Metro of Budapest

Metros in Hungary: The Budapest Metro

The city of Budapest is the capital of Hungary. Some people compare this city to Paris because of the shape of its buildings. The city is protected by the UNESCO because of the cultural importance of some of its buildings and landmarks. With a population of approximately 1.8 million people, Budapest is the most populated city of Hungary. The busiest airport in the city is the Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport.

The public transportation of Budapest consists of buses, trams, boats, trolley buses, a commuter rail service, a rapid transit service, the national railway service (MÁV), and the Budapest Metro. Most of the public transportation in Budapest is owned by Budapest Transport Ltd. (BKV).

History

The metro was inaugurated on May 3rd, 1896, with the opening of line M1. The metro was built because the tram service in the city was crowded, and also because the city would host a fair.

The opening dates for the rest the lines were: April 2nd, 1970 for line M2; December 31st, 1976 for line M3; and March 28th, 2014 for line M4.

Lines and stations

The metro has 52 stations and four lines: line M1, line M2, line M3, and line M4. The stations for each line are the following:

- M1 (Yellow Line): It has the following 11 stations: Vörösmarty tér, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, Deák Ferenc tér, Oktogon, Opera, Kodály Körönd, Vörösmarty utca, Hósök tere, Bajza utca, Széchenyi fürdó, Mexikói út

- M2 (Red Line): It has the following 11 stations: Örs Vezér tere, Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Pillangó utca, Blaha Lujza tér, Keleti pályaudvar, Deák Ferenc tér, Astoria, Batthyány tér, Széll Kálmán tér, Kossuth Lajos tér, Déli pályaudvar

- M3 (Blue Line) : It has the following 20 stations: Kóbánya-Kispest, Pöttyös utca, Határ út, Népliget, Ecseri út, Klinikák, Nagyvárad tér, Kálvin tér, Corvin-negyed, Deák Ferenc tér, Ferenciek tere, Nyugati pályaudvar, Arany János utca, Dózsa György út, Lehel tér, Forgách utca, Árpad híd, Újpest-Városkapu, Gyöngyösi utca, Újpest-Központ

- M4: It has the following 10 stations: Kelenföld Vasútállomás, Újbuda-Központ, Bikás park, Szent Gellért tér, Móricz Zsigmond Körtér, Kálvin tér, Fóvám tér, II. János Pál pápa tér, Rákóczi tér, Keleti pályaudvar

Connection to the airport

The metro does not go directly to the Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport. The closest metro station is Kóbánya-Kispest in line M3. To go from the Franz Liszt airport to this station, board bus 200E, and travel for around half an hour.

Prices, Tickets, and Cards for the Budapest Metro

The public transportation system in Budapest offers several ticket and pass options to meet different users' needs. Tickets and passes can be purchased from vending machines, customer service points, or through the BudapestGO app, which also allows the use of time-based tickets (30 and 90 minutes), recently introduced.

Single Tickets

• Single ticket: 450 Ft
• Single ticket bought on board: 600 Ft
• Block of 10 tickets: 4,000 Ft
• Transfer ticket: 530 Ft
• 30-minute ticket: 530 Ft (available only via the BudapestGO app)
• 90-minute ticket: 750 Ft (available only via the BudapestGO app)

Travel Cards

• 24-hour travel card: 2,500 Ft
• 72-hour travel card: 5,500 Ft
• 7-day travel card: 6,500 Ft
• 24-hour group travel card (up to 5 people): 5,000 Ft

Monthly Passes

• Monthly Budapest pass: 8,950 Ft
• Monthly pass for students (EU citizens with valid EU student ID): 3,450 Ft
• Monthly pass for pensioners: 3,330 Ft

Budapest Card

The Budapest Card is a popular option for tourists who wish to enjoy free public transport and a range of discounts at attractions. In addition to unlimited public transport access, it offers free entry to museums and discounts on various tourist activities. The card is available in several versions:

• 24 hours: 14,990 Ft
• 48 hours: 19,990 Ft
• 72 hours: 25,990 Ft
• 96 hours: 32,990 Ft
• 120 hours: 36,990 Ft

* European Union citizens over the age of 65 can use public transport in Budapest for free. They only need to carry a valid passport or ID card to prove their age and nationality, which may be requested by inspectors during their journey.

