The Hungaroring is located on the eastern city limits of Budapest near the town of Mogyorod and about 20 km away from the city centre. Most fans make use of metro and suburban rail (HEV) to get to the Grand Prix and a free shuttle bus is provided.
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 (BUD). 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 by bus or train.
Kiwi.com lets you search for the lowest-cost flights and shows you route combinations that often don’t show up on other search engines. If you miss a connecting flight due to a delay the Kiwi guarantee means you can take the next available flight at no extra cost.
See below for information on getting from the airport to the city.
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, on the M3 metro line.
You can search train schedules across multiple operators simultaneously to and from just about any station in Europe using Omio (formerly GoEuro) and purchase tickets for the same cost as buying direct from the train lines.
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. With announcements in English and Hungarian and screens that display the next station, it’s also very easy to use.
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.
…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 (see the bus section below).
…for the Grand Prix
Now with shuttle buses connecting local train stations to the circuit, it’s easier than ever to include the metro and suburban HEV trains as part of your Grand Prix daily commute. There are extra HEV trains on an F1 weekend and the whole journey only costs about a Euro.
Start by taking the metro M2 (red line) to Örs vezét tere at the end of the line. Following the red S8 signs, walk a couple of minutes through the underpass to Örs vezét tere HEV station. At the station you’ll see two platforms – one for S8 and one for S9. The destination of the train will be clearly indicated on the front of the wagon. Take HEV train H8 towards Gödöllő. There are then a couple of options:
Get off at Kerepes station where there is a free shuttle bus service to the circuit.
If you want to forego waiting for the bus in favour of a pleasant walk you could choose to get off at Szilasliget (for gates 3 to 8 and the main gate) or Mogyorod station (for gates 2 to 3). These are both closer to the track than Kerepes – about 25 to 30 minutes on foot to the gates of the circuit.
You can use the same standard ticket for the HEV train as long as it’s still valid. You’ll also need to have a ‘supplemental ticket’ which you can buy from the conductor or at the ticket kiosk near the platform.
You should allow about 90 minutes to 2 hours for the total journey time including waiting for the shuttle bus or walking.
If taking the train on the return trip it may be quicker to walk to Mogyorod station where less fans will be and you’ll have less of a wait.
See the bus section below for more information on the shuttle bus and the schedule.
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 and insist that the meter be on, or agree a price in advance if you know how much you should pay.
…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 that they direct you to.
For the most stress-free arrival, book a ride in advance with global airport transfer specialists Kiwitaxi.com, and your driver will be ready and waiting for you. They offer a range of vehicle types depending on your needs, from budget small cars and luxury sedans to 16-seater minibuses.
…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 to walk far in the hot sun. Ride hailing app Bolt is the official taxi partner of the Hungarian Grand Prix and so are permitted to use the VIP lane that gets you right to the circuit gates.
On the way back, unless you pre-booked a taxi, the wait can be about an hour, so whether you want to wait or take a train is up to you. Search for Bolt in the Apple app store or the Play store or visit their website where you can find out more or book a ride online.
Bus
For anywhere in Budapest not covered by the metro, there will almost certainly be a bus route that can take you where you want to go and might be useful to reach your accommodation or an out of the way tourist attraction. Usual services run until about 11pm and some night bus services run through the night. As with the metro always validate your ticket when boarding a bus.
…for the Airport
From the airport to downtown there are no metro or train connections. Instead take the 100E Airport Shuttle Bus and get off in the centre of Budapest at the Deák Ferenc tér metro station (M1 and M2 lines). You could also take public bus no. 200E. This is cheaper but doesn’t go into the city centre, instead terminating near the Kőbánya-Kispest metro station on the M3 line. These buses depart from outside the terminal (look for the ticket machines as you exit the arrivals hall).
…for the Grand Prix
National bus company Volánbusz provide a free shuttle bus service between Kerepes HÉV station, the circuit and Gödöllő station for the return leg.
At the Hungaroring, buses drop off and pick fans up from gate 3, near turn 10. Buses run frequently during peak times and the Sunday return bus will continue to run based on demand.
I’m Danny, an incurable Formula 1 fan for over 30 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.
