Although Budapest is administratively divided into 23 numbered districts, always written in Roman numerals, it can most simply be divided into the two cities of which it is comprised (Buda and Pest) and one historic district:

• Buda - The hilly West side of the Danube (Districts I-III, XI-XII, XXII).
• Castle Hill - District I of Buda, the oldest part of the city containing the eponymous Castle and many of Budapest's best-known attractions.
• Pest - The flat East side of the Danube, covering the modern commercial core of the city (Districts IV-IX).

Public transport

A new bus and tram numbering system has recently been introduced in Budapest. Various tram and bus lines have new numbers and many routes have been re-established or modified. Do not believe your guide book and map edited before September 2008 or you will inevitably get lost.

The good news is that the urban area is well covered by three metro lines, blue urban buses, yellow trams and red trolley-buses, and the whole system is easy to understand. The bad news is that the schedules are less than reliable, vehicles are not always clean, and tickets have become increasingly expensive.

Public transportation in Budapest is run by Budapest Transport Limited Company (BKV), which has a useful English-language site including current schedules and fares. Vehicles run from around 0500 to 11.30. After that an extensive night bus network is available.

If you only visit Budapest for a few days as a tourist, you may find the following lines particularly useful:

• Metro 1, 2, 3 connect the suburbs with the biggest transport hubs, numerous touristic highlights and central hotels.
• Tram 2 runs along the river Danube on Pest side.
• Tram 4, 6 follow Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road.
• Bus 7, 7E, 173 and 173E connect Keleti railway station with the city centre and many points of interest in Buda and Pest.
• Bus 16, 16A and 116 go to Buda castle.
• Bus 105 connect Hosök tere (Hero's Square), goes up and down Andrássy boulevard to Deák square/Erzsébet square before it goes across the Chain Bridge to Buda and passes by Déli pályaudvar (Southern railway station).
• Bus 200E serves the airport.

If you stay longer, it is worth buying a public transportation map at any BKV ticket office. You can also find detailed public transport maps in some tram stops, especially along the 4-6 tram lines.

Tickets and passes

If you intend to travel a lot (and you probably will), travel cards are far less expensive than single tickets. As of 2009 most useful tickets and travel cards for tourists include the following:

• Single ticket (vonaljegy): Valid for one journey, transfer not allowed on buses and trams, but one transfer is allowed between metro lines (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 300. HUF 400 if purchased from the driver (available on designated lines).

• Transfer ticket (átszállójegy): Valid for one journey, one transfer allowed. HUF 470.

• 10-trips travel card: 2700 HUF
• One-day travel card (napijegy): Valid for 24 hours after purchase (not only on the day of purchase - a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 1550.       
• Three-day travel card (háromnapos turistajegy): Valid for 72 hours after purchase (not only on the day of purchase and the two following days - a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 3850.

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• Seven-day travel card : Valid on the day when purchased and on the following six days. HUF 4600.
• Fourteen-day pass (kétheti Budapest-bérlet): Valid for 14 consecutive days with a photo pass (take a passport size photo to the ticket office). Valid also on MÁV trainsand suburban yellow Volán buses (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 6200.

• One-month pass (havi Budapest-bérlet): Valid for 30 or 31 consecutive days with a photo pass (take a passport size photo to the ticket office). Valid also on MÁV trainsand suburban yellow Volán buses (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 9400.
• Monthly pass for students : Valid for 30 consecutive days, with a student ID, e.g. ISIC. HUF 3700.
• Budapest card (Budapest kártya) allows you unlimited free travel in the city, and also gives you discounts at museums and restaurants. Two-day card HUF 6300, three-day card HUF 7500.

You WILL run into ticket inspectors. They are posted at almost every single entrance and exit. They have a notoriously bad reputation with locals, often being rude. Rarely speaking English, they sometimes pick tourist from the mass. If you get caught, you may choose to pay the fine on the spot (HUF 6000) or later by mail (HUF 12,000 if paid within 30 days). If paying on the spot, ask for a certificate to prevent the fine to go to the private purses and wallets of the inspectors. Can not stress this enough: have a pass/ticket on you at all times and do try not to let the inspectors take it out of your hands. Don't be afraid if they are threatening you with the police - they usually never arrive. Inspectors have no right to hold your passport, credit cards or any ID, do give it to them. If you feel trouble, call the police or even some locals will help you to escape, but the best way is to have a Budapest Card, or any unlimited travel pass.

The Metro

Budapest's underground network is an excellent way to get around, it connects the suburbs with railway and autobus stations, several centrally located hotels, museums and sights. The system consists of three lines, crossing at Deák tér station (Deák square, in Pest centre).

