SHORT SURVIVAL GUIDE TO BUDAPEST

Hungary:
Area: 93 030.03 sq. km
Population (1995): 10 245 677
The highest peak: Kékes (1014 m), the country is landlocked, the largest lake is Balaton (598 sq. km).
Largest rivers: Danube, Tisza

Budapest:
Area: 614 sq. km
Population: 2 Millions

Airport: Budapest, Ferihegy
Transport connections between Budapest Airport and the city centre:
1. Air Traffic and Airport Administration (LRI) operates a city minibus service from and to Ferihegy 1 and Ferihegy 2 for HUF (Hungarian Forints) about 1500,-/person. If you buy a return ticket at the same time they cost together about 2500 Ft. Buy your ticket in the baggage reclaim area or at the LRI Airport Passenger Service desk located in the main passenger hall (you will not miss it). You have to change some money for the first time and after this you can buy your ticket. (You don't have to say at that time which time do you want to go back, I will help you to call the LRI center to order the minibus service back to the airport.) Of course you have to indicate where do you want to travel (hotel name).
After buying your ticket and collecting your luggage you can find the Passenger Service Desk where you can wait for your minibus. The service collects passengers going to the same direction. I frequently used this service and the most time I had to wait at the desk was 30 minutes. You can look at the monitors and your destination will be written on it and you can see the photo of minibus driver who arrives there to show you the minibus. It is no matter which time to arrive or where do you want to travel, the service is very reliable (you can travel to any point in Hungary - but it costs higher if your destination outside Budapest).

2. An airport coach link is operated between the Erzsébet Square Bus Terminal (the main underground crossing point) and the airport. Services leave every 30 minutes between 05.30 and 21.00 from both Erzsébet Square and Ferihegy 2 Arrivals level and stop en route at Ferihegy 1. Between the airport and the Erzsébet Square Bus Terminal services also leave every 30 minutes from 06.00-22.00. You can buy your ticket on the bus, (Erzsébet Square - Ferihegy 1: fare HUF 600, journey time 30 mins, Erzsébet Square - Ferihegy 2: fare HUF 600, journey time 40 mins) journey time 8 mins.
The Erzsébet Square and Deák tér are one of the center of Budapest. Budapest has 3 underground line (metro) and these lines are crossing here.

3. The local bus service number 93 (figures in red) runs between the Underground terminus Kőbánya-Kispest and Ferihegy 2. For these buses you need the HUF 95, - pre-purchased. The vehicles of Budapest Transport Ltd. may be used with prepurchised tickets (and passes). Tickets are valid on tram, trolleybus, metro (underground, subway), cog-wheel railway, bus as well as on suburban railway (HÉV) within city boundaries. Tickets also available at a reduced price in 10- or 20 piece booklet which are called “gyüjtöjegy”. You must validate tickets in booklets in the same way as regular tickets, however, you should keep the complete booklet until the end of your last trip.
Tickets should be validated at manual ticket punchers on vehicles (for the metro, at ticket validating machines at the entrance of each station). Tickets are valid for one uninterreptud, single trip (for metro as well, however special kind of tickets is available for metro). If you change vehicles or lines, you must validate another ticket. Tickets must be kept until the end of the trip, on the metro the tickets can be controlled at the exit gates. Tickets may be purchised at ticket sales, metro stations and ticket vending machines, but not on the vehicles. The price of ticket is 95 Ft.

4. Taxi. I think the taxi drivers in Budapest are not reliable, they are tend to ask you to pay much more if you can't speak Hungarian. However the average price from the airport to the city is 2500-4000 Ft.

To be continued...