Szentendre is the riverside artists’ town just north of Budapest, an artist colony since the early 20th century: colourful baroque houses, cobblestone streets, Serbian Orthodox churches and lanes full of galleries and craft shops. Carry on along the Danube Bend and you reach Visegrád, a small town with a medieval citadel high above the river and the ruins of the Royal Palace by the water.
Both are close enough to reach straight from the airport. From Terminal 2 you can use the HÉV suburban railway, a Volánbusz bus, the train plus a ferry for Visegrád, a taxi or a private transfer. Here’s how each works, with the times and fares the operators publish.
Budapest Airport → Szentendre & Visegrád at a glance
Budapest Airport → Szentendre / Visegrád
| Distance by road | approx. 38 km to Szentendre, 59 km to Visegrád |
| Drive time | about 43 min to Szentendre, 1 h 05 min to Visegrád, approx. (route-planner estimates) |
| Fastest public transport | Szentendre: HÉV H5 from Batthyány tér, 39 min, every 20 min in the daytime. Visegrád: Volánbusz 880 from Újpest-Városkapu, 1h 13m |
| Private transfer | from €71 to Szentendre and from €83 to Visegrád, one way, Standard Car (up to 3 passengers), from Budapest Airport |
| Last checked | 14 Nov 2026 |
Arriving at Budapest Airport
Every option starts at Terminal 2. The 100E Airport Express bus runs around the clock between the airport and Deák Ferenc tér, via Kálvin tér, every 6 to 15 minutes in the daytime and every 30 to 40 minutes at night; BKK puts the journey to the centre at 40 minutes. It only takes the special 2,500 HUF airport shuttle single ticket, which you can buy with a bank card on board, in the BudapestGO app or from BKK machines (BKK). Metro and other city lines need a normal ticket: a single ticket is 500 Ft, and a 90-minute ticket, which lets you change, is 850 Ft (BKK fares).
The other airport line, bus 200E, runs day and night to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station (metro M3) and stops at Ferihegy railway station, where trains run to Budapest-Nyugati. It takes ordinary BKK tickets and passes, not the airport shuttle ticket (Budapest Airport).
For Szentendre the usual way is the 100E to Deák Ferenc tér, metro M2 to Batthyány tér and the H5 HÉV. For the buses to Szentendre and Visegrád, take the 200E to Kőbánya-Kispest and metro M3 north to Újpest-Városkapu.
With a private transfer, your driver meets you in the arrivals hall (meet & greet). Airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting time from your booked pickup time, and flight tracking is included, so the driver waits if your flight is delayed.
Every way to Szentendre and Visegrád, compared
| Private transfer | HÉV H5 (Szentendre) | Volánbusz (Szentendre / Visegrád) | Taxi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From the terminal | Driver meets you in arrivals | 100E + metro M2 to Batthyány tér first | 200E + metro M3 to Újpest-Városkapu first | Főtaxi stand, T2A/T2B |
| Journey time | about 43 min to Szentendre, 1h 05m to Visegrád (approx.) | 39 min Batthyány tér → Szentendre, plus getting there | 25 min to Szentendre, 1h 13m to Visegrád, plus getting to Újpest-Városkapu | No published figure |
| Changes | None | Bus → metro → HÉV | Bus → metro → bus | None |
| Frequency | Any time you choose | Every 20 min in the daytime | Visegrád: roughly hourly (880) | On demand |
| Price | from €71 (Szentendre) / €83 (Visegrád) per car, up to 3 | City ticket to Békásmegyer + suburban HÉV ticket beyond, + 2,500 HUF airport bus | 450 Ft to Szentendre, 745 Ft to Visegrád, + city tickets | Metered: 2,100 HUF + 520 HUF/km + 130 HUF/min |
| Arrives at | Any address | Szentendre HÉV station | Szentendre bus station / Visegrád, Hajóállomás | Any address |
Prices and timetables checked on 14 Nov 2026; bus times and fares are from the official MÁV-Volán planner for Tuesday 17 November 2026 and vary by date.
To Szentendre by HÉV (suburban railway)
Take the 100E to Deák Ferenc tér, metro M2 to Batthyány tér, and the H5 HÉV to the end of the line. On Tuesday 17 November 2026 the H5 left Batthyány tér every 20 minutes in the daytime (09:18, 09:38, 09:58 and so on) and took 39 minutes to Szentendre (MÁV-Volán planner).
Tickets: a Budapest single ticket or pass is valid on the HÉV only inside the city boundary, which on this line is Békásmegyer. For the stretch from Békásmegyer to Szentendre you need a separate suburban railway (HÉV) ticket, sold in the MÁV app and at MÁV ticket offices and machines; buy it for the whole journey before you board (BKK, BKK single ticket). The planner didn’t return a fare for this leg, so we haven’t quoted one.
By Volánbusz from Újpest-Városkapu
Volánbusz buses to Szentendre and Visegrád leave from the Újpest-Városkapu stop (XIII. kerület side) at the M3 station of the same name. On Tuesday 17 November 2026 buses 880 and 890 took 25 minutes to Szentendre bus station for 450 Ft, and the direct 880 ran to Visegrád, Hajóállomás (the boat landing) at 35 minutes past most hours from 06:35, taking 1 hour 13 minutes for 745 Ft (MÁV-Volán).
