Hungarian Grand Prix ⋅ Getting to the Hungaroring

Located on the eastern city limits of Budapest near the town of Mogyorod and about 20 km away from the city centre.

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 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.

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. 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. 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

Now with shuttle buses connecting local train and metro 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. The best part is it only costs about a Euro.

Start by taking the metro M2 (red line) to Örs vezét tere at the end of the line. From here you have several options:

• Take the shuttle bus directly from here to the circuit.
• 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 and get off at Kerepes station where there is another shuttle bus service.
• Following the previous step, 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) and walk to the track. From either station it’s about 25 – 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 (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 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, luxury sedans all the way up 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 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 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, 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

There are two free shuttle bus services running between the circuit and nearby transport hubs of Örs vezét tere (metro, line 2) and Kerepes HÉV station. These are easy to reach on the metro and HEV networks.

These replace the free shuttle bus that in previous years connected the Hungaroring with central Budapest and will likely be a welcome change from what was a long journey.

At the Hungaroring, buses drop off and pick fans up from gate 3, near turn 10 in the infield section of the circuit.

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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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