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Visas & entry
Hungary is in the Schengen Area. EU/EEA/Swiss travelers can generally enter with a valid national ID card or passport; U.S., Canadian, UK and Australian citizens generally receive visa-free tourism stays of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day Schengen period, while many other nationalities need a Schengen visa. EES biometric border processing and the planned ETIAS system can affect non-EU travelers, so verify current requirements with official EU/Hungarian sources before departure.
Getting in
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport: The main international gateway and the obvious arrival point for most visitors. The 100E Airport Express runs to Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér in about 40 minutes; it needs a dedicated airport ticket rather than a standard single ticket.
- Budapest-Keleti railway station: The main practical rail arrival for many international and long-distance services, including parts of the Vienna/Bratislava/Prague network. It is east of the centre but well connected by metro and taxi.
- Budapest-Kelenföld railway station: A useful west-side rail gateway, particularly for some services from Vienna and western Hungary. It is on Metro 4, making onward travel to central Pest straightforward.
Getting around
Use public transport and walking; a rental car is mostly a burden inside Budapest. Metro, trams and buses efficiently connect the main zones, and Danube-side tram rides double as sightseeing; use the BudapestGO app for routing and tickets. Walk within neighborhoods, take a legitimate taxi or rideshare late at night or in bad weather, and reserve a car for a wider Hungary road trip rather than the capital.
Money
Hungary uses the Hungarian forint (HUF/Ft), not the euro. Cards work widely in Budapest, but carry a little cash for small purchases, markets and public toilets; always decline a terminal or ATM’s conversion to your home currency and pay in HUF. Tipping is customary for table service when service is not already included.
Book before you land
Hungarian Parliament Building interior tour
- Validate paper tickets before entering the metro paid zone or immediately on boarding a tram or bus; inspectors are common, and a single ticket does not cover ordinary surface transfers.
- The 100E airport bus requires its own airport ticket or eligible add-on—an ordinary single ticket is not valid.
- Use the official Főtaxi rank/desk at the airport or a legitimate taxi/rideshare app; ignore unsolicited terminal drivers.
- Do not pay in euros or accept dynamic currency conversion when a card machine offers it; choose HUF.
- Book a quieter side street if staying in the Jewish Quarter and you want sleep before 2am.
- Do not split a short stay between Buda and Pest; choose one central hotel and cross the river as needed.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.