Airport Transfer

WOW Thank you so much for all the information I am so grateful to have your feedback. Up for another question? You said to take a cell phone, that has to be very expensive! is there a way to get cheaper service for while we are there?

Okay, I am doing this from memory and I am certain I will get some detail not quite right. But its really a snap so don't worry. You will exit your plane, go down a long hall and go through passport control. Rarely do they do anything more than stamp the passport. Beyond passport control is the baggage claim area (and restrooms if needed). Grab your bags and look for a large sign that says something to the effect of Nothing to , beyond that sign is this obscure glass door that has been painted black. Again, rarely have I seen the customs agents doing anything. Approach the black door and it opens; you have left the secure area and you are now in the arrival hall. Continue in the same direction about 60 feet and you will reach the airport terminal exit door. Exit the building and look for the Fotaxi Kiosk to the left (if my memory is good) and tell the gentleman inside where you are going. I generally have it written on a piece of paper and just show it to him. He will give you a small slip of paper that you take to the first taxi in the taxi line about 10 feet away ................. and woosh you are on your way. Make sure to keep the slip of paper as it will get you a discount on the return trip. This is one of the easiest airports to contend with.

I keep reading so many negative things about the Taxis in Budapest. If I get one this way will it be from an honest company? How much do they charge?

The problems with the taxi's tend to me a bit exaggerated. The taxi rules for save and easy taxi service in Budapest are pretty easy. 1. Don't hail a cab on the street, always call for one. 2. Don't get in a taxi parked at the Train Station, always call for one. 3. The airport taxi company (Fotaxi) is very good. 4. If you let your hotel call for a taxi it will cost you more; always call for one yourself.
The only problem with any taxi in Budapest is that the business is not regulated (except for the airport taxi company). That means anyone with a car and a sign that says "taxi" can provide service. That's why you don't hail them on the street or get in one at curb side. Apparently even some of the best hotels get kickbacks from certain drivers or companies and so those cabs will cost more. Just make sure you bring a working cell phone. To the best of my knowledge no one has ever been assaulted, robbed or in any other way harmed by any cab driver in Budapest. This is an issue that is way over-worked.

The Airport transfer with Fotaxi (the company with the official airport contract) is a fixed fee depending on where you are staying but it generally runs about 5800 ft going and I think 3990 ft returning if you keep your receipt to get the discount. The conversion rate rough rule of thumb is drop two zeros and divide by two, so 9,790 ft is something less than $50 for round trip transportation to the airport. Actually today's rate is about 230 to 1 so it's closer to $43. I've tried the taxi, a private taxi and a driver service and have discovered that the taxi is actually the easiest and at a reasonable cost. More information at: http://www.bud.hu/english/passengers/access_and_parking Two excellent taxi services are City Taxi and Fotaxi http://www.citytaxi.hu/
http://www.fotaxi.hu/?Language=en#main-menu (and this is an excellent web page because the photo on the first page of the webite is the pick up point at the airport. You can even see the kiosk where you hand the directions and get the slip to give to the driver.)

I use my US T-Mobile. But most any US company can provide you international service but you have to ask them to activate it and you need a GSM quad band phone to ensure service in the US and just about any place else you might go. The four bands are 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900. In Hungary using US T-Mobile or AT&T that call for the Taxi might cost you a couple of bucks. The first alternative is to purchase an international SIM card before you leave the US. One source is http://www.telestial.com/gsm_phones.php . I am not a great techy person so I am a little lost on these but they appear to be some sort of IP driven connection and they are a little squirrely to use. I have one but it's only "adequate". It would cut down the cost of the cab phone call to well under a dollar. The second option is to buy a prepaid phone when you get to Hungary if you plan to spend a lot of time there or plan to return there. That would be the least expensive option per call. Here is the T-Mobile.hu website dor explination:
http://www.t-mobile.hu/english/all_plans/pre_paid The third option is to get a room with internet access then you can skype or order your cab at the cab company website. There are a lot of wifi hot spots around town. I go two or three times a year and I don't use my phone often enough to worry about it. Thanks to great public transport I might call a taxi twice in a two week period. I just deal with the fact that it's a $1.50 phone call.