Page 306 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

304  SUR VIV AL GUIDE TR A VEL INFORM A TION  305

TRAVEL INFORMATION longer heading the other way.
The trip is fairly expensive:
Most visitors arrive in Hungary by crossing the border from EU countries tickets cost 40,000 forints (€125)
air, at Budapest’s only major airport, (Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia return for adults. The hydrofoil
Ferenc Liszt International. A second and Slovenia) is quick and problem-free, arrives and departs in Budapest
international airport, known as Hévíz- while crossing from the Ukraine or Serbia from the jetty at Belgrád rakpart,
on the Pest side of the river,
Balaton, is located near Keszthely, and a can often involve long queues. Visitors halfway between Szabadság
third has opened in Debrecen. Hungary can also travel into Hungary along the and Erzsébet bridges.
has borders with no less than seven Danube, on scheduled summer boat
countries, so there are numerous road services from Bratislava and Vienna or DIRECTORY
and rail entry points. As a rule of thumb, hydrofoils from Vienna. Airports
Arrival by Air centre for about 4,400 The lofty ticket hall in the famous West Train Station, designed by Gustafe Eiffel, in Budapest Debrecen Airport
Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt forints (€15; one way). All three stations are on the Apart from petrol, motorists Tel (52) 52 11 92.
∑ debrecenairport.com
International airport is served There may be a wait Budapest metro system, and need to budget for road tolls,
by a large number of inter­ until there are enough just a couple of stops from overnight stops and motorway Ferenc Liszt International
national airlines, including passen gers heading in the city centre. The buildings tax discs for Austria and Hungary. Tel (1) 296 70 00.
British Airways, Delta, KLM/ the same direction. All are grand from the outside Hungary has more than (flight information)
∑ bud.hu
North west Airlines, Lufthansa, licensed taxis in Budapest but unwelcoming inside, and 100 road border crossings,
and several low­cost carriers. are yellow and operate potentially dangerous for although in practice many Hévíz-Balaton Airport
For travellers from the northern on a standard tariff. The lone travellers late at night. of these are unstaffed and Tel (83) 20 03 04.
hemisphere, there are direct fare to the city centre not always open. The main (flight information)
flights into Budapest from is typically 6,000–8,000 and most frequently used ∑ hevizairport.com
over 70 cities, including most One of Budapest’s official fleet of yellow taxis forints (€19–25). Arrival by Coach border crossing is Nickelsdorf/ Airlines
European capitals. At Hévíz­Balaton air port, Volán busz and Eurolines Coach Hegye shalom from Vienna;
Ferenc Liszt International has Getting from and Fly­Car mini buses and Zala Volán Services travel to Buda pest Vienna also has the only direct Air Berlin
to the Airport
two terminals, but Terminal 1 buses run to Keszthely and other from 13 countries (including motor way link to Budapest. ∑ airberlin.com
is closed indefinitely. Terminal Ferenc Liszt International is villages in the region. There are Great Britain, Bel gium, France, Other major border points are British Airways
2 serves both low­cost air lines located 16 km (10 miles) south­ also hire cars and cheap taxis. Germany and Austria). They at Schachendorf/Búcsú from ∑ ba.com
and scheduled carriers, east of Buda pest city centre and arrive at Népliget, Budapest’s Graz in Austria and Rusovce/
including easy Jet, Air Berlin is served by a public bus service interna tional coach station, Rajka from Bratislava in Slovakia. easyJet
and Wizzair. to Kőbánya­Kispest metro Arrival by Train from where the M3 metro To drive in Hungary, a valid ∑ easyjet.com
Hévíz-Balaton, at Sármellék station, the last stop of metro Budapest has direct rail links with line can be accessed. The driving licence with a photo or Ryanair
near Keszthely, is served by line 3 (from just after midnight more than 25 other European international routes are served an inter national driving licence ∑ ryanair.com
Ryanair from London Stansted to 3:30am, it connects with a cities, and several trains a day by luxury coaches with facilities and adequate insurance are
and Air Berlin from Berlin. city night bus into the centre). arrive here from Paris, Vienna, such as air conditioning. required (see also pp308–9). Wizzair
∑ wizzair.com
Another way to get to Tickets and passes can be Bratislava, Munich, Bucharest
Budapest and north western bought from purple ticket and Sofia. The rail journey from Arrival by Car Arrival by Ferry Low-cost airlines (all)
Hungary is via a flight to neigh­ vending machines or from London to Budapest is easy and ∑ flycheapo.com
bouring Vienna or Bratislava. the BKK (Centre for Budapest takes just 24 hours, via Eurostar The driving distance from Perhaps the most exotic way to
North eastern Hungary can Transport) customer service at to Paris, Orient Express to Vienna London to Budapest, using arrive in Hungary is by boat, on Rail Travel
be accessed via Wizzair, which the airport. An Air port Minibus and InterCity “Avala” to Buda pest. motorways, is 1,834 km the Danube: Mahart PassNave European Rail (Eurail)
flies from London Luton to Service takes pas sengers to and There are also daily trains (1,140 miles). The fastest route, operates daily hydro foil services Passes
Debrecen Airport. from any address in the city from Krakow, Warsaw, Minsk, via France, Brussels, Germany from Vienna to Budapest (Apr–Oct). ∑ raileurope.com
Moscow and Kiev. Trains for and Austria, would take about The downstream journey takes
most other cities in Hungary, 17 hours if driving nonstop. 5 hours 20 minutes; it’s a little Hungarian Railways (MÁV)
Andrássy út 35. Tel (1) 444 44 99.
such as Pécs, Debrecen, Győr ∑ mav.hu
and Miskolc, depart from (general information)
Buda pest. InterRail and Eurail ∑ elvira.hu
Passes are valid in Hungary. (timetable)
Coach Travel
Budapest’s Railway
Stations Eurolines
There are three main railway ∑ eurolines.com
stations in Budapest – Keleti Ferries
pu (east), Nyugati pu (west)
and Déli pu (west). Most inter­ Mahart PassNave
national trains operate to and Belgrád rakpart, Budapest.
from Keleti pu, the exception Tel (1) 484 40 00.
being rail traffic to and from ∑ mahartpassnave.hu
Ferenc Liszt International airport, Budapest Croatia (Déli pu). Luxury coaches serve international destinations

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