Getting Around Hungary: Transport Guide

Getting around the place is no hassle at all. Public transport is both cheap and easy to get. Most of the major towns you’ll want to go to are just about a 3 and a half hour train journey from Budapest. Within the capital city you can use the subway, buses or trams – it’s a vast network touching everyplace you could want to go. With the decline of communism, most of the streets and roads are acquiring a new name. A few key words that could get you by are tér which means square, Körút is a road along a round about, híd means a bridge and when you ask for utca you’ll be directed to a street.

The transport authorities are partial to young folk – there’s a 33% discount on train fares within Hungary for people under the age of 26. They also honour Eurail and Eastrail passes, though if you don’t have them you’re hardly likely to miss them. Rail fares here are dirt-cheap. Flash your student ID and utter the word diák (pronounced Dee-ak) and you could get a student’s concession even on buses.

Motorists can expect good roads and petrol pumps that are open all night!