How To Reach Hungary

An central-European country that is locked by land on all sides, Hungary is enriched by the mighty River Danube cutting across its heart. The cities of Hungary are a mix of baroque structures and contemporary buildings, housing some landmark palaces and bridges as well as spas and parks. So what would a visit to Hungary be like? It would be a mix of sightseeing and relaxation at its best, in an environment of unparalleled man-made ancient beauty. To know how to reach Hungary swiftly, cheaply and conveniently, read on.

Fly to Hungary’s capital city Budapest’s Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport or Airport Debrecen of the city by the same name from India.  Air India, Jet Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa etc run one-stop flights from cites like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. Once in Hungary, you will need to arrange your transfer from the airport to your hotel by hired cars or hailing cabs. For domestic travel within Hungary, flights are a good option too - Ryanair, Airberlin, Germanwings etc. They are low cost and regular.

Hungary is a part of the Schengen Agreement, which means all travellers coming in from Schengen countries get the least amount of checks and frisking. For non-Schengen traveler there are longer protocols when crossing the border (by bus or cars). You can cross into Hungarian borders from countries like Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia and Romania. Several bus operators have regular buses to Budapest from Austria, Czech Republic, Germany and Poland too. You will find tickets online for each. Two famous bus operators in the area are Orangeways and Volˆnbusz (national bus company).

Budapest marks the hub of all rail lines in the country and also the centre of all East-European rail travel routes. You will hence find regular frequent trains from Budapest to almost all European countries like Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Austria, Serbia, Ukraine, Switzerland etc.

Getting around in Hungary is a fairly convenient task, mainly due to its well developed public transport system. You will find buses, trams, metros and taxis in almost all cities. The bigger cities like Budapest will require you to use trams and metros or cars, but the smaller, provincial towns are best treaded on foot. One very cool means of travel is by boat or ferry systems on River Danube in Budapest as well as in Lake Balaton. These rides are more for amusement than to move from point A to B.

As for taxis, the drivers are usually errant and unscrupulous so it is best if you call a taxi company instead of just hailing one down the road. Hitch-hiking is not recommended.