Travel & Visa

Travel to the region

General information

The region is in between the former West and East, there is easy access from both sides, and also from other continents. For travel to Budapest there are several good options. The international airport of Budapest (terminals 2A, 2B) connects the city directly to some overseas and to all important European destinations. The three main railway stations (Déli, Keleti, Nyugati) are either terminations or stops of many intercity trains from west and east, south and north. There are several international coach services to Budapest. Motorists can also reach Budapest easily on the European motorway network. One can even travel to Budapest by boat.

Travel to Budapest by air

There are daily direct flights from most European and from some North American cities. Liszt Ferenc Airport is situated on the SE margin of Budapest, 20 km from the city centre and is a popular destination for many low fare air carriers. The Airport Minibus service is relatively cheap and reliable. Public transport buses (#200E, air conditioned) circulate between the terminals and the Kőbánya-Kispest terminal of the Metro line 3 (“blue line”) at 8-15-minute intervals in daytime. As an alternative, trains from Terminal 1 leave for Nyugati railway station frequently. Főtaxi has exclusive rights for operation of a taxi service from (and to) the airport for fixed prices according to distance zones (hence the name) based on a contract with Budapest Airport Ltd.

Budapest airport has two terminals (practically one large, as 2B is directly connected to 2A),

Terminal 2A: for international flights arriving from the Schengen zone
Terminal 2B: for flights arriving from the non-schengen zone, departure terminal for budget airlines

Travel to Budapest by train

Budapest has direct rail links to some 25 capitals. There are three major international railway stations in Budapest:

Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)
Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station), on Metro line 3 (“blue line”)
Déli Pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)

For information on international connections in English see the railway journey planner of the MÁV-Start Zrt. (Hungarian Railway Passenger Transport Co.) or the international railway journey planner Deutsche Bahn.

Travel to Budapest by coach

Volánbusz Zrt. (Eurolines Hungary) has scheduled passenger coach services to and from several European countries, see its coach journey planner. International buses depart from and arrive to the Népliget Coach Station (Metro line 3 “blue line”). The discount coach company OrangeWays operates buses to a limited numbers of European destinations, especially to the neighbouring countries of Hungary.

Travel to Budapest by boat

Once familiar but now a rather exotic way of travel to Budapest is by ship on the Danube. You can travel from Vienna to Budapest and back by hydrofoil.

Travel to Budapest by car

Budapest is in the centre of the radial road network of Hungary. It is along the European highways E60, E71, E73, E75, E77. There is a motorway connection from Budapest with the most neighbouring countries of Hungary. Motorways are toll roads; a (virtual) vignette system is in operation. For details (maps, vignette prices, methods of payment etc.) about the Hungarian motorway system see the official home page.

Visa and customs information

Customs information for Hungary

Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Since that date Hungary has adopted the customs regulation of the European Union. Detailed information about travel documents and customs can be found in this booklet published by the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard, providing useful information for tourists travelling within the European Union or travelling from a non-community country (third country) to any Member State of the European Union. For further information about the custom procedures, please consult the homepage of the Hungarian customs authority.

Visa information for Hungary

Hungary is part of the Schengen Area of 25 European countries. For non-Schengen EU, USA and Canadian citizens a valid passport is sufficient to enter Hungary. Citizens of other countries should check whether visa is needed for them when entering Hungary (for more information please visit the home page of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary). On request, the Organizing Committee will issue invitation letters for visa applications. Please apply in due time for a visa if necessary. Please indicate during the registration if you need a personal invitation to attend the conference. It is important to note that a visa is only a preliminary permission for entry, which does not authorise its bearer automatically to enter the country.