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Student guide

Getting around in Budapest, Szeged, Debrecen and Pécs

In all four cities the student pass and a bike are the cheapest, but the way in differs: metro and tram in Budapest, tram and bike in Szeged and Debrecen, bus in Pécs, which climbs a hill. City by city below.

What it costs
Public transport is a fraction of the price with a student pass in all four cities; bike share and a used bike are cheap; e-scooters charge per minute; mopeds can be rented monthly.
How long it takes
In Budapest 15–25 minutes to the university from the inner districts; in Szeged, Debrecen and Pécs 10–20 minutes from the student neighbourhoods.

Budapest: metro, tram, BudapestGO

Four metro lines, a dense tram and bus network, and the BudapestGO app for tickets, passes and route planning. Metro line 4 links the Pest centre with district XI (BME, ELTE Lágymányos); trams 4 and 6 run the Grand Boulevard day and night. Always validate your ticket; inspectors are not joking, and the fine is many times a pass.

Budapest: bike, scooter, moped

The MOL Bubi bike share has a monthly fee and stations everywhere in the inner districts; for many students it is the daily ride. A used bike of your own is cheap but needs a good lock. E-scooters (Lime, Tier and the like) charge per minute, fine for short hops, expensive for daily commutes.

From the outer districts or from Buda a moped is the fastest, and monthly rental exists, cheaper than buying and maintaining one. Up to 50 cc a category B driving licence is enough, a helmet is mandatory, and winter months are less comfortable. When we have a reliable rental partner, it will be listed here as one.

Budapest: night and the airport

At night the 900-series night buses and trams 4 and 6 run; call taxis from the Bolt or Főtaxi app, a taxi hailed on the street can cost more. From the airport the 100E bus goes to the centre with its own ticket, the 200E to metro line 3 with a normal ticket.

Szeged: tram, trolleybus and bike

SZKT's trams and trolleybuses cover the centre, the clinics and Újszeged, Volánbusz the outer parts; SZKT issues the student pass. The city is flat and cycles: from inside the ring road any faculty is 10–15 minutes, with bike lanes on many streets; for most students in Szeged the bike is the daily ride.

There is no airport: from Budapest the InterCity train takes about two and a quarter hours from Nyugati, or take a Volánbusz coach. At night the centre is walkable; call a taxi from the Bolt app.

Debrecen: trams 1 and 2 to the Nagyerdő

DKV's two tram lines run from the main station through the centre to the Nagyerdő, which is to say right to the university and the clinics, with trolleybuses and buses alongside. DKV issues the student pass. The city is flat, and the Nagyerdő is 10–15 minutes from the centre by bike too.

Debrecen has an airport with a handful of international flights, but most people arrive through Budapest: the InterCity train takes about two and a half hours from Nyugati. At night, the Bolt app; the trams run until late.

Pécs: bus and hill

Pécs has no tram: Tüke Busz lines link the centre, Uránváros, Kertváros and the campuses, frequently, and they issue the student pass. The city is built on the slopes of the Mecsek, so a bike is only good on the flat parts; from Uránváros many walk to the medical school and the Ifjúság útja campus.

There are no scheduled flights: from Budapest the InterCity train takes about three hours, or take a Volánbusz coach. At night, the Bolt app; the centre is walkable, the hillside is a taxi ride.

Step by step

  1. Buy the 30-day pass from your city's operator (in Budapest in the BudapestGO app), the student one once you have the ID.
  2. Living in the centre: bike share (MOL Bubi in Budapest) or a used bike with a good lock.
  3. Further out: check the bus timetable; in Budapest, look at moped rental.
  4. Save the Bolt app (and Főtaxi in Budapest) for the ride home at night.

Traps

  • Riding without a ticket: the fine is several times a pass, and it is collected from foreigners too.
  • A scooter on the boulevard without a helmet: most student accidents come from this.
  • A street-hailed taxi without a fixed price: call one from an app.

Common questions

Do I need a car?

As a student, in none of the four cities. In Budapest parking is expensive and hard; in Szeged, Debrecen and Pécs the centre is faster by pass and bike, and parking is paid there too.

How long to the university from the student districts?

In Budapest, from districts VIII–IX, ELTE, Corvinus and Semmelweis are 10–20 minutes on foot or by tram, from XI BME is the same, from XIII the metro reaches almost anywhere in 20–25 minutes. In Szeged, 10–15 minutes by bike from inside the ring road; in Debrecen, on foot from the Nagyerdő or 10–15 minutes by tram from the centre; in Pécs, 10–20 minutes by bus or on foot from Uránváros. Listings on the board state the minutes.

Is it safe to go home at night?

The city centres are busy at night and considered safe; in Budapest trams 4 and 6 and the night buses run, in the other cities the trams and buses run until late. Late at night from further away, a taxi called from an app is the reliable option.

Last checked: 2026. 09. 06. Prices and official rules change; always check the official sites before you act.

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