Taxis in Hungary, and the apps to use

The news for returning visitors: Uber left Hungary in 2016 and came back to Budapest in 2024, this time dispatching licensed Fotaxi cabs rather than private drivers. So you can use the standard Uber app exactly as you would anywhere, Bolt and City Taxi are the other widely used options, and Fotaxi has its own app too.

In Budapest, only the standard Uber option is offered, and every car is a licensed taxi (more on that below). Uber has since expanded to a few other Hungarian cities such as Miskolc, but Budapest is where you will use it most.

From Budapest airport (BUD), the 100E airport bus runs directly to the city center (Deak Ferenc ter) for a cheap flat fare and is easy with a small bag. There is no direct train.

For a car, the rule at the airport is specific: only Fotaxi may collect from the arrivals curb, so the simplest route is the Fotaxi stand or kiosk there. If you would rather use Bolt or Uber, the car has to meet you up at Departures, one level above, which is worth knowing before you stand at arrivals waiting for it. Expect roughly 28 to 35 EUR into the city center, and avoid anyone touting a ride inside the terminal.

Budapest regulates taxis tightly: licensed cabs are all yellow and charge a single mandated tariff, and that now includes Uber and Bolt cars, which are licensed taxis on the same rate. So a licensed ride cannot legally overcharge you, which is reassuring, and it is also why an app is not cheaper, only easier.

The risk is unmarked, unlicensed cars that ignore the rules, especially near stations and nightlife. So only get into a yellow licensed taxi (with a company name and a visible meter) or book through Uber, Bolt or Fotaxi.

Because Hungary sets one taxi tariff by law, the fare is the same whether you hail a yellow cab or book an app, paid in forint (cards widely accepted), and apps show the price in advance. The regulated rate has been 1,000 HUF to start plus 400 HUF per km since 1 May 2023. To tip, round up the fare, roughly 10% for good service.

For more, see tipping in Hungary, cash or card in Hungary, and the Hungary money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

More on Hungary

The little money things nobody warns you about.

• Tipping in HungaryHungary tips a little more than Western Europe: about 10 to 15% at a restaurant. Watch for a service charge in Budapest tourist spots, and tip in forint. Here is what you actually owe.
• Do I need cash in Hungary, or can I use cards?Short answer: cards in Budapest, some forint elsewhere. Hungary keeps the forint rather than the euro, its notes run into the thousands, and it is a bargain by Western European standards. Here is how to handle it.
• Bringing your dog or cat to Hungary.Hungary runs on the single EU pet-entry process for a US-origin dog or cat: microchip, rabies in the right order, and an EU health certificate on a 10-day clock. No quarantine, no rabies titer. Here is what that means for Hungary, and the local parts worth knowing.
• Common money scams in Hungary, and what they cost youHungary is a low-crime country, the US rates it at its calmest advisory level, and Budapest is a comfortable city to walk at night. There is one genuine scam here worth knowing about in detail, and it is unusual in that it is entirely optional: it only happens if you follow a stranger to a bar they chose. Everything else is ordinary money housekeeping, a taxi rule, an exchange rule and a bill to read. Here is each, what it costs, and how to sidestep it.
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