The answer matters—and it isn't the same for everyone. A family living in downtown Budapest faces a completely different situation than one departing from Debrecen or even Bratislava. In this article, we'll compare the three most common options using a practical example, so you can see which one really makes the most sense—not only in terms of cost, but also when it comes to convenience and stress.
Own car, taxi or public transport? Here's how to get the whole family to the airport! What does it really cost?
Our example: 2 adults + 2 children (under 14), a 6-day holiday. Prices reflect June 2026 conditions and are indicative only; it's always worth checking the current rates.
1. Departing from Budapest
From the capital all three options are genuine choices, so here it really comes down to the balance between comfort and price.
A) Own car + parking
The airport sits on the south-eastern edge of the city, roughly 20 km from a downtown address. That's about 40 km round trip, which — with an average family car consuming 7 l/100 km and a petrol price of around HUF 600/litre — works out to just HUF 1,500–2,000 in fuel.
On top of that comes parking for 6 days. The key here is where you park: the airport's own car park is usually far more expensive for 6 days than a nearby partner car park with a shuttle service. On ParkoLow.hu you can book parking for July 2026, 6 days, 4 people, with a free airport shuttle from as little as HUF 9,000 — and with a single search you can compare the prices of all the car parks near the airport.
So this solution is available from around HUF 11,000. The real advantage, though, isn't (just) the price: from your door to the car park, then a few-minute shuttle to the terminal, zero transfers, and all your suitcases travel in the boot.
B) Taxi
The taxi ride between downtown and the airport typically costs HUF 8,000–12,000 per trip depending on traffic, so round trip that's around HUF 16,000–24,000. The taxi is the fastest (25–35 minutes), but also the most expensive option. With four people plus luggage you sometimes need a bigger car, possibly an extra child seat in the taxi, and for the return trip you either book in advance or queue at the airport taxi rank.
C) Public transport — the 100E airport bus
The 100E express bus directly connects downtown (Deák tér, Kálvin tér) with Terminal 2. The airport line ticket is HUF 2,500/person, but children under 14 travel free. So the two adults pay HUF 5,000 per trip, or HUF 10,000 round trip. If you have a Budapest (or county/national) pass, the supplementary airport ticket is only HUF 1,000/person, so for two adults round trip it's just HUF 4,000.
The 100E is cheap and direct, but to reach the stop you first have to get into the city centre; the journey takes 35–40 minutes, and with four people and luggage the bus isn't always comfortable — especially with small children.
Getting to the airport from downtown Budapest, for a 6-day holiday
| Mode | Estimated cost (round trip) | Time | Verdikt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own car + parking | from HUF 11,000 | ~30 min + shuttle | Door to gate, luggage in the boot |
| Taxi | HUF 16,000–24,000 | 25–35 min | Fast, but the most expensive |
| 100E bus | HUF 4,000–10,000 | 35–40 min + connection | Cheapest, but transfers and lugging bags |
The takeaway: In Budapest the 100E is the cheapest (especially with a pass), but the own car + nearby airport parking is surprisingly competitive on price, and beats everything else hands down on comfort if you're travelling with small children and suitcases.
2. From a regional city (example: Debrecen, ~225 km)
Here the picture changes completely. Take Debrecen, which is roughly 225 km from the airport by road.
Taxi? Forget it
Taxi tariffs in Hungary are standardised and distance-based (about HUF 1,100 base fare + HUF 440/km). From Debrecen to the airport that would be roughly HUF 100,000 one way — meaning round trip it would reach HUF 200,000. From farther away, a taxi is simply not an option.
Public transport — and the mandatory transfer to the airport bus
This is the point many people underestimate. From the countryside you cannot travel directly to the airport by train or long-distance bus. The journey has two parts:
- Train Debrecen → Budapest: at full price about HUF 4,000/adult, children under 14 free. So for the two adults round trip it's around HUF 16,000, with a one-way journey time of ~2 hours 35 minutes.
- Transfer in Budapest to the airport bus: from the railway station you have to get to the 100E (HUF 2,500/person, children free → HUF 10,000 round trip for the two adults), or use the 200E + metro combination (cheaper, with a ticket of about HUF 500, but with an extra transfer, via Kőbánya-Kispest).
Total: about HUF 26,000 (train + 100E, round trip, children free) — plus getting to the Debrecen railway station. In terms of time, however, realistically it's 4+ hours door to gate, with two transfers and four people's luggage. With small children, that's a tiring day.
