Page 312 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

310  SUR VIV AL GUIDE TR A VEL INFORM A TION  311

Travel in the Cities and trams. For each new journey, been known to prey on
a new ticket has to be stamped bewildered visitors.
Most of Hungary’s cities have good public transport networks, (but not when changing lines on In Budapest, all licensed taxis
making use of modern buses, trolleybuses, trams and – in the metro). Chil dren under six are yellow, and all should have a
Budapest – a metro system and a suburban railway network. travel free. Visitors can also buy a licence number issued by the city
Most city centres are also very pedestrian-friendly, with a 24-hour group travelcard for council clearly displayed. They
Ft 3,300 (€11) that allows up to
should also post their tariffs, which
growing number of streets in the city centres now being five people to travel together for are standardized, on the wind-
declared car-free. Budapest aside, most city centres are small, a day. Season tickets for 1, 3 or 7 screen or side of the passenger
with many sights within easy walking distance of each other. days’ travel and a range of passes door. These taxis must meet
Even in Budapest the excellent public transport makes are sold at metro stations and set standards of comfort and
getting around quick and easy. from vending machines, as are roadworthiness. The Green Taxi
books of ten tickets for Ft 3,000 service in the capital has a fleet
(€10). The Budapest Card (Ft 4,900 of electric cars.
Public Transport in area, and the route of each line (€14) for 24 hours, Ft 7,900 (€26) Outside the capital, most taxis
Budapest
hangs above the doors in each for 48 hours or Ft 9,900 (€32) for 72 Tram in Debrecen, with the Great Reformed Church in the background are operated by authorized taxi
Budapest has four metro lines. carriage. A recorded voice hours) allows free use of public companies, and will display the
The oldest line is the M1 line, also announces the name of the next transport and various discounts in Public Transport in trams 1 and 2 run from the train company name and telephone
Other Cities
known as the Millen nium line, as station. The metro runs from museums and at tourist sights. station to the city centre, and on number prominently. These are
it was built for the Hungarian around 4:30am until 11:30pm. While Budapest has the only to Diósgyőr Castle (see p231). In the taxis that should always be
Millennium cele brations in 1894. There are also 30 tram lines and metro network in Hungary, Pécs there is a sightseeing tourist used. Take extra care when get-
The Budapest Metro was the first over 200 bus routes in Budapest. several large towns, including train which departs from ting into a taxi outside a railway
electric under ground railway Trams are yellow; buses, blue. Debrecen, Miskolc and Szeged, opposite the Csontváry Museum station; it is always advisable to
system in continental Europe. Its Trams are an efficient way of tra- have tram systems. Every (see p190), while agree a price for the
original stations, all wood and ver sing the city, as they avoid road town (and even some smaller Szeged’s tram No. 1 journey in advance
wrought iron, as well as its traffic and run frequently. villages) has bus services. As runs from the station with the driver. If this
small trains, make it a One ticket is valid on all a rule, all tickets need to be into the town centre. proves impossible, it
sight in itself. The line forms of public trans port purchased before boarding the In Hungary may be better to look
serves central Pest, in Budapest. Tickets can means of trans port, and then passengers are for another taxi, even
Andrássy út and be purchased from metro franked or validated once on allowed to carry one if that means waiting.
Városliget. Metro line M2 stations and news paper board. Tickets can usually be piece of luggage and Taxis can be booked
was built in the 1970s, but kiosks, and from ticket bought from news paper a children’s buggy on Sign denoting a taxi rank over the phone,
has been modernized to Signs for the M2 and vending machines sited kiosks, and sometimes from buses and trams, but which is slightly
cater for increased M3 metro lines at several main junctions A typical hév train carriage, serving ticket machines. the bag must not be too large. cheaper, or hailed in the street.
commuter levels. The and stops. They can be suburban stations It is important to validate Ticket inspectors may demand The best place to find a cab is
high-tech M4 crosses the river bet- bought (for cash only, and at a The Hév tickets, as there are many ticket an additional payment if a bag in the taxi ranks near major bus
ween Buda and Pest, while M3, the slightly higher price) on board inspectors, both in uniform is too large, or if more than one stations, squares, markets or
longest of the lines, serves Pest some vehicles, but not all, so are Budapest and its suburbs also and plain clothes, who are bag is carried. railway stations. Most hotels
only. Two impor tant words to rem- best bought in advance. A single benefit from hév trains, an effi- empowered to stop travellers and restaurants will be happy to
ember when using the metro are journey ticket costs 350 forints (€1). cient and reliable – if sometimes and demand to see their tickets Taxis phone for a taxi for their guests.
bejárat, meaning “entrance”, and The ticket must be validated in slow – suburban rail service. even after they have got off In fact, this may be cheaper than
kijárat, meaning “exit”. All metro machines located at the entrance Trains serve all of Budapest’s their trains or buses. As elsewhere in the world, visitors hailing one.
stations display maps of the local to metro lines or on board buses suburbs, as well as a number of In many towns trams can should be wary when getting
towns further afield, including double as cut-price city tours. In into a taxi anywhere in Hungary, DIRECTORY
Szentendre, Gödöllő and Debrecen, for instance, the only but especially at popular tourist
Ráckeve. HÉV trains are green, tram line runs from the railway places. While most taxis are safe, Taxis
and depart from Batthyány tér station to the city’s large thermal cheap and a good way of getting 6x6 Taxi (1) 666 66 66.
for Szen tendre, from Örs vezér bath complex, passing through around cities, many turn out
tere for Gödöllő and the the centre and past most impor- to be far more expensive than Budapest Taxi
Hungaro ring Formula One cir- tant sights on the way. In Miskolc expected, and they have (1) 777 77 77.
cuit, and from Közvágóhíd for City Taxi (1) 211 11 11.
Ráckeve. Standard Budapest
transport tickets and passes are Fötaxi (1) 222 22 22.
valid for journeys on hév trains Green Taxi (1) 400 00 00.
within Buda pest, but for journeys Taxi 2000 (1) 200 00 00.
beyond the city limits tickets
costing from 250 forints (under Taxi4 (1) 444 44 44.
€1) can be purchased at station Tele5 (1) 555 55 55.
entrances or automated kiosks.
Information and timetables for Local Transport
travel on Budapest’s metro and
hév trains, as well as buses, can BKK
be obtained from BKK who run ∑ bkk.hu
Commuters using the escalators at a busy station on the Green metro line in Budapest Budapest’s transport system. Licensed yellow taxis on the streets of Budapest

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