Flights to Budapest — What to Expect
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) is the city's only commercial airport, sitting about 16 km southeast of the city centre. It's well-connected to most major European cities, which means flights to Budapest are genuinely competitive on price — especially if you're flexible with dates. Low-cost carriers dominate this route. Wizz Air, which is based in Hungary, offers some of the sharpest fares from cities like London Luton, Rome Fiumicino, and Warsaw. Ryanair flies into BUD from a wide spread of European airports, and easyJet covers routes from the UK and Western Europe. Full-service options include Lufthansa (via Frankfurt or Munich), Austrian Airlines (via Vienna), and British Airways from London Heathrow. If you're flying from outside Europe, connecting through Frankfurt, Amsterdam Schiphol, or Vienna tends to give you the most options and often the best prices.
Budget flights from London to Budapest regularly come in under £60 one way if you book four to eight weeks out and avoid peak summer. From Germany or Austria, you can often find fares under €50. Transatlantic travellers should expect to connect — there are no direct long-haul routes into BUD from North America or Asia. When searching for Budapest flight deals, it's worth checking both BUD and nearby Vienna (VIE), which is just a 2.5-hour bus ride away and occasionally offers cheaper transatlantic connections.
Best Time to Visit Budapest
Spring and early autumn are the sweet spot. April and May bring mild temperatures between 12–23°C, the city's famous thermal gardens are comfortable without being crowded, and the Danube looks genuinely beautiful lined with cherry blossoms in early spring. September and October are equally good — summer crowds have thinned, wine festival season kicks off, and the autumn light on the Buda Castle district is hard to beat. October temperatures hover around 10–18°C, which is perfect for walking the city's hills.
June through August is busy and can get hot — upper 20s Celsius, occasionally touching 35°C in July. It's still a great time to visit if you like outdoor ruin bars, the Sziget Festival (mid-August), and long evenings on the Danube promenade, but book accommodation well ahead and expect higher prices across the board. November through February is cold — Budapest winters are proper Central European ones, with January averaging around -1°C and real snow. That said, the Christmas markets on Vörösmarty Square (late November through December) are genuinely lovely and cheaper to visit than Vienna or Prague equivalents. January and February are the quietest and cheapest months, though some outdoor attractions scale back.
Getting Around Budapest
From the airport, your main options are the 100E airport express bus (around 1,200 HUF, roughly €3) running directly to Deák Ferenc tér in the city centre, or a licensed taxi which should cost around 8,000–10,000 HUF (€20–25) — always use the official Főtaxi stands outside arrivals, not street touts. Uber operates in Budapest too. The city's public transport network is excellent. The BKK metro has four lines covering all the major areas, trams run along both sides of the Danube, and the network runs until around midnight with night buses covering the gaps. A 24-hour travel card costs around 2,500 HUF (€6.50), which pays for itself quickly. Cycling is increasingly viable — Budapest has expanded its bike lane network, and MOL Bubi bike-share stations are scattered across the city.
Where to Stay in Budapest
The city is split by the Danube into Buda (hilly, quieter, residential) and Pest (flat, busy, where most of the action is). For first-timers, District V (Belváros) puts you near the Parliament, the Chain Bridge, and the main sights — expect mid-range hotels from €70–120 per night. District VII (the Jewish Quarter) is where the ruin bars are and has the best hostel and budget hotel scene, with dorm beds from €15 and solid private rooms from €45. It's lively but can be noisy on weekends. District II on the Buda side is quieter and residential — better for longer stays or if you want a local feel. Luxury stays cluster in Belváros and along the Danube — the Four Seasons at Gresham Palace and the Párisi Udvar Hotel are the flagship options, typically €250–400 per night.
Top Things to Do in Budapest
- Thermal Baths: Széchenyi (the grand yellow one in City Park), Rudas (Ottoman architecture, rooftop pool at night), and Gellért (art nouveau grandeur) are all worth your time. Entry runs €20–30 depending on the day and package.
- Buda Castle District: Take the funicular up from the Chain Bridge or walk from the south. Fisherman's Bastion gives you the best panoramic view of Pest and the Parliament building across the river.
- Ruin Bars: Szimpla Kert in District VII started the movement and is still worth seeing, though it's busy. Fogasház and Instant are solid alternatives for a night out that feels genuinely local.
- Hungarian Parliament Building: The interior tour is genuinely impressive — book online in advance. The exterior from across the Danube at dusk is one of the great city views in Europe.
- Great Market Hall: On the Pest side of Liberty Bridge. Three floors of produce, paprika, lángos, and embroidery. Go on a weekday morning for a more authentic feel and actually talk to the vendors.
- Day Trip to the Danube Bend: Visegrád, Esztergom, and Szentendre are all within 40–90 minutes by train or ferry. Szentendre in particular — a small baroque town with a strong Serbian heritage — is worth a half day.
Practical Travel Tips
Visa: EU passport holders need no visa. UK citizens can visit Hungary for up to 90 days without a visa under current post-Brexit arrangements, though always check gov.uk for the latest. Hungary is a Schengen member, so your Schengen entry counts across all member states. Currency: Hungary uses the Hungarian Forint (HUF), not the Euro. Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for markets, smaller restaurants, and taxis. ATMs are plentiful — use bank-affiliated machines and decline the dynamic currency conversion option. Tipping: 10–15% is standard in restaurants. Some places add a service charge automatically — check the bill. Safety: Budapest is generally safe, including at night. The main things to watch are pickpockets in tourist-heavy areas like the Castle District and the metro, and the occasional overpriced tourist trap restaurant near the main sights. Stick to places without laminated picture menus outside and you'll eat better and cheaper.
FAQ — Flights to Budapest
How much do flights to Budapest cost?
From within Europe, return flights to Budapest typically cost between €60 and €180 depending on origin, airline, and how far in advance you book. From London, you can realistically find returns under £80 with Wizz Air or Ryanair if you book six or more weeks out. Prices spike in July and August and around major festivals. The cheapest windows tend to be January through early March and mid-November.
Which airlines fly to Budapest?
Wizz Air and Ryanair cover the widest range of European routes into Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport. easyJet flies from several UK and Western European cities. For full-service options, Lufthansa connects via Frankfurt and Munich, Austrian Airlines via Vienna, and British Airways from London Heathrow. KLM operates a route via Amsterdam. For connections from outside Europe, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Amsterdam are the most practical hubs.
What is the cheapest month to fly to Budapest?
January and February are consistently the cheapest months for flights to Budapest — demand is low and airlines drop fares accordingly. November (outside the Christmas market peak) is also competitive. If you need shoulder season value with decent weather, early October and late March tend to offer the best balance of low prices and pleasant conditions.
How long is the flight to Budapest from London?
Direct flights from London to Budapest take approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. From London Luton (the main Wizz Air hub for this route) or Stansted with Ryanair, you're looking at around 2 hours 20–35 minutes in the air. From Frankfurt it's about 1 hour 45 minutes, from Vienna just over 1 hour, and from Amsterdam around 2 hours 15 minutes.