I hear many of you are coming to Budapest. Here’s a quick overview and collection of links to help you easily get to Flock’s venue (district XIII, Kárpát utca 62-64).

From Airport By Taxi

You’ll easily find the official spot where yellow taxis pick up passengers. There’s a booth where they ask for your destination, and then tell you which taxi to take.

Taxis operate with fixed fares. Trips from the airport to the hotel should cost approximately HUF 8000-10000 (around 30 EUR or USD).

All taxis must accept Mastercard and Visa in addition to Hungarian Forint.

Airport Shuttle

The official minibus service endorsed by the airport is miniBUD. The price is HUF 4900 one way to the hotel or HUF 8800 for return trip. Needs to be booked online in advance. See the FAQ on their homepage for more info.

Public Transport

Generic Info

Getting to the hotel, and around in the city for some sightseeing or evenings out should be pretty convenient using public transport. The transport company is called BKK. For generic information, check out a nice Practical Guide, static maps, timetables, etc. Real-time schedule information and route planning is available on their BKK Futár web page and free mobile app, as well as on Google Maps. (Remember that there are no data roaming costs between EU countries.)

Take a quick look at the ticket and pass types. Unless you’re planning to stay at the hotel most of the time, the most convenient choice is probably the 5x24h or the 7-day travelcard (HUF 4550 / 4950). Other possibilities include single tickets (HUF 350; valid for one trip of arbitrary length on one vehicle, except on metro where it lets you transfer between lines), block of 10 thereof (HUF 3000), or transfer tickets (for two consecutive vehicles, HUF 530).

Buy these tickets or travelcard from purple ticket vending machines all across the city, or purple ticket offices at some major locations (you can also grab some printed maps there). Both choices should speak English, and accept bank cards (Visa and Mastercard family, including contactless payment) in addition to local cash. Watch the TVM instructional video for an easter egg.

The hotel and conference venue is located near the northern segment of metro line M3. Note that the southern segment of M3 (the one towards the airport) is closed due to renovation. On Sunday, Aug 11, the middle segment (under downtown) will also be closed. See here or here for details about the closure, with an additional twist: Saturday, Aug 10 will count as weekday.

If you’re coming from the airport or any of the major train stations, you’ll need to find your way to metro line M3 and take it northbound (towards “Újpest-központ”). Get off at “Dózsa György út” station. The hotel is a 600m walk on “Dráva utca”. Optionally hop on trolleybus 75 for one stop.

From the Airport

Buy your tickets or pass from the BKK stand in the arrival hall, or from TVMs outside the terminal at the bus stop.

Option 1: Take express bus 100E to the city center (timetable; special fare of HUF 900 applies, no other ticket or pass is valid; this ticket can also be purchased via a brand new pilot mobile app). Get off at the first stop “Kálvin tér” or the final stop “Deák Ferenc tér”. Take metro line M3 from here and follow the steps above.

Option 2: Take the not-so-express bus 200E (timetable; regular fares apply) to its final station “Nagyvárad tér”. From here take metro line M3, and follow the steps above.

100E is supposed to be a fast way to get to the city center, whereas 200E is slower near the airport with its intermediate stops. However, since you change to the same metro line anyway, there shouldn’t be much difference in time; in fact, you might avoid high traffic and also save money – although miss out on some sightseeing – with the more frequently running 200E.

See here for a more detailed description of these two options, and also night time alternatives.

Back to the Airport

If leaving on Sunday, keep in mind that the middle segment of M3 will be replaced by buses. You can take the metro for one stop from the hotel to “Lehel tér” and here change to the replacement bus (you can validate the other end of the same single ticket then), followed by bus 100E or 200E. Or you can take bus 15/115 or even walk from the hotel to “Lehel tér” and then take the metro replacement bus. Alternatively, take bus 15/115 to “Kálvin tér” and change to 100E.

On any other day, just take the metro from the hotel and change to 100E or 200E.

From “Déli” Railway Station

The BKK customer service center is on the underground level, at the metro entrance.

Take metro M2, then change to M3 and follow the steps above.

From “Kelenföld” Railway Station

If your train stops as “Kelenföld” and then continues to “Keleti”, it’s most likely faster to get off here.

There are two underpasses, an old and a new one. Take the new one (it’ll be obvious). The BKK customer service center is at the end towards the higher numbered platforms.

Take metro M4, then change to M3 and follow the steps above.

From “Keleti” Railway Station

The BKK customer service center is on the underground level, under the railway station building’s front.

Take metro M2 towards “Déli pályaudvar” (or metro M4), then change to M3 and follow the steps above.

Alternatively, trolleybus 79 provides a direct connection from the railway station to near the hotel (operates on weekdays only, until 8pm). Hop on between Burger King and KFC, get off at the M3 station “Dózsa György út M”; or the final station (continue walking forward, then left on “Kárpát utca”).

From “Nyugati” Railway Station.

There’s no BKK customer service center here, just a small counter next to the metro main entrance (plus TVMs).

Take M3 for two stops; or just walk for about half an hour, ideally mostly along the Danube.

After a night out

There’s an extensive nighttime network every day, replacing the daytime services at around 23:30. Regular fares apply.

Tram 4-6 keeps operating throughout the night on Grand Boulevard with a frequency of 10 minutes, the hotel is walkable distance from here. Bus 950/950A runs every 30 minutes through downtown (“Astoria”: the transfer hub of night buses, “Deák Ferenc tér”, “Nyugati” railway station) and then along M3.

Accessibility

Stations of metro lines M1, M2 and M3 need to be accessed via stairs or escalators. Stations of M4 have lifts.

In case you cannot or prefer not to go underground and take the (non-airconditioned) M3, bus lines 15/115 might be a great choice. Get on e.g. at “Kálvin tér” under the pink hotel’s bridge, or at “Erzsébet tér” which is a short walk from “Deák Ferenc tér” passing by the giant wheel. Get off at “Dráva utca” for the hotel.

See you there soon!