Traveling to Budapest and wondering what is the best way to stay connected? Don't let high roaming charges or slow overseas data plans ruin your trip to Hungary. This is a complete guide for buying a sim card at Budapest Airport. Find out where to buy a sim card, the best e-sim cards for Hungary, up to date prices as per August 2023, my recommendation, info about EU roaming, about international sim cards and more.
Throughout my journey to visit every country in the world I found out that prepaid sim card deals at airports are in general much more expensive. You simply pay extra for the convenience of getting connected straight on arrival. But now with the rise of e-sim cards there is an alternative.
As a full time travel blogger and nomad I constantly get to new countries and airports and everywhere I go I look for the best ways to get connected and I like to document it in order to help other travelers. That is how on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: USA, Istanbul, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Europe, Geneva, Zurich, Zagreb, Vienna, Venice, Brussels, Copenhagen, Asia, Singapore, Bali, Abu Dhabi and many more.
So next time you start planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and e-sim card advice for your holiday destination. Bookmark me!
My recommendation
There is no choice! You can only buy a Vodafone prepaid sim card at Budapest Airport and it is expensive compared to e-sim cards. So even more reasons for Traveltomtom to recommend an e-sim card for traveling to Budapest.
There is also a guide for buying a sim card for Hungary in 2023 with the same conclusion. Prepaid sim cards in Hungary are more expensive than e-sim cards.
There are also so-called worldwide travel sim cards that keeps you connected globally, a great alternative to stay connected when traveling. Check out my comparison of the best travel sim cards with data and global coverage in 2023 and find the one that suits your trip to Budapest. You can find prepaid as well as e-sim cards in there.
There are also specially designed sim cards for traveling in Europe, which are particularly great for those visiting a couple countries in Europe on their trip to Budapest.
Best e-sim cards for Hungary
The easiest, fastest and cheapest way to stay connected when traveling to Budapest in 2023 is an e-sim card. No more visiting a sim card store or swapping sim cards! With an e-sim card you arrange everything online in just a couple clicks. Order an e-sim card, process the payment, receive a QR code, follow the steps and you are all connections.
Check out the following e-sim card deals for Hungary:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $7.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $9.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $13.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $22 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $36 USD
Click here to order an e-sim card for Hungary or get more info.
The above e-sim cards for Hungary from Szia! are data-only and only valid in Hungary. Szia! e-sim cards operate on the Yettel (former Telenor) 4G/LTE network in Hungary.
Do you also want to make phone calls in Hungary with your e-sim card then check out the following international e-sim cards. They come with a phone number and are valid in all of Europe and up to 70 countries around the world:
- 10 GB data + $2 calling credit for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 8 GB + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 20 GB + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for traveling in Hungary.
Before buying an e-sim card for traveling to Hungary make sure that your phone is unlocked and e-sim compatible!
If your phone is not e-sim compatible but you still want to buy a sim card for Hungary online then look into prepaid sim cards for traveling to Hungary. You can buy them on the internet as well and these prepaid sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Budapest. For example $49.90 USD you get 20 GB data + 120 international minutes.
Click here to order this international prepaid sim card for Hungary or find more offers and info in the link.
Why buying a sim card for Hungary?
A local prepaid sim card or e-sim card will keep you connected during your trip to Budapest and it simply makes your life easier. Think about getting directions from Google Maps, ordering an Uber or searching for a nearby restaurant or finding friends.
Don't depend on free public WiFi. Keep in mind that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED connection, it is recommend to use a VPN when surfing the web on an unsecured network.
Buying a local prepaid sim card for Hungary at Budapest Airport is the fastest way to get connected when buying a sim card in Hungary. But the fastest way to get connected is an e-sim card and you can use the free WiFi at Budapest Airport to arrange everything in just 2 minutes.
RELATED: 15 Best Places To Visit in Hungary.
Hungary sim cards and EU roaming
Good news is that all the Hungary prepaid sim cards include free EU roaming. That means you can use the data, voice and text allowance on your Hungary sim card also in London, Paris, Rome and 30 other countries in Europe at no extra costs.
But if you are traveling onwards to Europe after visiting Budapest then I highly recommend you to check out my guide for buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe with all my tips and tricks I learned along the way or order a sim card for traveling in Europe online.
