Budapest Card

The Budapest Card is the official tourist card of the city, sold through the public transport company BKK among others, and it combines two things that most visitors need: a public transport pass and free or discounted entry to the main museums and attractions. It is sold for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours, and the clock starts when you first use it, running continuously from that moment. With the card, you can travel without limit on the metro lines, trams, buses, trolleybuses and the HÉV suburban railway within the city's fare zones, which covers almost everything a visitor needs, including the historic M1 Millennium Underground under Andrássy Avenue and the scenic tram 2 along the Danube. The airport bus 100E is not included, as it needs its own ticket, though the regular 200E bus to the Kőbánya-Kispest metro is covered. The card also gives free entry, once per site, to more than thirty museums and attractions, among them the Museum of Fine Arts, the Hungarian National Gallery in Buda Castle and the Hungarian National Museum, plus one free visit to the Lukács thermal bath, and a free ride on the Zugliget chairlift in the Buda Hills. At many other places it gives discounts, typically between ten and fifty per cent: the Széchenyi baths, Danube river cruises, city walking tours, the tower of St. Stephen's Basilica, the Great Synagogue and selected restaurants among them. It does not cover the Parliament tour or the Castle Hill Funicular. One card covers one adult, plus one child under six. Prices rise with the length of the card, and for a three-day card they are roughly comparable to a good dinner for two; as always, check the current price before you buy.

Is it worth it? It depends on your plans. The card makes the most sense for first-time visitors on a two- to four-day trip who intend to see several paid museums and use public transport every day; on a museum-heavy three-day itinerary, the free entries and the transport pass together can more than cover the cost. It makes less sense for travellers who mainly want to visit the baths, which the card only discounts (apart from Lukács), for those who walk everywhere within one district, or for repeat visitors. If you only need transport, BKK's own travelcards for 24 or 72 hours are much cheaper. Do the maths for your own itinerary: add up the museum tickets you would buy, the transport you would use, and compare.

How to use it: buy the card online in advance, at the airport, or from BKK ticket machines and customer centres. An online purchase gives you a voucher that must be exchanged for the physical card at an official pick-up point, such as the airport or a city-centre service point, before you travel, because ticket inspectors do not accept a voucher on your phone. The card is activated at first use, so if you arrive late in the evening, consider waiting until the next morning to start it. Carry it at all times on public transport, as inspections are common on the metro and trams.

Planning the days: group the free museums by area. City Park has the Museum of Fine Arts, with Lukács and Margaret Island a short tram ride away; Castle Hill has the National Gallery; and the Palace Quarter has the National Museum. Use the transport pass to reach the Buda Hills by tram and bus, with the chairlift ride included, or to ride the length of tram 2 for the classic Danube views.