Driving in Hungary

Of the 70 border crossings Hungary maintains with its seven neighbours, 15 (mostly in the north and north-east) are restricted to local citizens from both sides of the border. Fortunately, that no longer includes the Esztergom-Sturovo ferry crossing, which is now one of the easiest and most central ways to enter Hungary from Slovakia.

Driving conditions are generally good. The roads in Hungary are well paved and driving laws are sufficiently stringent and strictly enforced. The road network is extensive making most areas of Hungary accessible through driving.

Motorways are marked with the letter M

The motorways are marked with the letter M and international roads with the letter E. 7 out of 8 main roads start from Budapest (these are numbered in a clockwise direction). The 8th road starts at Szekesfehervar and goes towards Rabafuzes. Secondary roads are numbered with two or more digits.

You have to buy a toll sticker in order to go on M1, M3 and M5. These can be bought for a year, for a month or for 9 days. They can be bought in larger cities, near the motorways, at petrol stations and at the 50 offices of Magyar Autoklub and in 35 larger post offices.

Parking in the inner parts of Budapest

Most of the main tourist areas have free parking. Parking is permitted on the right-hand side of two-way streets and on both sides of one-way streets. In the inner parts of Budapest you will have to pay for the parking. There are machines on the sides of the streets. You can buy a ticket for a maximum of 2 hours. These parking places are not guarded!

Your car wheels will be clutched if you do not pay the parking fee or if you overlap the parking time. The wheel-clutch can be asked to be removed through the phone number that you will find on the ticket machines or personally at the 5th district at Gerloczy street 2 from 9 a.m until 20 p.m. There is night duty after 20 p.m.

Trams and buses always have priority

All vehicles having crossed a railway have priority if there is a cross street after the railway crossing. Trams and buses always have priority. Pedestrians have priority at marked pedestrian crossings and at intersections, but they don't have priority between tram loading islands and the far sidewalks. Bicycle lanes are indicated by a continuous yellow stripe.

Outside built-up areas headlights must be used

Outside built-up areas headlights must be used night and day; motorcycles must use them everywhere. Use of horns is not allowed in built-up areas between 10 pm and 6 am; headlights, rather, should be used to give warning. In Budapest and other towns and villages along main roads, horns are always prohibited except in cases of immediate and extreme danger.

Personal responsibility of the car owner

If you commit a traffic offence in Hungary you cannot pay the fine to the police at the scene. You will be given documentation allowing you to pay the fine at any Hungarian post office, or these documents will be sent to your home address. In all traffic offences it is always the owner or registered keeper of the car who is responsible for the offence, even if someone else is using your car.

Car stolen or confirmation in writing

You will be exempted from personal responsibility if you can prove that your car has been stolen, or if the person who has committed the offence confirms this in writing.

National currency

Hungary is not part of the eurozone. It has its own national currency, the Forint (Ft).

€ 1 = Ft 290 (approx)
Ft 100 = € 0,34 (approx)

The data above is based on information by the Hungarian Tourist Board. No rights can be derived from this publication.

This page on traffic penalties and fines in Hungary is about Hungarian speed limit violations, cheque, stolen car, offence, sanction, home address, euro zone.