Budapest Metro Map 2026 – Timetable, Tickets & Prices

If you count the “Tünel” funicular in Istanbul as a fully-fledged metro, the Budapest Metro is one of the oldest metro systems in the world. The route on which the M1 line runs today was opened in 1896 in honor of the Hungarian millennium. Even though the metro in Budapest is one of the oldest networks in the world, the “Budapest Metro Map” has not expanded to the same extent as in Istanbul or London. The four lines M1, M2, M3 and M4 currently run on a total route length of 41.8 kilometers and serve 52 subway stations, most of which are underground. The metro lines on the “Budapest Metro Map” can be identified both by the “M” in front of them and by a unique color. This prevents confusion with other means of transportation.

The Budapest metro lines at a glance

• M1 (Vörösmarty tér ↔ Mexikói út)
• M2 (Déli pályaudvar ↔ Örs vezér tere)
• M3 (Újpest-Központ ↔ Kőbánya-Kispest)
• M4 (Kelenföld vasútállomás ↔ Keleti pályaudvar)

Even though the metro network in Budapest is very small compared to other systems in cities such as Berlin, Vienna or New York, the Budapest metro recorded around 677,000 passenger trips per day on average in 2025. As the metro is also a very effective way of avoiding the usual traffic jams in the Hungarian capital, it is very popular with commuters and tourists alike.

The M4 line, which opened in 2014, serves several sights alongside the M3, including Gellért Hill via Szent Gellért tér. This is hardly surprising, as the metro plan in Budapest is designed in such a way that important sights such as the Parliament, the Museum of Fine Arts, Gellért Hill and the shopping mile on the Pest side of the city are much easier to reach using the M1, M2, M3 or M4.

Anyone taking the metro in the Hungarian capital for the first time will certainly be wondering how much a metro ticket costs in Budapest, what fare zones there are and what area of validity the purchased tickets have. Fortunately, the ticket and fare system in Budapest is very simple and therefore tourist-friendly. The only real challenge is therefore the conversion from euros to the local currency, Forint.

On October 20, 2026, one euro was equivalent to around 365 forints. In practice, Budapest does not have complex fare zones, but instead relies on flat-rate tariffs. A one-way ticket is therefore valid for the entire journey in one direction, regardless of how many stops the journey includes. However, if you know that you will only be traveling a short distance with a maximum of three stops, you can purchase a single ticket for HUF 500 (≈ $1.54) or a digital 30-minute ticket for HUF 600 (≈ $1.85).

As an alternative to one-way tickets, which also entitle the holder to change trains in the same direction, the transport organizer BKK also offers 10-trip tickets and season tickets with a validity period of 24 hours to one year. For tourists who are staying in the city on the Danube for several days and would like to visit one or two museums, the Budapest Card is recommended.

This is valid for 24 to 96 hours and entitles the holder to use public transport within Budapest including the subway. There are also extras such as free admission to more than 30 museums and attractions in the city, a free city tour, discounted meals in restaurants and a free Danube cruise.

In Budapest, the metro ticket is typically purchased directly from one of the ticket machines located at many stops and transport hubs. Travelers can pay by bank card at BKK ticket machines and buy and validate a single ticket by contactless card with Pay&GO at the entrances to metro lines M1 to M4. Alternatively, travelers can also buy their metro ticket in Budapest at BKK customer centers, ticket offices and authorized sales outlets.

The Budapest Card is also available at BKK sales outlets; cards ordered online can be collected at BKK ticket machines. Tickets are validated at the ticket validators located at metro station entrances before the fare-paid area. There are currently still two types of validators in use. While the old devices (red) require manual validation by pulling the black frame, the modern devices (yellow or orange) validate the ticket automatically when it is inserted. Fare dodging should be avoided, as BKK staff inspect tickets in and around metro stations. In view of the low prices for a subway ticket, the risk is not worth it.

On weekdays and weekends, the first metro trains run from about 4:30 AM, depending on the line and station. Lines M2, M3 and M4 run until about midnight from Sunday to Thursday and until about 1:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. During the day, metro trains usually run every 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the line and day of the week. Early in the morning and late in the evening, the interval between trains is about 10 minutes on many lines. However, none of the four metro lines operates throughout the night.

Night owls can therefore use cabs or the night bus routes, which run throughout the night. Additional security staff ride on many night bus routes.

To the timetables of the Budapest metro lines:

M1, M2, M3, M4

Following the completion of the M4 line, Budapest has begun to plan the further expansion of the subway network in order to cope with passenger numbers and to open up further areas. According to BKK on September 1, 2026, preparations for a possible extension of the M3 may begin. In addition, the Budapest Mobility Plan includes a proposed connection of the HÉV lines H5 and H6/H7 between Kálvin tér in Pest and Kaszásdűlő in Buda.

There is a small museum in the tunnel system of the Budapest subway, which is dedicated to the history of the historic metro. In addition to display boards and showcases that tell the story of the original construction in 1896 and the modernization in 1973, there is also an original carriage from the first underground railway. If you don’t want to miss out on this piece of transport history, pay a visit to the Földalatti Vasúti Múzeum at Deák Ferenc tér.

You might also be interested in these metro maps – for comparison or for your next trip:

• Prague Metro Map
• Bucharest Metro Map
• Sofia Metro Map
• Paris Metro Map
• Rome Metro Map
• Porto Metro Map
• all metro maps