BKK travel passes for Budapest: which one to buy
Which BKK travel pass is best for a tourist in Budapest?
For a 3-night visit with normal sightseeing, the 72-hour travelcard at 5,500 HUF (~€13.75) is best — unlimited metro, tram and bus for three days. The 24-hour pass (2,500 HUF) works for a day with many journeys. Single tickets at 450 HUF are only efficient if you plan fewer than 3 journeys per day.
How BKK travel passes work in Budapest
Budapest’s public transport authority BKK (Budapesti Közlekedési Központ) sells time-based travelcards that give unlimited travel across the entire network — metro, trams, buses, trolleybuses and the cogwheel railway — during the card’s validity period. The logic is the same as a London Oyster daily cap, Paris Navigo, or Berlin ABC zone pass: pay once, travel freely.
Unlike those systems, BKK does not use smart-card tap-in/tap-out for travelcards. The passes are physical paper or digital (via the BudapestGO app), and you validate the physical card once on first use to activate it. After that, you carry it and show it to inspectors. The digital version activates on purchase.
All passes require validation on first use (except digital). After first validation, you do not re-validate on subsequent journeys — you simply show the pass.
The four main pass options
24-hour travelcard (24 órás Budapest-bérlet)
Price: 2,500 HUF (~€6.25)
Valid for exactly 24 hours from the moment of first validation. Unlimited journeys across all BKK modes.
When it pays off: If you make 6 or more single-ticket journeys in a day (6 × 450 HUF = 2,700 HUF — already more than the pass). In practice, a typical sightseeing day in Budapest involves 6–10 transport movements, so this pass almost always beats buying individual tickets.
Best for: Day-trippers; visitors on a single intense sightseeing day; anyone who arrived late on one pass and needs to start a fresh one for the next day.
72-hour travelcard (72 órás Budapest-bérlet)
Price: 5,500 HUF (~€13.75)
Valid for 72 hours from first validation. This is the most popular pass for 3-night city breaks.
When it pays off: At 5,500 HUF for three days, you need to make the equivalent of 12+ single-ticket journeys to break even (12 × 450 HUF = 5,400 HUF). On a typical 3-day Budapest visit with multiple sightseeing excursions, metro runs between neighbourhoods, and a few tram rides, this is easily achieved on day one or two.
Best for: The majority of tourist visitors spending 3–4 days in Budapest.
7-day travelcard (heti bérlet)
Price: 6,500 HUF (~€16.25)
Valid for the calendar week — Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. Not a rolling 7-day pass.
The catch: If you arrive on Thursday and leave the following Thursday, the pass covers Monday to Sunday of one week — only about 3 days of your visit. In this case, a 72-hour pass plus a 24-hour pass or single tickets covers your actual stay more efficiently.
Best for: Visitors arriving Monday and staying through the weekend; long-stay visitors; anyone spending more than 5 days in the city.
Monthly travelcard (30 napos bérlet)
Price: approximately 9,500–11,000 HUF (~€24–28)
Available for extended stays. Requires a BKK customer service office purchase; not sold at machines. Useful for stays of 2+ weeks.
Passes that cover extra services
Budapest Card (not a BKK product)
The Budapest Card includes unlimited BKK transport plus museum discounts, a Danube river cruise, and other partner offers. It costs significantly more than a BKK travelcard alone but may deliver better overall value for heavy sightseers.
Available in 24h, 48h and 72h versions. Current prices: around €40 (24h), €55 (48h), €65 (72h). Use the Budapest Card calculator to see whether the extras justify the premium versus buying a BKK pass plus individual museum tickets.
Full details at the Budapest Card guide.
What passes do NOT cover
Every BKK pass — including the Budapest Card — excludes:
Bus 100E: The airport express requires its own 1,200 HUF ticket regardless of what pass you hold. This surprises many visitors at the airport. The 100E machine is at the bus stop outside the arrivals terminal.
Castle Hill funicular (sikló): A tourist attraction with its own pricing (~1,400 HUF one way), not a BKK service.
HÉV suburban railways beyond the city boundary: BKK passes are valid on the H5 (to Szentendre), H6, H7, H8, H9 lines within the Budapest city boundary. If you travel to Szentendre or Gödöllő, you pay a supplement for the section beyond the city boundary. The supplement is sold at the station.
