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Budapest is calling! A trip to the Hungaroring is the perfect wallet-friendly Formula 1 summer city break.
You may already have your tickets for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix – if not you better do so while you still can.
The 2024 F1 calendar boasts an array of exciting travel opportunities for fans of the world’s fast sport, but for many, the Hungaroring is at the top of the bucket list for next season.
Where is the Hungaroring?
The Hungarian Grand Prix is the perfect opportunity to tick off one of Europe’s on-trend cities, while witnessing Formula 1 at one of its most iconic tracks.
The Hungaroring’s proximity to Budapest means that fans can easily base themselves in the city and travel to the track on race days.
The track was the first to be built behind the iron curtain. The plan was to originally build a Monaco style track within one of Budapest’s largest parks, but the government overruled the plans and decided to construct it outside the city. It took just eight months to build the Hungaroring – a record in Formula 1.
The circuit sits to the north east of Budapest, around 24km (15 miles) from the centre of the Hungarian capital. It takes just over 30 minutes by car on a day without traffic, so expect that number to increase substantially on the race weekend.
How to get to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix?
As a European capital city, and located in the centre of the continent, Budapest is relatively easy to get to for international visitors. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD) serves Budapest and sits 16km (10 miles) south east of the city. This means that F1 fans visiting for the Hungarian Grand Prix may want to base themselves in the east of the city, closer to the airport (south east) and the Hungaroring (north east).
Flying to the Hungarian Grand Prix
Wizz Air is a budget airline based in Hungary that connects Budapest to many European cities and even some on other continents. As a popular destination all year round, the city is also linked by other budget airlines including Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2.
For those flying to Budapest it is highly recommended that they book flights and accommodation as soon as they have their tickets to avoid higher prices and low availability.
Another option could be flying into Bratislava in Slovakia, where the demand for flights won’t be as high, and drive or take a direct train to Budapest. The distance is 200km (124 miles), which takes just over two hours by car, or two and a half hours on a direct train.
Taking a train to the Hungarian Grand Prix
Budapest has four main train stations and the city is well connected to the rest of Europe by rail. Most international services will come into Keleti (M3 metro line).
Google Maps will provide a lot of information of where you want to travel from, but for more detailed information, including prices, head to Omio.
There are regular services from Bratislava (Slovakia) and Vienna (Austria) which take between two and three hours.
Taking the bus to the Hungarian Grand Prix
Buses have also become an increasingly popular way for travellers to move around Europe. Flexibus links the nearby major cities not necessarily served by train and for very reasonable prices. Two examples are Košice (Slovakia) and Zagreb (Croatia).
Check out the Flexibus website for dates and prices.
Driving to the Hungarian Grand Prix
Decent road infrastructure means that Budapest can easily be reached by car from any direction. Many Motorsport Tickets customers will be coming at Budapest from the west if they choose to drive to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
People travelling by car from the north or east should take the M3 toward Budapest and then exit 23 to reach the Hungaroring.
From the south, head down either the M5, M6 or M7 to Budapest looking out for signs to the M3. Join the M3 and after 8km take the Hungaroring exit and follow signs to the track.
How to get to the Hungaroring from Budapest?
There are a wide range of transportation options on offer at the Hungarian Grand Prix. How will you be getting to the circuit from Budapest?
Helicopter
There are several companies offering helicopter transfers over the Grand Prix weekend – but book yours quickly because they are proving more popular every year!
Starting at around £200 per person, you can fly from the city centre to the track in just 20 minutes, whilst taking in the beauty of the Hungarian capital from above. It is a sure fire way to beat the race day traffic and arrive at the Hungarian Grand Prix in style.
Here are links to two companies offering the service.
Taxi
Getting to the Hungarian Grand Prix by taxi is a popular option due to the reasonably priced fares and proximity of the track to the city. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes, and costs around €40.
Bolt is the official taxi provider of the Grand Prix and an advantage of taking a Bolt car is that they have fast track access to the Hungaroring. This means you can avoid the worst of the race day congestion.
There is a taxi rank at the circuit for the return journey, but expect very long queues once the race is over.
Public Transport
The public transport in Hungary is very reasonably priced compared to a lot of other European countries. However, getting to the circuit from the city centre takes at least an hour and a half and this is why many racegoers prefer to take a taxi, which can take just 35 minutes.
Travelling to Hungaroring via shuttle bus?
The are free shuttle buses provided by Volánbusz linking Kerepes HÉV station and Gödöllő station to the track.
Travelling to Hungaroring via train, metro or suburban railway
The train from Budapest to the Hungaroring does not leave from the city centre. Passengers need to take the metro’s red line (M2) to Örs vezér tere. It is then a walk of a few minutes to the HEV train station, also called Örs vezér tere.
Then take the trains heading in the direction of Gödöllő, Kerepes or Mogyoród. Get off at the station Kerepes and a free shuttle bus connects the station to Gate 3 of the Hungaroring.
Train tickets can be bought on the MÁV app or BKK ticket machines in Budapest.
Parking at Hungaroring
Unusually for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, parking at the Hungaroring is free. However, it is on a first come first basis and it does inevitably fill up.
You can also book Super Gold parking at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which offers a fast track route to the circuit.
How do I get to the Hungarian Grand Prix from the UK?
The majority of the Motorsport Tickets customers heading to the Hungarian Grand Prix do so from the UK. Most UK airports have regular and cheap direct flights to Budapest but it is essential to book as soon as you have your tickets.
Some fans like to make a European road trip of the Grand Prix and drive from the UK. The entire trip from London would take around 20 hours (without stops or traffic) and there are two main routes.
Both would take you through the channel tunnel to Calais. From there, you could head up the coast to the Belgian border – why not stop off at Dunkirk to see some historical sites? The route would then drop down past Belgium’s major cities, and on to Germany, heading through Cologne and Frankfurt. From there you cross over into Austria and it’s a relatively simple drive from Vienna to Budapest on the A4, E60 and then M1 into the city.
The other route goes through France and crosses into Germany at Saarbrücken. From then it joins the first route just after Nuremberg in Germany.
Exploring Budapest
The capital of Hungary has become one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations. Famous for a dynamic yet affordable nightlife and restaurants, alongside classic central European architecture, the trip to the Hungarian Grand Prix offers much more than the on-track action track.
One thing that draws the crowds every year is the price of the Hungarian Grand Prix – both the tickets and cost of travel and accommodation. Budget airlines regularly fly into the Hungarian capital, which in turn offers some of the cheapest accommodation options in Europe.
Must try local delicacies are lángos and goulash, and there is no shortage of places to do so.
The Széchenyi Baths is arguably the most famous stop for the must-have Instagram snap. Be sure to bring your bathing suits for the authentic immersive experience!
Not many people realise that Budapest is actually split into two – Buda and Pest. The Danube river (why not take a cruise?) divides the two halves of the city. On the Buda side stands Buda Castle. You can even save your legs for the Grand Prix and take the zipline up to this incredible example of neoclassical Habsburg-era architecture.
Budapest’s ruin bars are famously the place to spend the beer-fuelled evenings in the city. These abandoned buildings are overgrown with plants and have become iconic with the city’s nightlife. Check out this list of the best ruin bars in Budapest.
Book tickets for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the most popular events in the Formula 1 calendar. F1 Hungary tickets are selling fast and are expected to sell-out so make sure you get yours while you still can to avoid disappointment.
