Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport stands 16 kilometers southeast of the city center in the Pestszentlőrinc district. The airport operates two passenger terminals, with Terminal 2 divided into 2A for Schengen flights and 2B for non-Schengen routes. Terminal 1 closed to commercial traffic in 2012. Annual passenger volume reached 16.2 million in 2019 before pandemic disruption. The airport serves as a base for Wizz Air and handles flights from over 100 destinations. Named after composer Ferenc Liszt in 2011, replacing the previous name Ferihegy, though locals still use both names interchangeably.
Currency exchange counters operate in the arrivals area but deliver rates 8 to 12 percent below mid-market. ATMs from OTP Bank and K&H Bank in the baggage claim area provide forint withdrawals at rates typically within 2 percent of interbank, though your card issuer adds their own margin. The official currency is the Hungarian forint, abbreviated HUF or Ft. Exchange rates in early 2024 fluctuated between 350 and 380 forints per euro. Credit cards work widely in Budapest but cash remains necessary for market vendors, smaller restaurants outside tourist zones, and public transport tickets from machines that reject foreign cards. Euros are accepted at the airport and some tourist establishments at unfavorable conversion rates, usually 300 to 320 forints per euro versus market rates.
The 100E airport bus departs from outside Terminal 2B arrivals every 15 to 30 minutes from 0330 to 0030 daily. The route runs directly to Deák Ferenc tér in central Pest with no intermediate stops, taking 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. A single ticket costs 2,200 forints as of 2024. Standard Budapest public transport tickets do not work on this bus. Tickets are purchased from the driver with cash, from the automated machine at the stop, or through the BKK Futár mobile application. The bus accepts forint notes up to 10,000 denomination. Google Maps and the official BKK app show real-time arrival predictions.
Public bus 200E connects the airport to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, the terminus of Metro Line 3. This bus runs every 8 to 15 minutes during daytime hours and costs 350 forints, the standard price for a single public transport ticket within Budapest. The journey to the metro takes 20 minutes. From Kőbánya-Kispest, the blue metro line runs to central stations including Kálvin tér, Ferenciek tere, and Deák Ferenc tér. Total travel time to the city center via this combination ranges from 45 to 65 minutes. Metro Line 3 operates rolling stock from 1976 with replacement trains gradually entering service from 2023. Cars are not air-conditioned. Pickpocketing occurs on this line; keep bags closed and phones secured.
Official taxi stands sit outside both terminal buildings. Főtaxi and Fotaxi operate the authorized airport service. A flat fare structure applies: 8,900 forints to Pest city center addresses, 9,900 forints to Buda destinations as of 2024. The fare includes up to four passengers and standard luggage. Journey time to central Pest runs 25 to 40 minutes in normal traffic, extending to 60 minutes during morning rush hours from 0730 to 0900 and evening peaks from 1630 to 1830. Drivers accept cash or card. Unauthorized taxi touts approach passengers in the terminal; these deliver fares two to four times higher than official rates. Bolt and Uber operate from a designated parking area reached by walking across the road from Terminal 2B; these services cost 3,500 to 5,500 forints to the center, price fluctuating with demand.
MiniBUD runs shared shuttle vans to hotels and addresses throughout Budapest. The service costs 2,900 forints per person to central locations, booking available online or at the airport desk in arrivals. The van departs when six to eight passengers accumulate, introducing wait times from 15 to 45 minutes. Door-to-door delivery means the route serves multiple stops; your journey may take 40 to 90 minutes depending on drop-off sequence. The service operates 24 hours. Large groups traveling together pay less per person than individual taxi fare but more than public transport.
Rental car desks from Sixt, Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Europcar operate in Terminal 2A arrivals. An international driving permit is not required for EU, US, Canadian, Australian, or Japanese licenses. Hungary recognizes these for stays up to one year. Roads drive on the right. Budapest implements a congestion pricing scheme in district V, the central core, charging 525 forints per hour for parking from 0800 to 2000 Monday to Friday. Parking apps include EasyPark and Park4Ride. Meters accept coins and contactless cards. Highway vignettes are mandatory for motorway use; the M0 ring road around Budapest requires a vignette even for short airport access. The electronic system charges based on vehicle category, with cars paying 3,500 forints for ten days or 4,780 forints for monthly access as of 2024. Purchase online atematrica.hu or from MOL petrol stations before entering the motorway; cameras enforce compliance.
Terminal 2 contains a Spar supermarket past security, selling Hungarian forint in snacks and bottled water at prices 20 to 40 percent above city supermarket rates. The arrivals hall offers a Relay newsagent and a small CBA grocery. An OTP Bank branch operates weekdays from 0800 to 1600 in Terminal 2A. Free wifi functions throughout both terminals without time limits or registration requirements, network name BUD_FREE_WIFI. Charging stations sit in the gate areas and main halls.
SIM cards are sold at a Telekom shop in Terminal 2A arrivals, open daily from 0800 to 2000. Vodafone and Yettel lack airport locations; their SIMs are available at city center stores and larger supermarkets. Prepaid tourist SIM packages provide 10GB data and 100 minutes of international calls for approximately 3,990 forints. Hungary uses EU roaming regulations; visitors with EU SIM cards use domestic plans without surcharge. Registration requires a passport for all providers. Data coverage in Budapest reaches 4G speeds from all three carriers, with 5G available in limited central zones from Telekom and Vodafone.
Luggage storage operates in Terminal 2A and 2B, charging 1,000 forints for the first 24 hours and 500 forints per additional day for standard suitcases. Lockers accept cash payment only. The service opens 24 hours. Maximum storage duration is 30 days. Left Luggage Budapest operates storage facilities at Keleti railway station, charging 800 forints for bags up to 10 kilograms per day, with computerized access codes provided.
The airport sits within fare zone BKK+1, requiring a special combined ticket for public transport entry. Standard 350-forint tickets sold in the city do not validate here; attempting to use one results in a 16,000-forint fine if controllers board. The zone system confuses first-time visitors. Bus 200E tickets purchased at the airport automatically include the zone supplement. The 100E bus operates outside the standard zone structure entirely, accepting only its dedicated 2,200-forint fare.
Debrecen International Airport lies 5 kilometers south of Hungary's second-largest city. Wizz Air operates routes to Brussels, London-Luton, and Tel Aviv. Ryanair discontinued service in 2021. The airport handled 48,000 passengers in 2023. Bus number 40 connects to Debrecen railway station every 30 to 60 minutes, costing 300 forints and taking 20 minutes. Taxis charge approximately 2,000 forints to the city center.
Budapest Liszt Ferenc has one official airport hotel, the ibis Styles Budapest Airport, connected to Terminal 2A by a covered walkway taking two minutes to traverse. Rooms start at 22,000 forints per night. The hotel provides noise insulation; aircraft wake guests in rooms facing runways despite double glazing. Nearby hotels in Vecsés, the adjacent town, cost 12,000 to 18,000 forints but require taxi transfers of 1,500 to 2,500 forints.