Beginning in December, Budapest’s M2 metro passes through its Kossuth Lajos Square station without stopping, as the building where this stop is located is being demolished. This inconvenience comes with a buoyant silver lining, because during this time period, passengers can instead ride a metro-replacement ferryboat crossing the Danube back and forth between Pest’s Kossuth Square and Buda’s Batthyány Square for the price of a single public-transport ticket, and enjoy a mini sightseeing trip while swaying on soft currents and admiring Budapest's captivating Parliament building from up close.

During the holiday season, sparkling strings of lights adorn BKK boat D2, which is now running daily from the morning through the early evening between Kossuth Square and Batthyány Square.

For approximately the next three months, passengers can hop aboard the ferryboat by using regular public transport tickets and passes without paying any additional fees; because this is a replacement service for the M2 metro line, anyone boarding the boat at Kossuth Square can continue on the M2 metro further into Buda for no extra charge, while passengers heading toward Pest from Buda’s Déli pályaudvar or Széll Kálmán tér M2 metro stops can transfer to the boat heading to Kossuth Square at Batthyány Square for no additional cost.

For those who just want to enjoy the ferryboat ride, tickets can also be purchased aboard the ship, where a bar counter proffers drinks and snacks to enhance the panoramic voyage. As the boat can be slightly slow, we recommend this way of reaching Kossuth Square only for those who do not have any urgent errands to tend to on the other side.

When the weather permits, we can also enjoy this 4-5-minute trip on the top deck of the ship. The boat runs approximately every 15 minutes between the two stations – below we present some photos from a ride aboard this short-but-scenic voyage.