Railways (MÁV, Hungarian State Railways)The connection between Budapest and its conurbation is well organized with trains leaving in every half hour. There are passengers’, express or intercity trains run between other bigger towns in the countryside. During wintertime, you need to be prepared for delays if you choose railway service. In the summertime, the most popular lines are the ones towards Lake Balaton.
Unfortunately, these are not the most comfortable experiences because of the crowd and the lack of air conditioning.
MÁV is the only railway company in Hungary and it is run by Máv Start Zrt.
The history of Hungarian railroad services began in 1846 when the first railway line was built between Budapest and Vác. For travelling all across Hungary, railway is useful and practical means of public transportation.
General informationYou can get more information about the trains, ticket prices and discounts on http://mav-start.hu the official website of MÁV. The company operates a non-stop telephone line (+36 40 494949) for information and you can also ask in e-mail on informacio@mav-start.hu.Railway StationsThere are four big stations in Budapest from where you are able to get to any part of the country. Although, three out of the four are named after the cardinal points, it neither means their situation in the capital nor the directions of trains usually depart towards.
The most important station is probably the Keleti (East) Station. Almost all international trains and intercity lines arrive and depart from here and it is also the final destination of the five major national lines. It was built in the 1880s in eclectic style and it is still one of the most remarkable buildings of the 8th district and the capital as well.
Nyugati (West) Station is the second important one, found in the 6th district close to the busy center of Budapest, right at the edge of the historical downtown. The Gustave Eiffel Company planned the fascinating building and it opened in 1877. This station connects the capital with the countryside and you can also get to Ferihegy Airport from here.
Déli (South) Station is on the Buda side of the city just a few meters away from the Castel District. The modern part of the building was finished in 1975, but the old station had operated on the same spot since 1873. From this station, you can travel towards the Transdanuban areas including all major tourist destinations like Lake Balaton.
Kelenföldi Station cannot compete with the other three, but it is a comfortable choice for everyone living on the Southern part of Budapest since all trains going towards the west (from Keleti and from Déli stations) stop there.
InterCity trainsMÁV provides express lines to many different destinations inside and outside the country. These InterCity trains are much more comfortable but we need to pay extra charge (520 HUF) for the service. The price includes seat reservation so it is advisable to buy your tickets in advance on the stations.CoachesThe first coach service (VOLÁN) operating in Hungary was established in 1927. Since then using coaches are getting more and more important. On the countryside, coaches are comfortable and cheap ways of travelling, but sometimes in smaller villages, it is the only way of public transportation. There are international lines as well connecting Budapest with the main European capitals. You can get more information about the lines and the ticket prices on +36 485 2100-telephone number or on www.volanbusz.hu/en/
Major Coach TerminalsÚjpest-Városkapu terminal
There are lines towards the towns of the Danube Bend like Esztergom, Szentendre, Visegrád.
Getting there:
- M3 at Újpest-Városkapu stop
- Stadionok terminal: Bigger cities east from the Danube are available form here such as Eger, Miskolc, Debrecen etc.
- Getting there: M2 or tram No.1 at Stadionok stop.
- Népliget terminal: Lines towards Transdanubian towns like Győr, Sopron or Pécs and international lines depart from here as well.
- Getting there: M3 or tram No.1 at Népliget stop.