Own car + parking
- Fuel: 450 km round trip, ~7 l/100 km, ~HUF 600/l → around HUF 19,000.
- Motorway vignette: if you don't have an annual one, a 10-day (weekly) national e-vignette currently costs HUF 6,900 (it's worth checking the exact current price). If you have an annual vignette, this item is 0.
- Parking for 6 days at a partner car park near the airport: on ParkoLow.hu, for 6 days, 4 people, with a free airport shuttle, from as little as HUF 9,000.
Total: from around HUF 34,000 (with a 10-day vignette), or from around HUF 28,000 if you already have an annual vignette.
Getting to the airport from Debrecen, for a 6-day holiday
| Mode | Estimated cost (round trip) | Time | Verdikt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi | ~HUF 200,000 | ~2.5 hours | Unrealistic price |
| Train + 100E | ~HUF 26,000 | 4+ hours, 2 transfers | Cheaper, but tiring |
| Own car + parking | from HUF 28,000 | ~2.5–3 hours, 0 transfers | From your door to the car park, with all your luggage |
The takeaway: From the countryside the taxi is out, and while public transport is cheaper, the mandatory Budapest transfer to the 100E or 200E bus eats up a lot of time and energy — especially with children and suitcases. The own car + nearby airport parking is often the best compromise: similar in price magnitude, but with no rival on comfort.
3. Bonus: Departing from Bratislava (for Slovak / Romanian travellers)
A great many people fly from Budapest airport from Slovakia and Romania too — simply because more destinations and often cheaper tickets are available from Budapest than from the nearer airports. Bratislava is roughly 200 km from the airport by road, so it's worth looking at the figures for this case as well (in euros too).
Own car + parking
- Fuel: ~400 km round trip, ~7 l/100 km, calculated at market price → about HUF 20,000 (~€50).
- Hungarian motorway vignette: needed for the Hungarian section, a 10-day one is about HUF 6,900 (~€18).
- Parking for 6 days on ParkoLow: for 4 people, with a free airport shuttle, from as little as HUF 9,000 (from ~€23).
Total: from around HUF 35,000 (from ~€90), straight to the terminal, with no transfers.
FlixBus — straight to the terminal
Unlike the Hungarian regional cities, from Bratislava there's a direct bus all the way to Terminal 2 (FlixBus, several services a day, ~2 hours 45 minutes). Booked in advance, the ticket starts from as little as €8–10/person; realistically, at a family price, round trip for four people it's around €90–110 (~HUF 35,000–43,000). The big advantage: there's no Budapest transfer to the 100E — you arrive straight at the airport.
Getting to the airport from Bratislava, for a 6-day holiday
| Mode | Estimated cost (round trip) | Time | Verdikt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own car + parking | from ~€90 | ~2 hours + shuttle | From your door to the car park |
| FlixBus (direct) | ~€90–110 | ~2 hours 45 min | Straight to the terminal, no transfers |
| Taxi | unrealistic | – | Ruled out on a per-km basis |
The takeaway: From Bratislava both the own car + parking and the direct FlixBus are good solutions, at a similar price level. If you want the comfort and flexibility of a car (your own schedule, all your luggage), parking is the winner — and here too ParkoLow.hu shows you which car park near the airport is the cheapest for your chosen dates.
Which should you choose?
- As a Budapest resident, is price your top priority? The 100E airport bus is the cheapest, especially with a pass. But if you're travelling with small children and lots of luggage, the own car + nearby airport parking is far more comfortable for a similar amount.
- From the countryside? The taxi is out, the train + airport bus is cheap, but the Budapest transfer makes it tiring. The own car + parking is often the best value-for-money choice.
- From Bratislava (or across the border)? Both the direct FlixBus and the own car + parking work — choose whichever better suits your schedule and luggage.
There's one thing common to every scenario: if you go by car, parking is the item where you can save the most — provided you don't pull into the airport's own, pricier car park, but instead compare the partner car parks near the airport. On ParkoLow, for example, for a 6-day holiday for 4 people — with a free airport shuttle — you can find parking from as little as HUF 9,000 in July 2026.
Don't suffer with airport parking. Compare 31 car parks and book now — ParkoLow.hu.
Prices are based on June 2026 data and are indicative only. Ticket, fuel, vignette and parking fees may change; always check the current prices before booking. Sources: BKK, MÁV, NAV fuel price, Főtaxi, FlixBus, National Toll Payment Services.