By Plane

Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/447-4747) and Malév (tel. 800/877-5429, 800/262-5380, or 800/223-6884), the former Hungarian state airline, offer nonstop service between North America and Budapest. Other leading carriers include Lufthansa (tel. 800/645-3880), British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297), Delta Airlines (tel. 800/241-4141), and Austrian Air (tel. 800/843-0002).

Until a few years ago, Budapest was served by two adjacent airports, Ferihegy I and Ferihegy II, located in the XVIII district in southeastern Pest. However, Ferihegy I was turned over to NATO for military use, so Ferihegy II (which has a Terminal A and a Terminal B) is the place for all civilian flights. There are several main information numbers: For arrivals, try tel. 1/296-5052; for departures, call tel. 1/296-5883; and for general information, call tel. 1/296-7155. Make sure you pick up a copy of the free LRI Airport Budapest Magazine while at the airport, as it contains a wealth of valuable phone numbers and transportation-related information, as well as articles on Hungary.

All arriving flights are international since there is no domestic air service in Hungary. All arriving passengers pass through the same Customs gate and emerge into the bustling arrivals hall of the airport.

Though extended and modernized over the past few years, the airport remains quite small. In each terminal, you will find several accommodations offices, rental-car agencies, shops, and exchange booths. Note that exchange rates are generally less favorable here than in the city, so you may not want to change very much money at the airport.

Twenty-four-hour left-luggage service is available at Terminal B (tel. 1/296-8802).

By Train

Countless trains arrive in Budapest from most corners of Europe. Many connect through Vienna, where 11 daily trains depart for Budapest from either the Westbahnhof or Sudbahnhof station. Six daily trains connect Prague and Budapest, while one connects Berlin with Budapest and two connect Warsaw with Budapest.

The train trip between Vienna and Budapest takes about 3 1/2 hours and costs approximately $50 one-way in first class, $33 one-way in second class. Hungarian railway offers a great deal for short-term visitors coming from Vienna: a round-trip second-class ticket for $38, valid up to 4 days, that includes a free pass for all public transport in Budapest. For more information on Vienna trains, contact the Austrian National Tourist Board, 500 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, New York, NY 10110 (tel. 212/944-6885); 11601 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2480, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (tel. 310/477-3332); 30 St. George St., London W1R 0AL (tel. 020/7629-0461); 2 Bloor St. E., Suite 3330, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 (tel. 416/967-3381); or 1010 Sherbrooke St. W., Suite 1410, Montréal, PQ H3A 2R7 (tel. 514/849-3708).

Train travel within Hungary is generally very efficient; trains almost always depart right on time and usually arrive on time. You can access a full, user-friendly timetable on the Web, at www.elvira.hu.

Hungarian ticket agents speak little English, so you will need to know some basic terminology in Hungarian. Indul means "departure" and érkezik means "arrival." The timetables for arrivals are displayed in big white posters (érkezo vonatok), while departures (induló vonatok) are on yellow posters. The relevant terms in the time tables are honnan (from where), hova (to where), vágány (platform), munkanap (weekdays), hétvége (weekend), munkaszüneti nap (Sat), ünnepnap (holiday), gyors (fast train) -- stops only at major cities, as posted, and IC (inter city) -- stops only once or twice en route; you must reserve a seat for IC trains). Ticket terminology is as follows: jegy (ticket), oda (one-way), oda-vissza (round-trip), helyjegy (reservation), elso osztály (first class), másodosztály (second class), nem dohányzó (nonsmoking), ma (today), and holnap (tomorrow).

A train posted as személy is a local train, which stops at every single village and town on its route. Always opt for a gyors (fast) or Intercity train to get to your destination in a timely manner. All Intercity trains (but no other domestic trains) require a helyjegy (seat reservation), costing 440 Ft ($2); ask for the reservation when purchasing your ticket. On Intercity trains, you must sit in your assigned seat. All intercity trains now comply strictly with a new law imposing constraints on smoking in public spaces; they have a single car designated for smokers, while the rest of the train is nonsmoking. If you want a seat in the smoking car, you need to ask for dohányzó when buying your ticket. The gyors train is typically an old, gritty, rumbling train with the classic eight-seat compartments. The Intercity, a state-of-the-art, clean, modern train without compartments, is said to travel faster, but our experience has shown us that there's seldom more than 30 minutes difference between the two in terms of speed.

During the day, obtain domestic train information over the phone by dialing tel. 1/461-5400 and international train information at tel. 1/461-5500. Purchase tickets at train station ticket windows or from the MÁV Service Office, VI. Andrássy út 35 (tel. 1/322-80482), open Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm in summer, 9am to 5pm in winter. You need at least half an hour before departure time to make a reservation.

Train Passes

Regional passes, such as the European East Pass, are available. The pass covers Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, and is good for 5 to 10 days of travel within a 1-month period. You must purchase the pass from a travel agent or Rail Europe (see contact information below) before you leave for Europe. A pass for any 5 days of unlimited train travel in a month-long period costs $225 first class, $158 second class (children ages 4 to 11 pay half the adult prices, and children under 4 years old travel free). Additional travel days cost $25 for first class and $18 for second class (children's discounts apply here too). You can also purchase a Hungarian Flexipass (www.eurorailways.com), which covers 5 days of travel within a 15-day period in Hungary. This pass costs $76 for 5 days, $95 for 10 days (half price for children 6-4, and free for children under 6). If you plan to visit only one European country or region, bear in mind that a country or regional pass will cost less than a Eurailpass.

