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Hungary

Budapest

Buda and Pest face each other across the Danube. The M1 metro has run since 1896 — continental Europe's oldest.

Metró (metro lines M1-M4)

No ticket gates - paper tickets must be stamped at the entrance validators, whose row marks the paid-area boundary. A Visa or Mastercard tap buys and validates in one go, but only on the metro and the 100E airport bus.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Get something to travel on
    Tap a Visa or Mastercard on the Pay&GO terminal at the entrance, or buy a paper ticket from a machine, counter or newsstand.
  2. 2
    Stamp a paper ticket before the white line
    Push the ticket into a validator by the entrance, following the arrow printed on it; the machine stamps your start time.
  3. 3
    With Pay&GO, wait for the green screen
    A beep and a green screen mean the ticket is both bought and validated; a red message means it failed, so try again.
  4. 4
    On a single ticket, get a fresh one for tram or bus
    A single ticket lets you change between metro lines only; coming up to a tram or bus means a fresh ticket.
  5. 5
    Show the exact card you paid with
    Tap the very card, phone or watch you bought with on the inspector's checker - another card proves nothing.

Fares

Single fares3

Single ticket
Valid 80 minutes from stamping, 120 on night services; the only transfer allowed is metro to metro
500 HUF ≈ $2
30-minute ticket
App-only, with no paper equivalent; unlimited transfers within the 30 minutes
600 HUF ≈ $2
90-minute ticket
Also app-only; enough for a round trip and an errand on one ticket
850 HUF ≈ $3

Passes & multi-ride4

Block of 10 tickets
Works out at 450 Ft a ride; each ticket behaves exactly like a single
4,500 HUF ≈ $14
24-hour Budapest-travelcard
No stamping needed; covers the D14 ferry and MÁV trains inside the city, but not the 100E
2,750 HUF ≈ $8
72-hour Budapest-travelcard
Same coverage as the 24-hour card, for three days counted from the start time
5,750 HUF ≈ $18
Budapest Card (24-96 hours)
Free transport plus attractions; only the PLUS and FLEXI versions include the 100E airport bus
17,990〜39,990 HUF ≈ $55–120

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardDiscoverDinersJCBAmex銀聯
Tap-to-ride only at metro entrances and the 100E; cards also work in machines
IC card
Budapest has no stored-value transit card at all
App tickets
Buy in BudapestGO; the 30- and 90-minute tickets have no paper version
Paper tickets
Stamp it at the entrance validators before crossing the white line
Cash
Works at ticket machines and customer centres; the machines run around the clock

Quick facts

Hours
4:30-24:00 (to 1:00 Fri/Sat)
Frequency
Every 2-10 min
Fares from
500 HUF+

Heads-up

  • Real inspectors wear a photo badge and an armband

    An on-the-spot penalty never exceeds 12,000 Ft and you must be given a receipt. Real inspectors wear a photo badge and an armband and check with a hand-held device; the staff at metro entrances carry photo badges but no armbands. Anything else, report it to BKK.

  • Keep the phone or watch you paid with charged

    If you paid with a phone or a watch, keep it charged. BKK states plainly that a dead battery at inspection means a penalty fare, even though you did buy the ticket.

  • Your own e-scooter cannot come on board

    Your own e-scooter cannot be taken onto any BKK vehicle, metro included. A kick scooter with no motor is fine, even unfolded, as long as it fits within 100 x 120 x 20 cm.

  • Shared scooters may not be ridden on the pavement

    For shared scooters the operators are Lime and Dott. Riding on the pavement is banned - use the road or a cycle lane - and you return the scooter to a Mobi-point, marked by a green-and-white round sign. Leaving it elsewhere can cost you an extra fee from the operator.

Timetable

Operating hours 4:30-24:00 (to 1:00 Fri/Sat)
Typical duration End to end M1 takes about 12 minutes and even the longest line, M3, about 32; M1, M2 and M3 all meet at Deák Ferenc tér
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka