Budapest Airport<-> Train Station

All the options for getting into Budapest from the Airport are to be found here. Rather than me rehash the options you can read them at the airport website and decide:
http://www.bud.hu/english/passengers/access_and_parking

Taxi Fare to Pest will run you about 7,000 ft or something less than $30; a bargain as international airports go. Ignore those hawking cab services when you enter the arrival hall and head to the nearest outside door. You will see a kiosk on your left for FoTaxi which has the airport contract. They are fair and decent. Actually very good service. Write Nyugati pályaudvar on a slip of paper and show it to one of the clerks in the kiosk and they will make sure the tax knows exactly where to go.

The majority of the trains to Debrecen leave out of the Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Station), which by coincidence is the same station that is connected in a roundabout fashion to the airport. Still, if you took a taxi you would probably cut an hour and a lot of trouble in the connection. You can see the schedules here:

http://elvira.mav-start.hu/

More often than not I end up on a 6:30am return flight. It is miserable. Our accommodations are very near the opera house, and I have the taxi pick us up at 4:00 am. That allows a half hour to get to the airport and two hours to check in, clear security, etc. The Budapest airport is pretty nice but it suffers from a little disorganization at the check-in counter and my showing up a little early means we beat the worst of the mayhem. To return to the airport and any other taxi service other than the airport into Budapest I like City Taxi a good reliable company with clean cars and decent drivers:
http://www.citytaxi.hu/

Phone numbers:
+36- 1 -2-111-111
+36-20-2-111-111
+36-30-2-111-111
+36-70-2-111-111

Where to stay? Well, you said you might want to see some of Budapest; I guess the day before your flight out. In that case since getting to the airport is only a 30 minute issue I would suggest you stay in town and not near the airport. If you have just the one night then stay at the Intercontinental or the Marriot on the river front. If you have three nights then stay deeper in Pest, maybe the K&K Opera.

James, thank you very much. Hope you don't mind but I'm sharing your information with my team mates who will also be doing the same trip. And looking totally lost as well.

billiards?

If you are going to stay 2 or 3 nights in Budapest, the team might want to save some money by renting an apartment at sleeps four or more .... or what ever you need. Would run 60 to 90 euros for 4 in an apartment, but most have a 2 or three night minimum or possibly a cleaning fee in lieu of the minimum.

I use the term team mates loosely. They're fencers heading to the Veteran World Championships in Debrecen and the expression "herding cats" does come to mind. There will be some couples but quite often they're on their own. All over the age of 50 and loose in Hungary. just imagine.

Sounds like fun.

A friend sent me this site. If you do get some time in Budapest it might be helpful: http://bebudapest.hu/author/barbi/

@worldinbetween is correct. I have to confess that I am the type that after 15 hours on a plane I just don't want to mess with public transportation. The fact that you are immediately going on to Debrecen already demonstrates that you have more fortitude that I do so the public transportation may be right up your alley.

In Hungary and in most places you can get the information you need and test the methods by using Google Maps Directions. See if this link works for you: http://goo.gl/maps/XdEfm Depending on the time of day the public transport method will take you about 50 minutes while the taxi will take you about 30 minutes. But with the public transport you do get to experience the thrills and marvels of the underground at Nyugati / West End. Maybe take a moment to pick up a pair of skivvieys for his wife.

The Fotaxi fare calculator puts the cost of the trip at about $30.00 (i bumped it up a few dollars for traffic) while a couple of metro tickets will cost you about $3.00 so @worldinbetween is correct in that the metro is a pretty good savings; especially for just one person.

Hi guys, thought I might do a wrap on this thread just in case anyone else pulls it up on some search. This morning I left Budapest at 3AM and I'm back looking for my California groove here in SF Bay Area. Regards getting to Debrecen from the Budapest airport. James is right that most trains to Debrecen originate from Nyugati pályaudvar. But what is missing is that they pass through the stop for Ferihegy (the air port connection). So you don't have to go all the way down to Nyugati pályaudvar. but can just buy a ticket at the Ferihegy stop for Debrecen. This is the same stop "worldinbetween" speaks about which is reached by the 200 bus. So you follow his directions but get a ticket to Debrecen. But agree that you ought to get a first class ticket with its assigned seating. BTW, they give you two receipts one has the car and seat numbers on it. Debrecen is the 2nd largest city in Hungary after Budapest and it's only a couple of hundred thousand as opposed to Budapest's millions. A small comfortable city, 400 forints (i.e. $1.66) for the tram and you can get a ticket on the tram. Try that in Budapest. The team hotel was the Hunquest Nagyerdo, a soviet era structure. Not as terrible as that may sound. It was just a bit quirky. But I really did tire of the hotel food. Fortunately the Divinus is a 5 star hotel next door and the Palma Bistro catty corner to it. Both have good food. On my way back I stayed at Budapest's Hotel Metro, a very short distance from Nyugati pályaudvar. Out the front door to the right cross the street and then the right 1/2 block and left 1/2 block. Quiet and I thought good value. Having just one day, on the advice of the desk clerk I walked the Danube, down to Parliament, the Opera House and later up to the Castle District. and most of the betweens. Hotel location was reasonable, the accomodations good - I prefer something a little off beat and priced to a middle class range. Think something on the order of USD $50/night. Oh and BTW, I came home with a bronze medal which has whetted my appetite for a gold one. Maybe next year in France.

Oh and one tiny error, the hotel is actually in Pest as is the train station. I crossed Pest and Buda.
And additional: taxi fare from Hotel Metro to the airport was 9,000HUF.