Tips in Metro Budapest

1) Buy your tickets at vending machines, newsstands, or small shops to avoid waiting in line. The reason for this is that most people buy their tickets at stations.

2) You will most likely need to use sign language to buy a ticket for the metro since most people who sell tickets only speak in Magyar.

Rules in Metro Budapest

• 1) In order to bring dogs, oversized luggage or bikes, you need to pay an extra fare.
• 2) You should only use the emergency brakes or the emergency alarm during an actual emergency.
• 3) You need to carry your ID or your student ID at all times.
• 4) You cannot enter the metro with an expired ticket.
• 5) The customer service offices are located at Budapest VII., Rumbach Sebestyén utca 19-21.
• 6) Make sure to validate your ticket at a stamping machine.

Fun facts

• 1) There are no turnstiles at the metro's stations. Instead, the metro staff may randomly ask you to show your ticket once you board the metro to verify that you paid for your ride.
• 2) The Budapest Metro railway has a gauge size of 1.4 meters.
• 3) The trains from line M1 get their electricity differently than the rest of the lines. On the one hand, line M1 gets 600 volts of electricity from a third rail. On the other hand, the rest of the lines get 830 volts of electricity from an overhanging wire.
• 4) The Budapest Metro is ridden by over 800,000 passengers per day.
• 5) There are two museums that show the history of the metro. These museums are the Urban Public Transport Museum Szentendre and the Millennium Underground Museum. The former museum has exhibits from all the public transportation services in Budapest. The Szentendre museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm from April to October, with an admission cost of around 280 forints. The Szentendre museum is located at 2000 Szentendre, Dózsa György út. The Millennium museum has exhibits about the history of the construction of the metro, and also shows information about the metro's achievements. This museum is located in Deák tér station, and shows an old section of a tunnel of Deák Ferenc tér station. The Millennium museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the admission cost is the same as in the Szentendre museum.
• 6) The Budapest Metro was the first metro in Europe.
• 7) Line M1 of the metro is protected by the UNESCO.
• 8) Line M1 of the metro is also called the Millennium Underground, or Földalatti.
• 9) The metro's rail cars models belong to the Warsaw Pact family, which are the same models used for the trains in Sofia, Prague, and Bucharest.
• 10) In modern rail cars, a female pre-recorded voice says "Kerem vigyazzanak, az ajtok zarodnak," which means "The doors are closing so be careful." A male pre-recorded voice says this announcement in the older rail cars.
• 11) Some scenes from the movie Kontroll were filmed in the metro.

Budapest Metro

Future expansions

Lines M3 and M4 will be expanded. Additionally, a new line, line M5, will be built.

Line M3 will be expanded with the construction of stations in Káposztásmegyer and in Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.

Line M4 will be expanded with the construction of stations in Gazdagrét, Madárhegy, Bosnyák tér, Dózsa György út (which is not related to the station of the same name in line M3,) Róna utca, Hungária körút, Budaörs, and Újpalota.

The future line M5 will have the following stations: Szentendre, Békásmegyer, Petőfi tér, Rómaifürdő, Csillaghegy, Záhony u., Aquincum, Bogdáni út, Kaszásdúlő, Amfiteátrum , Flórián tér, Soroksár-Hősök tere, Soroksár felső, Millenium-Telep., Szent István u., Margitsziget, Szépvölgy út, Lehel tér, Szent István Park, Klauzál tér, Oktogon, Kálvin tér, Astoria, Könyves Kálmán Körút, Borárus tér, Kén u., Beöthy u., Határ ut, Timót u., Pesterzsébet-városközpont, Klapka Gy. u., Nagysándor József u., Vörösmarty tér, Wesselényi u., Tárcsás u., Könyves u., BILK (logisztickai központ), Soroksári vasúltállomás, Csepel, Ráckeve

Nearby attractions

The Kóbánya-Kispest station will be used as a reference point. To go from Kóbánya-Kispest to the closest touristic attractions, follow these instructions:

1) Museum of Fine Arts: The trip lasts 37 minutes. From Kóbánya-Kispest, board the metro in line M3 towards Újpest-Központ M, and travel for 17 minutes. After 10 stops, get off at Deák Ferenc tér. Next, board the metro in line M1 towards Mexikói út M, and travel for 8 minutes. After 7 stops, get off at Hósök tere. Finally, walk 660 feet, towards 1146 Budapest, Dózsa György út 41.

