Hungarian Grand Prix ⋅ Getting to the Hungaroring

Arrival in Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix

by Plane

Most international visitors at the Hungarian Grand Prix arrive at Hungary’s primary airport, the Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport. About 20km from the city centre, the airport mostly handles arrivals from within Europe on a number of budjet airlines such as Easy Jet, Ryanair and WizzAir.

An alternative preferred by some fans is to avail of cheaper flights to Vienna and travel to Budapest overland.

by Train

Getting to Budapest by train for the Grand Prix is easy and with the convenience of travelling city centre to city centre it is in many cases preferable to flying. There are four main train stations in the city but most international trains will arrive at Keleti station, near the M3 metro line, from where it’s an easy couple of transfers to get to the circuit.

Driving Directions to the Hungarian Grand Prix

From north and east…

take the M3 towards Budapest. Take exit 23 to Mogyorod and from there follow the signs to the Hungaroring

From the south…

Take either the M5, M6 or M7 to Budapest and from there follow signs to the M3.
After 7.7km on the M3 take the Hungaroring exit and follow signs to the circuit.

From the west…

take the M1 to Budapest and follow signs to the M3.
take the Hungaroring exit and follow signs to the circuit.

Parking at the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix

Free parking is available at the circuit for all ticket holders on a first come first serve basis. The regular parking can not be reserved, but VIP parking which is complementary to VIP Tribune pass holders is available to pre-book and includes access to the VIP lane making getting to and from the circuit in the heavy traffic somewhat more comfortable.

Getting Around Budapest, to and from the Airport and Going to the Hungarian Grand Prix using Public Transport

Though in need of modernising, Budapest’s public transit system comprising bus, metro, tram, taxi, river boat and train is sprawling and well developed. There are numerous ticket types and travel cards which work with several of these networks.

Single tickets for 350HUF can be used for any journey in the city that lasts no longer than 80 minutes from validation and is limited to one transfer. Save money by buying a book of 10 for 3000HUF. Always validate the ticket you want to use before entering the carriage or face a hefty fine if caught with an un-stamped ticket.

24 hour, 72 hour and 1 week travel cards can be bought and allow unlimited travel for the time specified. These have the added benefit of not requiring validation.

There are a number of options for getting to the circuit but be advised that some involve a pretty long walk in potentially very hot conditions.

Metro and Suburban Railway (HEV)

For many F1 fans, in Budapest for the race weekend only you’ll find you can get about and to and from the Grand Prix on the metro and HEV alone.

There are 4 metro lines in Budapest and it is an effective way of getting around the city, particularly on the Pest side of the river.

There are also a couple of suburban railways called the HEV which connects with the M2 Metro line for trips outside of the city centre. Trips on the HEV are not covered by travelcards.

…for the Airport

The city’s metro M3 (blue line) network can be reached from the airport by bus in about 25 minutes on bus 200E.

…for the Grand Prix

Taking the metro and suburban HEV trains to the circuit means you’ll have a bit of a walk in potentially very hot weather, before sitting around in said hot weather for several hours. Not for everyone but does only cost about a Euro and is infinitely more comfortable than the shuttle bus.

Take the metro M2 (red line) to the end of the line and walk a couple of minutes to Ors Vezer HEV station. From here take HEV train H8 towards Gödöllő and get off at either Szilasliget for gates 3 to 8 and the main gate or Mogyorod station for gates 2 to 3. From either station it’s about 25 – 30 minutes on foot to the gates of the circuit.

The whole trip including the walk takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, though allow at least 2 hours journey time on a Grand Prix weekend. If taking the train on the return trip I would advise walking to Mogyorod station where less fans will be and you’ll have less of a wait.

Taxi

Budapest’s yellow taxis can be a useful way to get around especially in the absence of a metro line. City centre rides are usually no longer than 25 minutes, charge 280HUF/km and a starting fee of 450HUF. Try to use only trusted taxi companies (some are listed below) and insist that the meter be on, or agree a price in advance.

…for the Airport

Getting from the airport to downtown Budapest should cost no more than 10,000HUF using the taxi company contracted by the airport. Don’t be tempted by the taxi touts who may approach you in arrivals as they are likely to overcharge. Instead, go outside to the taxi booth and pre-purchase your ride from the taxi dispatcher and take the voucher they give you to the taxi driver they direct you to.

…for the Grand Prix

For getting to the circuit taking a taxi is one of the better ways as you’ll get much closer and not have a long, hot walk. Getting back though, the wait for a taxi can be about an hour, so whether you want to wait or take a train is up to you. Only certain companies are permitted to use the VIP lane that gets you right to the circuit gates so be sure to book your ride with one of the companies listed below. Taxi’s to the Hungaroring used to operate on a fixed rate but now use a meter and should cost between 30 and 40 Euro.

Bus

For anywhere in Budapest not covered by the metro, there will almost certainly be a bus route that can take you there and might be useful to reach your accommodation or an out of the way tourist attraction. Usual services run until about 11PM and a night bus service runs through the night. As with the metro always validate your ticket before boarding.

…for the Airport

From the airport to downtown, take public bus no. 200E from outside the terminal. You can opt to get off at the metro M3 (blue line), or connect with another bus route to continue to your destination.

…for the Grand Prix

Most years the organisers of the Grand Prix provide a free shuttle bus for F1 ticket holders, to and from the centre of Budapest on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Free is always nice but it should be pointed out that you get what you pay for and any fan who has taken the free grand prix shuttle to the Hungaroring swears they won’t again.

Don’t let that put you off though, if you’re getting to the track very early in the morning to get the best spot, the bus won’t be too crowded. After the race though a mix of poorly organized lines and overcrowding makes the shuttle something to avoid.

The bus leaves from the Stadion Bus Station near Budapest’s main Keleti train station and Puskás Ferenc metro (line 2). It drops fans off about a 20 minute walk away from the circuit gates in the centre of Mogyoród.

Another free bus service runs between Mogyoród town centre and Mogyoród HEV train station.

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I’m Danny, an incurable Formula 1 fan for over 25 years and founder of The F1 Spectator. My aim is to inform and inspire, arming you with helpful tips and advice for your next F1 trip.

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