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: A student pass costs roughly 40–60 percent of the full monthly pass, and with a Hungarian student ID the 945 HUF county pass is cheaper still in Budapest and Debrecen; 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); tram 6 runs the Grand Boulevard day and night. Always validate your ticket (on buses, trams and trolleybuses a ticket in the app is validated by scanning the QR code inside, as soon as you board); inspectors are not joking, and since November 2026 the fine is 15,000 HUF.

Budapest: bike, scooter, moped

The MOL Bubi bike share, relaunched in August 2026 with e-bikes and a new app, costs 2,500 HUF a month (2,000 with a BudapestGO pass), with the first 30 minutes of each ride free, and has 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 and others) 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 tram 6 run. Every licensed taxi in Budapest is yellow and charges the same fare set by the city, so call one from the Bolt, Főtaxi or Uber app, or take a yellow one from a rank. From the airport the 100E bus goes to the centre with its own ticket (2,500 HUF, or a 1,000 HUF supplement with a monthly pass), 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, the MÁV Group's VOLÁN buses 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 are no scheduled flights: from Budapest the InterCity train takes about two and a half hours from Nyugati, or take a VOLÁN coach. At night the centre is walkable; call a taxi from the Bolt app.

Debrecen: tram 1 to the Nagyerdő

DKV's tram 1 runs from the main station through the centre to the Nagyerdő, which is to say right to the university and the clinics; tram 2 shares its first stretch from the station, then turns west to the housing estates, and trolleybuses and buses run alongside. DKV sells the student pass, and since December 2025 the county pass is valid on its lines too. 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, and they issue the student pass; the county and national passes are not valid on them. 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 two and a half to three hours, or take a VOLÁN coach. At night, the Bolt app; the centre is walkable, the hillside is a taxi ride.

Step by step

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

Traps

Riding without a ticket: in Budapest the fine is 15,000 HUF, and it is collected from foreigners too.
A scooter on the boulevard without a helmet: most student accidents come from this.
A ride from an unmarked car: in Budapest every licensed taxi is yellow; take one of those, or 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 tram 6 and the night buses run all night, 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. 11. 03. Prices and official rules change; always check the official sites before you act.

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