Travel & Visa

Visa and customs information

Customs information for Hungary

Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Since that date Hungary has adopted the customs regulation of the European Union. Detailed information about travel documents and customs can be found in this booklet published by the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard, providing useful information for tourists travelling within the European Union or travelling from a non-community country (third country) to any Member State of the European Union. For further information about the custom procedures, please consult the homepage of the Hungarian customs authority.

Visa information for Hungary

Hungary is part of the Schengen Area of 25 European countries. For non-Schengen EU, USA and Canadian citizens a valid passport is sufficient to enter Hungary. Citizens of other countries should check whether visa is needed for them when entering Hungary (for more information please visit the home page of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Hungary). On request, the Organizing Committee will issue invitation letters for visa applications, by default in a scanned PDF format, which should normally be sufficient for the visa application. Please indicate if you need the paper format, in which case you are requested to cover the costs of the shipment (via normal post, which can take long in case of some countries, or via DHL). Please apply in due time for a visa if necessary. Please indicate during the registration if you need a personal invitation to attend the conference. It is important to note that a visa is only a preliminary permission for entry, which does not authorise its bearer automatically to enter the country.

Travel to the region

General information

The region is in between the former West and East, there is easy access from both sides, and also from other continents. For travel to Budapest there are several good options. The international airport of Budapest (terminals 2A, 2B) connects the city directly to some overseas and to all important European destinations. The three main railway stations (Déli, Keleti, Nyugati) are either terminations or stops of many intercity trains from west and east, south and north. There are several international coach services to Budapest. Motorists can also reach Budapest easily on the European motorway network. One can even travel to Budapest by boat.

Travel to Budapest by air

There are daily direct flights from most European and from some North American cities. Liszt Ferenc Airport is situated on the SE margin of Budapest, 20 km from the city centre and is a popular destination for many low fare air carriers. Budapest airport has two terminals (practically one large, as 2B is directly connected to 2A),

Terminal 2A: for international flights arriving from the Schengen zone
Terminal 2B: for flights arriving from the non-schengen zone, departure terminal for budget airlines

Getting to the hotel from the airport:

  • By airport shuttle: you can book a minibus transfer directly to the hotel upon your arrival, at the luggage pick-up hall. It will cost 3900 HUF (about 14 EUR). The operators will group a few passengers going to nearby destinations, the shuttle will go to each destinations in a sequence. Expected waiting time is about 10 minutes.
  • By taxi. Főtaxi has exclusive rights for operation of a taxi service from (and to) the airport. The taxi fares are centrally regulated, no fixed, shuttle or pre-agreed prices are available any more. The total charge that has to be paid by the passenger is made up of three separate parts: the basic charge, which is irrespective of how far the journey is, presently HUF 450 during day and night, a per kilometre charge HUF 280/km, and the waiting charge which is HUF 70/min It should cost roughly 7500 HUF to the hotel. To avoid arguing with taxi drivers, you can purchase a pre-paid ride at the taxi booth at the exit of the airport
  • By public transport: take bus 200E to its terminal station Kőbánya Kispest (20 minutes), then take metro M3 to Dózsa György út (14 stops, about 25 minutes). Walk to the hotel. You will need 2 tickets (2x350 HUF) which you can buy at a kiosk for example inside the airport. The online route planner might propose another bus ride at the end...: Online route planner and map

Travel to Budapest by train

Budapest has direct rail links to some 25 capitals. There are three major international railway stations in Budapest:

Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)

  • By metro: take metro M2 to Deák Ferenc tér (3 stops), change to metro M3 to Dózsa György út (4 stops), then walk to the hotel. Online route planner and map
  • By public transport (all transport services, next possibility, if you have online access in Budapest): Online route planner and map

Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station), on Metro line 3 (“blue line”)

  • By metro: take metro M3 to Dózsa György út (2 stops), then walk to the hotel.
    Online route planner and map
  • Tram/walk + trolley: take tram 4 or 6 (or walk) to Jászai Mari tér (1 stop), then take trolley 75 to Dráva utca (5 stops). It drops you practically in front of the hotel. Online route planner and map
  • By public transport (all transport services, next possibility, if you have online access in Budapest): Online route planner and map

Déli Pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station), on Metro line 2 (“red line”)

  • By metro: take metro M2 to Deák Ferenc tér (4 stops), change to metro M3 to Dózsa György út (4 stops), then walk to the hotel. Online route planner and map
  • By metro & bus: take metro M2 to Kossuth Lajos tér (3 stops), take bus 15 to Dráva utca (direction: Gyöngyösi utca). The bus drops you almost in front of the hotel

For information on international connections in English see the railway itinerary planner of the MÁV-Start Zrt. (Hungarian Railway Passenger Transport Co.) or the international railway journey planner of Deutsche Bahn.

Travel to Budapest by car

Budapest is in the centre of the radial road network of Hungary. It is along the European highways E60, E71, E73, E75, E77. There is a motorway connection from Budapest with the most neighbouring countries of Hungary. Motorways are toll roads; a (virtual) vignette system is in operation. For details (maps, vignette prices, methods of payment etc.) about the Hungarian motorway system see the official home page.

The guests may use the closed, non guarded parking place in front of the hotel on „first come, first served” basis, for EUR 10/car/day. Normal parking fee is HUF 360/car/hour.

Parking in the city might be difficult: you will probably have a hard time finding a place close to the touristic places that you are going to visit. In the most parts of the city a parking fee must be paid in advance at the parking automats and placed behind the windscreen, in general from Monday to Friday, between 08:00-18:00, but there might be regions with different non-free periods. Always check it on the spot! Minimum time is usually 15 mins, maximum time is usually 3-4 hours. If your ticket expires, you need to buy a new ticket within 5 mins (if the parking time you had paid for was less than 1 hour) or within 15 mins (if the parking time you had paid for was more than 1 hour). Cars without a valid parking ticket will get a tire lock or will be towed away; getting back your car will be quite combersome and costly. The city is divided into different zones and parking fees vary according to zones.


Travel to Budapest by coach

Volánbusz Zrt. (Eurolines Hungary) has scheduled passenger coach services to and from several European countries, see its coach journey planner. International buses depart from and arrive to the Népliget Coach Station (Metro line 3 “blue line”). The discount coach company OrangeWays operates buses to a limited numbers of European destinations, especially to the neighbouring countries of Hungary.

Getting to the hotel:

Travel to Budapest by boat

Once familiar but now a rather exotic way of travel to Budapest is by ship on the Danube. You can travel from Vienna to Budapest and back by hydrofoil.