Budapest airport to Prague: the airport bus, Keleti and a seven-hour ride

Budapest's airport is not near the Danube and not near the station you want. It sits south-east of the city, and everything useful lies beyond a bus ride. No cause for alarm, but the transfer needs a plan, especially when your destination is Prague, about seven hours up the line.

Step one: reach the city

The most direct way is the 100E airport express bus to Deák Ferenc tér in the city centre. The fare is set by the city transport company, so check BKK for the current ticket and frequency before you travel; details change. For most arrivals it is the simplest choice, and it spares you picking between metro, bus and train.

Other routes exist. City buses link the airport area with the metro, and rail serves the surrounding district, which can help if your accommodation is near a particular station. They take longer and need more changes, so use them only if they suit your hotel better.

Taxis wait at the airport. Book through the official taxi desk and ask the price before you get in, and ignore offers from people approaching you in the arrivals hall. The same goes at any airport; see our notes on tourist traps and scams in Prague.

Step two: the Prague train

Direct trains leave from Budapest Keleti, the eastern railway station, and run through Slovakia and Czechia, calling at places such as Bratislava and Brno. The ride takes around seven hours (check the timetable; our guide to Budapest from Prague by train is written from the other end). The train arrives at Praha hlavní nádraží.

It is the best answer for comfort: one seat all the way, a table, the Danube plain and the Moravian hills sliding past. Whether it suits you depends on your landing time. Only a few direct trains run each day, so a late flight can miss the last, leaving a morning train or a connection with a change in Vienna or Bratislava.

Reserve a seat if offered, buy from MÁV or České dráhy, and read the conditions on cheaper fares.

By coach or private transfer

Coaches run between Budapest and Prague, and some services serve the airport; check the booking pages for your date. They take longer than the train, but can cost less and leave at hours that fit a flight. See Prague to Budapest by bus or flight for how the services look from the Prague end.

A private transfer takes you from the airport to your door in Prague, and at this distance it is the dearest option. It suits a group, or a late landing when public transport has stopped. Book ahead, ask for a fixed price in writing, and check that it includes tolls.

Making a day of it

Land in the morning with the Prague train in the evening and you have a spare day in Budapest. Leave your bag at the station (Keleti has left-luggage facilities; check current arrangements) and walk. The city has a wide river, a hill on one side and a flat grid on the other, and a few hours show you the shape of it.

Land at night instead and the plan is a hotel near Keleti, a coffee in the morning and a train home. Not a bad trade.

If you land late

This is the main risk. In the evening the last direct train to Prague may already be gone, and the airport bus is only part of the plan. The easy fix is a night in Budapest and a morning train, which lets you see something of the city. A long night transfer with luggage is rarely worth the saving.

Money and borders

Hungary is in the EU and the Schengen Area but keeps its own currency, the forint. Czechia uses the koruna. Cards are widely accepted in Budapest, but keep a little local cash, and skip the exchange booths in the arrivals hall, where rates can be poor. Our guide to ATMs in Prague explains dynamic conversion, which applies here too. There are normally no passport checks at the borders on the way, but carry a passport or ID card.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Budapest Airport to Prague?

Usually by airport bus into the city, then a direct train from Budapest Keleti to Prague. Coaches and private transfers are alternatives.

How long does the train take?

Roughly seven hours on the direct train. Check the timetable for your date.

What is the 100E bus?

The airport express bus between Budapest Airport and Deák tér in the city centre. Check BKK for the current fare and times.

What currency does Hungary use?

The forint. Cards are widely accepted in Budapest.

Check the last direct train first, then choose the flight that lets you make it.