Budapest Metro — Map, Lines, Route, Hours, Tickets

Budapest Metro Information

The Budapest Metro is a rapid transit system and a popular means of public transportation in Budapest, Hungary. The system began operation in 1896 and is the second oldest in the world. It currently has 4 lines serving 52 stations. The total length of the network is 38.2 kilometres. It is also the oldest electrified metro system in Europe. It is operated by Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) and Budapest Transport Plc.(BKV). According to 2011 statistics, the metro had a daily ridership of 1.27 million passengers and an annual ridership of 463.6 million passengers.

The Budapest Metro is a prominent transport system in the city, serving a significant number of passengers, approximately 1,270,000 per day. In 2009, the fare for a single journey was €0.95 and it operates on an honour system.

The metro does not operate 24 hours a day and has no air conditioning. In addition, passengers cannot walk between platforms and the trains are not driverless. There are no screen doors on the platforms.

Budapest Metro is operated by BKV. Operating hours are from 4:30 to 23:30 every day of the week. The fare is 350 Hungarian forints (HUF).

Budapest Metro Map

Map of Budapest Metro showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Budapest Metro map in PDF format.

Interactive Map of Budapest Metro

Tickets and prices

Single tickets: These cost 350 Ft and allow travel on the entire length of a line. There’s no time limit on travel.
Transfer ticket: This ticket costs 530 Ft and allows a single trip with one change between lines.
Short distance metro ticket: It costs 300 Ft and is valid for up to three stops without changing.
Single ticket bought on the spot: It costs 450 Ft if bought from the driver on board the vehicle.
Block of 10 tickets: This costs 3,000 Ft and is convenient for travellers making frequent trips in a short time.
Budapest Card: This offers unlimited travel on all transport networks, free or discounted entry to many attractions and costs between Ft6,490 (24 hours) and Ft15,990 (72 hours).
Travelcards: These allow unlimited travel for a specified period and are available for 24 hours (1,650 Ft), 72 hours (4,150 Ft), 7 days (4,950 Ft), 1 month (9,500 Ft) and 1 year (115,000 Ft).
Discounted monthly Budapest pass: For students and pensioners there is a discounted rate, these passes cost 3,450 Ft.
Group ticket: For 5 people travelling together, this ticket costs 3,300 Ft and is valid for 24 hours.

Schedule, Timetables, and Calendar

The Budapest metro runs between 4.30am and 11.30pm. Trains arrive every 2-15 minutes, depending on the line and time of day.

Rules and Regulations

The following rules apply in the Budapest Metro

Smoking is not allowed in any part of the underground.
Bicycles are allowed only on weekends and public holidays, and only on lines M1, M2 and M4. On weekdays, bicycles are not allowed at peak times.
Animals are allowed, but dogs must be on a lead, muzzled and have a valid ticket. Small pets must be in a sealed container.
Alcohol is not allowed on the underground.

Tickets must be validated at the orange boxes before travelling. If you are caught without a valid ticket, you can be fined up to 16,000 Ft.

Facilities and Services

All metro stations have digital displays showing the time remaining until the next train. Some stations have lifts for wheelchair users and most have escalators. Stations are monitored by CCTV cameras and there are regular patrols by the police.

Keep your ticket until you have finished your journey as you may need to show it to a ticket inspector. There are regular checks and fines for not having a valid ticket.

Make sure you validate your ticket. Tickets must be validated at the orange machines located at the entrances to metro stations, trams and buses.

Plan your journey in advance. Knowing your route can save you time, as metro lines cross at certain points, allowing you to change lines.

The metro can be crowded during rush hours. Be prepared to give up your seat for the elderly, pregnant women or people with disabilities.

Rules

Certain rules and regulations apply in the Budapest Metro to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for all passengers:

Smoking is strictly forbidden on the metro and in the stations.
Eating and drinking are not allowed in the metro.
Begging and hawking are not allowed.
It’s not allowed to use seats to place luggage or other objects.
Passengers are not allowed to enter areas reserved for Metro staff.
It is forbidden to play loud music without headphones.
All passengers must have a valid ticket and show it to a ticket inspector on request.

