How to Get Around Hungary

Getting Around

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.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

Driving: the limit is zero

The legal blood alcohol limit in Hungary is 0.00 per cent. Police run routine road checks with breathalysers, administer one automatically after any accident, and can confiscate a licence on the spot; conviction brings heavy fines and prison sentences. If you dispute a fine they may keep your licence, issue a receipt and require you to report to a police station, returning it when the dispute is settled. Carry an international driving permit.

A motorway vignette is required to use the highways. The electronic version is bought at filling stations, online or by phone, and where the vendor issues no sticker you must keep the receipt for a year as proof. Road conditions and safety are generally good, though roads can be narrow, badly lit and poorly maintained, drivers can be aggressive, and traffic and parking are a problem in the big cities. Be careful at filling stations and highway parking areas after dark, and wary of anyone apparently in roadside trouble — a smoking engine or a flat tyre is a standard setup.

Public transport and taxis

Buses, trams, the metro and the trains are reliable, though delays and disruption can happen at border crossings including on buses and trains. On overnight trains, lock the compartment door from the inside. Pickpockets and bag-snatchers target tourists on buses and trains, at stations and airports, in shopping centres and in public markets.

For taxis: use only officially marked cars, call through a dispatcher rather than hailing on the street, and check the meter is running at the rate displayed in the car. Overcharging happens; if you think it has, note the taxi's details, get a receipt and report it to the company.

The bar scam, which is worth recognising in advance

This one has a shape. Young women approach travellers in reputable bars and invite them to socialise at a bar nearby; at the new place the bill for drinks and entertainment is enormous, and some visitors are robbed outright. Other versions simply add surcharges to the final bill. If you cannot pay, you are likely to be walked to an ATM by the establishment's security guard and made to withdraw cash, possibly under threat — and taxi drivers are sometimes accomplices, which is why you should never ask a driver to recommend a bar or club. Ask to see a menu with prices before ordering, and do not argue about an overcharge, because the advisory warns that the argument itself can lead to violence. Separately, do not leave drinks unattended or accept snacks, drinks, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances; these have been used to drug people for robbery and sexual assault.

Identification and the law

You must carry photo identification such as your passport at all times, and photocopies are not accepted — keep a copy separately in case the original is lost or confiscated. Drug penalties are severe, with prison sentences and heavy fines. One current legal point worth knowing: a child protection law passed in March 2025 has been used to ban the Budapest Pride March and allows the authorities to use facial recognition to identify and fine people taking part in such events. Hungarian law does not prohibit same-sex acts, but the Canadian advisory notes that homosexuality is not widely accepted in Hungarian society.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Global Affairs Canada — The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.00 per cent, with routine breathalyser road checks, an automatic test after any accident, and on-the-spot licence confiscation, A motorway vignette is required on the highways, bought at filling stations, online or by phone, with receipts kept for a year where no sticker is issued, Police may retain a driving licence if a fine is disputed, issuing a receipt and requiring a police-station visit before returning it, Taxis should be officially marked and called through a dispatcher rather than hailed, with the meter running at the displayed rate; overcharging should be reported to the company, Buses, trams, the metro and trains are reliable, delays can occur at border crossings, and compartment doors should be locked from the inside on overnight trains, Road conditions are generally good but roads may be narrow, badly lit and poorly maintained, with aggressive driving and city congestion, and care is needed at filling stations and highway parking after dark, The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.00 per cent, with routine breathalyser road checks, an automatic test after any accident, and on-the-spot licence confiscation, A motorway vignette is required on the highways, bought at filling stations, online or by phone, with receipts kept for a year where no sticker is issued, Police may retain a driving licence if a fine is disputed, issuing a receipt and requiring a police-station visit before returning it, Taxis should be officially marked and called through a dispatcher rather than hailed, with the meter running at the displayed rate; overcharging should be reported to the company, Buses, trams, the metro and trains are reliable, delays can occur at border crossings, and compartment doors should be locked from the inside on overnight trains, Road conditions are generally good but roads may be narrow, badly lit and poorly maintained, with aggressive driving and city congestion, and care is needed at filling stations and highway parking after dark (September 2026).