transportation to Pecs

If you fly into Budapest from Amsterdam. a direct train from Budapest’s city center to Pecs will take about 2.5 hours. Figure on another 30-45 minutes from the airport to the train station.

There are trains. The trip takes just over 3 hours and costs less than $10 US each way. (I checked for travel on October 7; I don't know whether that matters.) Here's the Hungarian rail website: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/en.

Trains for Pecs depart from Keleti Station. I bet Mr. E, resident of Budapest, will notice this thread tomorrow. He'll be able to suggest the best way(s) to get from the airport to Keleti.

I think neither the regular bus from the airport (100E) nor the express bus (200E) Keleti, so with two people traveling together you might want to consider a taxi, depending on what time you are ready to leave the airport. My quick check of the train schedule showed departures every two hours. You wouldn't want to miss a departure by taking buses if an affordable taxi ride would get you to Keleti in time.

Seniors travel virtually free on public transportation in Hungary, but I'm guessing you're not in that age group.

I dont know how many busses would be required. But the bus really isnt the ideal way to get there.

Acraven is correct. Take the train. Easy, fast, cheap and comfortable. I've done the trip three times, the last time a few months ago. But I still had to look it up to give it to you correctly. You can look as well: https://jegy.mav.hu/ I think acraven was correct on the more than 3 hours a few years back. But the route is faster now at 2:45.

Budapest is a pretty simple airport and pretty well laid out. Gets awards every year. Luggage delivery isnt the fastest in the world but not much to complain about. Coming from Amsterdam you wont have to worry about passport control. But I would guess that with luggage its 45 minutes from landing time (when ever that is) to the Taxi que.

The taxis are right outside the arrivals hall on the left. Go to the kiosk and tell them to Keleti Station (pronounced as its spelled). From the airport to Keleti under the best of traffic circumstances is at least 30 minutes. So for planning I would call it 45 minutes. It will cost you about 11.000 forints or less than $35. They take credit cards. The taxis are clean, well regulated, very nice.

If you dont want to use a Taxi you can go outside the arrivals hall and on your right you will find the stop for the 100E bus. That will cost you 2.200 forints (<$7), and you can pay at the door with a credit card. Stay on to the last stop, Deak Ferenc ter. Go down the stairs to the metro station and find the M2 Metro line in the directior of Örs vezér tere and take that to Keleti Station. You will need another ticket for the metro which you can buy from one of the vending machines or you can use the BudapestGo App. The ticket is 500 forints (<$1.50). I would count on an hour from Airport to Train station by bus and metro.

So 1:30 from plane to train station by taxi or 1:45 using bus and metro. But thats just background information. The truth is you don't know when your plane is landing so trying to make a particular train is not such a good idea.

Trains leave every two hours so you shouldn't have much trouble getting a ticket at the station and you wont have to worry about missing your train. The worst case is you are stuck at the train station for 2 hours. Tell me you will take the train and what time your plane arrives and I might be able to give you directions to a good coffee shop if you do end up with the 2 hour wait. Not much, but stand-up stuff in the station.

Train Tickets are 3.000 to 4.000 forints (less than $15) with a seat assignment and a bit cheaper (closer to the $10 acraven suggested) with advance purchase, but at that price, who cares. You wont have a problem. Also get a seat assisgnment. Where do you do this? Two options. Download the MAV app and use that or, maybe easier is at the train station. At the front of the station, in the center, you will see stairs that go down. The ticket office is at the bottom of the stairs. (if you took the M2 metro to the station, then you arrive in the lower level, just look for the ticket office).

The train is 2:45 from Keleti to the Pécs station. By the way, put the name Pécs in Google translate and play the sound a few times till you can say it right. Might help if you need to ask for help.

At the Pécs station you can ride the bus or call a taxi. Its not real close to where most folks want to go and its sort of a big town. You can pay for the bus when you board. You will need cash and forints for that. There are ATMs at Keleti and in the airport arrivals hall.

What did I forget??

Acraven said, "Seniors travel virtually free on public transportation in Hungary," But on this rare ocassion she is wrong. They ride completely free. Okay, maybe she is correct because there are a few exceptions; the funicular for instance. But the bus, metro, trams and even the trains within Hungary are free. You do have to buy the train seat assignment if you want one. I think its 600 forints.

I was thinking about the seat reservation and the occasional oddball situation unrelated to the trip to Pecs.

It's odd about the schedule difference. I looked it up before I posted and just found daytime trains taking over 3 hours. I tried it again and am still seeing over 3 hours on this website: https://jegy.mav.hu/jegy/vonat

acraven, you looked for this week or next. The tracks are being repaired. Notice they are not direct trains. That's because you do half the trip on a bus. That situation ends in a few weeks. You had the right site to check. Go back and put in October 15 or later and 2:45 and direct trains will be the norm. I only knew because I had the bus part of the way on my last trip. I also remember my first trip many years ago took every bit of 3 hours and was surprised its faster now.