Budapest city breaks - getting there
Holiday travel to Budapest by air, rail, river and road
A Budapest flight is just over two hours from London with ever-more budget flights making a Budapest city break a real bargain. It's a lengthy trip by train from Britain but there are direct services from Paris and many other European cities. River cruising to Budapest on the Danube is also increasingly popular.
Ferihagy Airport is 15 miles (24km) south-east of Budapest city centre. The older, smallish Terminal 1 tends to be used by budget airlines; Terminal 2A is used by Malév Hungarian Airlines and Terminal 2B is for other international carriers, including some of the budget airlines.
This is an airport on a human scale, relatively free of crowds and queues but with decent facilities. An increasing number of carriers now have flights to Budapest - BA; Malév Hungarian Airlines; BMIbaby; easyJet and Jet2 all offer flights to Budapest from the UK. Ryanair flights to Budapest currently land at Lake Balaton, 60 miles south-west of Budapest - convenient for that part of Hungary but hardly for Budapest.
The Budapest Airport Minibus Service is efficient and each carries eight passengers. Go to the LRI counter in Arrivals for the single journey or get a return (with a discount) for the end of your city break visit. You can also pick up a 15% discount on a Budapest Card for use during your stay.
For the return journey, the hotel will call the minibus or you can make reservations online. Taxis, buses and all leading car hire companies are also available.
With Hungary located just about in the centre of Europe, you can travel to Budapest by train from many European cities. Vienna, for example, is just 3hrs from Budapest with many trains every day.
Trains from London involve changing at Paris from the Eurostar terminus in Gare du Nord and taking the Budapest-bound train at Gare de' l"Est. Don't be put off travelling by train, just because trains in the UK don't work or are so expensive. The continental European rail network is generally very efficient and good value.
Cruises on the Danube are very popular, often taking in the central European capitals of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. The river is particularly attractive north of the city and it's a spectacular and romantic way to arrive in Budapest.
From April to October there is a hovercraft service covering Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. It takes over five hours from Vienna but that's only two hours longer than the fastest trains. The trip includes the famous Danube bend. Return tickets are around €100 for an adult, with one-way tickets about €89, but check on www.mahertpassnave.hu for details.
Coach travel is probably the cheapest way to get to Budapest. A coach service is run by Eurolines and coaches arrive at Nepliget coach station in IX District. Coaches are cheap for a reason - most journeys take forever.
Most drivers from western Europe will arrive in Budapest via the A4 (Austria)/M1 (Hungary) from Vienna via Gyor. The MI joins the southern ring road at Budapest and approaches the city from the south-west.
To drive on motorways in Hungary, you need a road tax disc which can be bought at fuel stations. Discs are valid for four days; seven days, one month or one year.
Parking in Budapest is either in multi-storey car parks or on waste ground - the attendant is often in a hut. Meters apply for much of the city's on-road parking, and over-enthusiastic clampers lurk in the shadows if you stay too long.
Budapest Zoo opened in 1866 and has 500 types of animal and 4,000 different plants in its 250 acres
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