Metro 1 (yellow line)

Connects Mexikói út (Mexikói road, a transport hub in Central-Northeast Budapest) with Vörösmarty tér (Vörösmarty square in Pest's commercial and touristy center), and also passes the Opera and Hosök tere (Heroes' square). It was built to commemorate the 1000th year of Hungarian nationhood in 1896 (thus often called Millennium Subway). It was the first underground built in the Continental Europe and second in the world after London. Although the vehicles are not original, the beautifully rebuilt, tile covered stations are a gorgeous historical memory of Budapest's richest period (1880-1910).

Metro 2 (red line)

Connects Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station, in Central Buda) with Örs vezér tere (Örs vezér square, the biggest transport hub of Eastern Pest), and also takes you to Moszkva tér (Moszkva square, Buda's biggest transport hub), Kossuth tér (Kossuth square, around the Parliament in Pest center) and Keleti Pályaudvar (Keleti Railway Station, in Pest). Although the construction started in the 50's, the line was only opened between 1970 and 1972. Having been completely rebuilt since 2004, its stations seem brand new, but trains are still the old, Soviet-style ones.

Metro 3 (blue line)

Goes from Újpest-Központ (residential area in Pest's Northern suburbs) to Kobánya-Kispest (transport hub in Central-Eastern Pest, terminus of bus 200 to the airport), passing Nyugati Pályaudvar (Western Railway Station) and different stations in central Pest. Opened between 1976 and 1990.

Metro 4 – Favourite Worst Nightmare

When the government decided in the early 70's that a new metro line should connect South Buda with Central Pest by 1978, no-one thought that it would become a synonym for incompetence and perpetual lack of money. Everything had been at a standstill until 2007, when works finally began after endless political debates. Is now everybody happy? Of course not.

The Metro 4 construction is widely criticised for its high cost and supposedly failed and obsolete track. Officials say it will not be completed by the official deadline (2010), and construction keeps the city paralysed, which is locals' favourite conversation theme for now.

All the metro lines are well represented on maps displayed on platforms.

Trams

Budapest's 25 tram lines are a tourist-friendly way of getting around. They are slower, but more scenic than the subway and particularly useful on the nearly subway-less Buda side of the river. Be careful about doors, they open on different side of the tram on different stops.
Particularly useful lines for tourists are:

• Tram 4 and 6 both run along Pest's inner ring road, providing access to all three metro lines at multiple stations, and crossing over to Buda on Margaret Bridge (Margit híd) – another beautiful view. Although technically two lines, 4 and 6 only diverge for their last two stops that the tourist is unlikely to visit.

• The two lines running along the Danube River (19 in Buda and 2 in Pest) are considered a part of the cityscape. Both offer beautiful view of the opposite side.

Buses

Budapest has a dense bus network, which also connects the suburban zones with several metro and train stations and the city centre. Numbering system is easy to understand. Numbers below 299 indicate regular bus routes. Numbers with an added 'E' (for example 7E or 173E) indicate express services that do not stop at all stops. Numbers with an added 'A' have shorter routes than their regular counterparts (for example bus 30 has a longer itinerary than 30A). Numbers above 900 indicate night services. (Numbers between 800 and 899 are suburban services provided by Volán company, BKV tickets and most tourist passes are not valid on them..

Trolley-bus

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 Nagymezo utca, Budapest's "Broadway".

Suburban rail

Green suburban railway lines (called HÉV) connect central Budapest with several suburbs, but most of them are of little use to visitors. Note that your tickets and travel passes are valid only within the city boundaries, otherwise you should purchase a supplementary ticket (kiegészíto jegy) at a ticket office.

• Line Batthyány tér–Szentendre goes upriver to the picturesque village of Szentendre. The same train takes you to Sziget Fesztivál [, Central Europe's biggest summer music festival. It connects at Batthyány tér with metro 2, at Margit híd (Margaret bridge) with tram 4/6.

• Line Örs vezér tere–Gödöllo takes you to the beautiful royal castle of Gödöllo from Örs vezér tere metro 2 station.

Other

Some other means of public transport can be useful if you get tired of regular buses and trams, or if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle to the lush green hills surrounding Budapest.

• Cogwheel railway (Fogaskereku vasút) is a tram-like railway running from Városmajor terminus (two stops from Moszkva tér metro 2 station by tram 59 or 61) to Széchenyi hill (Széchenyi hegy), Buda's popular picnic, excursion and sledging place. BKV tickets and passes are valid.

• Boat. Budapest currently has only one regular boat service, theoretically running around five times a day from May to September, from Boráros tér (South-Central Pest) to Rómaifürdo (Northern Buda), making 8 intermediate stops. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid.

• Buda Castle funicular (Budavári sikló). This handsome, short funicular line takes you from Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) Buda end to Buda Castle. Built in 1870, completely destroyed in World War II, rebuilt only in 1986. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid. As one might expect, it is relatively expensive and touristy.

