number plates and a Főtaxi logo on the front left door, and queue at the marked ranks immediately outside the exits of Terminals 2A and 2B. Ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal building.
The tariff changed on 1 August 2026, and it changed in a way that matters for airport journeys specifically. The base fare rose to 1,300 HUF, the per-kilometre rate to 521 HUF and waiting time to 130 HUF per minute — and a brand-new 800 HUF airport surcharge was introduced. In practice your meter opens at 2,100 HUF the moment an airport trip begins.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Starting sum on airport journeys (1,300 base + 800 surcharge) | 2,100 HUF |
| Distance, roughly 17 km × 521 HUF | ≈ 8,900 HUF |
| Waiting time in traffic, typically 8–12 min × 130 HUF | 1,000–1,600 HUF |
| Realistic total to Keleti | 12,000–13,000 HUF (≈ €33–36) |
The same ride cost roughly 8,600–9,000 HUF before 1 August 2026, so budget about a third more than older guides suggest. Fares are metered rather than fixed, the meter is the same day or night, and card payment is accepted in every Főtaxi vehicle — but pay in forints, because euro payments are converted at a poor in-car rate. Full detail is in our Budapest Airport taxi guide, and if you are taking a taxi later in your stay, note that ordinary city trips do not carry the airport surcharge — see taxis in Budapest.
Private transfer and car rental
A pre-booked private transfer differs from a taxi in the ways that matter on arrival: the price is agreed before you fly, the driver monitors your flight and waits if you land late, and you are met in the arrivals hall rather than joining a rank. For two or more people with luggage the total often lands close to the metered taxi fare, and it removes the exchange-rate and surcharge arithmetic entirely.
Renting a car to reach Keleti is rarely worth it: the station sits in a dense inner district where parking is paid, scarce and time-limited. If you need a car for the rest of your trip, collecting it later in the city is usually easier than driving it straight into Baross tér.
Arriving late at night or very early
The metro is the part that stops. M2, M3 and M4 all run roughly from 04:30 to 23:30, with exact first and last departures varying by line and direction. Outside those hours the underground legs of both public routes are unavailable.
The 100E, by contrast, runs all night at 30–40 minute intervals, so the practical night plan is the 100E into the centre followed by a night bus or a short city taxi to Baross tér. If you land after midnight with luggage, a taxi or a pre-booked transfer straight from the terminal is usually worth the money — and if your onward train is not until the morning, our guide to hotels near Budapest Airport is likely to be more useful than a night crossing of the city.
Which option should you pick?
- Onward train the same day, travelling light — 100E to Kálvin tér plus M4. Fastest public route, one change, 3,000 HUF.
- Already holding a Budapest travelcard — the same route for 1,000 HUF using the add-on ticket. This is the best value on the list.
- Counting every forint — 200E plus M3 and M4 on one 90-minute ticket, 850 HUF.
- Two or more heavy bags, a family, or a tight rail connection — Főtaxi from the rank, or a pre-booked transfer.
- Arriving between midnight and 04:30 — taxi or transfer, or the 100E if you are prepared to finish the trip on a night bus.
At Keleti: luggage, tickets and onward trains
Keleti has staffed ticket offices and machines for domestic and international services, and left-luggage facilities if you arrive with hours to spare — useful if you want to see the city between an airport arrival and an evening departure. If instead you are storing bags before flying out, compare the options in our guide to luggage storage at Budapest Airport.
Allow more connection time than the raw journey time suggests. Both public routes involve an underground change, Budapest traffic can add 15 minutes to a taxi in weekday rush hour, and Keleti is a large station where finding the right platform takes a few minutes. For a broader comparison of every way into town, including options that do not involve Keleti at all, see getting from Budapest Airport to the city centre.