How to Get Around Hungary

Getting in. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International is the only substantial airport, with the 100E bus running directly into the centre. Vienna is two and a half hours away by train and is a common alternative arrival point.

Trains. MAV runs a radial network with everything passing through Budapest, which makes crossing between two provincial cities slower than it should be. Intercity services are comfortable and cheap; branch lines are slow.

Buses. Volanbusz covers what the trains do not, and for several routes — including the Danube Bend and parts of Balaton — the bus is faster.

In Budapest. Metro, tram, trolleybus and bus on one ticket system. Line 1, opened in 1896, is the oldest electrified underground railway in continental Europe and a UNESCO site in its own right. Trams 4 and 6 run around the clock.

Driving. Motorways require an electronic vignette bought in advance. Roads are good; note that the blood alcohol limit is zero.