Travel around by bus

All buses from abroad now arrive at Népliget Bus Station, phone: 264 39 39. Open 6:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 06:00 – 16:00. This station is located in district X. (eastern Pest), near Népliget metro station (red line).

Hungary’s Volan buses are a good alternative to the trains, and bus fares are only slightly more expensive than comparable 2nd-class train fares (the website of Volan is unfortunately in Hungarian).

There are three important bus stations in Budapest. Most buses to Western Europe as well as to Prague, Bratislava, Slovenia and Croatia leave from the international bus station at Erzsébet tér (metro: Deák tér). There’s a left-luggage office inside the station open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Some buses for Eastern Europe and destinations east of the Danube as well as Turkey and Sweden leave from the bus station at Stadionok, XIV Hungária körút 48-52 (metro: Stadionok The left-luggage office there keeps the same hours as the one at Erzsébet tér.

Buses to the Danube Bend leave from the bus station next to Árpád híd metro station.

In southern Transdanubia or parts of the Great Plain, buses are essential unless you are prepared to make several time-consuming changes on the train. For short trips on the Danube Bend or Lake Balaton areas, buses are recommended. If you have a front seat, you’ll see more from the bus than you would from the train, though you may be a little cramped. Seats on Volan buses are spaced far enough apart for you to be able to fit your pack between your knees, however. Tickets are usually available from the driver, but ask at the station to be sure. There are sometimes queues for intercity buses so it’s wise to arrive at the bus stop early.

Bus timetables are clearly posted at stations and stops. Some footnotes you could come across include
naponta (daily),
hetkoznap (weekdays),
munkanapokon (on workdays)
munkaszuneti napok kivetelevel (daily except holidays),
szabadnap kivetelevel naponta (daily except Saturday ),
szabad es munkaszuneti napokon (on Saturday and holidays),
munkaszuneti napokon (on holidays),
iskolai napokon (on school days)
and szabadnap (on Saturday).

A few large bus stations have luggage rooms.