The 100E is the one bus in Budapest that your travelcard won’t get you on. It runs from Terminal 2 to Deák Ferenc tér round the clock, in about 40 minutes, on a ticket of its own, and a bank card tapped at the door is the easiest way to pay for it.
It stops only three times in the city: Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér. Between them they cover the centre of Pest and four metro lines.
Tickets for the 100E
Only two tickets work on the 100E: the airport shuttle bus single ticket, and the cheaper add-on version for people who hold a monthly Budapest pass. The single tickets and 24 and 72-hour travelcards that cover the rest of the city are not valid on it, and inspectors check at the door.
Tap a bank card at the door
The Pay&GO reader sits by the driver’s cab and the front door. Tap a contactless card, phone or watch and it buys and validates the airport ticket in one go, at the same price as anywhere else. One tap can buy up to five tickets, so a family pays once. There is no paper ticket: if an inspector asks, tap the same card on their reader.
Or buy it in BudapestGO or at a BKK counter
The ticket is also in the BudapestGO app, and on sale at BKK customer service centres, ticket offices and machines, including the BKK counters on the arrivals level of Terminals 2A and 2B. An app ticket needs a data connection, and you scan it on the outside of the bus before you board.
Know what the ticket covers
One trip on the 100E, finished within 80 minutes. It does not carry on to the metro, a tram or another bus, so if your hotel is beyond the 100E’s stops you will need an ordinary ticket for the next leg too.
The add-on airport ticket is for holders of a monthly or longer Budapest pass, a Pest County Pass or a Hungary Pass, and it is sold only in the BudapestGO app. It is not an option with the 24 or 72-hour travelcards.
Check whether you ride free
Anyone over 65, of any nationality, travels free on the 100E with proof of age: a passport, ID card or card driving licence, not a photo of one. Under-14s ride free only with a Hungarian student card, so school-age visiting children need a ticket.
100E stops in Budapest
Into the city, every bus stops at Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák Ferenc tér. Back to the airport, buses leave from Deák Ferenc tér and stop at Kálvin tér, and only between 00:04 and 04:47 do they call at Astoria too.
| Stop | Change to | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Kálvin tér | Metro M3 and M4, trams 47 and 49 | The Hungarian National Museum, the Great Market Hall (one M4 stop), Keleti station (three M4 stops), Gellért Hill |
| Astoria | Metro M2, trams 47 and 49 | The Jewish Quarter and the Dohány Street Synagogue |
| Deák Ferenc tér | Metro M1, M2 and M3, trams 47 and 49 | St Stephen’s Basilica, Váci utca, Andrássy út, Buda by the M2, Nyugati station by the M3 |
The airport page has the stop for each part of town, with the change after it.
How often the 100E runs, and how long it takes
| When | How often |
|---|---|
| Daytime, Mondays and Fridays | Every 6 to 10 minutes |
| Daytime, other days | Every 7 to 10 minutes |
| Mornings and evenings | Every 10 to 15 minutes |
| At night | Every 30 to 40 minutes on average |
The ride takes about 40 minutes from the airport to the centre. The timetable allows a little over half an hour to Deák Ferenc tér when the roads are clear, and more in the rush hours. BKK’s timetable page has the departures for any day, and the BudapestGO app shows the next bus live.
How to board the 100E
Have your ticket ready before the queue
At the airport the stop is on the arrivals level, between 2A and 2B. In the city, use the BudapestGO app to find the airport-bound stop at Deák Ferenc tér or Kálvin tér. Buy an app or counter ticket before you queue, or have your card in hand.
Board at the front door
Everyone boards at the front. Staff check paper tickets at the door; an app ticket is scanned on the code on the outside of the bus before you step on.
Or tap and hold still
Paying by card, tap once on the reader by the door and wait for the confirmation before moving on. Tapping again buys another ticket.
Get off at your stop
The bus calls at Kálvin tér, Astoria and then Deák Ferenc tér, the end of the line. Keep the card or the app ticket until you are off, in case an inspector boards.
Luggage and accessibility on the 100E
The buses are low-floor, air-conditioned and articulated, with room for suitcases. At busy times they fill up and you may stand with your case the whole way; if the first bus is packed, the next one is not far behind in the daytime.
The trouble starts after the bus. Metro M1 at Deák Ferenc tér has only stairs. Every station on the M4, which you can join at Kálvin tér, has lifts.
Rather not take the bus? Budapest airport transfers
Budapest: Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel
Best for: A car to your hotel, with the driver waiting in arrivals
- English-speaking driver
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
What’s included and more details
What’s included
- Private one-way transfer from the airport to your hotel
- Air-conditioned car or minibus
- English-speaking driver
- Airport parking fees
- Meeting point
- Your driver waits in the arrivals hall after customs
- When booking
- Add your airline, flight number, arrival time and hotel address in the note to the supplier
- Priced
- Per group, not per person
- Not included
- Food and drinks
Budapest: Shared Airport Shuttle Bus Transfer
Best for: Your own door for less than a private car, if you don't mind other stops
- Driver, English
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
What’s included and more details
What’s included
- Shared minibus from the airport to your address in central Budapest
- One way, or a return to the airport
- Drop-off at your hotel or chosen address
- Run by
- miniBUD, the airport's official shuttle
- Where to check in
- The miniBUD point in the baggage hall of Terminal 2A or 2B
- Luggage
- One large suitcase and one piece of hand luggage each
Insider tips
Check the number before you board
The 200E leaves from the same stops at the airport and goes to Kőbánya-Kispest, at the far end of the M3, not to the centre. Look for 100E on the front of the bus.
Leave the 100E at Kálvin tér for anywhere on the M4
Kálvin tér is the first stop in town, so getting off there saves two stops, and the M4 has lifts at every station, which matters more with luggage than one more change.