Travel: Flights to Budapest from ESTOCOLMO

Ferihegy International Airport (IATA: BUD , Ferihegyi Nemzetközi Repül?tér; pronounced "Ferry-hedge") is the country's largest airport and the hub of the Hungarian national carrier Malév. It has two terminals a few kilometers apart, imaginatively entitled Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, often mentioned as Ferihegy-1 and Ferihegy-2, respectively.

Terminals

The small but renovated Terminal 1 (gates 1-10; originally opened May 7, 1950) is being used by discount air companies. There are numerous low-budget airlines serving Budapest; most important are EasyJet (from Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland), SkyEurope (from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands and Spain) and WizzAir (from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden). Other low-fare companies also operate regular flights to/from Budapest: AirBerlin (from Germany), Blue1 (from Finland), Germanwings (from Germany), Jet2 (from Great Britain), Meridiana (from Italy), Norwegian Air Shuttle (from Norway), SmartWings (from Czech Republic and Spain) and Sterling (from Denmark and Sweden).

Note that RyanAir currently only flies to Balaton Airport (IATA: SOB) in Hungary, about 180 km from Budapest.

The more spacious Terminal 2 (which opened November 1, 1985) is further split into terminal 2A and 2B. Terminal 2A (gates 20-30) is used by MALÉV Hungarian Airlines and its partner airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Carpatair, ČSA Czech Airlines and Moldavian Airlines. Terminal 2B (gates 11-19) is used by the major international carriers.

It is always wise to double check your arrival and departure terminal; while Terminal 2A is within a short walking distance from 2B, the distance between Terminal 1 and 2 is sizable, a trip takes 6-8 minutes by car or 12 minutes by bus.

Connections

Budapest is connected with the major European cities and most of the EU countries by direct flights. There is scheduled service between Budapest and North America, operated by Malév and Delta Airlines. The city is connected with some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.

In winter (Dec-Mar) Malév's Budapest Winter Invasion offers discounted fares for international flights to Budapest, and its 45 partner hotels provide 4 nights accommodation for the price of 3.

Airport transfer

For travelling between the airport and the city center the best options are taxi or public transport; taxi is the fastest, public transportation is the less expensive way to get in.

Taxi

In 2006 a taxi company named Zóna Taxi +36(1)365-5555 won monopoly for the right to take passengers from the airport. The company has received good reputation from the clients. You will have to first queue up at the stand, where you will get a receipt stating the price. You then pay the driver directly at the destination. This system eliminates any rip-off. The fare varies according to the zone you go. A trip to Budapest costs HUF 3000-4300 (EUR14-19); a Terminal 1/Terminal 2 transfer is HUF 1600 (EUR 7). From the city to the airport the same company tends to be the cheapest and their fares are actually lower going that direction - HUF3000-3500 (EUR14-16). If you get the hotel to order the taxi for you, make absolutely sure they call the right company; they will often have a specific company they tend to use. The fare can be paid in euro as well as in florints, so if you have euros you don't need to worry about changing money in the airport. Of course it is a good idea to have exact change.

Unless you have a pre-ordered taxi from a different company, do not accept any offer from taxi drivers waiting in the terminal main hall or around the entrance. For further information read also Safety section.

Bus

The less expensive way to Budapest from Terminal 2 is bus 200; from Terminal 1 is bus 200 or bus 93 to K?bánya-Kispest metro station (terminus of metro 3). Buses leaving for Budapest stop outside the terminal buildings. The same bus stop serves Terminal 2A and 2B.

Vehicles on the line 200 are modern, low floor buses equipped with a reliable display and sound information system and spacious luggage holding facilities. The trip to the metro takes 26-30 minutes from Terminal 2, or 15-17 minutes from Terminal 1. Buses run every 8-20 minutes from 04:55 to 00:15 from Terminal 2, and from 05:05 to 00:25 from Terminal 1. The last four departures are connected to the night buses 914 and 950 which replace the metro. There is no night bus service between the airport and the city.

Bus 93 operates only on weekdays, it is slower and less frequent, being intended mostly to serve residential areas between Terminal 1 and the metro.

Public transport tickets are available in the main terminal halls for HUF 230. On bus 200 the driver sell them for HUF 260.

When travelling from the city to Terminal 1 on bus 200, pay attention to get down in time, since terminal building is not visible from the main road where the bus stops.

Minibus service

If you travel alone, it is worth considering using the Airport Minibus service, a shared taxi like operation that rounds up passengers going in the same direction and will take you to or from anywhere in Budapest for HUF 2300 per person. Join the queue at the airport and you'll be on your way in 15 minutes; for the trip back, call the center (at least 24h beforehand) and they'll be there to pick you up.

Railway

If your final destination is an East Hungarian city like Debrecen or you intend to proceed to Romania, from Terminal 1 you can reach Szemeretelep railway station walking. The distance is not more than 800 m, but do not expect directions on your way. Train staff will sell you a ticket without any extra fee - Szemeretelep is not served by a ticket office or a vending machine. Otherwise it is easier to get to K?bánya-Kispest metro-railways station by bus or by taxi, and catch your train there. Find your connection at Hungarian Railways timetable.

According to the latest news (February 2007), the completion of a new railway station for serving Terminal 1 is expected to June 2007.

Duty Free Shopping at Terminal 2

Duty free stores are operated by Travel Value . Be advised that Customs authorities in German airports may not allow you to bring duty-free items purchased at the airport in Budapest through Germany.

Among dedicated brand shops, there are only Hugo Boss and Swarowsky.

The traditional alcohol-tobacco-sweets assortment shop has a decent choice of local wines, mainly by Gundel.

The local souvenirs shop has particularly useless stuff.

Airport cafes