Budapest Airport - BUD
Budapest Airport is officially called Ferenc Liszt International Airport and is fairly easy to navigate. There are two Arrival Halls 2A and 2B. Most European flights arrive at 2B, intercontinental flights mostly walk into Arrival Hall 2A. The two arrival halls are very near to each other.
Where to buy a sim card at Budapest Airport
If you arrive at Arrival Hall 2B then you will have to walk over to Arrival Hall 2A for buying a Hungary prepaid sim card. There is no sim card shop in Arrival Hall 2B. On your left hand side when walking into 2B you will see all the car rental booths. Head in that direction and keep on walking and you will arrive at Arrival Hall 2A and see the big Vodafone store at Budapest Airport.
When arriving at Arrival Hall 2A you can't miss the big official Vodafone Budapest Airport shop on your right hand side. The Vodafone shop at Budapest Airport is the only place where you can buy a Hungary prepaid sim card.
Prices sim cards at Budapest Airport
As the Vodafone store is the only place that sells prepaid sim cards at Budapest Airport there is no such thing as a comparison or finding the best Hungary sim card for tourists.
There is simply only one choice: Vodafone Hungary!
There are 4 Vodafone Hungary sim cards for tourists available:
- 5 GB data in all of Europe + 100 minutes/sms for 30 days = 7,500 HUF - $21.7 USD
- 15 GB data in all of Europe for 30 days = 11,000 HUF - $31.8 USD
- 10 GB data in all of Europe + 100 minutes/sms for 30 days = 12,000 HUF - $34.6 USD
- 15 GB data in all of Europe + 100 minutes/sms for 30 days = 15,000 HUF - $43.3 USD
As you can see it is pretty damn expensive to buy a prepaid sim card for traveling to Hungary at Budapest Airport. Prices for prepaid sim cards are a little cheaper once you get to Budapest city center and walk into a phone store from Vodafone, Yettel or Telekom. These are the main mobile internet providers and they all sell prepaid sim cards for tourists. For more info check out my guide for finding the best sim card for traveling in Hungary in 2023.
Given the prices for sim cards at Budapest Airport it makes even more sense to order your sim card for Hungary online. In the beginning of this article I showed you the prices for e-sim cards for Hungary and they already start from $4.5 USD. For $22 USD you get 10 GB data and you arrange everything online. For $49.90 USD you get 20 GB data and unlimited calling and texting in all of Europe and 120 international minutes.
Order a sim card for Hungary online
Do you want to arrive prepared and be online as soon as the plane lands then check out buying a sim card for Hungary on the internet. You are also not wasting your precious holiday time getting in line at Budapest Airport trying to buy an expensive prepaid sim card.
An international prepaid sim card for Hungary is pre-activated and will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Budapest.
Three Data Pack 10 GB - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and UK
- Valid 30 days
Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 8 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and UK
- Valid 14 days
Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 20 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and UK
- 120 minutes worldwide
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Three PAYG MBB 12 GB - $59.90
- 12 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Valid for 1 year
Three PAYG MBB 24 GB - $79.90
- 24 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Valid for 2 years
Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Hungary directly online.
Personally I can recommend the Orange Holiday Europe sim card as I have used it multiple times for traveling in Europe and never had a problem. Recently I started using the e-sim card version of this sim card for traveling to Europe.
Also a last reminder that you can arrange everything directly online by ordering an e-sim card for traveling to Hungary. No more visiting a sim card store or swapping a physical sim card: through Airalo you can order a data-only e-sim card for Hungary and through SimOptions you can get an international e-sim card for all of Europe including calling and texting.
How to get from Budapest Airport to Budapest city
There are two options: a direct bus or a bus/metro combinations. In case your hotel is close to one of the metro stations I would go for that option, otherwise a direct bus into the city is pretty convenient.
The direct bus costs 900 HUF - $2.6 USD for a one way ticket and stops at Deák Ferenc tér, Astoria Metro and Kálvin tér Metro.
I am sure some of the above tips for buying a sim card at Budapest Airport were helpful. Let me know if you have any questions. Please drop me a comment below or reach out to me on social media. I am more than happy to help you out, also with Hungary travel tips.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of August 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Budapest!