Getting to Hungaroring by public transport

Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix takes place on 21 July 2024 (Sunday) at the Hungaroring circuit. The events start with the practice sessions on Friday, please find the detailed agenda on the Hungaroring website.
However the cars play the main role on the Hungaroring, we recommend using public transport to get to the circuit. During the events, trains on suburban railway line H8 operate with increased capacity, run more frequently, every 10-15 minutes and they can carry hundreds of passengers at once. Between Kerepes suburban railway station and the gate 3 of the Hungaroring, a free shuttle bus service is available for the visitors (operated by Volánbusz). The circuit is also accessible on foot from Szilasliget suburban railway station, by a healthy walk. In the evenings, shuttle buses run to to Gödöllő, from where several travel options are available for returning to Budapest.

Public transport options to the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix

How to get to the Hungaroring?

The Hungaroring is accessible from Örs vezér tere by suburban railway (HÉV) line H8 running to Kerepes, Mogyoród or Gödöllő. Please check the headsign before getting on the train, as the circuit cannot be reached by trains running on line H8 to Cinkota nor those running on line H9 to Csömör.

Please note that unlike other railway lines, suburban railway line H8 has left-hand traffic. Please check the information boards on the platforms to make sure that you are waiting on the right platform. Before crossing the tracks, please take extra care and look both ways as trains may run on both tracks, in both directions!

From Kerepes station, a free, direct shuttle bus service is available to Hungaroring Gate 3. The buses depart adjusted to the train arrivals, from 7:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The last departure is at 13:20 on Friday, at 15:50 on Saturday and at 14:50 on Sunday. Please board at the bus terminus next to the suburban railway station (the stop of night bus 992).

In the evenings, the shuttle buses run to Gödöllő from Hungaroring, Gate 3. They depart at least every 20 minutes between 16:00 and 20:00 on Friday and Saturday, and between 16:45 and 23:30 on Sunday. From Gödöllő station, MÁV-START trains (S80, IR85, IR87) and regional buses depart frequently to Budapest. Suburban railway H8 is available as well, even though it is recommended to use MAV-START services (the white and blue trains) from Gödöllő to Budapest.

The shuttle buses are free of charge for visitors having a ticket to the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix . More information about the shuttle bus service is available on the website of Volánbusz.
Gates 3, 4, 5 and 6 are accessible on foot as well from Szilasliget suburban railway station (approx. a 30-minute walk).

Where can I find the timetable of the suburban railway?

If you already know the exact time when you would like to travel or you would like to know when the next connection departs, you can easily plan your journey by BudapestGO trip planner. Timetables can also be found at BKK’s website.

What kind of tickets do I need as a visitor of the Formula 1 Grand Prix?

Please note that to travel between Budapest and Kerepes, Szilasliget or Gödöllő, generally two separate tickets are needed: one for the Budapest section, and another for the section outside the boundaries of Budapest. Pest county pass and Hungary pass are valid both inside and outside of Budapest on public transport.

For the Budapest section, most of those tickets, travelcards and passes are valid, that can be used for Budapest public transport. If you already have a valid travelcard or pass, for example a 24-hour Budapest-travelcard, you need to buy a suburban railway ticket only.

Tickets, travel cards and passes valid within Budapest on the suburban railway lines (only the main types are listed)

The travel cards and passes marked with an * can be purchased online: https://bkk.hu/mobileticket/

For the section outside of Budapest, a suburban railway ticket has to be purchased, which is valid for one journey. The day and destination of the journey has to be set while purchasing the ticket.

On 19, 20 and 21 July 2024, Budapest Cards (72h, 72h PLUS, 96h, 120h) are valid for the suburban railway line H8, MÁV-START trains and regional buses (lines 396, 402, 410, 412, 441, 1040) between Budapest and Gödöllő, without purchasing an additional ticket. Budapest Cards are also valid for MÁV-START trains S80, IR85, IR87 lines between Gödöllő and Budapest-Keleti railway station.

Pest County24 and Hungary24 day tickets are valid for the entire length of all suburban railway (HÉV) lines, MÁV-START trains, even inside of Budapest (but they are NOT valid on Budapest local transport: trams, metro lines, local buses).

For a longer stay and / or carefree traveling, Pest county pass or Hungary pass are recommended: these passes are valid both inside and outside of Budapest. Both entitles you to unlimited travel in Budapest and its surrounding Pest county. The Hungary pass is also valid in any other county during its validity period. For more information please check: ujtarifa.hu/en.

In the case of group travel (max. 10 persons), if the group members have a Budapest ticket or pass, suburban railway tour ticket is also available, which allows unlimited travel outside of Budapest on the suburban railway line for one day.

For suburban railway trains, tickets have to be purchased in advance, before boarding the train. Tickets might be checked by the inspectors at the entrance of the stations or on board the trains as well.

Please remember to validate your ticket!

Budapest single tickets (including those from a block of 10 tickets) must be validated while boarding the vehicle. Validators are located next to the doors, at the ends of the carriages.

Budapest single tickets and time-based tickets (30 or 90-minute) purchased as a mobile ticket must be validated too. To validate a ticket, open it in the app and choose the proper function ("Scan", "Boarding" or similar) to scan the code located next to the doors of the vehicle. To make boarding as fast as possible, please be prepared to scan the code immediately, when the train arrives. Please note, that validation must be done before entering the vehicle.

