Train Stations and other Budapest, Hungary Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: The train from Zagreb to Budapest takes about 6 hours, and I remember ticket to Budapest being cheaper than ticket from Zagreb to Split (in 2002). The ride is along the Balaton with many stops in tourist places along the lake, and afterwards the train rides through pannonian fields – interesting at start but can quickly become monotonous so make sure you bring something to read while in train.

There are three train stations in Budapest: Keleti (Eastern) and Nyugati (Western) on the Pest side and Déli (Southern) on Buda side. Make sure you know where your train arrives / departures from. Usually trains from Zagreb end up at Déli, but the one I took had some carriages for Kiev and ended at Keleti station.

Déli and Keleti stations are on the red metro line, while Nyugati is on the blue metro line – making it easy to reach any address in Budapest after you arrive by train.

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Website: http://www.mav.hu

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: Budapest is very proud of the fact that it was the first city “on the continent” that built metro line back in 1896. The “on the continent” phrase is used to say that it was the second metro in Europe, after London – which is not “on the continent” after all.

Today there are three metro lines in the city, and although they have certain numbers they are usually known by their colors. The oldest, Yellow line runs from Vörösmarty ter under the Andrassy út to the former site of the 1896 Millennium exhibition – today’s City Park – Városliget. It is basically a shallow cut-and-cover tunnel enabling the trams to run under the street level.

The Red line stretches on east-west direction connecting the Déli train station on Buda side with Keleti station and eastern suburbs, while the Blue line stretches in north-south direction. All three lines meet at the Deák tér.

There were plans for the fourth line but they lacked the support from the national government so were postponed for some future times.

Note that you need a separate ticket for each line.

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Website: http://www.bkv.hu

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: While metro is, with its three lines, the quickest and most efficient way to move around Budapest don’t miss its yellow trams that will not only trasfer you efficiently from point A to point B but also allow you to see the street scenes along the route.

Budapest trams are yellow and quite old, so they swing while riding the curvy tracks giving you the feel of some past times, but also showing how the tram system can be simple and efficient even in the 21st century.

Tram lines #4 and 6 ride along the first ring road and connect the Moszkva ter via the Margaret bridge with the Nyugati station, Oktogon, Blaha Lujza ter and further southwards along the Ferenc Jozsef street. The line no. 2 and 2A are usually cosidered the best if you want nice views of the Danube, the Castle hill and Gellert hill as it passes along the eastern embankments of the river.

If you go to the public transport website their “welcome note” will read: “Did you know that you enter into a contractual relation with our company when you get on our vehicle to travel?”
Make sure you have a valid ticket, since there are many controllers checking the “contractual relation”!

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Website: http://www.bkv.hu

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: If you cross the Chain bridge in order to reach the Castle hill then the best way to do so is to take the funicular (Sikló). It opened in 1860 and was originally steam powered, using the cable and a simple system of utilising the weight of the passengers and the cars going downwards to pull the one going upwards. Although the funicular was rebuilt recently its original cars were restored illustrating the taste of the 19th century craftmenship.

The ride on the funicular offers some nice views of the Chain bridge and the Pest side of the city.

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