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Transportation from Budapest Airport to hotel

We will be staying at the Hilton Budapest City on the Pest side arriving in late August. Our flight gets in during late morning/noon. This is the only time we will have to taxi from an airport to a hotel. This is our first visit to Budapest and also our first trip to Europe that we are traveling on our own using trains, bus, taxi. ( We are in our mid 60's if that makes any difference!) We are a little apprehensive about knowing where to go to get a taxi that we know is reliable, honest. Any advice would be welcome as far as particular taxi companies to look for and average cost into the city center. The hotel is near the West End Center/ Nyugati Station. We prefer a taxi transport instead of trying to take the train because the taxi is half the time (around 30 minutes) and should be much easier as long as we know what to do initially.

Thank you

Posted by
2134 posts

The official taxi from the airport is Fo taxi. Ask the information desk at the airport where you find the Fo taxi counter.

Posted by
20161 posts

To start with. Send me a PM and let's discuss hotels. I think you can, and should, do better. Not a good location at all.

At the airport in the luggage retrieval area you will see on the floor a black line that says TAXI. Follow the line out of the baggage area, through the arrivals hall and out the doors to the curb area. The line will turn to the left where you will see a two window FoTaxi kiosk. You go to one of the windows and tell the clerk where you want to go and in return the clerk will give you a receipt and a taxi number. The receipt will show the most you can be charged for the trip. Now walk about 30 feet to curbside and wait for the taxi with the matching number. Generally there is an attendant at the curb to help. The driver will load your luggage and ask to see the receipt and off you go. Figure 30 to 45 minutes and something less than 8000 forints which you can pay in cash forints, cash euros at a not great exchange rate or credit card.

It's one of the best organized, cheapest and easiest in Europe.

Posted by
408 posts

I have this question (somewhat), in reverse. We will be staying on the Buda side, across from Parliament (next to a Novotel, from what I can tell in google-walk). We will be going TO the airport next Saturday, mid-day.

Our host has offered to arrange a cab for us. Is that best? Is public transport (on a Saturday) a reasonable option? We will have been in Budapest for a few days so will have some time to learn to navigate.

Posted by
2688 posts

Keri--a taxi to the airport is the easiest, about 30 minutes and when I left in May it was about 7000 HUF. I just call City Taxi and they arrive within 10 minutes at most. +36 1 211 1111.

Posted by
5697 posts

But if you have the time ... We took public transit to the airport which involved getting off the metro at a shopping mall and transferring to a bus to the airport. Easy to do. We stopped at the mall food court for lunch (inexpensive point-at-the-food cafeteria style, definitely not aimed at the tourist market.) A different experience, which we enjoyed.