Boat services: The BKK boat (public ferry) on the Danube has its own ticketing; sightseeing cruises are not BKK services.
Buying passes: step by step
At the ticket machine: Select your language (English available). Choose “travelcards” from the menu. Select your pass type. Pay by card or cash. The machine prints a paper pass. First use: insert it into the yellow validator to activate your time period.
At a customer service office: Queue, request your pass, pay. The attendant activates it if you wish, or you can activate it yourself on first use. Customer service offices are at Deák Ferenc tér, Keleti, Kelenföldi and other major stations.
Via BudapestGO app: Download the app, register (phone number required), purchase a digital pass. The pass activates on purchase — no physical validation needed. Show the pass screen to inspectors. This is the most convenient option if you have a reliable phone connection.
At newsagents (trafik): Widely available for 24h and 72h passes. Ask for “24 órás bérlet” or “72 órás bérlet” — you may need to know the Hungarian terms in smaller shops.
Validating correctly: the rules
First validation (physical passes): On first use, insert your pass into a yellow validator on the vehicle or at the metro entrance. The machine stamps the date and time, activating your validity period. A green light confirms success. Keep the pass accessible after this — you do not validate again, but you must show it.
Subsequent journeys: Just board and carry the pass. No further validation needed. When an inspector boards, present the pass — they check the date/time stamp against the current time.
Inspectors: Plain-clothes inspectors are common on both the metro and surface vehicles. Always carry the pass on your person (not in your bag where it is hard to retrieve quickly). The fine for not having a valid pass is 16,000 HUF (~€40). Showing a valid pass but being unable to produce it quickly is also technically non-compliance — keep it in a jacket pocket or phone case.
How many journeys do you need?
Here is a practical calculation based on typical Budapest visit patterns:
Day 1 (arrival): Airport 100E (own ticket) + metro from Deák to hotel (2 journeys) + dinner area travel (2 journeys) + late return (1 journey) = 5 BKK journeys. Worth 24h or 72h pass from the start.
Day 2 (sightseeing): Castle District (tram/bus), Jewish Quarter (metro or walk), Great Market Hall (metro or tram), thermal baths (metro), evening return (metro) = 8–12 journeys. The 72h pass is clearly ahead.
Day 3 (day trip or further exploration): HÉV to Szentendre plus supplement (sold separately); or full metro/tram day in the city. Another 8–10 journeys.
Total for 3 days: approximately 21–27 BKK journeys. At 450 HUF each that would be 9,450–12,150 HUF. The 72-hour pass costs 5,500 HUF. Saving: 3,950–6,650 HUF.
For a budget breakdown including transport, food and sightseeing, see Budapest trip cost. For the full transport overview including trams, buses and night transport, see getting around Budapest. Current HUF/EUR rates are at the currency converter.
Frequently asked questions about BKK travel passes for Budapest
Does the BKK travelcard cover the airport bus?
No. Bus 100E (BUD airport to Deák tér) requires a dedicated 100E ticket (1,200 HUF) regardless of which BKK pass you hold. Standard travelcards, single tickets and the Budapest Card do not cover the 100E service.Does the BKK 7-day pass run from the day of purchase or by calendar week?
The 7-day pass (heti bérlet) runs as a calendar week: Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. It is not a rolling 168-hour pass from the moment of purchase. If you arrive mid-week, two 72-hour passes or a combination of passes may cover your stay more efficiently.Can I share a BKK travelcard with another person?
No. BKK travelcards are personal and non-transferable. Each person in your group needs their own pass. Inspectors can request photo ID to verify a travelcard is being used by its purchaser if there is any doubt.Where can I buy BKK passes in Budapest?
At any yellow BKK ticket machine at metro stations (accepts cards and cash, English interface), at BKK customer service offices at Deák, Keleti and Kelenföldi metro stations, at newsagents (trafik) throughout the city, and via the BudapestGO app for digital passes.Is the Budapest Card better value than a BKK travelcard?
It depends on your sightseeing plans. The Budapest Card includes BKK transport plus museum discounts and other perks — if you would visit several museums anyway, it can save significantly. If you only need transport with no museum visits planned, a BKK travelcard is much cheaper. Compare using the /tools/budapest-card-calculator/.
