Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 286

the price includes luggage transport. The trip takes from 30 minutes to an hour,
depending on how many stops are made. The Airport Minibus desk is easily found in
the main hall of both terminals. Minibuses also provide the same efficient service
returning to the airport; arrange for your pickup from your hotel 1 full day in advance
by calling the number above. The minibus will pick up passengers virtually anywhere
in the Budapest area.
We strongly discourage the use of cabs from the Airport Taxi fleet ( & 1/296-6534 ),
which are generally overpriced. A ride downtown from one of these cabs might cost sig-
nificantly more than a recommended fleet (see “Getting Around,” later in this chapter,
for names and contact information). Unfortunately, for reasons no one has been able
to explain to us with a straight face, cabs from the Airport Taxi fleet are the only cabs
permitted to wait for fares on the airport grounds. However, dozens of cabs from the
cheaper fleets that we recommend are stationed at all times at roadside pullouts just off
the airport property, a stone's throw from the terminal, waiting for radio calls from their
dispatchers. All it takes is a phone call from the terminal and a cab will be there for you
in a matter of minutes (see “Getting Around” and “By Taxi,” later in this chapter). For
three or more people traveling together (and maybe even two people), a taxi from a rec-
ommended fleet to the city, at approximately 4,500 Ft ($23/£12), will be substantially
cheaper than the combined minibus fares. A taxi from the airport to downtown takes
about 20 to 30 minutes.
It's also possible to get to the city by public transportation; the trip takes about 1
hour total. Take the red-lettered bus no. 93 to the last stop, K ó bánya-Kispest. From
there, the Blue metro line runs to the Inner City of Pest. The cost is two transit tick-
ets, which is 290 Ft ($1.45/75p) altogether; tickets can be bought from the automated
vending machine at the bus stop (coins only) or from any newsstand in the airport.
BY TRAIN Budapest has three major train stations: Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Sta-
tion), Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Station), and Déli pályaudvar (Southern Station).
The stations' names, curiously, correspond neither to their geographical location in
the city nor to the origins or destinations of trains serving them. Each has a metro sta-
tion beneath it and an array of accommodations offices, currency-exchange booths,
and other services.
Most international trains pull into bustling Keleti Station ( & 1/314-5010 ), a clas-
sic steel-girdered European train station located in Pest's seedy Baross tér, beyond the
Outer Ring on the border of the VII and VIII districts. Various hustlers offering
rooms and taxis woo travelers here. The Red line of the metro is below the station;
numerous bus, tram, and trolleybus lines serve Baross tér as well.
Some international trains arrive at Nyugati Station ( & 1/349-0115 ), another clas-
sic designed by the Eiffel company and built in the 1870s. It's located on the Outer
Ring, at the border of the V, VI, and XIII districts. A station for the Blue line of the
metro is beneath Nyugati, and numerous tram and bus lines serve busy Nyugati tér.
Few international trains arrive at Déli Station ( & 1/375-6293 ), an ugly run-down
modern building in central Buda; the terminus of the Red metro line is beneath this
train station.
MÁV operates a minibus that will take you from any of the three stations to the air-
port for 2,000 Ft ($10/£5.15) per person (minimum two persons), or between sta-
tions for 1,000 Ft ($5/£2.60) per person (minimum two persons), with further
discounts available for larger groups. To order the minibus, call & 1/353-2722.