Good to know
You need three tickets on the way: the 2,500 HUF airport shuttle ticket for the 100E, or a 90-minute BKK ticket (850 Ft) to cover the 200E and the metro change, then the Volánbusz or HÉV ticket. With suitcases, the bus and metro change is the hardest part of the trip.
To Visegrád: bus, or train and ferry
The simplest public-transport option for Visegrád is the 880 bus above, which runs via Szentendre. The alternative is the train from Budapest-Nyugati (which you can reach from the airport by the 200E and the train from Ferihegy station) to Nagymaros-Visegrád. On Tuesday 17 November 2026 trains left Nyugati hourly at 8 minutes past, plus some at half past, taking 39–40 minutes for 1,120 Ft (MÁV).
But Nagymaros-Visegrád station is on the opposite bank from Visegrád, so you still have to cross the Danube by the Nagymaros–Visegrád ferry. We couldn’t verify the ferry operator’s current winter timetable or fares on the day we checked, so check them locally before relying on this route.
By taxi
Főtaxi is Budapest Airport’s taxi partner, with booking stands at Terminals 2A and 2B and the taxi rank in front of them. The airport says the regulated airport tariff is a 2,100 HUF base fare plus 520 HUF per km and 130 HUF per minute, and that Főtaxi prepares a fare calculation for your exact address before the trip starts (Budapest Airport). Neither the airport nor Főtaxi publishes a fixed fare to Szentendre or Visegrád, so we haven’t quoted one: ask for the calculation at the stand before you get in.
Private transfer: door to door
A private transfer picks you up in the arrivals hall and drives you to any address in Szentendre or Visegrád, with no change or timetable. On 14 Nov 2026 our booking engine quoted these one-way prices from Budapest Airport, per vehicle:
| Vehicle | Passengers | To Szentendre | To Visegrád |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Car (e.g. Skoda Octavia) | up to 3 | €71 | €83 |
| Standard Minivan (VW Touran) | up to 4 | €81 | €95 |
| Comfort Car (e.g. Skoda Superb) | up to 3 | €83 | €100 |
| Standard Van (e.g. Opel Vivaro) | up to 8 | €86 | €99 |
| Business Car (Mercedes E-Class) | up to 3 | €123 | €154 |
| Business Van (Mercedes V-Class) | up to 6 | €167 | €211 |
Book on the Budapest to Szentendre or Budapest to Visegrád private transfer page to see the exact price for your date and group. For three people the Standard Car to Szentendre comes to under €24 each.
How it works
- Book online on the Budapest → Szentendre or Visegrád page: enter your flight, pickup time and group size, and you see the fixed price per vehicle before you pay.
- Land and walk out to arrivals. Flight tracking is included and your driver waits for you; airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting time.
- Load the luggage and go. Your English-speaking driver helps with your bags and drives you straight from the terminal, with no station or change on the way.
- Get dropped at the door of your hotel or any address in Szentendre or Visegrád. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure; the first child seat is free.
Related Danube Bend experiences
Staying a while? These private tours and tastings cover the towns in more depth:
When you arrive
In Szentendre, the Hungarian Open Air Museum (Skanzen) shows how people lived in Hungary’s villages 100–200 years ago. Note that it is on its winter break from 2 November 2026 and opens again for the 2027 season (Skanzen). For the old town itself, our private Szentendre tour covers the art and history.
In Visegrád, the Royal Palace (King Matthias Museum) is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00–16:00, last entry 15:45, closed on Mondays; an adult ticket is 2,200 Ft (King Matthias Museum). To combine both towns with Esztergom in one day, see the Danube Bend tour.
FAQ
How long does it take to get from Budapest Airport to Szentendre?
About 43 minutes by car (approx. 38 km). By public transport, the H5 HÉV takes 39 minutes from Batthyány tér, after the 100E bus and metro M2 from the airport.
How do I get from Budapest Airport to Szentendre by public transport?
Take the 100E Airport Express to Deák Ferenc tér, metro M2 to Batthyány tér and the H5 HÉV to Szentendre. A Budapest ticket is valid to Békásmegyer; beyond it you need a suburban HÉV ticket.
How do I get from Budapest Airport to Visegrád?
By public transport, take the 200E and metro M3 to Újpest-Városkapu, then Volánbusz 880 to Visegrád, Hajóállomás: 1h 13m for 745 Ft (17 November 2026). By car it’s about 59 km, roughly 1 hour 5 minutes.
Is there a train to Visegrád?
Trains run from Budapest-Nyugati to Nagymaros-Visegrád in 39–40 minutes for 1,120 Ft, but the station is across the Danube from Visegrád, so you also need the ferry.
How much is a taxi from Budapest Airport to Szentendre?
There is no published fixed fare. The regulated airport tariff is 2,100 HUF plus 520 HUF per km and 130 HUF per minute, and Főtaxi works out the fare for your address before the trip.
How much is a private transfer from Budapest Airport to Szentendre or Visegrád?
From €71 to Szentendre and €83 to Visegrád, one way in a Standard Car (up to 3 passengers), checked 14 Nov 2026.
Szentendre is close enough that public transport is a fair option if you travel light and land in the daytime. Visegrád is harder: a bus change at Újpest or a train-and-ferry combination. With luggage, children or a late flight, a fixed-price car from the terminal is the easy way to the Danube Bend.
From arrivals to the Danube Bend
Fixed-price private transfer from Budapest Airport to Szentendre from €71, or Visegrád from €83, per car.
See prices & bookPhoto credits: cover, Fő tér, Szentendre, by Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Route map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, route by OSRM.
