Arrival in Hungary
By air
Budapest international airport is located on the edge of the city with two terminals: 2A and 2B. The two terminals are side-by-side, you can easily walk from one to the other.
You can easily access Budapest downtown by taxi or bus. In case you opt for the bus, take bus 200E which leaves from just outside the terminal. You can buy the ticket from the machine at the bus stop or from the driver (but you will need Hungarian forints for that).
Debrecen also has an international airport. You can fly to Debrecen directly from London Luton and Eindhoven.
By train
If you arrive at Budapest Airport and would like to continue your journey to Debrecen at once, you may want to take the train.
Take bus 200E from the Airport to the final destination, Kőbánya-Kispest railway station (the journey takes about 20-25 minutes). You can buy the bus ticket from the machine at the bus stop or from the driver (but you will need Hungarian forints for that).
Trains from Kőbánya-Kispest to Debrecen leave every hour. Check train schedules here: www.mav-start.hu/english/index.php
It is recommended that you take an Intercity (IC) train, which is faster and safer than regular trains. For an IC train you need to buy a ticket AND a seat-reservation to Debrecen. The seat-reservation costs about an additional 600 HUF (less than 2 EUR). They also accept debit cards if you do not have forints.
In case the person at the cashier does not speak English (which could happen), present a piece of paper at the ticket office, saying:
”Egy teljesárú másodosztályú jegyet kérek Debrecenbe, helyjeggyel”
meaning you want a full-price 2nd class ticket to Debrecen with a seat-reservation.
Once you have your ticket, you just need to board the IC train. The distance between Budapest and Debrecen is 221 km, travel time is about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
If you want to take a train to Debrecen from downtown Budapest, you will need to go to the Western Railway Station ("Nyugati Pályaudvar"). IC trains to Debrecen leave from there every hour.
Documents You Need to Have While You Are in Hungary
- your valid passport/ID card
- student visa
- a student card