2) Parliament Buildings: The trip lasts 34 minutes. From Kóbánya-Kispest, board the metro in line M3 towards Újpest-Központ M, and travel for 19 minutes. After 11 stops, get off at Arany János utca. Finally, walk 3200 feet to 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3.

3) Matthias Church: The trip lasts 40 minutes. From Kóbánya-Kispest, board the metro in line M3 towards Újpest-Központ M, and travel for 17 minutes. After 10 stops, get off at Deák Ferenc tér. Then, board the metro in line M2 towards Déli pályaudvar M, and travel for four minutes. After two stops, get off at Széll Kálmán tér. Next, board bus 116 towards Disz térm and travel for four minutes. After four stops, get off at Szentháromság tér. Finally, walk 200 feet towards Mátyás Templom, Budapest, 1014 Magyarország.

4) Margitsziget: The trip lasts 53 minutes. From Kóbánya-Kispest, board the metro in line M3 towards Újpest-Központ, and travel for 25 minutes. After 15 stops, get off at Árpad híd. Next, board bus 106 towards Római úti Itp., Vara utca, and travel for three minutes. After three stops, get off at Margitsziget/Árpad híd. Finally, walk 4600 feet to Margitsziget, 1138 Budapest.

5) Gül Baba Türbéje: The trip lasts 36 minutes. From Kóbánya-Kispest, board the metro in line M3 towards Újpest-Központ, and travel for 20 minutes. After 12 stops, get off at Nyugati pályaudvar. Then, board bus 91 towards Széll Kálmán tér, and travel for five minutes. After two stops, get off at Margit híd, budai hídfó H. Finally, walk 1100 feet to Gül Baba Türbe és Rózsakert Budapest, 1023 Budapest, Mecset utca 14.

Connections

The Budapest Metro makes connections to buses, trams, the trains from the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV,) boats, trolley buses, and the rapid transit and commuter rail service (BHÉV.) The connections available at each station are the following:

- M1:
• 1) Vörösmarty tér: tram 2, and buses 15 and 115.
• 2) Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út: buses 9 and 105.
• 3) Deák Ferenc tér: lines M2 and M3; trams 47 through 49; and buses 9, 15, among other buses.
• 4) Oktogon: trams 4 and 6, and bus 105.
• 5) Opera: trolley buses 70 and 78, and bus 105.
• 6) Kodály Körönd: bus 105.
• 7) Vörösmarty utca: trolley buses 73 and 76, and bus 105.
• 8) Hósök tere: trolley buses 72, 75, 79; and buses 20E, 30, among other buses.
• 9) Bajza utca: bus 105.
• 10) Széchenyi fürdó: trolley bus 72.
• 11) Mexikói út: trams 1, 3, 6, and 9; trolley buses 74 and 74A; and buses 25, 32, among others.

- M2:
• 1) Örs Vezér tere: lines 8 and 9 from BHÉV; trams 3, 62, and 62A; trolley buses 80 through 82; and buses 31, 484, among other buses.
• 2) Puskás Ferenc Stadion: tram 1; trolley buses 75, 77, 80, and 80A; and buses 95, 130, among others.
• 3) Pillangó utca: bus 100.
• 4) Blaha Lujza tér: trams 4, 6, 28, 28A, 37, 37A, and 62; trolley bus 74; and buses 5, 7, among other buses.
• 5) Keleti pályaudvar: line M4; tram 24; trolley buses 73, 76, 78 through 80, and 80A; MÁV trains, and buses 5, 7, among other buses.
• 6) Astoria: trams 47, 47B, 48, and 49; trolley bus 74, and buses 9, 15, among other buses.
• 7) Batthyány tér: line 5 from BHÉV, trams 19 and 41, boats 11 and 12, and buses 11, 39, among other buses.
• 8) Széll Kálmán tér: trams 4, 6, 17, 56, 56A, 59, 59A, 59B, and 61; and buses 5, 16, among other buses.
• 9) Kossuth Lajos tér: tram 2; trolley buses 70 and 78; boats 11 and 12; and buses 15 and 115.
• 10) Déli pályaudvar: trams 17, 56, 56A, 59, 59A, 59B, and 61; MÁV trains; and buses 21, 39, among other buses.