Fun Facts

There are no turnstiles at Budapest Metro stations. Instead, metro staff may randomly check passengers’ tickets on board to ensure payment.
The track gauge of the Budapest Metro is 1.4 metres.
Line M1 of the Budapest Metro uses a third rail to receive 600 volts of electricity, while the other lines receive 830 volts of electricity from an overhanging wire.
The Budapest Metro serves over 800,000 passengers per day.
Budapest has two museums dedicated to the history of the metro: the Museum of Public Transport in Szentendre and the Millennium Underground Museum. The Urban Public Transport Museum displays exhibits from all of Budapest’s public transport services. It is open from April to October, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00, and the entrance fee is around 280 forints. The museum is located at 2000 Szentendre, Dózsa György út. The Millennium Underground Museum at Deák tér station focuses on the history and achievements of the underground. It features an old section of the Deák Ferenc tér station tunnel. The Millennium Museum is also open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, with the same entrance fee as the Szentendre Museum.
The Budapest Metro was the first underground railway system in Europe, inaugurated in 1896.
The M1 line of the Budapest Metro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Line M1 is also known as the Millennium Metro or Földalatti.
The car models used in the Budapest Metro belong to the Warsaw Pact family, which also includes trains used in other cities such as Sofia, Prague and Bucharest.
In modern carriages, a female recorded voice announces “Kérem vigyázzanak, az ajtók záródnak”, which means “Please be careful, the doors are closing”. In older carriages, a male pre-recorded voice makes this announcement.
The metro was featured in the film Kontroll, with some scenes filmed on the metro.

Future expansions

There are plans to extend the M3 and M4 lines and to build a new line, the M5.

The M3 line will be extended with new stations at Káposztásmegyer and Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.

The M4 line will be extended with the construction of stations at Gazdagrét, Madárhegy, Bosnyák tér, Dózsa György út (unrelated to the station of the same name on the M3 line), Róna utca, Hungária körút, Budaörs and Újpalota.

The future M5 line will have the following stations Szentendre, Békásmegyer, Petőfi tér, Rómaifürdő, Csillaghegy, Záhony u., Aquincum, Bogdáni út, Kaszásdúlő, Amfiteátrum, Flórián tér, Soroksár-Hősök tere, Soroksár felső, Millenium-Telep, Szent István u., Margitsziget, Szépvölgy út, Lehel tér, Szent István Park, Klauzál tér, Oktogon, Kálvin tér, Astoria, Könyves Kálmán Körút, Borárus tér, Kén u., Beöthy tér, Beöthy u., Határ ut, Timót u., Pesterzsébet-városközpont, Klapka Gy. u., Nagysándor József u., Vörösmarty tér, Wesselényi u., Tárcsás u., Könyves u., BILK (logisztikai központ), Soroksári vasúltállomás, Csepel, Ráckeve.

Nearby attractions

If you are coming from Kőbánya-Kispest Railway Station, here are the directions to the nearest tourist attractions:

Museum of Fine Arts: From Kőbánya-Kispest station, take the M3 metro in the direction of Újpest-Központ M. After 17 minutes and 10 stops, get off at Deák Ferenc tér. Change to metro M1 in the direction of Mexikói út M and travel for 8 minutes and 7 stops. Finally, walk about 660 metres to the Museum of Fine Arts, 1146 Budapest, Dózsa György út 41.

Parliament building: Take the M3 underground line from Kőbánya-Kispest in the direction of Újpest-Központ M. After 19 minutes and 11 stops, get off at Arany János utca. From there it is a 3200 feet walk to the Parliament building at 1055 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3.

Matthias Church: Take the M3 underground line from Kőbánya-Kispest in the direction of Újpest-Központ M. After 17 minutes and 10 stops, get off at Deák Ferenc tér. Change to metro M2 in the direction of Déli pályaudvar M and travel for 4 minutes and 2 stops. Get off at Széll Kálmán tér. From there take bus no. 116 in the direction of Disz tér for 4 minutes and 4 stops. Get off at Szentháromság tér and walk about 200 metres to Matthias Church, 1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér.

Margitsziget: Take underground M3 from Kőbánya-Kispest in the direction of Újpest-Központ. After 25 minutes and 15 stops, get off at Árpád híd. From there take bus 106 in the direction of Római úti Itp., Vára utca for 3 minutes and 3 stops. Get off at the Margitsziget/Árpád híd stop. You can then walk about 4600 metres to Margitsziget, which is located at 1138 Budapest.

Gül Baba Türbéje: Take M3 underground from Kőbánya-Kispest in the direction of Újpest-Központ. After 20 minutes and 12 stops, get off at Nyugati pályaudvar. Then take bus no. 91 in the direction of Széll Kálmán tér for 5 minutes and 2 stops. Get off at Margit híd, budai hídfő H. Then walk about 1100 metres to Gül Baba Türbe és Rózsakert at 1023 Budapest, Mecset utca 14.