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
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
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
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
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
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 ≈ $9

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 ≈ $58–130

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 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

Tap for where to get the app

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