- M3:
• 1) Kóbánya-Kispest: MÁV trains; buses 68, 2000, among other buses.
• 2) Határ út: trams 42, 50, and 52; and buses 66, 89E, among other buses.
• 3) Népliget: tram 1; and buses 254E, 626, among other buses.
• 4) Ecseri út: tram 3; and buses 181 and 281.
• 5) Nagyvárad tér: tram 24, and bus 281.
• 6) Kálvin tér: line M4; trams 47, 47B, 48, 49; trolley bus 83, and buses 9, 15, and 115.
• 7) Corvin-negyed: trams 4 and 6.
• 8) Ferenciek tere: buses 5, 7 and 8.
• 9) Nyugati pályaudvar: trams 4 and 6; trolley buses 72 and 73; MÁV trains, and buses 9, 26, among other buses.
• 10) Arany János utca: trolley buses 72 and 73; and buses 9, 15, and 115.
• 11) Dózsa György út: trolley buses 75 and 79.
• 12) Lehel tér: tram 14, trolley bus 76; and buses 15 and 115.
• 13) Forgách utca: bus 32.
• 14) Árpad híd: tram 1; bus 26, 800, among other buses.
• 15) Újpest-Városkapu: boat 11, MÁV trains, buses 104, 300, among other buses.
• 16) Gyöngyösi utca: buses 15 and 105, and boats 11 through 13.
• 17) Újpest-Központ: trams 12 and 14; and buses 25, 30, among others.

- M4:
• 1) Kelenföld Vasútállomás: MÁV trains; trams 19 and 49; and buses 8E, 689, among other buses.
• 2) Újbuda-Központ: trams 4, 17, 41, 47, 47B, 48, and 56; and buses 33, 1251, among other buses.
• 3) Bikás park: buses 7, 689, among other buses.
• 4) Szent Gellért tér: trams 19, 41, among other trams; buses 7 and 133E; and boats 11 and 12.
• 5) Móricz Zsigmond Körtér: trams 6, 17, among other trams; buses 7, 27, among other buses.
• 6) Kálvin tér: line M3; trams 47, 47B, among other trams; trolley bus 83; and buses 9, 15, and 115.
• 7) Fóvám tér: trams 2, 47, among other trams; trolley bus 83; and buses 15 and 115.
• 8) II. János Pál pápa tér: trams 28, 28A, among other trams; buses 99 and 217E.
• 9) Rákóczi tér: trams 4 and 6.

Budapest Metro

Schedule, calendar, and timetables

Schedules are divided into the following categories: Academic Term, Friday Academic Term, Holiday Academic Term, Holiday Academic Term on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, Cemetery Schedule, Advent Schedule, December 24, and End of Year. The dates for each schedule during 2017 are the following:

• - Academic Term: Monday through Thursday during most of the year.
• - Friday Academic Term: Most Fridays.
• - Holiday Academic Term: January 2nd, April 18th, June 19th to the 22nd and 26th to the 29th; Monday through Thursday during all of July and August; October 30th and 31st; November 2nd; and December 21st.
• - Saturday: Most Saturdays.
• - Sundays and Holidays: Most Sundays; March 15th; April 14th and 17th; May 1st; June 5th; October 23th; and December 25th and 26th.
• - Cemetery Schedule: October 28th to the 31st and November 1st.
• - Advent Schedule: December 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th, and 23rd.
• - December 24th: During this day, the metro only runs until 4:00 pm. If you need transportation after that, use night transportation.
• - End of the Year: December 27th through the 29th.

The departure frequencies for each line are the following:

1) Line M1:
• a) Monday through Friday: 10 minutes during mornings, two to five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.
• b) Saturdays: 10 minutes during mornings, three to five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.
• c) Holidays: 10 minutes during mornings, three to five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.

2) Line M2: 10 minutes during mornings, five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.

3) Line M3:
• a) Monday through Friday: 10 minutes during mornings, three to five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.
• b) Saturdays and public holidays: 10 minutes during mornings, five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.

4) Line M4:
• a) Monday through Friday: 10 minutes during mornings, three to five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.
• b) Saturdays and holidays: 10 minutes during mornings, five minutes during the day, and 10 minutes during nights.

- Timetables: The opening and closing times for each station are the following (the following format shows the name of the station, the opening time, and the closing time):

a) Line M1:
• 1) Vörösmarty tér: This is the end of the line, so it has no departure times.
• 2) Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út: 4:42 am - 11:42 pm.
• 3) Deák Ferenc tér: 4:43 am - 11:43 pm.
• 4) Oktogon: 4:39 am - 11:39 pm.
• 5) Opera: 4:41 am - 11:41 pm.
• 6) Kodály Körönd: 4:37 am - 11:37 pm.
• 7) Vörösmarty utca: 4:38 am - 11:38 pm.
• 8) Hósök tere: 4:35 am - 11:35 pm.
• 9) Bajza utca: 4:36 am - 11:36 pm.
• 10) Széchenyi fürdó: 4:34 am - 11:34 pm.
• 11) Mexikói út: 4:32 am - 11:32 pm.

b) Line M2:
• 1) Örs Vezér tere: 4:27 am - 11:27 pm.
• 2) Puskás Ferenc Stadion: 4:32 am - 11:32 pm.
• 3) Pillangó utca: 4:30 am - 11:30 pm.
• 4) Blaha Lujza tér: 4:37 am - 11:37 pm.
• 5) Keleti pályaudvar: 4:35 am - 11:35 pm.
• 6) Deák Ferenc tér: 4:40 am - 11:40 pm.
• 7) Astoria: 4:38 am - 11:38 pm.
• 8) Batthyány tér: 4:43 am - 11:43 pm.
• 9) Széll Kálmán tér: 4:45 am - 11:45 pm.
• 10) Kossuth Lajos tér: Currently on maintenance.
• 11) Déli pályaudvar: No departures since it is the end of the line.

c) Line M3:
• 1) Kóbánya-Kispest: 4:26 am - 11:26 pm.
• 2) Pöttyös utca: 4:30 am - 11:30 pm.
• 3) Határ út: 4:29 am - 11:29 pm.
• 4) Népliget: 4:33 am - 11:33 pm.
• 5) Ecseri út: 4:32 am - 11:32 pm.
• 6) Klinikák: 4:37 am - 11:37 pm.
• 7) Nagyvárad tér: 4:35 am - 11:35 pm.
• 8) Kálvin tér: 4:40 am - 11:40 pm.
• 9) Corvin-negyed: 4:38 am - 11:38 pm.
• 10) Deák Ferenc tér: 4:43 am - 11:43 pm.
• 11) Ferenciek tere: 4:41 am - 11:41 pm.
• 12) Nyugati pályaudvar: 4:46 am - 11:46 pm.
• 13) Arany János utca: 4:45 am - 11:45 pm.
• 14) Dózsa György út: 4:49 am - 11:49 pm.
• 15) Lehel tér: 4:48 am - 11:48 pm.
• 16) Forgách utca: 4:53 am - 11:53 pm.
• 17) Árpad híd: 4:51 am - 11:51 pm.
• 18) Újpest-Városkapu: 4:57 am - 11:57 pm.
• 19) Gyöngyösi utca: 4:55 am - 11:55 pm.
• 20) Újpest-Központ: No departures since this is the end of the line.

d) Line M4:
• 1) Kelenföld Vasútállomás: 4:27 am - 11:27 pm.
• 2) Újbuda-Központ: 4:30 am - 11:30 pm.
• 3) Bikás park: 4:28 am - 11:28 pm.
• 4) Szent Gellért tér: 4:33 am - 11:33 pm.
• 5) Móricz Zsigmond Körtér: 4:32 am - 11:32 pm.
• 6) Kálvin tér: 4:36 am - 11:36 pm.
• 7) Fóvám tér: 4:35 am - 11:35 pm.
• 8) II. János Pál pápa tér: 4:39 am - 11:39 pm.
• 9) Rákóczi tér: 4:38 am - 11:38 pm.
• 10) Keleti pályaudvar: No departures since this is the end of the line.