Eurailpass -- The Eurailpass entitles travelers to unlimited first-class travel over the 160,900km (100,000-mile) national railroad network in all western European countries, except Britain, and including Hungary in eastern Europe. It's also valid on some lake steamers and private railroads. A Eurailpass may be purchased for as short a period as 15 days or as long as 3 months. The passes are not available to residents of the countries where the pass is valid or to residents of the United Kingdom.

The Eurailpass, which is ideal for extensive trips, eliminates the hassles of buying tickets -- just show your pass to the ticket collector. You should note, however, that some trains require seat reservations. Also, many of the trains have couchettes, or sleeping cars, for which an additional fee is charged.

The pass cannot be purchased in Europe, so you must secure one before leaving on your trip (see www.raileurope.com). It costs $588 for 15 days, $762 for 21 days, $946 for 1 month, $1,338 for 2 months, and $1,654 for 3 months. Children under 4 travel free if they don't occupy a seat (otherwise they are charged half the fare); children under 12 are charged half the fare.

If you're under 26, you can obtain unlimited second-class travel, wherever Eurailpass is honored, on a Eurail Youthpass, which costs $414 for 15 days, $664 for 1 month, $938 for 2 months.

Groups of two or more people can save on train fairs with the Eurailpass Saver Flexi, and the company also offers a Eurail Flexipass and a Youth Eurail Flexipass, which allows more flexibility in travel times.

These passes are available from travel agents in North America, or you can contact Rail Europe by calling tel. 800/848-7245 or surfing over to www.raileurope.com.

For British travelers, many different rail passes are available in the U.K. for travel in Europe. Stop in at the International Rail Centre, Victoria Station, London SW1V 1JY (tel. 171/834-2345); or Wasteels, 121 Wilton Rd., London SW1V 1JZ (tel. 171/834-7066).

By Bus

Inland and international buses arrive at and depart from two terminals (the former main station at Erzsébet tér was permanently closed in 2002 as part of the general reconstruction of the downtown area). Buses to and from western and eastern Europe and points in Hungary west of the Danube call at the new terminal, Népliget. You reach this station by getting of at the Népliget metro stop on the Red line. Buses to and from the Danube Bend and other points north of Budapest call at the Árpád híd bus station (tel. 1/320-9229 or 1/317-9886). Take the Blue line metro to Árpád híd. For domestic and international bus information, call tel. 1/219-8080, though you should be aware that it can be rather difficult to get through to the bus stations over the telephone and to reach an English speaker. Your best bet is perhaps to gather your information in person or ask for assistance at the Tourinform office.

By Car

Several major highways link Hungary to nearby European capitals. The recently modernized E60 (or M1) connects Budapest with Vienna and points west; it is a toll road from the Austrian border to the city of Györ. The E65 connects Budapest with Prague and points north.

The border crossings from Austria and Slovakia (from which countries most Westerners enter Hungary) are hassle-free. In addition to your passport, you may be requested to present your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance (the number plate and symbol indicating country of origin are acceptable proof). A green card is required of vehicles bearing license plates of Bulgaria, France, the former USSR, Greece, Poland, Italy, Romania, and Israel. Hungary no longer requires the International Driver's License. Cars entering Hungary are required to have a decal indicating country of registration, a first-aid kit, and an emergency triangle.

Driving distances are: from Vienna, 248km (154 miles); from Prague, 560km (347 miles); from Frankfurt, 952km (590 miles); and from Rome, 1,294km (802 miles).

By Hydrofoil

The Hungarian state shipping company MAHART operates hydrofoils on the Danube between Vienna and Budapest in the spring and summer months. It's an extremely popular route, so you should book your tickets well in advance. In North America or Britain, contact the Austrian National Tourist Board (see "By Train," above). In Vienna contact MAHART, Handelskai 265 (tel. 43/729-2161; fax 43/729-2163). Or visit this website: www.besthotelz.com/hungary/hydrofoil/hydrofoil.htm.

From April 3 through July 2 the MAHART hydrofoil departs Vienna at 9am daily, arriving in Budapest at 2:30pm, with a stop in Bratislava when necessary (passengers getting on or off). From July 3 to August 29, two hydrofoils make the daily passage, departing Vienna at 8am and 1pm, arriving in Budapest at 1:30 and 6:30pm, respectively. From August 30 to November 1, the schedule returns to one hydrofoil daily, departing Vienna at 9am and arriving in Budapest at 2:30pm. Customs and passport control begin 1 hour prior to departure. The one-way fare is 830AS ($69) and round-trip fare is 1,150AS ($96) (We use the exchange rate of $1 to AS12 for these purposes.) Children 5 years and under not requiring seats ride free; children between the ages of 6 and 15 ride for half price. Eurailpass holders also receive a discount, as long as they buy the ticket before boarding. ISIC holders also receive a discount. The Budapest office of MAHART is at V. Belgrád rakpart (tel. 1/318-1880). Boats and hydrofoils from Vienna arrive at the international boat station next door to the MAHART office on the Belgrád rakpart, which is on the Pest side of the Danube, between the Szabadság and Erzsébet bridges.