Budapest runs on a validate-it-yourself system. You buy a ticket, you stamp or scan it yourself before you ride, and inspectors check that you did. Once that clicks, the rest is easy.
One type of ticket covers the metro, trams, buses and the HÉV suburban trains, and even the locals will tell you the fares are cheap. The quirks are worth learning before your first ride.
Budapest public transport tickets and prices
Every mode of transport in the city takes the same tickets. Here’s what they cost in 2026:
| Ticket | Price (HUF) | Price (EUR) | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single ticket | 500 Ft | ~€1.25 | One continuous journey, no transfers between modes |
| Single ticket (on bus) | 700 Ft | ~€1.75 | Same as above, bought from driver (exact cash only) |
| Block of 10 singles | 4,500 Ft | ~€11.25 | 10 single journeys (450 Ft each) |
| 30-minute ticket | 600 Ft | ~€1.50 | Unlimited transfers within 30 min (app only) |
| 90-minute ticket | 850 Ft | ~€2.15 | Unlimited transfers within 90 min (app only) |
The single ticket has one rule that catches people out. It covers one ride on one vehicle. One tram, one bus, one trolleybus. Change to a second tram and you need a second ticket, even if the connection takes two minutes. Visitors keep learning this the expensive way, one tram change at a time.
The metro is the exception
On a single ticket you can switch between the M1, M2, M3 and M4 lines, heading one direction, as long as you stay underground. Hop on the M3, change to the M4 at Kálvin tér, ride to the end. Still one ticket. Your journey needs to finish within 80 minutes (120 on night services).
If your plan involves changing vehicles above ground, buy a 30-minute or 90-minute ticket instead. Those allow unlimited transfers, and the digital versions even allow round trips. You just scan again each time you board.
The Budapest travel card: 24-hour and 72-hour options
If you’ll ride more than a few times a day, stop thinking about single tickets. The travelcard is the version of Budapest transport where nothing can really go wrong. A 24-hour card costs 2,750 Ft and a 72-hour card 5,750 Ft, and both give unlimited rides on the whole network.
Buy the paper version at a station ticket machine rather than in the app. Paper still works when your phone dies. There’s nothing to fiddle with while a tram pulls away. Validating single tickets on a moving tram with a group is genuinely stressful. The paper travelcard costs around 15 euros for three days and removes the problem entirely.
Budapest 72 hour travel card
The 72-hour card is the one most city-break visitors should look at first. It covers metro, trams, buses, trolleybuses, the HÉV lines, and even mainline trains in second class within the city boundary.
Buy it at any metro station machine, in the BudapestGO app, or in advance for a start time you pick. Paper cards need no ID. The app version is tied to the ID you register at purchase, so carry that document. Refunds only work before the validity starts. A ride you begin inside your 72 hours can be finished even if the card expires mid-journey.
How to pay for public transport in Budapest
Three ways work, and none of them requires Hungarian.
BudapestGO app
BudapestGO is BKK’s official app. You can buy single tickets, time-based tickets, both travelcards and the 100E airport ticket in it, and it plans routes with live departure times. You’ll need to register before buying.
To use a ticket, scan the QR code on the validator or by the vehicle door as you board, or hold your unlocked phone to the NFC sticker. The QR poles at metro entrances are easy to walk straight past, so give the entrance a proper look before you decide there isn’t one.
Ticket machines
Machines stand at stops and stations across the city, run around the clock and take cash and bank cards. The menus switch to English. Pick a block of 10 and you can watch it print all ten tickets one by one.
Pay&GO terminals
These work on the metro and the 100E only. Tap your bank card at the terminal as you enter the station and the card itself becomes your validated ticket, one ticket per tap. At inspection, you tap the same card against the inspector’s reader. No app, no registration, same price.
How to validate your ticket in Budapest
Paper tickets and app tickets are worthless until validated. There are no conductors coming through the carriage to do it for you. The people who do come through are inspectors, and they’re checking that you already did it.
The white line at the metro
The row of validating machines at the station entrance is a legal boundary, marked with a painted white line at most stations. Step past it with a blank ticket and you’re already fineable, before any train arrives. Stamp your ticket first, then walk through.
On trams, buses and the HÉV, validate immediately after boarding. You’ll meet two kinds of machine. The orange or yellow electronic boxes stamp automatically when you insert the ticket. The older red punchers need you to pull the black frame towards you. A green light and a little tone mean it worked.
App users scan the QR sticker by the door. If it’s scratched up, there’s another sticker by the driver, and the NFC tap works as a backup. Two tips. Close and reopen the app to refresh the QR code before showing it. And work out validation before you reach the gates, rather than asking the staff standing there.
If an inspector stops you
Inspections are genuinely frequent. Expect to be checked more than once even on a short trip. Inspectors wear dark blue with blue-and-red armbands, though many now work in plain clothes and show a badge.
Travelling without a validated ticket costs 25,000 Ft, reduced to 12,000 Ft if you pay in cash on the spot. You must be given a receipt.
Budapest airport bus 100E tickets
The 100E Airport Express runs between Liszt Ferenc Airport and Deák Ferenc tér in the city centre, around the clock, seven days a week. Daytime buses come every 6 to 10 minutes on the busiest days, and every 30 to 40 minutes at night.
The 100E needs its own ticket
A 100E ride costs 2,500 Ft, and normal single tickets and travelcards are not valid on it. The simplest way to buy is on board: tap your bank card at the reader by the door as you get on, and one card can pay for up to five people. Ticket machines, the BudapestGO app and the Relay newsstands at the airport all sell it too.
Full-size suitcases are fine, as long as you can handle them yourself and keep them off the seats.
Two ways to pay less:
- If you hold a Budapest-pass, a 1,000 Ft add-on airport ticket replaces the full fare, though the app hides it under “Further transport tickets”.
- Bus 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest plus the M3 metro into town is covered by an ordinary travelcard, which is the route locals point budget travellers to.
Budapest Airport Transfer
Travelling as a big group? A door-to-door private transfer works out at a similar price per person to the 100E, without the luggage shuffle ->
Is public transport free in Budapest?
For most visitors, no. Two groups ride free:
Carry a passport or any photo ID showing your date of birth. At ticket controls you just show it and carry on.
Is the Budapest Card worth it for public transport?
The Budapest Card is the official city pass, and every version of it includes unlimited public transport on top of its sightseeing benefits.
For transport alone, the maths is simple: a 72-hour travelcard costs 5,750 Ft, a 72-hour Budapest Card costs 29,990 Ft. The card earns its price through the attractions. BKK’s own sample itinerary for the 72-hour card adds up to 38,450 Ft bought separately. The case for the card gets stronger on the longer versions, where seven or eight museum entries alone cover the cost.
The case against: Budapest entrance fees are modest, and the included Lukács bath is plainer than fancier baths like Rudas.
So the honest test is your itinerary. Two or three included sights a day and the card pays for itself, with all ticket admin gone. Mostly walking, with one thermal bath on the list? Take the travelcard. If you fly in and out, the 72-hour PLUS and FLEXI versions also cover the 100E airport transfer, which the classic card does not. Current prices for every version are on our Budapest Card prices page.
Which Budapest public transport pass fits your stay?
Count your likely rides per day and the choice makes itself.
Hop On Hop Off Budapest
Rather see the sights while you ride? Compare routes and tickets for the Budapest sightseeing buses ->
Budapest Airport Transfer
The easiest way to get to and from Budapest Airport with miniBUD.