Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 291

When a tram line is closed for maintenance, replacement buses ply the tram route.
They go by the same number as the tram, with a V (for villamos ) preceding the num-
ber. See “Fares” on p. 287 for information on where to purchase public transportation
tickets.
BY TROLLEYBUS
Red trolleybuses are electric buses that receive power from a cable above the street.
There are only 14 trolleybus lines in Budapest, all in Pest. Of particular interest to
train travelers is no. 73, the fastest route between Keleti Station and Nyugati Station.
All the information in the “By Bus” section above regarding boarding, ticket valida-
tion, and stop-skipping applies to trolleybuses as well. See “Fares” on p. 287 for infor-
mation on where to purchase public transportation tickets.
BY HÉV
The HÉV is a suburban railway network that connects Budapest to various points
along the city's outskirts. There are four HÉV lines; only one, the Szentendre line, is
of serious interest to visitors (see “The Danube Bend,” later in this chapter).
The terminus for the Szentendre HÉV line is Buda's Batthyány tér, also a station on
the Red metro line. The train makes 10 stops in northern Buda and Óbuda en route
to Szentendre. Most hotels, restaurants, and sights in northern Buda and Óbuda are
best reached by the HÉV (so indicated in the directions given throughout this topic).
To reach Óbuda's F ó tér (Main Sq.), get off at the Árpád híd (Árpád Bridge) stop.
The HÉV runs regularly between 4am and 11:30pm. For trips within the city lim-
its, the cost is one transit ticket, self-validated as on a bus or tram. Tickets to Szenten-
dre cost 452 Ft ($2.25) (minus 170 Ft/85¢ for the portion of the trip within city
limits if you have a valid day pass). HÉV tickets to destinations beyond the city lim-
its are available at HÉV ticket windows at the Batthyány tér station, at the Margit hid
station, or from the conductor onboard (no penalty assessed for such purchase).
BY COGWHEEL RAILWAY & FUNICULAR
Budapest's cogwheel railway (fogaskerek ú ) runs from Városmajor, across the street
from the Hotel Budapest on Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor in Buda, to Széchenyi-hegy, one
terminus of the Children's Railway (Gyermek Vasút) and site of Hotel Panoráma. The
cogwheel railway runs from 5am to 11pm, and normal transportation tickets (see
“Fares,” above; self-validated onboard) are used. The pleasant route twists high into
the Buda Hills; at 170 Ft (55¢/45p), it is well worth taking just for the ride.
The funicular (sikló) connects Buda's Clark Ádám tér, at the head of the Széchenyi
Chain Bridge, with Dísz tér, just outside the Buda Castle. The funicular is one of only
two forms of public transportation serving the Castle District (the Várbusz and bus
no. 16 are the other possibilities; see “By Bus,” above). An extremely steep and short
ride (and greenhouse-hot on sunny days), the funicular runs at frequent intervals from
7:30am to 10pm (closed on alternate Mon). Tickets cost 650 Ft ($3.25/£1.65) to go
up, and 550 Ft ($3/£1.40) on the way down for adults and 350 Ft ($1.75/90p) for
children regardless of direction.
BY TAXI
We divide Budapest taxis into two general categories: large organized fleets and private
fleets or privately owned taxis. If you only follow one piece of advice in this topic, it's
this: Do business with the former and avoid the latter. Because taxi regulations permit