Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

HUNGARY 387

morn ings. Visitors should
be prepared to wait as service
is slow and there are often
long queues.

ARRIVING BY AIR

Budapest’s international
airport is Ferihegy Airport,
located 16 km (10 miles)
from the city centre. British
Airways and Malév, the
Hungarian national airline,
each operate three daily
scheduled flights from
London. Many low-cost
airlines also operate daily
flights from London. Malév
also runs direct scheduled
flights between New York’s
JFK airport and Budapest.
Other major airlines flying
from the US and Canada to
Hungary include Air France,
British Airways, KLM,
Lufthansa and Northwest
Airlines, although services
entail a transfer or touch
down at another European
city. Many low-cost airlines
also operate daily flights from
London. The Airport Minibus
Shuttle takes passengers from

the airport to any address in the capital. Taxis are also a quick and comfortable way of getting into the city.

RAIL TRAVEL

The Hungarian national rail network is efficient, reliable and punctual. Budapest has direct rail links to 25 other capital cities, with Keleti Pu Station handling the majority of international traffic. High- speed trains to Vienna, the main communica tions hub for Western Europe, depart every 3 hours approxi mately and take about 2 hours, 25 minutes to get there. Almost all trains within Hungary are operated by Magyar Államvasutak (MÁV), a state-owned company that offers excellent value for money. There are different types of local trains, each catego rized according to its speed: személy (slow), sebes (speedy) or gyors (fast). There are also modern Intercity services between Budapest and the larger cities. A num ber

of concessionary fares are available for those plann ing extensive rail travel within the country. European Rail Passes (Eurail) are also valid.

TRAVELLING BY BUS

Buses to all European destinations depart from Népliget Station. Within Hungary, the state-owned Volánbusz company operates an exten sive network of buses to most cities and towns.

TRAVELLING BY CAR

Although the government has recently invested in a new motor way network, many towns are still only connected by single-lane roads. To hire a car, visitors should be aged 21 or over and they must have held a valid driving license for at least a year. An interna tional driving licence is also useful. Most of the interna tional car hire firms have offices at the airport in Budapest, and rentals can also be arranged through travel agencies and at hotels.

Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

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