5 tips on how to get the best out of Budapest public transport

There are several reasons why using public transport in Budapest is useful, including calm travelling (because no one likes trembling at the sight of a ticket inspector), cost-effectiveness and leisure-time opportunities. Let us go through them, shall we?

1. Ticket prices in Budapest have not grown in years, so they are still friendly – which makes one wonder if it is worth it to dread the ticket inspectors on the bus when a single ticket costs only one euro.
2. If you are living in Budapest, you might want to consider buying an annual Budapest Pass – we have several reasons why it is a smart choice:
   • You save quite a good amount of money if you buy an annual pass instead of a monthly pass: twelve times 9500 forints (EUR 30) means that you have spent altogether 114 thousand forints (EUR 360) on passes a year, while an annual pass costs only 103 thousand forints (EUR 325).

   • Which means, you get to save 11 thousand forints (EUR 34), and you can spend this on something else.

   • If you care about the environment and are also keen on cycling but do not have a bike, the MOL Bubi bike services is a great option, and with an annual Budapest Pass, you have a 50% discount on the MOL Bubi services.
   • It is a widespread misbelief that the annual pass is a single pass. In reality, you get 12 different passes, so even if you lose one, only 9500 forints go down the drain and not 103 thousand.

3. For only 1 euro, you can see the main attractions of Budapest, just buy a single ticket and hop on tram 2 (takes you along the Danube bank on the Pest side of the city, providing a magnificent view of the Buda Castle and of the Parliament), bus 9 (recommended route: Margit híd, budai hídfő H – Kálvin tér, this way you will get to see the Margaret Island, Nyugati Railway Station, the St Stephen’s Basilica, Deák Ferenc Square, the National Museum) or bus 16 (route: Deák Ferenc Square – Szentháromság tér in the Castle District, crossing the Chain Bridge).

4. If you are spending a holiday in Budapest as a student and maybe are on a budget, we have good news for you.

You do not necessarily have to be studying at a Hungarian educational institution to get a monthly pass for students. If you have your valid student ID with you, you are good to go. Now go and enjoy the ruin pubs or the hikes on the Buda hill.

5. Last, but not least, the Budapest Card is hands down the best option when visiting Budapest.

• This card not only enables you to take any form of public transport that the city has to offer, but you can also hop on the heritage trams along the Danube coast from March until October.
• The Budapest Card comes in handy when you are exploring the city: you can get free walking tours on both sides of Budapest, take part in guided tours at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music among many others, and can even hop on some of the sightseeing buses.

• Plus, there is a 10% discount for the Budapest Eye, so you can say that you have seen Budapest from top to bottom.

• There are even some restaurants where you can use the Budapest Card to get a discount on your meals, so your belly will be happy when you set out to continue your adventures in Budapest. By the way, there is a discount at the Zwack Museum, where you can learn a whole lot more about Unicum, the world-famous Hungarian bitter.
• Would like to check out all of the museums but you are worried about the expenses? It is true, some museums can be quite expensive, but with this card, you not only get discounts (for example, 30% at the Hospital in the Rock and 10% at the Dohány Street Synagogue) but you can enter some of them for free, like the National Gallery, National Museum or if you are more interested in contemporary art, the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art and the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center.

The Dohány street Synagogue
Photo by Guavin Pictures

• One thing that you should really not miss whilst you are in one of the most beautiful capital cities of the world, are the baths – after all, Budapest is often nicknamed the city of waters. If you have your Budapest Card with you, you will get at least a 20% discount at most baths, but the Lukács Baths are free to enter with it.

Source: Daily News Hungary