Keleti (Keleti pályaudvar, Keleti pu), the main international and inter-city train station of Budapest, was opened to public in August 1884. The first train at 6 am went to Miskolc.
Back then it was known as Central Railway Station. In 1892, its name was changed to Eastern Railway Station — not after location of the station itself, but after direction its trains were going to: towards Transylvania and the Balkans.
Keleti train station is the first (or last) thing many people see in Budapest, and we hope that MÁV, the Hungarian Railways would realize this and at least keep the station clean if not renovated.
MÁV has some very interesting special offers, but as of today you can’t buy international tickets at their almost impossible to navigate site, so we recommend that you get your tickets in advance from MÁV downtown office at: 1051 Budapest József Attila utca 16 (Open: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00) or Nyugati Railway Station.
Keleti has all the services you expect from an international train station, including luggage storage, currency exchange, ticket office, cafes, however, staff do not always speak enough English. The illegal taxi services are quite common at Budapest train stations too. Also, buy your food and something to read for your trip somewhere else beforehand, because the stalls at Keleti leave much to be desired.
Now, having mentioned all the disadvantages, we must admit that train service is quite good, and together with very affordable prices to many European cities your trip can be a true pleasure. Bon voyage!
Public transport to/from Keleti Railway Station (1087 Budapest, Baross tér)
- Metro: M2 (Keleti pályaudvar)
- Buses: 5, 7E, 7, 20E, 30, 30A, 173E, 173, 178
- Tram: 24
- Trolley bus: 73, 76, 78, 79, 80
- Night bus: 907, 931, 956, 973, 990
Public transport tickets are available in the metro and from the ticket booth to your left from the main exit.
