5 Reasons why I love Budapest (PART 4): Public Transportation

I've never tried missing my way in Budapest because of the convenient public transportation they have.  The directional signs are clear - you just have to familiarize the tongue twisting street names - and the buses, tramway and subway are generally on-time.  Some of my Hungarian friends sometimes leave their privately owned cars at home and opt for a public  ride because the latter can deliver them to their destination on time.   

Subways (Metro 1,2 & 3)

Metro 1. Photo by: Mads Guico

The Metro consists of three lines, each designated by a number and a colour. Metro Line 4 is currently under construction; the first section is scheduled to open in 2014.

Line  runs northeast from the city centre to City Park along Andrássy Avenue.

Line  runs generally east to west from the transit hub Örs vezér Square on the city's east side, and provides a connection between Keleti railway terminal and Déli railway terminalthrough the city centre.

Line  runs northwest from the transit hub Kőbánya-Kispest in the city's southeast, along Üllői Avenue to the city centre, and then north to the district of Újpest.

Except for short stretches near the depots of each line, the system is mostly underground. All lines converge at Deák Ferenc square in the city centre, forming the system's only transfer station. This bottleneck is to be remedied by the opening of Line 4, which will cross Line 2 and Line 3 at different stations.

Line  will run southwest to northeast from the transit hub of Budapest Kelenföld railway station in the city's most populous district of Újbuda across the inner city district ofJózsefváros to Keleti railway terminal. -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Metro

Tramways

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Combinobp.jpg

This is my favorite mode of transportation in Budapest due to the scenic views, unlike the dark walls on the subway.  The tram on the left apparently is more spacious and has  more relaxing seats than the one on the right.


Buses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Volvo7700.jpg

Oh well, everybody knows what a bus looks like.  I posted this picture just for the sake of parallelism.
 ;-)  


Trolley Bus

http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:Ikarus-trolleybus-Budapest1.jpg

Budapest's 13 trolley-bus lines run in Northeast and Central Pest. Unless you are a trolley buff, you're unlikely to use them frequently. However, some of them pass through the City Park (Városliget) and cross Andrássy avenue (Andrássy út), giving you beautiful views while using this eco-friendly mode of transport. Line 70 from Kossuth square (Kossuth tér, next to the Parliament) to City Park (Városliget) also passes through the lively Nagymező utca, Budapest's "Broadway". - http://wikitravel.org/en/Budapest#b

Taxi


Taking a taxi is quite expensive so we usually use one only in dire need. Just a tip though, the rate per kilometer is cheaper when you book by phone than flag down on street.  Here is a list of taxi companies in Budapest:

List of telephone numbers (non-stop)

• 6x6 Taxi: 2-666-666
• Barát Taxi: (20) (30) (70) 5-200-200
• Buda Taxi: 2-333-333
• Budapest Taxi: 4-333-333
• City Taxi: 2-111-111
• Főtaxi: 2- 222-222
• Max Taxi: 2-222-333
• MB Elit Taxi: 232-32-32
• Mobil Taxi: 333-2222
• Penta Taxi: 555-55-33
• Police Taxi: 278-5290
• Rádió Taxi: 7-777-777
• Taxi 2000: 2-000-000
• Taxi4: 4-444-444
• Taxi Plus: 7-888-999
• Tele5 Taxi: 5-555-555
• Volán Taxi: 4-33-33-22
• Zóna Taxi: 365-55-55

For ticket information, visit the BKV website:  http://bkv.hu/