• Széchenyi Hill Children's Railways (Széchenyi-hegyi Gyermekvasút) it's a narrow gauge line, operated partly by children. The 11,2 km long line is running on the Buda Hill's, giving a beautiful look at the nature around Budapest. You can reach the end station "Széchenyi hegy" by the Cogwheel railway or the other one "Huvösvölgy" by taking the tram or bus number 56 from "Moszkva tér". Before using it, you should take a look at its home page for the timetable. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid.

• Zugliget Chair-lift (Zugligeti libego) Is a chair lift, taking you from "Zugliget" to "János hegy". You will have a very pleasant view while travelling. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid.

Night services

Budapest is covered by 34 night bus lines. Numbers are triple-digit, starting with '9'. Buses run every 15-60 minutes from around 2300 until 0400. The main linking points of the night bus network are Moszkva square (Moszkva tér) tér in Buda and Astoria (junction of Kossuth Lajos utca–Károly körút) in Pest. Daytime tickets and passes are valid.

Most useful night buses are:

• 906 – Running along the Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road, basically as tram 4 and 6 do during the day.
• 907 – Substitutes daylight bus 7.
• 914, 950 – In the city centre substitute metro 3.

On Friday and Saturday nights ticket inspectors gather around the stops and do not let you hop on the bus without a valid ticket or pass. They also sell tickets for HUF 350.

By car

Apart from the summer holiday, Budapest has heavy traffic with long-lasting traffic jams in the morning and in the afternoon. If you do not want to spend your visit to Budapest in a traffic jam, leave your car in the hotel's garage, and use the public transport.

If you drive across downtown, plan your journey, otherwise you can get into tough situations. For example you cannot turn left in most of the crossings of the inner ring road (Nagykörút) or on the main avenues like Andrássy út, Váci út, Ülloi út or Rákóczi út.

By Taxi

Budapest's taxi drivers are not always prepared for English speaking clients, but it does not necessarily mean that they intend to overcharge their foreigner guests – use one of the major taxi companies with English speaking switchboards to avoid problems. All of them have flashy home pages, but currently only City Taxi is available in English. If you wish to call any of the following phone numbers from abroad, use the +36-1 (Hungary-Budapest) code before the numbers.

• Budataxi, +36-1 233-3333.
• City Taxi,  +36-1 211-1111.
• Fotaxi, +36-1 222-2222.
• Taxi 2000, +36-1 200-0000.
• Tele 5 Taxi, +36-1 555-5555.
• Zóna Taxi, +36-1 365-5555.
• 6x6 Taxi, +36-1 266-6666.
• Budapest Taxi, +36-1 433-3333.
• Mobil Taxi, +36-1 333-1757.
• Radio Taxi, +36-1 777-7777.

Do not accept offers from taxi drivers waiting in the airport terminals or railway stations. Use your common sense, sit only in taxis logoed by bigger companies. Also note that most taxis parked in the downtown areas do not belong to radio taxi companies and charge much more than the usual HUF 200+ per km. Ask about their price in advance or call any of the taxi companies above.

By bicycle

Budapest may be one of the most exciting places of Europe, but it is still not a cyclists paradise. There are bikeways separated from automobile roads in the downtown, but unfortunately often used as car-parks or pedestrian zones. Generally, the city is not prepared for cyclists presence, but the situation is slowly changing. Budapest has been home to Europe's biggest cycling demonstration, Critical Mass, where in 2008 more than 80 000 people participated.
If you are ready, renting a bike is not a problem, but still not cheap. Expect to pay around HUF 2000-3000 for a day.
Budapest offers a variety of bike rental companies. Some of them are:

• Budapest Bike, +36-30 944-5533. Rent a bike starting at 2000HUF for 6 hours.
• Yellow Zebra Bike, +36-1 266-8777. Rent a bike starting at 1500 Ft for 1-5 hours.
• Bikebase,  +36-1 269-5983. Bike rentals available for 8 EUR (2 000 HUF) for 24 hours.

Cyclists are not very patient, so be aware while you are walking, if you hear a shout, be prepared to get out of the way quickly. This is because a bell is something people haven't really heard of (both cyclists and pedestrians alike) so using one while cycling might not result in people moving to the side; they might not even react at all! Also, beware of pedestrians wandering onto marked bicycle paths.

On foot

Many of Budapest's highlights are easy to approach walking, and in the centre you find more pedestrian zones from year to year. Car drivers tend to respect pedestrians and often give advantage on a cross-walk even if there is no traffic light. Due to the lack of bike lanes, cyclists have to weave around pedestrian traffic; be prepared. Don't wear high-heeled shoes in the downtown as there are lots of stone pavements, especially in the Castle Hill.