The travel cards, passes, and suburban railway tickets do not need to be validated, even if they are purchased as mobile tickets.

Where to buy tickets for the public transport?

Tickets are available mainly at the sales points of BKK. BKK ticket vending machines can be found almost everywhere in Budapest and they offer all kinds of needed tickets (Pest County24 and F1 travel pass are available at BKK sales points only), that can also be purchased for later days, in advance. Additionally, a number of further ticket sales points are available. Sales points can easily be found on the map: bkk.hu/pontkereso.

Please note that BKK ticket vending machines are purple, not to be confused by the blue-yellow MÁV-START railway ticket vending machines (TVMs), offering only a limited sortiment of Budapest travel cards and passes.

Main TVMs and ticket sales points:

At Örs vezér tere: BKK TVMs, BKK ticket sales point
At Gödöllő station: BKK TVM, MÁV-START TVM, MÁV-START ticket sales point
At Budapest-Keleti railway station: BKK TVMs, BKK customer service centre, MÁV-START ticket sales point, MÁV-START TVMs

At Mogyoród and Szilasliget suburban railway stations, BKK is opening a temporary ticket sales point for the days of the event, where all kinds of tickets are available.

At ticket vending machines, customer service centres and ticket offices, bank card payments are accepted – this is not just quick and comfortable, but hygienic and safe as well. Some kinds of tickets can be purchased online, via mobile applications.

If you only need a suburban railway ticket or a suburban railway tour ticket, the MÁV mobile application (download here for Android, for iOS, for HMS) might be a practical solution. With this app, you can easily purchase the suburban railway ticket supplementing your existing Budapest pass, ticket or travel card (this can be paper based or electronic as well). Bank card payments are accepted in the app, the tickets are delivered in an electronic format (within the application and via e-mail – in PDF format – as well).

Suburban railway tickets, suburban railway tour tickets, Pest county pass, Hungary pass, Pest County24, Hungary24 and F1 Travel Pass can also be purchased at MÁV-START ticket offices and TVMs.

How to buy a suburban railway ticket at the BKK ticket vending machines?

To travel between Budapest (administrative boundary, Ilonatelep) and Kerepes, a 10 km suburban railway ticket is needed. A similar ticket is needed for the journeys from Mogyoród, Szilasliget or Kerepes to the capital (administrative boundary – Ilonatelep). The full-fare, one-way ticket costs 400 HUF. From or to Gödöllő, a 20 km suburban railway ticket is needed, which costs 500 HUF (full-fare, one-way).

At the BKK TVMs, suburban railway tickets can be purchased easily, following the steps below:

Make sure that the basket is empty (check the number in the right top corner of the screen). If someone else left an unfinished transaction, empty the basket and start a new purchase.
On the main screen, choose the Other tickets and passes (suburban railway), then the Suburban railway tickets option.
Select the line H8.
If you are entitled for a travel discount, you can set it in the following step, otherwise select the full fare. (Please find more information about the discounts valid on the suburban railway lines, outside the boundaries of Budapest here.)
Select the station of departure and the destination. If you depart from Budapest, Ilonatelep has to be selected as departure station. (Similarly, in case of journeys on the way back to Budapest, Ilonatelep has to be selected as destination.)
Select the date of the journey (tickets can also be purchased for later days)
If you want, you can add further tickets (for example for your return journey) to the basket. After checking the content of the basket, you can pay by cash or bank card.

How to buy a suburban railway ticket via MÁV mobile application?

Via the MÁV mobile application, besides the tickets for MÁV-START trains, tickets for the MÁV-HÉV suburban railway trains can also be purchased, only for the sections outside of Budapest.

In the app, payments are available by bankcard and you get the ticket in electronic format (within the app, and also in pdf format, by e-mail).

Steps of ticket purchase:

If you travel from or to Budapest and you already have a valid ticket, travelcard or pass for the Budapest section, set your age in the Passengers and discounts section and set the „BKK bérletek és jegyek (csak HÉV utazáshoz)” or „Budapest Pass / Budapest One Day Ticket” as your discount.
If you’re also entitled to a regional travel discount, select your further discounts accordingly. (Please find more information about the discounts valid on the suburban railway lines, outside the boundaries of Budapest here.)
To buy additional tickets for your relatives or friends you will travel together with, you just need to increase the number of passengers in the Passengers and discounts section.
Select the departure station and your destination (eg. Örs vezér tere H – Kerepes H) and the date of your journey. The H letter after the station names stands for suburban railway (HÉV) stations.
After clicking on Search, please choose the proper departure. The validity of the ticket will start at the departure time of the selected train, but you can take another train as well, departing later within 4 hours (for example in case you miss the selected one).
Set the name and birth date of the passenger(s). (The ticket can be used only by the person, whose data is given here.)
After checking the details of your ticket, you can pay by bankcard.
You will find your ticket(s) in the My tickets section. The ticket is also sent in pdf format, by e-mail. An active internet connection is needed only for purchasing tickets. Once a ticket is downloaded, it can be shown in offline mode as well.